Lesson 4
Who Is the Devil?
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Satan the Devil—where did he come from? (1, 2) |
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How does Satan mislead people? (3-7) |
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Why should you resist the Devil? (7) |
1. The word "devil" means someone who tells wicked lies
about another person. "Satan" means an enemy or an opposer.
These are terms given to God's chief enemy. At first, he was a
perfect angel in heaven with God. However, he later thought too
much of himself and wanted the worship that rightly belongs to
God.—Matthew 4:8-10.
2. This angel, Satan, spoke to Eve by means of a snake. By telling
her lies, he got her to disobey God. Satan thus attacked what
is called God's "sovereignty," or position as the Most
High. Satan questioned whether God rules in a worthy way and in
the best interests of His subjects. Satan also brought into question
whether any human would remain loyal to God. By doing this, Satan
made himself God's enemy. That is why he came to be called Satan
the Devil.—Genesis 3:1-5; Job 1:8-11; Revelation 12:9.
3. Satan tries to trick people into worshiping him. (2 Corinthians
11:3, 14) One way he misleads people is through false religion.
If a religion teaches lies about God, it really serves the purpose
of Satan. (John 8:44) People who are members of false religions
may sincerely believe that they are worshiping the true God. But
they are really serving Satan. He is 'the god of this world.'—2 Corinthians 4:4.
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False religion, spiritism,
and nationalism mislead people |
4. Spiritism is another way Satan brings people under his power.
They may call upon spirits to protect them, to harm others, to
foretell the future, or to perform miracles. Satan is the wicked
force behind all these practices. To please God, we must have
nothing to do with spiritism.—Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Acts 19:18,
19.
5. Satan also misleads people through extreme pride of race and
the worship of political organizations. Some feel that their nation
or race is better than others. But this is not true. (Acts 10:34,
35) Other people look to political organizations to solve man's
problems. By doing this, they are rejecting God's Kingdom. It
is the only solution for our problems.—Daniel 2:44.
Resist Satan by continuing to learn about Jehovah
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6. Another way Satan misleads people is by tempting them with
sinful desires. Jehovah tells us to avoid sinful practices because
he knows they will harm us. (Galatians 6:7, 8) Some people may
want you to join them in such practices. Remember, though, it
is really Satan who wants you to do these things.—1 Corinthians
6:9, 10; 15:33.
7. Satan may use persecution or opposition to get you to leave
Jehovah. Some of your loved ones may become very angry because
you are studying the Bible. Others may make fun of you. But to
whom do you owe your life? Satan wants to frighten you so that
you will stop learning about Jehovah. Do not let Satan win! (Matthew
10:34-39; 1 Peter 5:8, 9) By resisting the Devil, you can make
Jehovah happy and show that you uphold His sovereignty.—Proverbs
27:11.
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