Unlike God, Satan is not omni-present, which means everywhere at the same time - I know that seems impossible but if we could understand God and how He works then He wouldn't be a very powerful God now would He?! Back to Satan's crib. Satan is locked in time and space. He was once an Angel who chose to deal in pride and deception and was able to convince a whole lot of other angels to follow him (dumb move on their part). As a former angel Satan goes from one place to another. He is locked in time and space just like you and me. He doesn't know everything nor is he all powerful. Okay, enough about that.
As a member of humanity I sometimes find myself (even this morning) considering the tactics of Satan to distract me, derail me and cause me to sin. I say things like, "Satan is really after me today..." Or, "Satan sure knows which buttons to push." But I wonder if those are actually a "true" statements. Is Satan at the root of all my failures and falls? Does he have nothing better to do than to follow me around, a humble preacher of a relatively small church, and try and get me to fall, or to stop trying, or to give up, or to get so frustrated with my current situation that I just get mad and go do something else? What really IS Satan's role in my life - and does he even have a role?
Well, certainly Satan exists. The Bible says he prowls around like a lion seeking whom he may devour. But if Satan is locked in time and space then he personally can't temp me and someone on the other side of the world at the same time. Truth. Ah, but you say that is why he has demons. Spiritual henchmen who carry out his dastardly deeds. That is also true. But how often have you said, "A demon is really after me today..." Probably never. But I'm gonna take this a step further.
Read the next statement. Do you agree or not?
Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Agree or not?
Let me put it again...
each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Do you understand this fully? Each person is tempted... BY YOUR OWN EVIL DESIRE! Look here, I'm gonna make you mad! You (and I) are tempted BY OUR OWN DESIRE not necessarily by Satan. Yes, it's easier and not as condemning to say that Satan tempted me or is after me but the truth is, as a New Creation in Christ Jesus, it is NOT Satan who is tempting me but my own evil desire.
Here's the implication and then I have to go get my son from school... If it is Satan tempting me then I have an excuse. He's a bad dude always trying to trip me up. If it's my own evil desire then I have to take ownership and realize that MOST of my sin comes from me, not him. So when I am tempted I must check myself. Am I walking by the Spirit in this instance or the flesh? Am I giving in to my own sexual, selfish, prideful or angry desire or am I submitting to the Spirit?
The next time I feel "attacked by Satan" I want to check myself against the Truth of God's Word and see if there is an area of my life that is not submitted to Him (God). And then I need to take that thought or deed captive to the Spirit.
Don't get me wrong, Satan is active in our lives but perhaps not to the extent that we blame him for. Perhaps some of the struggles you've claimed to have with Satan are just your own tendency for evil. Rebuke Satan's work in your life and then see if he was even actually involved in that one... adjust back to the Spirit and keep moving.
Quote from James 1:14,15 NIV
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