Does Satan have anything we need? Yes! He does. This may be surprising because we have been taught that Satan is evil, wicked, deceptive, and just about everything that is anti-Christ. Whether you want to call them character traits, or critical issues, or whatever; the fact remains that Satan is doing a better job than most Christians. While Christians should be striving diligently to get to heaven, Satan is doing his best to keep souls out of heaven, and frankly doing a bang-up job. In many ways Satan has things that we need, and we can learn some lessons from this. So, what does Satan have that we need?
We know from his exchange with Jesus in Matt;4:1-11; Lk.4:1-13 that he has knowledge of the scriptures. He has such a good knowledge that he is able to manipulate them and put a spin on them to have them mean something not originally intended. He quoted scripture to Jesus. How many scriptures can you quote? I assure you that Satan knows the entire Bible. Do you?
Since Satan spoke with God, there is no doubt that Satan believes in God. James 2:19 speaks of the demons who also believe, and they tremble. While they believe in God, the devil and his angels are doing their best to keep people from believing in God. From the looks of things, they are doing an excellent job.
Satan believes in something he has not experienced yet. He is worried about hell. Hell is a place prepared for Satan and his followers Matt.25:41. Since Satan is deprived of eternal life in heaven with God, he is doing his best to keep everyone out of heaven that he can. He believes in hell, and so should we. Most people behave like hell is just a myth and they are not afraid of it. Most spiritually minded people are motivated by the warnings provided to us in scripture. So, if we do not want to go to hell, we need to learn from the Bible how not to go there.
Satan has learned that God provides for His own. Satan tried to destroy Job, Job1 &2, but God stayed his hand and spared the life of Job. Later, because of his faithfulness and humility, God restored Job’s wealth and provided him with a new family Job 42. We need to learn to trust in God that He will provide us what we need for the salvation of our soul.
Another thing we can say about Satan is that he is always on the job. Does 24/7/365 mean anything to you? Most people give God a minimum of a couple hours a week in His service. Satan is working 168 hours every week trying to keep souls out of heaven. James 4:7 tells us to resist Satan and he will flee from you. However, Satan does not leave and never come back. Satan is hiding around the corner or behind that bush waiting for an opportunity to get you back to his side. Satan knows what buttons to push and what temptations to put before you to keep you on his side.
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Satan also has a zeal for souls. He has proven his effectiveness is capturing many souls. God wants you to be saved. Every soul that Satan captures is a loss for God. God has given you everything you need to be saved 2 Peter 1:3. Why not trust God to do so. Learn these lessons and apply them to your salvation. – Carey Scott —
PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND TARES
Jesus often taught truths by the use of parables which was using a known truth to illustrate an unknown, but more important truth. Some have defined a parable as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” His parable of the wheat and tares found in Matt.13 is a good example. In vs:24-30 He tells the parable. In vs 36-43 He explains the meaning of the parable. Please take time to read these verses,
While there are several good lessons to be learned from this parable, I want to briefly mention three points. 1. The world is the field into which the word of God is sown. In the world both good and evil exist together. So, wherever and whenever the word of God is planted in this world evil will be present, because the world is ruled by the evil one, Satan AKA the devil Eph.2:1-3. So when you try to teach someone the word of God you will have to deal with the problem of sin (evil) in the person, for all are sinners Rom.3:23.
2. When teaching people you cannot always know their inward character. All you can see is the outward appearance. In His parable Jesus pointed that wheat and tares are similar in appearance. So don’t prejudge whether a person will receive the word by the way they are dressed or talk or act. How a person appears outwardly may not be what they are inside. Their heart may be ready to hear the word.
3. The parable also teaches that as long as we who are “God’s people” live in this world we have to live together with “the devil’s people.” But we don’t have to live like them. God knows the difference by the harvest that is being borne. On the day of judgment God will send His angels and they will separate the wheat from the tares. The tares will be gathered and cast into the furnace of fire (hell -t.t.) where there will be “wailing and gnashing of teeth.” But the righteous will “shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father.” Are you among the wheat?