Satan's Power over People

      I have been thinking on this whole idea of Satan having control over people and their circumstances. The reason for this is that some people seem to think Satan has far more power in this world than he actually has. I’m sure most of us, if not all, have heard the familiar quote by Flip Wilson from years ago, “The devil made me do it.” This kind of a response comes from a sinful heart that will, more often than not, put the blame for one’s wrong doing on someone else. We can see this trend starting from the beginning of time, right in the garden. When God confronted Adam after the fall, his response was, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). Then when Eve was confronted, her response was, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13). 

 

     Mankind continues to this day to put the blame on others for his/her own sin. How many times do we find ourselves uttering something like this, “He (or she) makes me so mad”, or words such as this,“That child really tries my patience,” uttered through gritted teeth and due to an angry heart? We often blame others or sometimes, even as Eve did, we blame Satan for our disobedience. In crediting others for our sinful behavior, we are doing the same thing Adam and Eve did in the garden, trying to put the blame for our sin on someone else, when we should simply take responsibility for our own actions. If we truly believed God’s word, that there will be consequences to suffer for disobedience, perhaps we would take more consideration for our actions. Consequences for sin can be dire indeed. 

 

    In Genesis 3:14, God starts with Satan stating, “Because you have done this,“Cursed are you above all livestock...” and He goes on from there to tell him the consequences he will suffer for deceiving Eve. Then he turns to Eve, and tells her the consequences she will suffer for her disobedience, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). Then Adam is informed of the consequences he will suffer for his own disobedience, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19).

    We must understand how responsible each of us is, for our every thought, word and deed. All of these things will come under subjection of God’s word, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). In Matthew 12:36-37 we are warned that “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” When we fail to live in obedience to God’s word to us, we will suffer the consequences just as Adam and Eve did, and we will not be able to put the blame for our sin on any others or even Satan. In John 3:36 we are told, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” 

 

    Satan cannot receive full credit for all of men’s evil actions. He can and does tempt mankind to disobey God, just as he did Eve, but he does not have the power to make us sin. We are admonished in 1 Peter 5:8-9 to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” and we are told to “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” 

 

    Satan could not make Eve disobey God any more than he can make us disobey. It is our free will that chooses not to follow God and seek Him with all of our hearts, minds and souls. Satan had, and continues to have, only the power to deceive and to tempt. After Satan tempted Eve to doubt God’s word, she told him that God had said,“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die’” (Genesis 3:2-3). Satan’s response was, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). Eve did not have a sinful nature at that time to struggle with as we do, so she was free to choose whether or not to believe God and obey, or to question God’s word, disobey and so suffer the consequences. We must understand that sin has a ripple effect. Adam and Eve’s sin affected all of mankind and our sin will also affect more than just those God brings into our lives. It will not only affect our families and generations to follow, but it will also affect all those we come in contact with and work out from there. We must understand how imperative it is that we surrender our wills to the commands of God. God said to Cain after he was angry when God did not accept his offering, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:4-7). Sin begins within the heart, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:19). 

 

    In Romans 7:19-20, Paul wrote,“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Paul does not credit Satan for his wrong doing. He knows it is the sinful desires within his own heart that he struggles with. So where does this leave us? We all have a sinful nature and our bent is toward evil. This shows us our need of a Savior and in Him alone can our hope be found. In Romans 8:13-15 Paul goes on to say, “if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 

 

    Psalm 111:10 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” We must seek to live in accordance to God’s will, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God” (1 Peter 15-17).

 

    Let us not give Satan more credit than he deserves. May we be obedient to scripture’s teaching and so experience the blessings that come from that obedience,“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:7-10).