What Satan Did to the Christians of Smyrna: Imprisonment

Posted on September 17, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” series (post #14)

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10, N.K.J.V.)

These words were spoken by Jesus by way of John the apostle to the church in Smyrna. Smyrna was a seaport city located approximately 35 miles north of Ephesus. It was the most beautiful city in Asia Minor and was a thriving center of commerce. It was also known for its wildly zealous loyalty to Rome, to the extreme that it was a center of the imperial cult that worshiped Rome’s Caesar as a god.

Since the worship of Caesar was compulsory in Smyrna, any citizen who wouldn’t say, “Caesar is Lord” was ostracized from the city’s trade guilds. That would result in unemployment and poverty. That citizen could also have his property confiscated. This explains why Jesus said to those Christians, “I know your works, your tribulation, and poverty…” (Revelation 2:9). By the way, the Greek word translated there as “poverty” isn’t even the typical one for “poverty.” Instead, it’s a special one that describes abject poverty.

To make matters worse, the Smyrna church also had to deal with a group Jesus called “the synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9). This was the city’s Jewish synagogue, whose members were motivated by Satan to persecute the city’s Christians. The members of this synagogue were Jews in the genetic sense but not in the spiritual sense (Romans 2:28-29). Their true religion was the worship of Caesar, and they allied themselves with the Romans in persecuting Smyrna’s Christians to the point of death.

This shows us that Satan uses religion, especially any religion that isn’t under the lordship of Jesus Christ, to accomplish his sinister purposes. In the case of the Christians of Smyrna, Satan used the emperor worship cult, working hand in hand with the local Jews, to get some of those Christians thrown into prison. Various interpretations have been offered for the “ten days” of the persecution. Some commentators view the days symbolically as ten different waves of persecution that took place under ten different Roman emperors beginning with Nero and ending with Diocletian. Others see them as alluding specifically to the ten-year persecution that took place during the reign of Diocletian. Others interpret the days literally, the idea being that the imprisonment and persecution would be brief but intense.

I tend to side with those who interpret the “ten days” literally, but the overriding point in all the interpretations is that remaining faithful to Jesus would result in the persecution and martyrdom of some of Smyrna’s Christians. As evidence of how bad the persecution would eventually become, historical records tell us that fifty years or so after Jesus spoke these words Smyrna’s pastor, Polycarp, was burned alive at the age of 86 for refusing to worship Caesar. Those records also specifically mention that the Jews of the city carried logs to the pyre on which he was burned.

As for why God would allow Satan to persecute and imprison the Christians of Smyrna during those “ten days,” we don’t have to guess at an answer. Jesus says, “Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.” Certainly, nothing will test one’s devotion to Christ like persecution and imprisonment! Thus continues the classic theme the Bible presents in regards to God counteracting Satan’s work. First, Satan plans to do his evil work in our lives. Second, rather than prevent Satan from doing the work, God allows him to accomplish it. Third, whereas Satan uses the work for one intended purpose, God uses it for another as He brings good out of the bad (Romans 8:28).

The three promises Jesus made to the Christians of Smyrna were:

  1. Even though those Christians were poor in an earthly sense, they were rich in an eternal one because they had treasure laid up in heaven (Revelation 2:9; Matthew 6:19-21).
  2. Just as the winning athletes of Rome’s athletic games received crowning wreaths placed atop their heads, the Christians of Smyrna would receive crowns of life as heavenly rewards for their efforts (Revelation 2:10; James 1:12).
  3. Those Christians would not be hurt by the second death (Revelation 2:11), which is eternal banishment to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

To get back to the subject of this post, though, Satan worked through human means to get some of the Christians of Smyrna thrown into prison. And if he had the power to do that to them, he can surely create all kinds of injustices (including imprisonment) for Christians today. If you think Christian persecution and imprisonment was something that only happened in the days of the early church, you don’t have a clue what is happening to Christians in various parts of the world in this 21st century.

But lest we walk around scared to death, wondering where Satan is going to strike next, we Christians would do well to read again Christ’s words to those Christians of Smyrna: “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer” (Revelation 2:10). That seems like such an odd thing to say, doesn’t it? I mean, aren’t persecution and arrest frightful things? Well, from a worldly perspective they obviously are, but from an eternal one they only produce greater reward for the Christian. Those Christians of ancient Smyrna are enjoying those rewards at this very moment, and you and I, Christian, would do well to learn from their excellent example.

Posted in Eternity, Faithfulness, Fear, God's Work, Heaven, Persecution, Reward, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Spiritual Warfare, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Satan Did to Paul: A Thorn in the Flesh

Posted on September 15, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” series (post #13)

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. (2 Corinthians 12:7, N.K.J.V.)

Fourteen years before Paul wrote the letter we call 2 Corinthians, something astounding happened to him. It was either a vision or an out-of-body experience (even he wasn’t exactly sure which one it was). Somehow, he was caught up to the “third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:2). Since the “first heaven” is the earth’s atmosphere, and the “second heaven” is the blackness of space, the “third heaven” is God’s heaven, way up there above it all. Paul called this “third heaven” “Paradise” (2 Corinthians 12:4).

In heaven, Paul heard what he described as “inexpressible words, things that man is not permitted to tell” (2 Corinthians 12:4, N.I.V.). These revelations were so otherworldly that if he had preached them on earth his listeners would have exalted him above measure and caused him to become “puffed up” (N.L.T.) with pride (2 Corinthians 12:7). So, to prevent any possibility of him becoming so conceited, he was given what he called a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him humble.

While it’s true that most of our English translations go with the translation “thorn” to describe Paul’s problem, the Greek word in question is actually not the common one for thorn. The common word is akantha, which is used not only in Christ’s Parable of the Sower but also in describing the crown of thorns Jesus Himself was forced to wear. Conversely, the word Paul used for his “thorn” is skolops. That’s a word that originally referred to “anything pointed” but eventually came to be used more in reference to a stake. For this reason, J.B. Lightfoot, one of England’s greatest New Testament scholars, held that Paul’s condition would be best translated as “a stake driven through the flesh.”

Theories have been kicked around for centuries as to what Paul’s thorn was. Some believe that it was a type of disease or ailment. Migraines, malaria, epilepsy, a speech impediment (1 Corinthians 2:1-4), earaches, and eye trouble (Galatians 5:14-15; 6:11) have all been suggested.

Others believe that Paul used the word “flesh” to refer not to his physical body but to his inborn nature of sin. This interpretation places the buffeted area inside his inner nature rather than upon his outer body. If the interpretation is correct, it means that his thorn was some type of inner temptation with which he constantly struggled.

And then there are those who believe that the entire question centers around the Greek word translated as “messenger” in the term “messenger of Satan.” That Greek noun is angelos, which comes from the Greek verb angello. Since angello means “to deliver a message,” angelos means “a messenger.” This makes the translation “messenger” in “messenger of Satan” literally correct.

