To many people, the entire topic of a Devil is ludicrous. Others imagine that there is no real power in the Satanic realm.  Still others have come to learn, as have we, how dangerous and powerful this entity and his legion is. And so, we thought it would be good to share some basic truths concerning the idea of the Devil, demons, and their place in God's plan.  Please pray for God's divine guidance and protection as you partake of this study.

It has been argued that Satan's first hope is that we'll not believe in His existence.  I must disagree with such a point of view.  It does not meet the test of either common sense or the Biblical passages which reveal the fallen angel.  The Bible teaches that the Satanic agenda is one of gathering as many as he can to himself, and in doing so, he must indeed be readily available and real to those people.  Think how many in "Rock" music exploit this area.  The reality of the situation then, is not in his revelation, but in his modus operendi.  We will find that there are three, and only three avenues that God has allowed Lucifer to have power in, so far as humanity operates.  However, these three areas are the very core of human attributes.  The importance of our ability to recognize them is an imperative we must not lose sight of.

The scriptures introduce us to Satan first in Genesis and then reveal his end in the book of The Revelation.  Let us make a quick side step to view theses passages.

Ge 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made.  He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?"   (cf Ge 3:1-7 for the entire rendition)

Re 12:9  And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Re 20:10  and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Here we see, three significant passages which explain the highlights of Satan's agenda of destroying and his ultimate reward.  They do not, however, completely reveal his identity lucidly.  To learn more about his identity, we must peruse two other books, where we will find even more clarification.

Isa 14:12  How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!  How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!   ( cf: Isa 14:12-15 for the full account)  (Lucifer is the alternative name for Day Star, son of Dawn)

Eze 28:14  With an anointed guardian cherub I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.   (cf  Eze 28:11-19 for the full account)

 Eph 2:2  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

2 CO 4:4  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God.

I have not offered a definitive list, but enough for you to do an independent study of cross references based on these scriptures.  My point here is to fortify what I said concerning Satan needing to be revealed, in order to gather a following.

The words "ego, psyche, self and id" are very much interconnected.  Let us explore this a bit so that an firm understanding can be made manifest.   Each of the words listed are interconnected and can be explained in yet another word, very popular in today's society.  That word is "attitude."
Not so long ago, a man named Sigmund Freud popularized the idea of psychoanalysis.   His basic premise was founded in treating a person's mind, in order to establish a healthy (physical and mental) person.   To wit, he did not teach (or rely) on God's ways to accomplish these things.  In our contemporary society, the practice and use of psychology has attained a virtual Godhood and is rapidly replacing any and all references to the Biblical aspects of physical and mental health, as well as spiritual health.

Lightly explained then, we can say that a person's "ego" reveals what that person thinks of him/her "self."  People can think too little, too much,  be confused, or maintain a healthy "psyche" in the general sense; thereby revealing their attitude(s) about themselves.  But consider this -- the events of Eve's confrontation with the serpent in Eden, reveal how Satan used the very cause of his own downfall, to corrupt the innocent Eve.

How do you feel about yourself?  Are you willing to be the best achiever you can be, without stepping on others (in any way) in order to attain our goals?  Do you understand that you are no better or less than someone else?  Do you find yourself being afraid you can't cope etc.?   Do you know that perfect love casts out all fear?  We are all unique individuals.  We all have various talents and shortcomings.   We are, dear hearts, simply a part of the human race, and should look for God's will for our lives before venturing out into the world's crucible of fears and enmity amongst each other.

We now live in a world witnessing the results of the "sexual revolution" of the sixties, in the USA.  But even before the sixties, other countries were becoming more and more liberated in this arena.  In stark contrast there are those countries and societies where one had best be extremely discrete.   And not to be forgotten is how we now have such an emphasis on "alternative" life styles and the like.  The results are very obvious.  Where once, the Biblical concept of sexuality and how it should be utilized, meant a great deal, it is now being mocked and attacked.  The individual(s) who would stand for the Biblical standards are subverted and ever increasingly legislated against.

That doesn't change anything though.  The natural desires God gave us as humans will either be used as they should be or they will be subverted.   To be recognized then is that sex is an extremely powerful force.  Used properly, it can bind two people together in a way that nothing else can find a comparison with.  If on the other hand, it is abused, the havoc it can raise will also have no parallel.

Ah yes - the financial end of things.  The rich exploit the poor.   The poor all too often turn to hate in order to offset their feelings of inadequacy because they don't have even the bare necessities of life, for themselves and their kindred.  Money is power.  Power requires more and more materialistic expression.  And so, we see all sorts of schemes, plots, robberies (legal and not so legal) of other peoples' goods and money.  Do we have too much?  Perhaps not quite enough?   Perhaps almost none.   Society today exists on the exchange of goods and commodities for the sake of acquiring???  Do you see my point?

If you doubt what is offered here, or would care to have more information, you can discuss the issue(s) with your pastor, Sunday School teacher, or with us.  We would love to have a fruitful dialogue with you.