The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
Satan is called Belial (or Beliar) on only one occasion in the New Testament. As Paul instructs the Corinthians to separate themselves from unbelievers, he asks a series of rhetorical questions: “For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?” (2 Cor. 6:14-16, emphasis added).
The answer to all of these questions, of course, is “none whatsoever.” Paul contrasts the holiness of Christ with the wickedness of Satan. He also draws a sharp distinction between the expected behavior of Christians and followers of the evil one. But does Scripture provide us with other clues as to the identity of Belial?
The Hebrew word beliyya‘al occurs twenty-seven times in the Old Testament – never as a proper name for Satan, although there is an implied connection between beliyya‘al and the underworld.
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
Mark 3:20-30 runs parallel to Matthew 12:22-28 (see the previous post) but provides added details:
Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat. When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”
The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” – because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit” (emphasis added).
Mark introduces Jesus’ family into the story. It’s troubling to read that members of his own household think he’s insane and seek to restrain him. Even worse, scribes from Jerusalem have a crueler diagnosis. They blurt out their belief that Beelzebul possesses Jesus and empowers him to drive out demons. This is similar to the charge of the Pharisees in Matthew 12, but with the twisted addition that the evil one has assumed complete control over Jesus.
Jesus responds with the same parables Matthew records about a house divided against itself and the plundering of a strong man’s house. And he makes it clear that ascribing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan is unpardonable because it reveals the hardened and unrepentant hearts of many religious leaders.
Luke 11:15, 18, 19
Luke’s account of the same story (Matt. 12:22-28; Mark 3:20-30) mentions only that the demon has made the man mute, not blind as well. Further, Luke doesn’t pin the blasphemous accusations specifically on the scribes or Pharisees, but simply writes, “some of them said …” Further, he adds, “And others, as a test, were demanding a sign from heaven.” Note the account in context:
Now he was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon came out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” And others, as a test, were demanding of him a sign from heaven.
Knowing their thoughts, he told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul. And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges. If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure. But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons he trusted in, and divides up his plunder. Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters (Luke 11:14-23, emphasis added).
Luke further identifies the “strong man” as one who is fully armed, while the “stronger” one takes away his weapons and divides his plunder. This indicates the nature of the spiritual battle taking place in the unseen realm. Satan has his schemes (Eph. 6:11), disguises (2 Cor. 11:14), and a voracious appetite (1 Pet. 5:8). He also commands a host of well-armed, organized demons who engage in guerilla warfare for the hearts and minds of human beings made to be God’s imagers. We are defenseless in our own strength. But as the apostle Paul states:
… the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5).
Paul further urges us to put on the full armor of God so we may resist the devil and take our stand. The Lord gives us the belt of truth; the breastplate of righteousness; sandaled feet that swiftly carry the gospel; the shield of faith that enables us to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one; the helmet of salvation; and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With these, we are to pray in the Spirit at all times and stay alert (Eph. 6:10-18).
The battle is long, requiring perseverance. Satan’s army attacks and counter-attacks with relentless fervor and seemingly unstoppable power. But Christ has overcome Satan and his worldly realm, and we may take comfort in knowing that a victorious outcome is never in doubt because our Savior has overcome the world (John 16:33).
Prince Charming
Satan indeed leads a horde of evil spirits (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:9). He is a formidable foe, equipped with great intelligence and supernatural power. Further, he commands a well-organized force that scouts human beings, waits, and attacks at opportune times. The Gospels and the Book of Acts describe these beings as “unclean spirits” about twenty times, and as “demons” about fifty times. Jesus confirms the conventional Jewish belief in his day that Satan – whom the scribes and Pharisees call Beelzebul – rules these evil spirits.
Humans are never commanded in Scripture to rebuke Satan or demons. Even Michael the archangel defers to the Lord (Jude 9). But we are instructed to submit ourselves to God and resist the evil one (Jas. 4:7). This is because we know Jesus has won the battle, having overcome the evil one through his sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection. We resist when we are fully clothed in the armor of God. And even when the evil one’s attacks have worn down our resistance to temptation, we find the Lord has made an avenue for our escape (1 Cor. 10:13).
Beelzebul is a prince indeed – perhaps even a Prince Charming when he’s at his masquerading best. He reigns over a kingdom, and he rules loyal subjects who inhabit the spiritual realm. In addition, he has enslaved countless human beings, holding them captive to do his will (2 Tim. 2:26).
Thankfully, the ultimate archon, the Lord Jesus Christ, has invaded Beelzebul’s kingdom and disarmed him. Now, Jesus is actively plundering the evil one’s goods, setting captives free, and making adopted children of those formerly in bondage to sin and destined for a common eternity with their prince in the lake of fire.
This is the 21st in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com.
It’s comforting to keep in mind that when Christ died, he redeemed our bodies, souls, and spirits. Our salvation doesn’t stop with the forgiveness of sins, the declaration of our right standing with God in Christ, and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, although these are unfathomable gifts of grace.
Rather, the redemptive work of Christ finds its ultimate fulfillment in future resurrection and glorification, when the effects of sin are completely removed, and believers are fully conformed to the image of Christ.
Equally comforting is the Lord’s promise that neither death nor hades threatens his children again. John, who hears Christ assure him that Jesus holds the keys of death and hades, later bears witness to the fact that these enemies are thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14).
In our glorified bodies, we no longer sin, nor are we drawn to rebellion against God. As a resulting benefit, we have no reason to fear death, for it is but a distant memory God banishes from the realm of possibility.
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
Jesus engages in recurring conflict with the Pharisees throughout Matthew 12. After Jesus’ disciples are seen plucking and eating heads of grain on the Sabbath, the religious leaders scold Jesus for allowing his followers to “do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath” (12:2). Jesus delivers a countercharge, accusing the Pharisees of condemning the innocent. And then he boldly proclaims his deity: “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (12:8).
Next, Jesus enters the synagogue, where he meets a man with a shriveled hand. The Pharisees test Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (12:10). Jesus replies, “Who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out? A person is worth far more than a sheep; so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath” (12:11-12). Then, Jesus heals the man’s shriveled hand. This enrages the Pharisees, who depart the synagogue and plot to kill Jesus (12:13-14).
After a short respite, in which Jesus continues his healing ministry, the Pharisees deliver their strongest attack on the Savior:
This is the 20th in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com.
No matter how people consider death, we can’t escape the truth that one day we breathe our last. But what then? Everyone who’s thought seriously about this question has an answer – or at least an opinion.
Those who embrace a naturalistic worldview say death is the end of our existence. We may live on in the memories of loved ones. Meanwhile, our contributions to mankind – or our crimes against humanity – may outlive us, but our consciousness ends permanently and irreversibly once we stop breathing.
Tibetan Buddhists believe the spirits of the departed embark on a journey lasting 49 days and divided into three stages. At the conclusion of the third stage, a person either enters nirvana – a place of liberation from the cravings that cause suffering – or returns to earth for rebirth.
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe most of the departed (except for the 144,000 of the anointed class) go into a state of soul sleep until a future date with destiny. At that time, many of the dead are resurrected and given an opportunity to prove themselves worthy to enter an eternal paradise on earth.
But Scripture paints a different picture. At physical death, the immaterial part of human beings – that is, our souls and spirits – enter an intermediate state, either with Jesus in heaven or in torment in hades. Meanwhile, our lifeless bodies await future resurrection, at which time our souls and spirits reunite with our resurrected bodies so we may stand before Jesus in final judgment.
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