However, while angelos does mean “messenger,” it is also the common New Testament word for “angel.” Angels, of course, are messengers sent from God. This explains why in the more than 180 instances in which angelos is used in the New Testament, it gets translated as “angel” about 99% of the time. The exceptions are our text verse as well as Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:24,27; Luke 9:52; and James 2:25.

Therefore, if Paul’s thorn in the flesh was an “angel of Satan,” that would make it a demon that constantly dogged Paul and, in some way, buffeted him with blows. Obviously, however, the demon wouldn’t have actually possessed Paul, and so how exactly would it have buffeted (beaten) him? One possibility is that the demon struck him with some type of disease or physical ailment. If this was the case, it would put Paul in the company of Job, whom Satan struck bodily without possessing him (Job 2:1-7). That could also account for any migraines, malaria, epilepsy, speech impediment, or eye trouble that Paul might have had.

Another possibility, though, is that the demon jumped in and out of others, temporarily possessing them whenever they had dealings with Paul. While this idea might seem far-fetched, it should be noted that the Greek word translated as “buffet” is kolaphizo, and the New Testament uses that word exclusively to refer to ill treatment from other humans (Matthew 26:67; Mark 14:65; 1 Corinthians 4:11; 1 Peter 2:20). To further bolster this possibility, it can also be mentioned that God frequently described Israel’s human enemies as “thorns” in the Old Testament (Numbers 33:55; Joshua 23:13; Judges 2:3; Ezekiel 28:24). Paul, being the Old Testament scholar he was, would have known those passages well.

Whatever exactly Paul’s thorn in the flesh was and however exactly it manifested itself in his life, there are two things that are certain about it. #1: Satan was the source of it. It was, after all, an angelos of Satan. And #2: God allowed Satan to get by with it because He wanted to use it to keep Paul humble. Even though Paul begged God on three separate occasions to make the thorn depart from him, God refused by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9, N.K.J.V.).

I believe that Satan still imparts thorns to Christians today and that God still lets Him do it to suit His purposes. Not every disease, sickness, ailment, problem situation, or problem person in our lives is a thorn, but it’s possible that some of them are. The trick is to have the spiritual discernment to recognize a thorn (an angelos of Satan) for what it is. For that you need God’s help.

Once God has made it clear to you that you are dealing with a Satan-sent thorn, you have every right to ask Him to remove it from your life. But just know going in that He has every right to answer your request the same way He answered Paul’s. And if He does choose to allow your thorn to continue to buffet you, that’s when the hardest part will begin for you. You will need great faith, great trust, and great commitment to stick with God in the midst of your buffeting. Like Paul, though, what you will find is that God’s grace will be enough to keep you moving, and His power will be evidenced more through your weakness than it ever could be through your strength.

Posted in Adversity, Angels, Commitment, Demons, Discernment, Faith, Grace, Humility, Persecution, Prayer Requests, Problems, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Sickness, Spiritual Warfare, Suffering, Temptation, The Devil, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Satan Did to Ananias & Sapphira: Motivation

Posted on September 12, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” series (post #12)

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?” (Acts 5:3, N.K.J.V.)

The husband-and-wife team of Ananias and Sapphira were part of the early church in Jerusalem. That church was nothing less than the world’s first church, and it was a “megachurch” from its inception. It was birthed on site in Jerusalem when approximately 3,000 people got saved and baptized following Peter’s powerful sermon on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-41).

The new church met daily in the Jewish temple complex, possibly during the regular Jewish times of prayer at the temple (Acts 3:1). A popular meeting spot was Solomon’s Porch (Acts 3:11; 5:12), which was located on the east side of the complex and was covered with a roof. But the members also met regularly in homes for meals and fellowship (Acts 2:46-47). According to Acts 2:42, the church programs were: continuing in the apostles’ teaching (which included evangelism and baptism), fellowshipping with one another, breaking bread (which included partaking of the Lord’s Supper), and praying.

That program worked so well that in just a few weeks the church’s numbers exploded to approximately 5,000 men (Acts 4:4). Who’s to say how many women and children aren’t even included in that number of 5,000 men? Whatever the true number of church members was, it would continue to multiply as the church kept on spreading the gospel and kept on turning new converts into full-fledged disciples (Acts 6:7).

And there was one other fascinating aspect to the first church in Jerusalem: It was communal. Two passages tell us this:

Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possession and goods, and divided them among all, as everyone had need. (Acts 2:44-45, N.K.J.V.)

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. (Acts 4:32, N.K.J.V.)

What originally made this communal system necessary was the fact that most of the church’s founding 3,000 members were out-of-towners who didn’t live or work in Jerusalem. They had been visiting Jerusalem to take part in the feast time of Pentecost, had heard Peter’s sermon and gotten saved, and had remained in town to sit under the teaching of Peter and the other apostles and to get to know their new brothers and sisters in Christ. As for the countries and lands from which these foreigners came, Acts 2:8-11 provides an extensive list.

It was the church’s communal system that set the stage for the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. The couple sold some land and secretly kept a certain percentage of the profits for themselves. Then they deceptively presented the remaining percentage to the apostles as if it constituted the full amount of the sale (Acts 5:1-2).

To be clear, their sin had nothing to do with keeping the land, selling it, or even holding back a percentage of the profits. The communal system was completely voluntary, and everyone understood that the couple had the right to do whatever they wanted to do with their property and its proceeds (Acts 5:3-4). The line of sin was crossed when Ananias made a show of presenting the monetary gift as if it was the entire sale price. That was deceitful. Since Peter described the act as lying to the Holy Spirit, it seems likely that Ananias and Sapphira had promised to donate the full amount of the sale.

So, who motivated Ananias and Sapphira to do such a thing? It was Satan. Peter rebuked Ananias by saying, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?” The Greek word translated as “filled” is the same one that is used in reference to those early Christians being “filled” with the Holy Spirit. What such a filling amounts to is control. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be controlled by the Spirit. Likewise, to be filled with Satan is to be controlled by Satan.

The Bible doesn’t tell us how Peter knew that Ananias’ gift wasn’t the complete amount. Perhaps he had heard how much the couple had made on the sale. Or perhaps the Holy Spirit gave him the spiritual discernment on the spot. We also aren’t told why Peter blamed their motivation on Satan. Evidently, the Holy Spirit game him special insight about that. What we know for sure is that Peter came down like a sledgehammer on Ananias, saying of the land:

“While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” (Acts 5:4, N.K.J.V.)

Even though Peter didn’t prophesy doom upon Ananias, God surely sent it. As soon as Peter’s words were uttered, Ananias dropped dead on the spot. In the wake of that shocking death, the Bible says, “…great fear came upon all those who had heard these things” (Acts 5:5, N.K.J.V.). Yes, that will do it. If my preacher blasted one of my fellow church members concerning some sin, and that church member immediately fell down dead, that would get my attention, too.

