Satan’s Power Bound

Background Scripture: Revelation 20; Luke 11:1–28
Lesson Scripture: Revelation 20:1–3; Matthew 4:8–11; Luke 11:21–22

Introduction

From time to time during our Christian pilgrimage through this world, the fact that we have a formidable adversary becomes a little more apparent. Because of Satan’s wrath against God, he has purposefully determined to cause us much difficulty in the way; his ultimate aim is to cause the loss of our salvation. As Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress found, we also find that we need to prayerfully keep our eyes on our Savior during the journey. By praying and looking to Him, we can have the assurance that He will carry us through. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1–2). We also need to follow our Savior’s guiding hand with confidence and determination. This is the way we can successfully reach our heavenly goal.

Key Verse

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

Though not often so obvious, Satan continually wields his power against God. Satan possesses substantial power as the prince of this world, making Christians vulnerable as they navigate through his territory. God’s power, however, is infinitely greater, providing protection and strength to believers. Those living in the love of God with their faith firmly planted in Christ’s redemption may find it distasteful to think of studying about Satan’s power.

If we have an unrestricted diet of the things of this world, we will lose our appetite for spiritual things, and we will lose our peace. Faithful Christians will wisely limit the amount of their involvement with social media, the news, entertainment, and politics. We do not have to look very far to see clear evidence of the power and work of Satan. It seems like Satan has been loosed to the extent that wickedness is very prevalent in every nation on earth. We might ask, “How is Satan loosed?” The answer is quite clear. Mankind in his corrupt state of lust and pride gives the prince of the power of the air free reign in the heart. Instead of submitting to God, resisting the devil, and drawing close to God as we are instructed in James 4:7–8, wickedness is freely practiced. Yesterday, the man of sin accepted and condoned the gross works of the flesh. Today, he is practicing and promoting them without hindrance. This causes many people to become sin-weary, and they begin to seek deliverance through the gospel. The Lord is calling and granting victory to sin-weary souls today.

Surely Satan rejoiced at Jesus’s crucifixion and death, but he must have been truly horrified at the resurrection of Jesus and immediately did his utmost to try to put an end to the emerging church. However, persecution only caused the faith to abound. “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Heb. 2:9).

Isaiah, the gospel prophet, in pronouncement of the fall of the great and terrible king of Babylon, points to the real power behind the evil king. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (Isa. 14:12). Our Savior spoke of the fall of Lucifer from heaven in Luke 10:17–18: “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” By the power of Jesus’s name, troubled humanity is delivered from the bondage of evil. Falling away from God has brought people into bondage, but with faith in Jesus and acceptance of his Word, they are brought to victory. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4–5).

Practical Truths for Today

The early church rejoiced in the power of the gospel and actively promoted the gift of salvation. Souls were delivered from bondage and the possession of devils as promised by Jesus. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen” (Mark 16:15–20).

First Timothy 6:14–16 states that God will show the true power of Christ. “That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”

Without exercising carefulness, a Christian can be captured by the wicked one in a very common trap—one of doubt and fear. To be delivered, the prayer of faith will be necessary together with believing in what the Bible says. Even prophetic statements, such as “[say] unto Zion, Thy God reigneth” (Isa. 52:7), remind us of God’s power and will for his people and the far-reaching effects of the gospel in people’s lives.

“The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2 Tim. 2:24–26). Though our primary focus is on how the devil’s power is broken, it should be a sobering thought that he can still ensnare people. Trappers who catch their game in the fields and forests study the animal they want to trap, and with experience and patience, they are able to catch almost any prey that they set traps for. We need to beware also that the devil and his evil forces have much experience with humankind in the use of traps and snares. We should never think we are safe on our own. We need to be mindful of how the Lord cares and delivers his children and never rely on our own strength in any situation, lest we be ensnared by the devil.

Illustration

A Christian husband and father had come to the end of his endurance in a difficult marriage. His wife had for many years scornfully belittled him, often in private as well as in the presence of their children. However, in public she was able to portray a semblance of Christian womanhood. Very few knew of the sorrow her husband endured. One evening, after bidding his wife a simple goodbye, he left their home with the intent of never returning. On the way, he stopped at a secret place of prayer that he had often resorted to when in distress. While praying there, the Lord gently spoke to him, bidding him to return, and suggested that if he would find a change of heart and a renewal of his first love, there was a promise included that things would be better. Finding that direction from the Lord, the husband found a loving way to simply not accept the attitude of his wife but to remonstrate with her. With firm communication, he began to give her no allowance to continue with her domineering attitude. With time and patience, his wife began to change into a respectful and loving partner. As they now share and pray together, they find that Satan is bound and can no longer work harmful thoughts and deeds into their relationship. Now they are a dear senior couple, well on the way to a glorious closure of their life together. Their home is marked by a peaceful and happy atmosphere where the children and grandchildren find a haven.

If we are obedient to the Lord, He will bind Satan and keep him away from our lives and lead us in paths of peace. The husband found that obedience to the Lord bound Satan so he could no longer damage the relationship between himself and his wife. Without that obedience, Satan would have triumphed, and their home would have become another statistic of failure.

Questions

1. In Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian’s journey took him between two chained lions that could come near enough to make him afraid but not near enough to harm him. How does this compare with the binding of Satan in our lesson today?
2. Is today’s world worse than it was one hundred years ago?
3. Does our dependence and usage of modern technology loosen the chain that binds Satan?

Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).