Devil, Satan, Serpent, Dragon

 

Revelation 20:2

And he laid hold on the dragon, 

that old serpent, which is the Devil,

and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

Devil

The word ‘devil’ appears 145 times in Scripture. Of these, 43 refer to ‘devils’, or ‘demons, demonic unclean spirits’. The other 102 are most definitely referencing Satan, the devil. Revelation 20:2 lists all four of these in one verse, thereby giving us the knowledge that Satan is called devil, serpent, and dragon. 

Revelation 20:10

Manipulator

Matthew 4:1, 5, 8, 11

Roaring lion 

1 Peter 5:8

Murderer, father of lies

John 8:44

Contender: 

Jude 1:9

Held the power of death

Hebrews 2:14

Transgressor

1 John 3:4-8

Fallen in fury

Revelation 12:12

Thief

Matthew 13:19

Luke 8:12

John 10:10 (implied)

Dragon

The word ‘dragon’ in regards to Satan occurs 13 times in The Book of The Revelation to John. 

Revelation 12:3-4, 7-9 (2x in vs7), 13, 16-17

Revelation 13:2, 4, 11

Revelation 16:13

Revelation 20:2

Isaiah 27:1

Satan:

The name Satan appears 82 times in Scripture according to Nave’s Topical Reference Bible and Torrey’s Topical Textbook. I’ll just list a few. 

Revelation 20:7

Fallen from heaven

Luke 10:18

Prince of this world

 John 12:31 

Accuser

Luke 22:31; Revelation 12:10

Deceiver

The god of this age

 2 Corinthians 4:4

2 Corinthians 11:19

Executioner

Luke 13:16; 2 Corinthians 12:7

Evil Cohort of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10

Hinderer

1 Thessalonians 2:18

Tempter

Matthew 4:3, 10

Angel of light

2 Corinthians 11:14; Galatians 1:8

Schemer

Ephesians 6:11

 Serpent

Genesis 3:1, 2, 4, 13-14

Isaiah 27:1

Revelation 12:9, 15

Revelation 20:2

From Genesis to Revelation these names of Satan are made known to us that we might be forewarned against our adversary. To keep us alert, watchful and aware of his tactics that we might avoid his pitfalls, traps and snares. Which truly can only be done when we turn our heads and our hearts to Jesus Christ, He Who is Faithful And True, KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS. 

Jesus Christ cannot turn against God for He is God. He never breaks a promise (Faithful). He never lies (True). He is Ruler over all kingdoms (KING OF KINGS). He is Master over every dominion (LORD OF LORDS). 

Jesus loves us. Satan hates us. Jesus died for us. Satan kills us. 

Jesus shepherds us. Satan devours us like wolves. Jesus wants the best for us. Satan wants us to fail and fall short. Jesus is The Light of The World, the glory of God revealed. Satan is the angel of light, disguising his intentions with deceit and confusion. 

Satan is a master manipulator and all who manipulate the Truth of God’s Word for their own selfish desires are of Satan. Those who rebel against God, believing that they are right and He is wrong, are fools and will find, to their dismay, regret and torment, that God is NEVER WRONG and has NEVER LIED about Who He Is. 

There are many liars in the world today. It is our responsibility as Christians to know The Word of God intimately, that our walk with Him would be so strong and faithful, that we would be able to discern who is of God and who is not. Recognizing the liars for who they are and exposing their lies to be false.

Even in churches which profess to be God’s houses, there is an increase in the wolf population. Though their good deeds are public proclamations of charity and kindness, their core is rotten; yet, they gain in popularity, though not in discipleship. Their pews are full, but their hearts are empty of the knowledge and personal relationship values of God and His Christ. 

Any site or author who denies God is God is antiChrist and cannot be trusted. These people are following the angel of light. I will not name names. The anointing of The Holy Spirit not only reveals knowledge, but imparts wisdom into the born again believer: we know when to speak and when not to speak. We open our mouths and He fills us with The Word which needs to be spoken. 