For some reason, Sapphira was not with Ananias when Peter confronted him. It wasn’t until three hours later that she approached Peter (Acts 5:7). As she came, she didn’t know that her husband was not only dead but was already buried (Acts 5:6)! My guess is that she asked Peter if Ananias had presented their donation to him, but the Bible doesn’t record the entire conversation. It opens the encounter by way of Peter asking Sapphira, “Is this the price you and Ananias received for the land?” That simple question provided Sapphira with a chance to confess. However, in clear evidence that she had been in collusion with the plan, she kept up the lie by answering, “Yes, that is the price.”

What followed next was every bit as shocking as the previous death of Ananias:

Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Then immediately she fell down dead at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. (Acts 5:9-11, N.K.J.V.)

There is some debate as to whether or not Ananias and Sapphira were legitimate Christians. Some classify them as lost unbelievers who shouldn’t have been “church members” anyway. This view is supported by the fact that the Bible never specifically calls them “believers” (Acts 5:14) or part of the “brethren” (Acts 6:3).

Others, however, classify the couple as true Christians and point out that the terms “believers” and “brethren” are rarely used to describe any of the members of the Jerusalem church. Also, the fact that the couple were able to lie to the Holy Spirit and test Him seems to show that the Spirit indwelt each of them. The Bible doesn’t use such language in regards to the Holy Spirit’s dealings with lost unbelievers.

As for me, my take is that Ananias and Sapphira were true Christians who committed what 1 John 5:16-17 describes as “a sin unto death” (K.J.V.) or “sin leading to death” (N.K.J.V.). Later on, some of the Christians of the church in Corinth would commit this same type of sin (1 Corinthians 11:29-32). If this is a correct interpretation, the souls of Ananias and Sapphira went to heaven at the moment of their physical deaths (2 Corinthians 5:1-8).

Here’s something else: It is a Bible fact that God tends to judge sin more severely at the beginning of a new era. First, at the beginning of the age of the law, He sent fire down from heaven to consume Nadab and Abihu (two priests) for using “unauthorized fire” (N.I.V.) in the tabernacle (Leviticus 10:1-3). Second, in the early days of Israel’s conquest of Canaan, He commanded that Achan and his family be burned because Achan disobeyed the order regarding the spoils of Israel’s victory over Jericho (Joshua 7:1-26). Third, in those earliest days of the church age, God struck Ananias and Sapphira dead.

But let me close this post by helping you apply this terrifying story to your life. Whether you are a Christian or not, you are susceptible to Satan motivating you to commit sin. Why are prophecies about Satan woven into God’s condemnation of the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14:3-21? It’s because God wants us to understand that Satan was the motivating force behind that earthly king’s decisions. In Ezekiel 28:1-19, God does the same thing in His condemnation of the King of Tyre. The point of both passages, not to mention this story from Acts 5:1-11, is that Satan really does have the power to motivate people to do his bidding. Whether you are an unbelieving king or a Christian commoner, he can motivate you to do bad things. So, be warned, be wise, and beware.

Posted in Backsliding, Church, God's Holiness, Lying, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Sin, Spiritual Warfare, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Satan Did to Peter: Sifting

Posted on September 10, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” series (post #11)

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.” (Luke 22:31, N.K.J.V.)

The Jews of ancient Israel were well acquainted with sifting. It was the last step in producing usable wheat that could be ground into flour. Step 1 was planting the wheat. Step 2 was harvesting the crop. For step 3, the harvested wheat stalks were taken for threshing to a site known as a “threshing floor.” A threshing floor was a flat area of hard dirt or rock where freshly harvested wheat could be piled. Such sites were always located on hilltops.

At the threshing floor, the wheat stalks were beaten or trampled in order to loosen the inedible chaff from the pure wheat. For smaller operations, workers simply beat the wheat with a tool. For larger operations, cows, donkeys, or oxen were employed to walk in circles over the stalks (Deuteronomy 25:4). Some farmers even owned a sled-type device that had pieces of metal or stone set into the bottom of it (Isaiah 41:15). This device was pulled by an animal across the wheat stalks over and over again to speed up the work.

The threshing was followed by step 4: the winnowing. The farmer used a winnowing fork (something akin to a pitchfork) or winnowing shovel (Isaiah 30:24) to gather the stalk remains off the ground and throw them up into the air so the wind could blow away the chaff (Jeremiah 13:24). The usable grain fell back to the earth and was collected.

The wheat was now ready to be sifted to further purify it by removing the remaining chaff as well as the dust, dirt, and pebbles the wheat had picked up from the ground. This sifting was done by use of a sieve. A sieve was a round and somewhat large filtering device, usually two feet or three feet in diameter. Its sides were made of wood and its bottom was made of woven reeds, woven grasses, or woven wood. After placing a small amount of wheat into the sieve, the worker violently shook the sieve to create the sifting dynamic. Consequently, the good part of the wheat collected itself in the bottom center of the sieve.

Jesus warned Peter that Satan had asked for permission (and been granted it) to sift Peter like wheat. That meant that Satan was about to shake Peter violently. Of course, we know how this shaking soon manifested itself. Jesus was arrested and Peter ended up denying knowing Him three times that same night (Luke 22:47-62). Peter, consider yourself sifted.

Okay, so a good question to ask is: Why would God allow Satan to do such a thing to Peter? Well, a good answer is: God knew that the sifting would remove the imperfections from Peter’s faith. You see, this story is one of multiple passages in which God allows Satan to do bad in order that God can bring good from it. It is Romans 8:28 in action even before the verse was written:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28, N.K.J.V.)

The Peter that came out of the sifting was a broken man. After his third denial of Jesus, he went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:62). I wonder if he had forgotten the promise that Jesus had made him regarding the sifting. Jesus had said, “But I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren (Luke 22:32, N.K.J.V.). That promise told Peter three things. First, even though his faith would be shaken, it wouldn’t fail. Second, ultimately he would return to Jesus. Third, Jesus would use the sifted Peter to strengthen other believers.

Several commentators note that the Greek word translated as “you” in Luke 22:32 is actually plural. This leads to the idea that Satan had asked for permission to sift all of the apostles, not just Peter. It also indicates that Peter’s experience with Satan wasn’t unique. There’s certainly no arguing that the other ten apostles, minus Judas Iscariot, had their faith violently shaken as well by Christ’s arrest, crucifixion, and burial. This explains why not one of them expected Jesus to resurrect on that third morning following His death. They truly believed that the whole “Jesus movement” of which they had been a part for three years was as dead as Jesus’ lifeless corpse lying in the tomb.

But does God still grant Satan permission to sift believers today? Oh, I’m sure that He does. As a matter of fact, I’m convinced that I myself have been sifted. I won’t go into all the details, but suffice is to say that there was a time when Satan shook me and my family violently by way of a series of events that left us as demoralized as Peter was following his denials. It was enough to destroy our faith, but Jesus must have prayed for us because we stuck with Him through it all.

