Freedom in Christ Course; day 39 Nugget
Right-Sizing Satan
Satan has worked hard throughout human history to try to get us to fear him. The Bible says that “the whole world lies in his power” (1 John 5:19), and through this influence he has shaped movies and books and images and campfire stories and music, which all appear to show him as this “equal but opposite” power to God. But the truth is that he is the father of lies – he is a created being just like we are, and is nothing like God. He can’t read your mind, he can only be in one place at one time, and he can only operate within the boundaries that God sets. He is firmly on a leash!
He would love you to believe that he has enormous power and authority over you, but to compare Satan’s power with God’s is like comparing an ant to an atomic bomb – and even that comparison doesn’t do it justice! At the cross, Jesus completely disarmed Satan. Not only that, as children of God bought by the blood of Christ, we have been raised up with Christ and share in his position of authority – we are actually far above Satan and all demonic powers!
If you haven’t heard this teaching on who Satan is before, it can be really hard to believe. If you find yourself fearing him, or struggling to believe that in Christ you now have authority over him and his demons, look up the following verses and read them out loud every day for a month or so: 1 John 5:18; Ephesians 1:19-22; Ephesians 2:6.
Right-Sizing Satan
Satan has worked hard throughout human history to try to get us to fear him. The Bible says that “the whole world lies in his power” (1 John 5:19), and through this influence he has shaped movies and books and images and campfire stories and music, which all appear to show him as this “equal but opposite” power to God. But the truth is that he is the father of lies – he is a created being just like we are, and is nothing like God. He can’t read your mind, he can only be in one place at one time, and he can only operate within the boundaries that God sets. He is firmly on a leash!
He would love you to believe that he has enormous power and authority over you, but to compare Satan’s power with God’s is like comparing an ant to an atomic bomb – and even that comparison doesn’t do it justice! At the cross, Jesus completely disarmed Satan. Not only that, as children of God bought by the blood of Christ, we have been raised up with Christ and share in his position of authority – we are actually far above Satan and all demonic powers!
If you haven’t heard this teaching on who Satan is before, it can be really hard to believe. If you find yourself fearing him, or struggling to believe that in Christ you now have authority over him and his demons, look up the following verses and read them out loud every day for a month or so: 1 John 5:18; Ephesians 1:19-22; Ephesians 2:6.