Chronology of
Spiritual WarfareThe world's assaults on God's Truth and Authority
God and Satan are not two equal powers in a dualistic battle between good and evil. Our Lord reigns as the supreme Creator and King of the universe. His sovereign will is being accomplished in the world whether or not His creatures accept Him as Lord. [See The Nature and Tactics of Satan]
1. First, know the relationship between God and His creation:
God | People | Satan |
ETERNAL: "He is before all things..." Colossians 1:17 |
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Our CREATOR: "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers." Colossians 1:16 |
"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works..." Psalm 139:14-15 |
Created by God, as an angel, to serve God and minister to His creation. But he rebelled and established his own empire. "...the whole world is under the sway of the evil one." 1 John 5:19 |
Our PROVIDER: "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 |
"God said, 'See, I have given you every herb...." Genesis 1:29 "I have led you forty years.... Your clothes have not worn out.." Deut 29:5 |
Was assigned limited power - yet is ultimately accountable to God: "And the Lord said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." Job 1:12
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Our JUDGE: "For the Lord will judge His people, and He will have compassion on His servants." Psalm 135:14 |
Faced spiritual death and bondage as a consequence for sin. Genesis 2:17, Romans 5:12. "The wages of sin is death...." Romans 6:23 |
"How you
are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down
... you who weakened the nations! For you have said ...‘I will
ascend into heaven.... Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol."
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Our SAVIOR: "He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 |
"...as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God." John 1:11-12 "...that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:15 |
Warning to faithful believers: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith." 1 Peter 5:8-9
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"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust." Psalm 18:2
Old Testament Period
Genesis 3: Satan's deception and human corruption (the seed of death, disease, murder and immorality)
They spread corruption, evil, mysticism, immorality - "did what was right in their own eyes."
"The
people will be oppressed....
The child will be insolent toward the elder, and the base toward
the honorable....
Because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord....
For they have brought evil upon themselves....
As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule
over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and
destroy
the way of your paths."
Says the Lord God of hosts...."
Isaiah 3:5, 8-9, 12
"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven.... Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol." Isaiah 14:12-15
Those who yield to his temptations
“The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts...." Mark 4:14-16
Stay true to God's Word
"...all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness..." 2 Timothy 3:12-16
"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!" James 2:19
"...a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:24-26
God's victory
"I now send you to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins...." Acts 26:17-18
"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." 1 John 4:4-6
"My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net." Psalm 25:15
"Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence." Psalm 91:3
The final battles
"But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood.... And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts." Revelation 9:20-21
"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in
heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out,
that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who
deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him.
"Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven,
'Now
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the
power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren,
'who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast
down. 'And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and
by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their
lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and
you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth
and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great
wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Revelation 12:7-12
“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” Revelation 18:2-3
"He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while." Revelation 20:2-3
"The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they twill be tormented day and night forever and ever." Revelation 20:10
The teachings, suffering and victory of Jesus
“Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Mark 8:33
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." Matthew 23:27-28
"... many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Matthew 24:10-14
Spiritual battles of the Apostles
‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 'I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 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 2:8-10
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith..." 1 Peter 5:8-9
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee
from you."
James 4:7
"Elymas
the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them,
seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then
Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked intently at him and said, O full of all deceit and
all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all
righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways
of the Lord?"
Acts 13:8-10
"Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.... Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:10-11, 13
Spiritual Assaults by Satan
Deceives people through lies, threats, deception, twisted truths and counterfeit promises:
"For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light."
2 Corinthians 11:14"...the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
2 Timothy 2:26Charged with rebellion. "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven.... Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol."
Isaiah 14:12-15Has limited access to faithful believers:
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith." 1 Pet 5:8-9
In God's plan, even the worst evil become steps to His good:
"...the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot... to betray Him...."
John 13:2"Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin." 1 John 3:1-5
"Do not be unequally
yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has
righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light
with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part
has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple
of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God
has said:
'I will dwell in
them and walk among them.
I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'
Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the Lord.
'Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.'
'I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,'"
2
Corinthians 6:14-18
"... in the last days
perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves,
lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers,
without self-control, brutal,
despisers of good....
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such
people turn away!
"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the
wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ...And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things
which are done by them in secret.... See then that you walk
circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because
the days
are evil."
"...all who desire to live godly in Christ
Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow
worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue
in the things which you have learned..."
2 Timothy 3:1-14
"I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
2 Corinthians 11:3"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons..." 1 Timothy 4:1
"The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
God's Ultimate Victory
“...whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1 John 5:3-5
“Behold, I tell you a
mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For
the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when
this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.”
"'O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where
is your victory?'
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15:51
“I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." Revelation 12:10-11
"And God will wipe
away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death,
nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former
things have passed away.”
"Then He who sat on the throne
said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, “Write,
for these words are true and faithful. And He said to me, 'It is done! I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will
give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his
God and he shall be My son."
Revelation 21:4
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