Satan or adversary, was once an angel named Lucifer or light bearer.

In the garden
of Eden he tempted Eve with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life. Prior even to the temptations, he cast doubt upon God and his
motives. He tempted Jesus with the same methods. Today he still walks about
seeking whom he may devour. As he continues to use the lusts and pride to cause
many to sin. His history reads as what follows. Isaiah 14:[12] How art thou fallen
from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations![13] For thou hast said in thine heart, I will
ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also
upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:[14] I will ascend
above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.[15] Yet thou shalt
be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Five times he said, "I Will."
His desire is to be like the Most High God. He always imitates, but never quite
duplicates the Lord of heaven and the earth. Jesus said, not my will but thine
will be done. He came to fulfill the will of God. In fact the Lord's model speaks
of "Thine will be done, as in heaven, so in earth." Now Satan has followers, and
though he has great power still, he is no match for God. We read that Pharoah's
magicians or sorcerer's tried to equal the power of God. Moses was given abilities
to prove to Pharoah that he came from God. Let's look at the contest between
Satan's followers and the man of God. Exodus 7:[8] And the LORD spake unto Moses
and unto Aaron, saying,[9] When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a
miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before
Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.[10] And Moses and Aaron went in unto
Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod
before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.[11] Then Pharaoh
also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also
did in like manner with their enchantments.[12] For they cast down every man his
rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. God won
that round easily. Though Satan was permitted by God to unleash his power, he
still could not overcome the power of Almighty God. Exodus 7: [19] And the LORD
spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon
the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds,
and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may
be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels
of stone.[20] And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up
the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and
in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were
turned to blood.[21] And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank,
and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood
throughout all the land of Egypt.[22] And the magicians of Egypt did so with their
enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them;
as the LORD had said. We must remember that devils once were angels. Though know
first hand what God was like. Now they are the opposite of the former nature. If
they once were uplifters of faith, they now spread fear. These beings may become
as light. God said he would not conceal their nature or abilities from the men who
sought them. Satan himself is the father of all lies. He will softly speak to
those who would hear him. Yet in the end, betrayal is all that his servants ever
received, as we will see. Exodus 8[6] And Aaron stretched out his hand over the
waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.[7] And the
magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of
Egypt. Exodus 8:[16] And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy
rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the
land of Egypt.[17] And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod,
and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the
dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.[18] And the
magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not:
so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.[19] Then the magicians said unto
Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he
hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. These men could not duplicate this
miracle and proclaimed it of God. Exodus 9:[10] And they took ashes of the
furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it
became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.[11] And the
magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon
the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians. Here the men of magic were not
protected from the wrath of God. He wanted his people released in no uncertain
terms. God is increasing the pressure, slowly but surely, and the Egyptians will
crack. Satan will later be allowed to inflict casualties upon the Egyptians
themselves. Psalm 78:[41] Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the
Holy One of Israel.[42] They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he
delivered them from the enemy.[43] How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his
wonders in the field of Zoan:[44] And had turned their rivers into blood; and
their floods, that they could not drink.[45] He sent divers sorts of flies among
them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.[46] He gave also their
increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.[47] He destroyed
their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.[48] He gave up their
cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.[49] He cast upon
them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending
evil angels among them.[50] He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul
from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;[51] And smote all the
firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:[52] But
made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like
a flock.[53] And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea
overwhelmed their enemies.[54] And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary,
even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. Here in these great
verses we read that God is a Holy One. Also in the last verse we see that his
right hand of righteous power, brought the people into the land. God is a Spirit
(Singular! And spirits do not have hands of flesh!)The land was blood bought by
Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself in our stead. Here we see that Satan betrayed
the Egyptians. He did so by sending his evil angels upon them to destroy them. The
goal of the Devil is to kill, steal, and destroy. Those are his priorities.
Firstly, to kill you spiritually and physically. Secondly, to steal your salvation
or peace of mind. Anything to unbalance you. Thirdly, he came to destroy your
relationships with all. If you have on with Jesus Christ, putting him on by faith
and baptism in the same name, he wants you gone. History. He wants to convert you
like the evil emperor did Darth Vader. If anyone saw Star Wars, then this is a
familiar scene to you. The emperor feigned that he cared and that he had all the
solutions, but in the end he tried to destroy his convert. So are the ways of
Satan. One day God who has allowed Satan to continue to test all, will be bound to
a eternity of Hell. Hell was only created with him and the other devils in mind.
Unfortunately, Hell was enlargened because of rebellion of such men as Pharoah.
Jesus paid for all sin and now will freely given a way of escape for all. If one
is willing to trust and obey his words. I know that many will mock God being
deceived; yet just because one has not been in a hurricane, does not mean it is
not real. Noah preached 120 years, warning of a flood to come. Yet only eight
souls were saved. When Jesus does return, will he find any faith? That remains to
be seen. In my short time of 40 years, I have seen Satan deceive many. Causing
some to even kill themselves. This is very sad indeed. Life is a gift. Abortion is
nothing short of killing the unborn innocent. Yet it is being done every day. I
have seen a mother who stabbed her own self, just to kill her unborn baby that was
inside her. I saw the infant in the morgue. How about the people who sell all that
they have for drugs? Tell me, why a rational person would promptly sell all to buy
a substance that will shortly kill them? A sane person would have to say that
there is a satanic force behind these themes. The last times were to be dangerous
days said the scriptures. People would harden their hearts because of the
multiplication of sin in all quarters. We see corruption in all areas of life.
Nothing is spared from the influence of the evil one. I have seen Christians
suffer as never before. My appeal is to common sense. People do not act as animals
without a outside force acting upon them. The only thing that can restrain him is
the spirit of God. The more that we praise God (As he inhabits our praises.) and
resist him in the faith steadfastly, the less strong Satan is in the world. In
other words, salt or Christ like people, will keep back sin and the man of sin or
the Anti-Christ. We see today that Satan has flooded the market with people who
claim Christ is theirs. These false brethern brought in unawares, deny Jesus
Christ in other word
or deed. Here Jesus Christ is lifted up both in word and deed. Colossians 3:[1]
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God.[2] Set your affection on things above, not on
things on the earth.[3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in
God.[4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory.[5] Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and
covetousness, which is idolatry:[6] For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh
on the children of disobedience:[7] In the which ye also walked some time, when ye
lived in them.[8] But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.[9] Lie not one to another,
seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;[10] And have put on the
new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created
him:[11] Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision,
Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.[12] Put on
therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;[13] Forbearing one another, and
forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ
forgave you, so also do ye.[14] And above all these things put on charity, which
is the bond of perfectness.[15] And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to
the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.[16] Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the
Lord.[17] And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. This present world will end
shortly. And all those who have put on Jesus Christ both in word and deed will be
saved from the wrath to come. Our heart should be set on the things of Christ. In
my years of teaching and preaching, I have never asked for one penny for the
message. This is the way of Christ. Jesus never charged people for a healing. Nor
did he tell those that followed him to seek after earthly riches. He gave all
freely and those who claim him as theirs, must do the same. We must be willing to
leave all and take up our cross and follow him. That is not a glamorous message.
Instead of fame we seek a kingdom and city to come. And we will enter in by his
grace and our true faith in him. That was the way of the early church. And it must
be ours if we expect to enter into his glory. God bless you.