There are four key reasons why Christians should never fear Satan or anything Satanically inspired. 

▪ Satan’s power is limited

▪ Satan cannot separate us from God

▪ Satan is afraid of the gospel of Christ

▪ Satan will be judged and destroyed

1). SATAN IS LIMITED. 

Satan operates within strict boundaries set by God, is subject to God’s authority and ultimately serves the purposes of God.

Two examples suffice.

Firstly, God will allow evil as a form of judgement:

“God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the Lords of Shechem. They treated Abimelech deceitfully, ….. In this way, God turned back on Abimelech the evil that he had done against his father, by killing his 70 brothers. And God also returned all the evil of the men of Shechem on their heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came on them.” (Judges 9:23, 56-57)

Secondly, God let’s us be tempted and tried as a test of our mettle and faith, as He most notably did with Job. Note how Satan is subject to limits set by God :

“Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “he [Job] is in your power; only spare his life.” So Satan left the Lord ’s presence and infected Job with terrible boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head.” (Job 2:6-7)

But the caveat we should never forget is this. When it comes to temptation, God always puts limitations on it. Satan’s influence is subject to what God will allow: 

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He not only resisted Satan but ultimately He dismissed him, after He had overcome his trials: 

“Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.” Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.” (Matthew 4:10-11)

2). SATAN CANNOT SEPARATE US FROM GOD.

In particular Satan cannot separate us from God’s love or purposes. Paul goes so far as to say we are in effect completely beyond Satan’s reach:

“Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:33-39)

3). SATAN IS TERRIFIED OF CHRIST AND THE GOSPEL

Satan was defeated at the Cross of Calvary. But long before that Jesus was already putting Satan in his place. 

Jesus had authority over demons who not only recognised His divine authority but were afraid of Him:

“Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out,  “What do You have to do with us, Jesus — Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are — the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit convulsed him, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.” (Mark 1:23-26)

“When He had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met Him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, “What do You have to do with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:28-29)

The disciples also held authority over evil spirits, and the 72 exorcised demons in the power of Jesus name (Luke 10:17). After Jesus ascension this power was given to the apostles (Acts 19:13-20)

“You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe — and they shudder.” (James 2:19)

4). SATAN AND HIS WORKS WILL BE JUDGED AND DESTROYED BY GOD

Satan is ruler of a perishing world and will be destroyed along with it. 

“Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death — that is, the Devil — and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)

“The one who commits sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the Devil’s works.” (1 John 3:8)

“and He has kept, with eternal chains in darkness for the judgment of the great day, the angels who did not keep their own position but deserted their proper dwelling.” (Jude 1:6)

“The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)

5). CHRISTIANS MUST EXPECT PERSECUTION

Standing up for truth in an unbelieving world, Christians must be ready to suffer persecution. Jesus warned, not of the mere irritation of social media bans, but of being put to death for our faith. And not just any death but specifically death by beheading: 

In Revelation chapter 20, the Apostle John sees a particular company of people. John gives us a very brief synopsis of what he sees. He is specifically describing the future end-time Martyrs:

“I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4)

In the Last Days, beheading will specifically be the primary method by which people will be martyred. They will be killed specifically for their “testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God.”

There are many passages which speak of a future persecution and a global trend of executing Christians for their faith in Jesus:

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” (Matthew 24:9)

Here Jesus warns His disciples that they will be hated and ultimately put to death as a result of their identification with Him. But then there is a prophetic expansion on this prediction. Jesus says that “you will be hated by all nations because of me.” Jesus specifically predicted a global element to this future persecution against Christians. This next verse gives us even further insight:

“All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you.” (John 16:1-4)

In part of this passage, Jesus is alluding to the End Times. “In Fact”, he goes on to say, “the days will come when your persecutors will do far more than merely expel you from a synagogue; they will literally kill you.” But the most bewildering and intriguing aspect of this verse is the next portion of Jesus’ statement. He says that those who kill you will literally think that in doing so, they are offering a service to God.  

This sentence is key. How could someone in today’s world literally think that God demands the killing of other human beings simply because they believe differently? It’s such a completely foreign concept to most modern western minds. It’s not, however, a foreign concept to Islam.

It should be impossible to imagine any belief system or philosophy on the earth that could carry out such a thing other than a well-established world religion. While totalitarian regimes are certainly capable of such a thing, this verse specifically says that the ones who carry out these executions will believe themselves to be serving God in doing so. 

No, the system that carries this out will be a religious system that views itself as the earthly steward of some form of global divine government.  It must view itself as God’s only organization or community on the earth. Only such a scenario can account for the actions that we read about in these verses. And this gives the lie to any suggestion that a totalitarian Communist regime such as contemporary China could be what Jesus had in mind. Antireligion atheist regimes do not fit the bill, but Islam does. 

In terms of religious systems that exist in the earth today, there is only one religion that makes waging war on its enemies an article of faith. There is only one religion that sanctions and employs beheading it’s enemies as a claimed service to God. When in fact as Jesus observed “they will do such things because they have not known the Father or Me.” The religion of Islam alone fulfills these requirements. 

Beheading is the ultimate symbol of rebellion towards God (Genesis 3:15). We can thus prove that Islam is inspired with personal signature of Satan and fits perfectly his challenge and opposition to the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

6). IMPLICATIONS FOR ADDRESSING ISLAM

By extension of the above Christians should apply the same reasons for not fearing Satan, in our attitude towards Islam. In particular bear in mind that Muslims, as Satan’s stooges are also terrified of Christ and the Gospel. If they have any genuine interest in it, this is only because the Holy Spirit is stirring their hearts. The rest whose hearts are in chains will oppose Christians and the message of the Cross by every means available. 

It’s very important to remember when engaging with Muslims that they are a mouthpiece for their master. They will always work to distort the Gospel and ultimately try to silence us. Personal attacks on social media platforms are largely limited to verbal abuse and seeking to ban us. 

We must understand this goes with the territory we are fighting for, and not be taken personally, but worn as a badge of honour. While some Muslims can be polite and respectful that is far from universal. Ad hominem is as much a part of a Muslims response to the case for Christ, as are takiyya, false logic, unfounded conjectural claims and plain errors of fact. The parallels between the Muslim god and Satan are striking. Deceit “makr” is at the root of all Islamic theological argument. 

The main thing about our relationships and interactions with Muslims is to expect to be hated, have our beliefs misrepresented and attacked but to remain undeterred and undismayed by all of it. Easy to recognise and easy to say, less easy to remain unaffected, but the hardest part is not retaliating in hate but in love. We can only do that and overcome persecution by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. Our strength is in God. 

At the end of it all remember these priceless words of Jesus: 

“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)

Amen.