Willmington, Harold

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Liberty UniversityScholars Crossing101 Most Asked Questions 101 Most Asked Questions About the Bible1-2019Question 63 - How has Satan viewed theScriptures?Harold WillmingtonLiberty University, hwillmington@liberty.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/questions_101Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought,Theology and Philosophy of Religion CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 101 Most Asked Questions About the Bible at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted forinclusion in 101 Most Asked Questions by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contactscholarlycommunication@liberty.edu.Recommended CitationWillmington, Harold, "Question 63 - How has Satan viewed the Scriptures?" (2019). 101 Most Asked Questions. 46.https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/questions_101/46101 MOST ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BIBLE  63. How has Satan viewed the Scriptures?  A. He twists the Word of God  “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3:1). Note the words in his cynical question: “of every tree . . .?”  To the contrary (as Satan well knew) there was but one tree of the many off limits to the first couple.  Note: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17).  B. He desires the Word of God  “And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:2-5). It should be carefully observed just how clever the devil works.  He begins  (Gen. 3:1) by doubting the Word of God and then ends by actually denying it  (Gen. 3:4).  C. He attempts to destroy it  Jeremiah the prophet had his original manuscript (Book of Jeremiah) burned by wicked Judean King Jehoiakim (Jer. 36:20-25).  However the godless monarch should have left well enough alone, for God then ordered Jeremiah to write a second, expanded manuscript which contained a divine curse upon the king (Jer. 36:27-32). A. He attempts to erase it from the land  The devil nearly succeeded in doing this very thing during the reign of godly Judean King Josiah.  But then a copy perhaps the last surviving one was found in the temple itself.  Upon hearing it read Josiah led his people in a great revival (2 Kings 22:8-10; 2 Chron. 34:14-17).  B. He takes it out of context  This is seen during the temptation of Christ where the devil actually quotes a passage from the Old Testament (Psa. 91:11-12) in an attempt to confuse the Savior. “And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Mt. 4:6). C. He attempts to muzzle it  1. As experienced by Micaiah.  This fearless, imprisoned prophet is ordered not to speak God’s Word before King Jehoshaphat and Ahab, but speaks it anyway (2 Chron. 18:12-13). 2. As experienced by Amos.  Here a false priest (Amaziah) attempts (unsuccessfully) to silence the prophet Amos (Amos 7:12-13). 3. As experienced by Peter and John.  On two separate occasions the wicked Pharisees attempted to muzzle those two disciples of Jesus. a. First occasion “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:13-18).    b. Second occasion “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us” (Acts 5:27-28). D. He tries to add to it  “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). E. He steals it from human hearts  “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus . . . And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot” (Mt. 13:1-4, 18-19). F. He plants error in the field of truth  “When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent” (Mt. 13:24-26). G. He ridicules it  1. As seen at Pentecost “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. . . And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. . .  And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine” (Acts 2:1, 4, 12-13). 2. As seen at Athens “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. . . Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) . . . And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter” (Acts 17:16, 18-21, 32). 3. As seen in Caesarea “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself. . . And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad” (Acts 26:1, 24). H. He attempts to identify with it  “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:16-18). I. He will cause man to totally turn from it in the last days  “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron”  (1 Tim. 4:1-2). “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. . . I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 3:1-5; 4:1-4). 

Question 63 - How has Satan viewed the Scriptures?

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Question 63 - How has Satan viewed the Scriptures?

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