Satan and Devils

Satan and Devils A. Unlike God, Satan is not omnipresent. But he has conscripted a number of subordinate evil spirits (rebel angels) to duplicate omnipresence. REV 12:4. 1. Satan was an angel, now the Devil as a result of rebellion. 2. Thus, we deduce by parallel that the devils are likely the rebel angels. 3. These devils are also the unclean spirits. MAR 3:26, 30; LUK 4:33-36. B. The resurrection of Christ dealt a great blow to Satan and the devils, but they were still able to affect men. MAR 16:17; ACT 16:16, 18; 19:15-16. C. LUK 11:24-26 highlights some things about the personality, individuality and ability of evil spirits (devils). 1. They can exist inside or outside of humans. a. They may be restless outside of organic matter. b. They prefer abiding in swine over nothingness. LUK 8:31-32. c. When divinely forced out of a human host, they are traumatized. ACT 8:7. 2. They are able to travel at will in and out of matter. 3. They are able to communicate. a. They can obviously communicate with each other. b. They can also speak to humans through a human subject. ACT 19:15. (1) This indicates a situation where a person's central nervous system has been taken over. (2) To a lesser degree, the person who heeds and parrots doctrines of devils has become the voicebox of a devil. 1TI 4:1-3. 4. Each one has a separate identity. a. Mark the use of personal pronouns: I, himself, they. b. These are thinking personalities, not impersonal forces. 5. They are able to remember and make plans. 6. They are able to evaluate and make decisions. a. The evil spirit found his human target “...empty, swept, and garnished...” (MAT 12:44) indicating that it could evaluate its intended victim. b. That an empty house especially appeals to evil spirits should warn us against simply ceasing something wrong. Wrong conduct needs to be replaced with good conduct. ROM 13:12; EPH 4:25, 28-32. c. This may have some bearing on somebody with too much of an open mind. PRO 19:27 c/w ACT 17:21-22. 7. They are able to combine forces. c/w LUK 8:30. 8. They vary in degrees of wickedness. c/w MAR 9:29. D. Some further observations about devils: 1. They can work miracles. REV 16:14. 2. They can have strategic strongholds. REV 2:13. a. Babylon the great would be especially inhabited of them. REV 18:2. b. Apostate Israel of the apostolic era would be likewise. MAT 12:45. c. Consider the darkness of the pre-Christian British Isles or the hellish Aztecs. 3. They have distinctive doctrines. 1TI 4:1. 4. They are monotheistic. JAM 2:19. a. That Islam, Judaism or Jehovah's Witnesses are monotheistic does not mean that their religion is of God, since they are antichrist. 1JO 2:23. b. Curiously, Charles Taze Russell of Jehovah’s Witness fame was a big promoter of Zionism. Satan and Devils 12-13-23 Page 1 5. They know Christ is the Son of God. LUK 4:41. 6. They can cause displays of incredible strength. ACT 19:16; MAR 5:2-4. 7. They can cause self-punishment. MAR 5:5. a. Devilish religion and self-mutilation go hand in hand. LEV 19:28; 1KI 18:28. b. Ritual abuse or neglect is contrary to nature and God. EPH 5:29; COL 2:23. 8. They have likewise been known to effect dumbness, blindness or deafness in men. MAR 9:25; MAT 12:22. 9. They have been known to play a role in mental disorders. LUK 8:35; MAT 17:15. a. Evil spirits apparently can affect the body or the mind negatively. b. However, there are a host of organic reasons (genetics, injury, medications, psycho- active drugs, etc.) that can also affect the body or the mind. 10. There is a connection between devils and nakedness. LUK 8:27; EXO 32:25. 11. They can be affected by music. 1SAM 16:23. a. Holy Spirit-filled Christians are strengthened by joyous songs of praise. EPH 5:18-19 c/w NEH 8:10. b. The flip-side of this coin is the powerfully negative effect that certain music can have on people. Some music doesn't drive away evil spirits, but invites them. Be not deceived on this point. 1CO 15:33. Satan and Devils 12-13-23 Page 2