And did the experience further purify our wheat and make us better servants of Christ? I have to admit that it did. For one thing, it gave us a crash course in how Satan uses people to get his work done. For another, it opened our eyes to just how much sway Satan has over worldly situations. It also showed us how differently the committed Christian thinks and operates from the lost person or the carnal Christian. Summing up the outcome, then, the sifting definitely made us better soldiers in the ongoing war between Satan and God because it gave us firsthand battlefield experience fighting the devil.

I say all this to encourage any Christian who suspects that he or she is either currently being sifted by Satan or has been sifted by him. Being sifted is never pleasant, and you won’t come out of it the same person you were going into it, but the good news is that you’ll be more usable for the Lord. You’ll be more pure, more refined, and more untainted by spiritual contaminants. And, like Peter, you’ll be able to use your sifting to strengthen, encourage, and instruct your fellow Christians. So, while sifting isn’t something for which you should volunteer, if it does happen to you, you can at least rest in the knowledge that God will use it not only to help you but also to help others through you.

Posted in Adversity, God's Sovereignty, God's Work, Influence, Ministry, Persecution, Personal, Problems, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Service, Spiritual Warfare, Suffering, The Devil, Trials | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Satan Did to Judas: Possession

Posted on September 8, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” (post #10)

Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. (Luke 22:3, N.K.J.V.)

There are numerous Bible stories that center around demon possession. There are only two, though, in which Satan himself does the bodily possessing. In the rest of the stories, it’s always some other fallen angel (demon, unclean spirit) or group of them that is responsible for the possession.

First, Satan literally entered into the body of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. That’s how the serpent could have a conversation with Eve. Since the serpent was “more cunning” (Genesis 3:1, N.K.J.V.) than any of the other creatures, it served as the perfect vessel for the fallen angel that was more cunning than any of the other fallen angels. By the way, if you think a fallen angel can’t possess an animal, you need to read the story in which Jesus exorcises a group of demons from a man and allows them to enter into a herd of swine (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39).

Second, Satan literally entered into the body of Judas Iscariot. This is the clear teaching of not only Luke 22:3 but also John 13:27. Satan possessed Judas during the so-called “Last Supper” that Jesus shared with His chosen 12 the last night of His earthly life. Jesus recognized the possession as soon as it happened and immediately said to Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly” (John 13:27, N.I.V.). Judas then left the table and headed out to complete his prearranged deal with the Jewish religious authorities to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16).

Sometimes people ask, “If Judas was a believer, why did God allow Satan to possess him?” The answer is, Judas was never a believer. In John 6:70, Jesus says to His chosen 12, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” That one was Judas Iscariot (John 6:71). In John 17:12, Jesus refers to him as “the son of perdition” (N.K.J.V.), a description that means “the one doomed to destruction.” Also, in Matthew 26:24, Jesus says, “…woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born” (N.K.J.V.).

But wasn’t Judas personally chosen by Jesus to be an apostle? Yes (Luke 6:12-16). Wasn’t he given the responsibility of carrying the money for Jesus and the group? Yes (John 13:29). Wasn’t he empowered by Jesus to preach, cast out demons, and heal all kinds of sicknesses and diseases? Yes (Matthew 10:1-42). And yet, remarkably, he was never a true believer. He tipped his spiritual hand a bit when he complained about the financial waste of Mary, Lazarus’ sister, anointing Jesus’ feet with an expensive perfume (John 12:1-5). We also shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that he struck his deal to betray Jesus before Satan possessed him (Matthew 26:14-16).

I’ve taken the time to prove that Judas was never saved because I don’t want any authentic Christian to live in fear that he or she might somehow end up demon possessed. As scriptural evidence that a Christian can’t be demon-possessed, 1 Corinthians 6:19 says the Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, 1 John 4:4 says that greater is He (God the Holy Spirit) who is in the Christian than he (Satan) who is in the world. Along the same lines, Ephesians 4:30 informs us that the indwelling Holy Spirit seals the Christian for the day of redemption.

Continuing the theme, Colossians 1:13 asserts that God has delivered the Christian from the power of darkness. Romans 8:35-39 explains that nothing can separate the Christian from the love of God in Christ Jesus, and verse 38 of that passage specifically names “angels, “principalities,” and “powers” as part of that nothing. Finally, 1 John 2:13 teaches that Christians have overcome the evil one. All of these passages can be used as proof texts to show that the genuine believer in Christ can never be possessed by Satan or any other fallen angel.

Still, though, we do need to be aware that demon possession is a tool that Satan has in his toolbox. And, yes, demon possession still takes place today. If it doesn’t seem as prevalent today as it did in Jesus’ day, perhaps the reason is simply that we don’t have Jesus walking this earth to spot all the cases. Certainly, the same number of demons are out there. They even have a larger population with which to work. So, why wouldn’t demons still possess people today? What’s to stop them?

Christian, what you and I should learn from the possession of Judas Iscariot is that someone can have religion down pat and seem to be an honest-to-goodness Christian and yet be lost. Even more than being lost, that person also has the potential of becoming demon possessed at some point. As a matter of fact, I am of the opinion that we would be shocked to learn just how many demon-possessed people attend church regularly, serve on church staffs, and even do ministry.

Don’t get the idea that every demon possessed person is running around like a lunatic, carrying a gun, about to carry out some horrific act that will make the evening news. If we think about it from Satan’s point of view, we realize that him taking every demon-possessed person down to such a lowly state really doesn’t suit his purposes. Oftentimes, he can get more done by keeping the person “respectable” and using him or her to do work that is not nearly as openly obvious but just as damaging to the cause of Christ. Judas Iscariot wasn’t demon-possessed during the entirety of his three years as one of Christ’s chosen 12, but he did end up that way. And that’s the worst possible way to come to the end of your life.

Posted in Angels, Church, Church Attendance, Death, Deception, Demons, Eternal Security, Salvation, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Spiritual Warfare, The Devil, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Satan Did to the Jewish Woman: Affliction

Posted on September 5, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” series (post #9)

“So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound — think of it — for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” (Luke 13:16, N.K.J.V.)

Can you imagine having to remain stooped over for eighteen years because you couldn’t straighten your back? Welcome to the life of the unnamed Jewish woman of Luke 13:10-17. Luke is the only gospel writer who records her story, and surely it isn’t a coincidence that he was a physician.

Jesus is teaching in a synagogue on a Sabbath day, and this woman is in attendance. Let me just stop right there and ask, “If you had spent the last eighteen years stooped over because of a debilitating physical condition, would you still go to church?” I dare say that most of us wouldn’t, and yet there she is, present and accounted for on the Sabbath.

