Category: Satan
The Evil One Doesn’t Touch Him
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
John writes in 1 John 5:18-19: “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.”
John notes the evil one twice in these verses, once to illustrate believers’ insulation from Satan, and once to explain the unbelieving world’s enslavement to his powers. The apostle also begins each of these verses with the words “we know,” bringing his epistle to a close with summarizing statements. Finally, John uses the descriptor “born of God” twice in verse 18, signifying different persons in each reference.
Verse 18 begins with a curious statement: “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin.” This is almost identical to John’s earlier statement in 1 John 3:9: “Everyone who has been born of God does not sin.” The Greek literally reads “does not sin,” but the tense often carries with it a progressive meaning. That’s why some English translations render the phrase “cannot keep on sinning” (ESV) or “cannot go on sinning” (NIV).
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Of the Evil One
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
John writes in his first letter: “For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: “We should love one another, unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous” (1 John 3:11-12).
John repeatedly states that true followers of Jesus love one another – so much so that this differentiates us from unbelievers (cf. 1 John 2:7-11; 3:11-18; 4:7-21; 5:1-4). This message does not originate with John, for Jesus taught the same truth: “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).
Now, John sets this command against the backdrop of a dark event in human history: the story of Cain. John has in mind Genesis 4, where we read the account of Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. Both sons offer sacrifices to God. Abel, a shepherd, brings the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions to the Lord. Cain, a farmer, presents some of the land’s produce.
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You Have Conquered the Evil One
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
John writes in his first letter: “I am writing to you, little children, since your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you have come to know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, God’s word remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one” (1 John 2:12-14).
John addresses three groups of people in these verses: children, fathers, and young men. Augustine believed, as do other commentators, that the three groups represent three stages of spiritual pilgrimage. The children are newborn babes in Christ. The young men are more developed Christians engaging successfully in spiritual warfare. And the fathers are the most mature believers, deep in spiritual knowledge and experience.
While this is a possible reading, it seems better to view “children” as all of John’s readers, and “young men” and “fathers” as those who may be distinguished by age within the church.
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Guarded from the Evil One
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 3:3: “But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.”
Paul begins chapter 3 of his second letter to the Thessalonians with an appeal for prayer “that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (v. 1). In addition, Paul asks his readers to pray that he and his companions be delivered from “wicked and evil people, for not all have faith” (v. 2).
Paul uses two adjectives to describe those attacking his ministry. “Wicked” is from the Greek atopos and means “out of place,” “improper,” “wrong-headed,” or “perverse.” These people behave in ways unbecoming of Christians. The second word Paul uses, “evil,” is from the Greek poneros, which we already addressed in this chapter as a term meaning “bad,” “evil,” or “malicious.”
Paul seems to have a particular group in mind, perhaps Jewish opponents of the gospel in Corinth (Acts 18:6ff). In any case, these wicked people do not appear to be Christians, for Paul follows his description of them with the phrase, “for not all have faith” (2 Thess. 3:2). That is, these opponents refuse to embrace the objective truths of the gospel message.
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Take Up the Shield of Faith
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
Paul writes to the Ephesians: “In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16)
We explore this passage more fully in chapter 15 of What Every Christian Should Know about Satan. However, a few observations here may prove helpful.
First, the evil one wields a quiver full of “flaming arrows.” In New Testament times, soldiers often covered the tips of their arrows in coarse fibers dipped in pitch and then set on fire. These flaming arrows were shot at different trajectories toward enemy lines, presenting the double threat of piercing iron and scattering flames.
In a similar way, Satan hurls a seemingly endless volley of temptations at us: thoughts of pride, selfishness, fear, doubt, disappointment, greed, anger, vengeance, lust, and judgmentalism. They strike at different times and in different ways, but they all are deadly in their intent.
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