Satan is real. He is not a made-up being, nor does his appearance match any of the images in which he is depicted. What he used to look like in heaven is now tarnished and stained by his sin, his transgression against God Almighty.

 His eternal punishment is yet to come, which is why God created hell: for the devil and his angels. For one-third of heaven’s angels chose to rebel with Satan, who was called Lucifer, and so received God’s condemnation upon themselves, as well. 

[Isaiah 14:12-15] [Ezekiel 29:12-19] Though both of these passages are literal judgments against specific kings, they are also judgments against Lucifer. And his angels are judged. [Job 4:18; Jude 1:6; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:7-9; Matthew 25:41].

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in The Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of The Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 

Repent: change our thoughts, the way we think and turn away from our sins which we have been committing. Turn to God and ask for His forgiveness, which He willingly offers to any who seek Him out, through the blood of His Christ, His Lamb, Who died on the cross in our place. Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 

Baptized: submersed beneath the water, as a public confession of faith in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. It is an outward display of the inward change which our God has wrought within us. 

Remission of sins: pardon, forgiveness, deliverance, released from a debt or obligation. It is the removal of guilt from a person’s heart/soul, thereby freeing the person from the bondages of sin. Are you that person? Have you, indeed, been to Jesus for the cleansing power of His forgiveness. Are you redeemed by the blood of Lamb?

 I am redeemed by the blood of God’s Lamb; His Christ lives in me by faith in His Name. His Holy Spirit fills me and empowers me to rise up and speak out The Truth of God’s Word. 

Come to Jesus. Today is your day of salvation. 

2 Corinthians 6:2

For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!

 

Identifying the Enemy's Tactics-Fear

1 Peter 5:8
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour."

    There is only one male lion per pride. The other male lions roam because they have nowhere to go. Their roaring can be heard for miles around. It is meant to put fear into whoever is in the vicinity, that a lion is in the area and he is looking for something to gobble up. (in Bible Study last night I learned an acronym for this type of fear can be False Evidence Appearing Real{thank you, Karl}).
     It is this same tactic the enemy of our souls uses. He roars fearsomely, on the lookout for whoever is not paying attention to their surroundings or environment. It is why we need to be always alert and knowledgeable about the Word. 
     For instance, God says not to covet anything that belongs to our neighbors. We can admire what they have, but it is not good to say or even think about taking what is theirs. For that would be sinful. 
     When God says, Put Me first, He means it. Waking up each morning with a greeting towards Him and speaking from a thankful heart is putting God first. Choosing to know and obey God is putting God first. When we make any decision, important or menial, seeking God's direction is putting God first. Making decisions without prayer is foolish and time consuming. 

     The devil would have you believe that God is not, when in Truth God Is. Therefore, God is the Lion of His pride, His flock. His roar is a declaration of battle. When the lion who seeks to destroy God's people gets too close, know that when you are near God, that other lion cannot get to you. Stay near God by studying His Word on a daily basis. Stay near God through prayer; wait for Him to speak when you are waiting on His response. Stay at the altar, whether in your church or in your prayer closet, until the Holy Spirit releases you. 

     Fear can only enter you when you open yourself up to it. God promises to stay near us when we stay near Him. Many times when the word 'fear' is used in reference to God it means 'reverence, to revere', in other words to honor God, preferring Him above all others; to stand in awe of God, His character (who He is) and His benefits (what He does); to place God's will ahead of personal desires and wants. 
     Yet, there are still a few times when fearing God means a person should be terrified of seeing God face to face. You know when that happens? When a person stands before God and finally realizes that the Bible was true all along, and now it's too late to make that decision to believe that Jesus Christ Is Lord. Revelation 14:7 "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." Judgment from God on the people who refuse to believe that God Is and that His Word Is True and Truth. Don't be one of those people. 
    As Peter stated to the jailer when he asked, What must I do to be saved?, we say to you who read and have not yet believed, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” See Acts 16:25-34 and read for yourself. 
   It's time to stop being afraid of the wrong lion.