I suppose it’s possible that she only attended that day because she knew that Jesus was going to be there, but I think it’s more likely that she was there every Sabbath. I say that because even Jesus made a point of describing her as “a daughter of Abraham.” Evidently, she was a devout Jew, and devout Jews regularly attended synagogue. Also, it should be noted that the woman didn’t ask Jesus to heal her. The healing only took place when He saw her and called her to Himself. I take that to mean that she didn’t attend that day to badger Jesus into curing her.

Verse 11 informs us that her condition was “a sickness caused by a spirit” (N.A.S.B.). That means that her physical affliction wasn’t caused by hereditary factors, lifestyle choices, an accident, or bad luck. No, it was caused by a fallen angel (a demon) that Satan had permanently assigned to her 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to prevent her from being able to stand erect. You talk about scary!

You might ask, “But does Satan (either personally or working through his army of fellow fallen angels) really have the power to cause physical affliction and disease?” The Bible’s answer is: Yes. Consider these passages:

  • Satan afflicted Job with painful boils that covered him from the top of his head to the soles of his feet (Job 2:7).
  • A demon (a fallen angel, a spirit) afflicted a boy who was brought to Jesus. The demon would cause the boy to suffer episodes in which the boy would exhibit bizarre behavior such as becoming mute, gnashing his teeth, falling on the ground stiff, suffering epileptic seizures, or plunging himself into fire and water (Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-20; and Luke 9:37-42).
  • Jesus gave His chosen 12 apostles the power to cast out unclean spirits (demons) and heal all kinds of sicknesses and diseases (Matthew 10:1,8). Note the close relationship between demons, sicknesses, and diseases. This same parallel was on display in Jesus’ healing and exorcism ministry (Luke 6:17-19; Acts 10:38).

Still, though, we must not go to the extreme of thinking that every sickness, disease, and affliction is caused by Satan. Many of them are simply the byproduct of the aging process. Others are the result of our own shortcomings in regards to diet, exercise, and taking good care of ourselves.

And then there are those sicknesses, diseases, and ailments that are caused directly by God to accomplish His purposes. For example, in Exodus 4:11 God says that He is the one who makes the mute, the deaf, and the blind. In John 9:1-3, Jesus says that a certain man was born blind from birth so that the works of God should be revealed in that man. It was God who struck Miriam with leprosy (Numbers 12:1-10), and He did the same thing to King Azariah (Uzziah) (2 Kings 15:5; 2 Chronicles 26:19-23). Also, it was God, working through an angel, who rendered Zacharias mute until the birth of Zacharias’ son, John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-23).

In the case of this Jewish woman, however, it was clearly Satan, working through one of his fallen angels, that was causing the affliction. It isn’t surprising then that Jesus laid His hands on her and healed her. Since Dr. Luke makes no mention of the demon spirit being cast out to create the healing, it’s at least possible that the demon was tormenting the woman from the outside rather than actually indwelling her. If that was the case her condition would have been similar to the way Satan had afflicted Job without actually possessing him.

Okay, so what lesson does this story teach us about the wiles of the devil? It teaches us that Satan does have the power to on occasion strike people by way of physical afflictions, sicknesses, and diseases. While not every sniffle, sneeze, chill, spike in temperature, or form of disease is caused by him, he does have such arrows in his quiver. Furthermore, it doesn’t take a full-fledged demon possession for a person to be afflicted by Satan. The story of Job proves that he can do a ton of damage to a person physically even from the outside, and there’s a chance this story of the unnamed Jewish woman should fall into that same category.

And what should we do if we ever suspect that we are suffering from a condition that is somehow being caused by the devil? First, we should keep right on serving God, just like that woman continued to attend synagogue. Second, we should pray, pray, pray, asking God to help us. Recruiting others to help us pray wouldn’t be a bad idea, either. For that matter, fasting might help as well (Matthew 17:21 and Mark 9:29).

The point is that such a situation is a battle ground for high-level spiritual warfare, and the battle can only be won through the power of God. Being a devout Jew couldn’t cure that woman’s condition, and attending synagogue couldn’t do it, either. It took the power of God to cure it, and that’s what it will take in your life or mine if Satan ever strikes us with some kind of affliction, sickness, or disease that is especially designed for us.

Posted in Demons, God's Omnipotence, Prayer, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Sickness, Spiritual Warfare, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Satan Did to Jesus: Temptation

Posted on September 3, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” series (post #8)

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4:1, N.K.J.V.)

Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was tempted in all the ways that we are tempted. I take that to mean that He was tempted to lie, cheat, covet, steal, get drunk, seek revenge, act selfishly, worship false gods, commit sexual sin, murder, etc. Is there a Bible verse or story that showcases Him being tempted with each specific type of temptation? No. But Hebrews 4:15 says what it says, so Jesus must have faced each type of temptation at least once in His lifetime.

What the Bible does give us in regards to Jesus being tempted is the famous story of Satan tempting Him in the Judean wilderness. That story is told in Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13 (a barely brief summary), and Luke 4:1-13, and it involves three distinct rounds of temptation. Luke’s order for the rounds differs from Matthew’s, but that isn’t uncommon for Luke. His writing style sometimes finds him presenting his material topically or logically rather than chronologically. So, let’s look at Christ’s three rounds of temptation using Matthew’s order.

Round 1: Satan comes to Jesus and says, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (Matthew 4:3). This temptation is particularly appealing to Jesus at that moment because He has just completed a fast lasting forty days and forty nights (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:2). To say He is hungry would be a landmark understatement. Still, though, Jesus doesn’t yield to the temptation. He responds by quoting a portion of Deuteronomy 8:3: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Round 2: Playing off the fact that Jesus has just quoted scripture, Satan decides to quote some himself. He takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem and says, “If You are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” The first reference is from Psalm 91:11 and the second one is from Psalm 91:12. Jesus, in turn, responds by quoting a portion of Deuteronomy 6:16: “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

Round 3: Just as Satan and Jesus were somehow miraculously transported from the Judean wilderness to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, they are next transported to the top of an exceedingly high mountain. There Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and says, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” And what is Jesus’ answer? One more time He references the book of Deuteronomy, this time loosely paraphrasing Deuteronomy 6:13-14 and 10:20: Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Since there are all kinds of spiritual truths and principles that we can glean from this story, allow me to list ten of them. Consider this list the conclusion to this post, and be sure to read each item carefully so that you can better understand not only this story but also how to resist the devil when he comes tempting you. Ready? Here we go.

