Satan is Alive ... And Well

Sometimes, I think I forget that both God AND Satan exist. That there really is a heaven AND a hell. That there really are angels AND demons.

Sometimes, I focus so much on God, and His perfection, and His strength, that I forget that their is even an opposer.

In C.S. Lewis' book, The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape, the devil, feeds his "project" the following lie: 

Satan, evil spirits, and hell don't really exist. 

This is the first step to denying God. For why would anyone need God if there was no one to oppose, no one to defend against, no one vying for the attention of your soul?

How easy it is to ignore the very thing that is right in front of our faces. The reality that man is depraved, that sin exists, and that Satan is very much alive and at work should be so clear and obvious to us.

But, Satan is the ultimate deceiver. For he discovered that if he can get us to believe that he doesn't exist, then evil doesn't exist, and it is much easier to deny the very real reality that we ourselves are sinners in need of a Savior.

Daily this is the lie that many of us are fed. Dangerous as it may be...it is not the only tool that Satan has in his toolbox. His second tool is to cause us to believe that God isn't capable of saving us, that we don't have the tools to fight and defeat him and his minions.

In Ephesians 5, God doesn't just tell us that Satan exists. 

God gives us all the tools we need to defeat him: 

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."


As Christians, we are given the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. We are given the Word of God. God equips and prepares us for battle, not to fight an invisible enemy, but to fight an enemy that is very much alive and well.

May we be men and women of faith who are willing to openly rebuke Satan; not in our own strength, but rather through the magnificent strength and glory of Jesus Christ!