By Eddie Smith
(From his book, Making Sense of Spiritual Warfare)
We know from John 10:10 that Satan is here to steal, to kill, and to destroy. But why? Because he hopes to one day rule the earth fully, receiving the worship of humans and angels. Simply put, Satan wants to be God (see Isaiah 14:14). I know, he “said in his heart, ‘I will be like the Most High,’” but it’s clear from the rest of his declarations that he plans to supplant God altogether (see chapter 6, “The Occult-Level Battlefield”). The devil wants us to marvel at his skill and cower in his presence.
He has organized his fallen angels to establish his hegemony. They have deceived the masses, and many of those he’s duped have also been demonized—infiltrated, inspired, and supernaturally empowered by evil spirits. Some who are demonized hold positions of power in society’s upper echelons; these are able to deceive and involve unsuspecting others. Many are “flying under the radar,” to a point; others are overtly, blatantly evil.
Some are satanically skilled to rule territories. Others have little leadership skill, they’re simply satanically empowered to rape, pillage, and plunder. Among these are mass murderers, pedophiles, and rapists. Many others are children and teens dabbling in the satanic, looking for supernatural power.
Several years ago a twenty-one-year-old Satanist came to me for counseling. When she walked into my office the ambient temperature literally dropped several degrees. Swirling about her in the spirit realm, like a swarm of angry hornets, was a palpable mass of demons. Literally shivering as she sat down, I asked, “Mary, do you realize what followed you into my office?”
She fearfully nodded yes.
“Do you mind if I get rid of them?”
I’ll never forget the shock on her face as she said, “You can do that?”
In a casual tone I commanded, “Okay, that’s enough. Get out, all of you, now.”
It felt as if the tide rolled out as the demonic mass left the room. No longer shivering, Mary was peaceful, and quite surprised at the difference.
I said, “That was good … wasn’t it?” She nodded in agreement.
Would you like to see something better than that?” She nodded again.
“Holy Spirit,” I prayed, “I invite you to come and rest upon Mary right now.” And as quickly as the spirits had left, God wrapped her in His warm embrace. Again she was amazed, tears now streaming down her face.
“Mary, God’s Spirit is resting on you; and the good news is, you can have His Spirit living in you. But before we talk about that, do you know what your god calls my God?”
She shook her head no.
“Then read this for me.” I handed her Isaiah 14:14, and she read, “I will make myself like the Most High.”
“Now, why would you worship a wannabe god, when you can worship the true and living God?”
Satan has marshaled his forces to help him ascend and to prevent God from being worshiped. He seeks to steal and wreck everything and everyone he touches. He’s no novice; for thousands of years he has perfected his deception.
Illustrating well-designed trickery, Chuck Swindoll once said,
“A friend of mine ate dog food one evening. No, he wasn’t at a fraternity initiation or a hobo party–he was actually at an elegant student reception in a physician’s home near Miami. The dog food was served on delicate little crackers with a wedge of imported cheese, bacon chips, an olive, and a sliver of pimento on top. That’s right, friends and neighbors—it was hors d’oeuvres a la Alpo.
The hostess is a first-class nut! You gotta know her to appreciate the story. She had just graduated from a gourmet cooking course, and so she decided it was time to put her skill to the ultimate test. Did she ever! After doctoring up those miserable morsels and putting them on a couple of silver trays, with a sly grin she watched them disappear. One guy (my friend) couldn’t get enough. He kept coming back for more. I don’t recall how they broke the news to him–but when he found out the truth, he probably barked and bit her on the leg! He certainly must have gagged a little.”
That’s funny. The devil’s traps are not.
As Jesus called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew from their fishing nets to follow Him, he said, “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). To be certain, Satan likewise fishes for people, baiting men and women away from God. Like many others before her, he had reeled Mary, the young lady in my office, into worshiping him. His bait? A lure. A lure is made to look like a real minnow, or frog, or worm, or whatever. But it isn’t. It’s a trick, and it’s filled with hooks and barbs.
Today Satan is luring men, women, boys, girls, leaders, and followers to bow before him. His goal is to own the world, and he’s not going to release his rule easily. It must be taken from him, and we must be a generation who will do it. Never forget, he is ruthless. To him, all’s fair in love and war.