  1. Satan’s temptations of Jesus were designed to reveal what kind of Messiah Jesus would be. Would He be self-serving? Would He use His divine power to take the easy way out whenever a problem arose? Would He major on fame and minor on suffering? Most importantly, would He be willing to accept a throne that didn’t require Him to die on a cross?
  2. The three temptations fit neatly into the three categories that are named in 1 John 2:16. Those are “the lust of the flesh,” “the lust of the eyes,” and “the pride of life.” Jesus was tempted to fulfill the lust of the flesh (the body) by turning the stones into bread for Him to eat. He was tempted to fulfill the lust of the eyes by accepting the offer to be made ruler over all those kingdoms Satan showed Him. He was tempted to fulfill the pride of life by jumping off the pinnacle of the temple and having angels rescue Him. Such a miracle performed in the midst of a temple crowd would have made Jesus famous at the very beginning of His ministry and garnered Him a massive following.
  3. Satan tempts us when we are at our weakest and most vulnerable. Forty days and nights of fasting made Jesus spiritually strong but physically weak. There are times in our lives when we are low physically, perhaps through sickness or perhaps through bodily neglect. That’s when Satan will place temptation in front of us. Then again, there are other times when we are fine physically but low spiritually. He won’t give us a pass during those times, either.
  4. The role that scripture plays in helping us resist Satan’s temptations cannot be overstated. Jesus didn’t perform a miracle or call for the help of angels to resist Satan. No, He did it by an inner determination to obey God the Father and by quoting scripture. So, the next time you feel the tug of Satan’s temptation, quote a relevant passage of scripture to him.
  5. Satan himself knows how to use scripture. Satan has had thousands of years to study the Bible. For that matter, he’s been an active participant — a central character, we might say — in the Bible’s storyline. This means that he knows scripture better than you do. Because of this you must be on guard against him twisting and distorting scripture in his efforts to convince you to do something you shouldn’t do.
  6. Since there is no single mountain from which all the world’s kingdoms can be seen, it’s possible that the mountain in question wasn’t literal. At any rate, it should be noted that when Satan offered Jesus all those kingdoms, Jesus didn’t say, “They aren’t yours to give.” Later on in Christ’s ministry He Himself would call Satan “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31, John 16:11). Likewise, the apostle Paul would call Satan “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). How many people are right now enjoying “kingdoms” and blessings that Satan has given them because they have bowed down (either knowingly or unknowingly) to him and are doing his bidding? Furthermore, how many of those same people are foolishly attributing their worldly success to God?
  7. It’s possible that Satan’s tempting of Jesus lasted for the entire forty days and nights of Jesus’ fast and that the three rounds mentioned in scripture are only three of many. This potential interpretation stems from the fact that Luke says of Jesus, “…being tempted for forty days by the devil” (Luke 4:1, N.K.J.V.). That wording leads some commentators to conclude that Satan’s tempting played itself out over the whole scope of the forty days and nights. Mark’s account might also be understood that way: “And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan…” (Mark 1:13, N.K.J.V.).
  8. Being tempted by Satan takes a lot out of you physically. Matthew and Mark both mention that angels came and ministered to Jesus following the temptation. If Jesus, in His human body, had to be ministered to after His bout with Satan, you had better believe that you going up against Satan’s temptation will take something out of you physically as well.
  9. One detail that is unique to Mark’s account of Christ’s temptations involves wild beasts. Writing under the inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), Mark makes special mention that Jesus was “with the wild beasts” there in the Judean wilderness (Mark 1:13). Commentator William MacDonald floats the possibility that these animals are mentioned because they were energized by Satan to destroy Jesus. No one can say for sure why Mark mentions the wild beasts, but if nothing else it shows us that our temptations take place in a world that is dangerous. You see, we don’t just have to do battle with Satan; we also have to do battle with a thousand other dangerous things that life throws at us.
  10. Even if you resist Satan’s temptation and cause him to leave you alone for a while, he will eventually come at you again. The most depressing part of Christ’s temptation is what Luke says in concluding his account of the story. He writes: “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13, N.K.J.V.). Oh, beware of those opportune times! Could it be that right now you are experiencing one of those in your life? If you are you can expect Satan’s temptation to come your way soon, if you aren’t already in the midst of it.
Posted in Angels, Demons, Discernment, God's Will, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Spiritual Warfare, Temptation, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Satan Did to Joshua: Accusation

Posted on September 1, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” (post #7)

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan: “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:1-2, H.C.S.B.)

Zechariah was a prophet/priest who was born in Babylon during Israel’s seventy years of exile there. He joined the group of approximately 50,000 Jews (Ezra 2:64-67) who returned to Jerusalem around 538 B.C. in the wake of the decree for Israel’s release issued by the Persian ruler, Cyrus the Great (Ezra 1:1-4). That group of returning exiles was led by Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:1-2), who was the grandson of Israel’s former king, Jehoiachin. The group’s daunting task was to build a new temple in Jerusalem because the temple of Solomon had been destroyed by the Babylonians decades earlier.

The group got off to a good start by building a new altar. Then, in 536 B.C., they finished laying the foundation for the new temple. Problems (some external, some internal) arose, however, and the great work stalled for more than fifteen years (Ezra 4:1-24). The temple only got completed when Zechariah and his fellow prophet Haggai were inspired by God to motivate the people to finish it (Ezra 5:1-2).

The priesthood for the new temple was led by a High Priest named Joshua, the Joshua mentioned in our text verse. (No, this isn’t the famous Joshua who led Israel in its conquest of Canaan.) Whereas Zerubbabel was in charge of the civil leadership of the reconstituted Israel, Joshua the High Priest was in charge of the spiritual leadership. This is seen in the fact that the prophet Haggai described himself as “the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest” (Haggai 1:1).

The point of Zechariah’s vision is that Satan is bringing a formal accusation against Joshua. Joshua, in his role as High Priest, is serving as the representative of the entire group of Jews who have returned to Jerusalem, built a new temple, and established a new priesthood. Satan’s accusation is undoubtedly that this group isn’t spiritually qualified to be doing such things.

It’s as if Satan is saying, “Now c’mon God, how could this ragtag bunch of exiles from Babylon be the ones you’ve chosen to build a new temple and establish a new priesthood? After all, this is the same defiled gene pool that rebelled against You decades ago and caused You to allow the Babylonians to conquer them and carry them off as prisoners of war. Do you mean to tell me that You are going to bring this corrupted, morally impure group back under your protection and blessing?” And Joshua, standing there clothed in filthy garments, certainly looks “guilty as charged” concerning the accusation (Zechariah 3:3). You see, the priestly garments of Israel’s High Priest were supposed to be holy and undefiled (Exodus 28:1-4).

The whole vision plays off the Mosaic law. According to that law if one man brought an accusation of wrongdoing against another man, both men were required to stand before the priests and judges and let the case be heard (Deuteronomy 19:16-21). By standing before the priests and judges, the two men were in essence “standing before the Lord.” In such a hearing it was customary for the accuser to stand on the right side (Psalm 109:6).

You’ll notice that our text verse capitalizes the “A” in the word “Angel.” That indicates that the “Angel” in question is actually none other than Jesus making an Old Testament appearance. This explains how Satan and Joshua can be standing before the Angel of the Lord in verse 1 and have the Lord speak to Satan in verse 2 and render the verdict.

And what was that verdict? The Lord decided in favor of Joshua (and by implication Joshua’s fellow Jews). The Lord described Joshua (and by implication the approximate 50,000 as a whole) as “a burning stick snatched from the fire.” The fire refers to the judgment manifested by the Babylonian captivity.

But the Lord didn’t stop there. He went on to instruct that Joshua’s filthy garments be removed and that he be reclothed with beautiful robes and a clean turban (Zechariah 3:4-5). On the one hand, Joshua’s new clothing was symbolic of the fact that the Lord had removed his iniquity and cleansed him personally. On the other hand, the Lord had done the same thing for Israel (Zechariah 3:4). Then the Lord made wonderful promises to Joshua and Israel, promises that included the coming of the Messiah and extended into the glorious kingdom age when the Messiah will rule over all the earth (Zechariah 3:6-10).

Okay, so now let’s get back to the theme of our series and ask, “What does Zechariah’s vision teach us about the methods and strategies Satan uses against us?” It teaches us that Satan is the master accuser who is quick to remind God of our spiritual faults and failures. It’s no wonder that in Revelation 12:10 he is called “the accuser of the brethren.”

Like Joshua, we Christians have stood before the Lord in the symbolically filthy garments of our sins and listened as Satan has accused us of being unworthy of the Lord’s blessings. Fortunately for us, though, our saving belief in Jesus has allowed the Lord to side with us and replace our filthy garments with “the garments of salvation” and “the robe of righteousness” that are described in Isaiah 61:10. Of course, this righteousness we wear is not our own; it is the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us. Romans 5:19 says that by Christ’s obedience “…many will be made righteous,” and 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that Jesus was made to “…be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Along the same lines, Romans 3:21-22, Romans 4:13, and Philippians 3:7-11 teach that each Christian has the righteousness which is “from God through faith in Jesus.”

Christian, it is because of this imputed righteousness you have received from Jesus that you can successfully withstand any accusation Satan hurls at you. Get it through your head that you no longer stand before God in the filthy garments of your sinful flesh. All of your sins, whatever they may be, have been forgiven by way of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the one who died on a Roman cross to pay your sin debt (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12-15; Acts 20:28; and Revelation 5:9-10).

Therefore, any time Satan hauls you into God’s court and accuses you of being a sinner who is undeserving of God’s blessings, you can rest in the knowledge that the fix is in because the Judge is on your side. Rather than render His verdict based upon the righteousness produced by your actions, He will render it based upon the righteousness produced by the sinless life and substitutionary death of Jesus. This makes any heavenly court date you have with Satan a slam dunk win for you. So, don’t let the accuser of the brethren rob you of the deep-settled inner peace your salvation should provide.

Posted in Christ's Death, Demons, Eternal Security, Forgiveness, Grace, Salvation, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Spiritual Warfare, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s Satan Did to David: Provocation

Posted on August 29, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” (post #6)

And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. (1 Chronicles 21:1, K.J.V.)

Ask the average Christian to name the greatest mistake of King David’s life and the answer you’ll get is, “His affair with Bathsheba.” And that affair certainly was a major mistake, no doubt it. It produced consequences that plagued David for the rest of his life in the area of his children.

However, in regards to the sheer loss of human life, David’s greatest mistake was not his affair with Bathsheba. It was, instead, a census that he ordered in the latter years of his reign. By the time everything was said and done that census had cost 70,000 of Israel’s citizens their lives.

Okay, so what does this have to do with our current series “The Wiles of the Devil”? Well, according to our text passage, Satan was the one who “provoked” David to take that census. Other translations go with words like “incited,” “tempted,” or “moved” instead of “provoked.”

Of course, there was nothing inherently wrong about a leader having a census taken. As a matter of fact, God had actually given specific instructions in the Mosaic law for how it was to be done in Israel for the purposes of taxation (Exodus 30:11-16). Furthermore, the book of Numbers opens up with a major census being conducted in Israel, and another one is conducted in Numbers chapter 26. So, what was the problem with David’s census? It was the motivation he had in calling for it. He wanted a head count of how many fighting men were at his disposal. You see, at this stage of his life he was now trusting in numbers instead of God. He wasn’t the same guy who had once penned the words:

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7, N.K.J.V.)

David’s old general, Joab, wasn’t exactly a spiritual giant, but even he instinctively understood that David’s census was a mistake. He begged David not to go through with it, but David wouldn’t listen to him (1 Chronicles 21:3-4). Remember, David was being provoked by Satan.

Consequently, Joab and the captains of David’s army set themselves to the task, even though the king’s word was “abominable” (N.K.J.V.) to Joab. The census took almost ten months to complete (2 Samuel 24:9), and when the numbers came in it was found that Israel’s large northern region (generally known as Israel) had 1,100,000 men who could draw a sword if needed (1 Chronicles 21:5). The smaller southern region (generally known as Judah) had an additional 470,000 (1 Chronicles 21:5). 2 Samuel 24:9 cites a number of 800,000 men in the northern region, but that probably doesn’t include the approximately 300,000 who were already soldiers in the standing army there (1 Chronicles 27:1-15). In the same vein, 2 Samuel 24:9 cites a number of 500,000 in Judah, but that probably doesn’t include the 30,000 soldiers of the standing army there (2 Samuel 6:1).

Actually, as impressive as the numbers were, Joab didn’t even complete the census (1 Chronicles 21:6). Why not? It seems that the priestly tribe of Levi and the small tribe of Benjamin were scheduled last for the census, but by the time Joab came to them David had already realized his mistake. Since both those tribes were part of the southern region of Judah, with David’s palace being located in Judah’s city of Jerusalem, it was logical for Joab to personally report to David on the progress of the census before completing it. But when he did David told him to stop everything because David was already in confession mode, saying to God, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly” (1 Chronicles 21:8, N.K.J.V.).

And how did God respond to David’s confession? Being highly displeased with the census, He spoke through the prophet Gad to offer David one of three punishments. Option 1: Three years of famine. Option 2: Three months to be defeated by the sword of his enemies. Option 3: Three days of the angel of the Lord going through Israel and inflicting a plague.

David told Gad that he’d rather fall into the hands of merciful God than the hands of man, which amounted to David choosing option 3. So, for three days the angel of the Lord –I believe it was the Old Testament character called the Angel (capital A) of the Lord, which was the preincarnate Jesus — moved throughout Israel inflicting the plague wherever he went. All told, 70,000 people died.

That death toll evidences the truth of 2 Samuel 24:1, which says that God was angry with Israel the nation, not just David the king. It’s been speculated that the 70,000 who died were those who had sided with David’s son, Absalom, in Absalom’s failed coup (2 Samuel chapters 15-18). To be clear, though, there’s no Bible evidence to back up that speculation.

Finally, there came a moment when David visibly saw the angel (or Angel) standing between earth and heaven over Jerusalem, having a drawn sword in his hand (1 Chronicles 21:16). David and the elders of Jerusalem then clothed themselves in sackcloth (garments of mourning) and fell on their faces. David personally begged God to stop killing those who hadn’t ordered the census and strike him and his family instead (1 Chronicles 21:17). By that time, though, God had already instructed the angel (or Angel) to relent and cease the killing (1 Chronicles 21:15).

It is interesting that a parallel account of the story, found in 2 Samuel chapter 24, says that it was God rather than Satan who “moved” (K.J.V., N.K.J.V.) David to take the census. But the two seemingly different accounts can be harmonized by understanding that Satan was the vessel through whom God worked. Such a story speaks to the absolute sovereignty of God. He’s so sovereign that He can even use Satan to accomplish His purposes. It’s hard to say whether or not Satan knew that God was using him to orchestrate events to bring judgment upon sinful Israel, but either way Satan was surely eager to provoke David to do something not of God.

Here, then, is the story’s application lesson for us: We must never forget that Satan enjoys nothing better than motivating us to do things we shouldn’t do. He loves whispering in our ears, causing us to become infatuated with actions that will take us out of God’s will. If he can get us to do something wrong, he racks up another win in his efforts against us, and unfortunately for us he’s a master provoker who has far too many such wins in his column.

And so, I ask you, “What plans are you pursuing these days? What goals are you chasing? What projects are you working on?” Whatever they are, you should pause long enough to make sure that they are what God wants you to be doing rather than what Satan is provoking you to do. Remember, it’s bad not to finish what you start, but it’s even worse to finish what you shouldn’t have started. Many endeavors are like census taking in that they are morally neutral and can therefore be right or wrong depending upon what God’s will is for the given situation. So, don’t let Satan provoke you into turning a seemingly harmless activity into something deadly in your life.

Posted in Angels, Belief, Choices, Deception, Decisions, Discernment, God's Will, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Spiritual Warfare, Temptation, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Satan Did to Michael: Disputation

Posted on August 27, 2025 by russellmckinney

“The Wiles of the Devil” series (post #5)

Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude verse 9, N.K.J.V.)

The death of Moses is recorded in Deuteronomy 34:1-7. He died in the land of Moab, and God buried him somewhere in a valley of Moab. Why did God Himself see to the burying? It’s likely that He knew the Israelites would be tempted to make a shrine of Moses’ tomb, possibly even worshiping the body itself as an idol. After all, that’s what they ended up doing with that bronze serpent Moses had once erected in the wilderness (2 Kings 18:1-4; Numbers 21:4-9).

Perhaps such idolatry is what Satan planned to produce when he got into his dispute with the archangel Michael in regards to Moses’ body. But whatever sinister purpose Satan had in mind Michael wasn’t about to let it happen. We are left to imagine what this encounter between these two awesomely powerful angels must have looked like. It was the two mightiest angels that God ever created (one unfallen, one fallen) going at it, and the prize was the body of Moses.

Unfortunately, scripture provides us with just the barest details of the story and leaves us with a ton of questions about it. Was Michael attempting to take the body to the burial site so that God could do the burying? Did God use Michael to actually do the burying? Since it seems that Moses was alone with God when he died, did the Israelites wonder what happened to him? Deuteronomy 34:8 says they mourned Moses’ death for thirty days, but how did they know he was actually dead? So many questions, so few answers.

What we do know is that the encounter between Satan and Michael wasn’t a hand-to-hand-combat type of deal. It was, instead, a conversation. We aren’t told what Satan said to Michael, but we are told what Michael said in response. He said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Isn’t that interesting? Even the great archangel Michael wouldn’t get into a argumentative debate with Satan in which he “trash talked” Satan and cast aspersions at him. Our text verse even says that he dared not bring a reviling accusation against Satan.

Jude uses Michael’s response as a stark contrast to the behavior of certain apostates in the days of the early church. Those apostates thought nothing of speaking harsh words against authoritative figures such as apostles, angels, and even God Himself. Their audacious words showed their rejection of all authority, even God ordained authority. They were rebels to the core, having the same basic spirit as:

  • Cain, who refused to bring God’s mandated type of offering (v.11)
  • the “sons of God” angels of Genesis 6:1-4, who refused to be confined by the lines of distinction between angels and humans and instead took earthly women for their wives and produced children through those wives (v.6)
  • the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, who refused to abide by God’s natural laws for men and women (v.7)
  • the first generation of Israelites, who refused to obey God’s command to take possession of Canaan (v.5)
  • Korah, who led 250 of the most prominent Israelites in a rebellion against Moses’ leadership (v.11)
  • Balaam, a wicked prophet who advised the king of Moab to corrupt Israel by having the idol worshiping Moabites intermarry with the Israelites (v.11)

To get back to the point, though, what lessons can we learn from Satan’s dispute with Michael in regards to how Satan tries to bring us down? I’ll mention two. First, the dispute shows us that Satan has evil plans. We don’t know what he planned to do with Moses’ body, but the goal surely wasn’t anything good. Sad to say, the same holds true for our lives. Whatever plans Satan has for us, they definitely aren’t good.

Second, the dispute shows us that Satan won’t let God’s work be carried out unencumbered. If there’s one thing that’s for certain about the devil it’s that he isn’t lazy. Wherever God is at work, he is as well. What this means for us is that whatever good work God is doing or wants to do in our lives, Satan will come against it. It could be that he will come against it personally. More likely, though, he will dispatch some of his fellow fallen angels (demons) to come against it. Then again, he might work through people rather than his demons to come against it. But somehow, someway, someday he’ll come against it. You can bank on that.

And what should our response be when he does? Like Michael we should let God handle him. You and I are no match for Satan, and if you think you are then Satan will surely make quick work of you. Even though Ephesians 6:10-18 instructs Christians to put on the whole armor of God, at no point are we told to use that armor to go “lion hunting” for Satan (1 Peter 5:8). Instead, we are told simply to resist him, which will cause him to flee from us (James 4:7).

You see, Christian, God doesn’t expect you to win a debate with Satan. No, whenever you find yourself under spiritual attack, He wants you to quickly transfer the problem to Him. That’s what Michael did when he said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you!” It’s not that Michael was terrified of Satan. Much to the contrary, he is every bit as powerful as Satan in terms of angelic ability. But Michael knew better than to stand around arguing with Satan.

That’s a lesson you and I need to learn as well, and the sooner we learn it the better. If Satan could bring down the likes of Eve (Genesis 3:1-6), David (1 Chronicles 21:1-8), and Peter (Luke 22:31-34), he can bring us down as well. So, whenever we find ourselves in the heat of spiritual warfare, may we say, “Satan, the Lord rebuke you!” That worked for the archangel Michael, and it will work for us as well.

Posted in Discernment, Rebellion, Satan, Series: "The Wiles of the Devil", Spiritual Warfare, Submission, Temptation, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment