Portland, Oregon Church  -  Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

SUBJECT:  Satan

QUESTIONS:  Does Satan have limitations?  Can he hear my silent prayers to God?

ANSWER:

There is specific indication that God hears us and knows our thoughts.

There is no specific indication that Satan hears us and knows our thoughts.  He can, however, tempt us and place thoughts in our minds.

God is without limitations.

Satan has several limitations.

God can do anything He desires.

Satan can do nothing with permission from God.

Let us look at some specifics:

1)  God is a Spirit and hears our thoughts:

Psalm 94:11

The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Psalm 139:2

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

1 Corinthians 3:20

And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

The question is, does God know our thoughts because He is Lord or because He is Spirit?  Our opinion:  Because He is Lord.

2)  Jesus as human with the Spirit of God in Him knew the thoughts of those around Him:

Matthew 9:4

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

3)  Satan has limitations:

Satan is not self-existent. He is created.

He is not sovereign.

Satan rules a domain of demons, but he does not rule beyond the bound of that confinement of rule which God has given him. Satan never has cast off the government of God, since the rebellion totally failed. He has been exiled to the earth and the domain around it (Ephesians 2:2).  Satan’s chain stretches just so far and God allows him to go that far and no farther. He operates completely within the sphere of God’s allowance (e.g. Job 1:12; 2:6).  God even uses Satan to His own ends (2 Corinthians 12:7).

Satan is not omnipotent (all-powerful). He is powerful, yes, but not all powerful (1 John 4:4).

Satan is not omniscient (all-knowing).

Satan is an angel and angels don’t know everything (1 Peter 1:11-12).   There is no indication in Scripture that Satan can read our thoughts. But he’s pretty good at predicting our behavior, because he’s an expert on human nature.

Satan is not omnipresent (everywhere at the same time).

He’s fast, but not omnipresent.  But he is the head of a network of subordinate devils who make his influence practically worldwide (Matthew 12:24).

THE POWER OF SATAN OVER THOSE OUTSIDE OF CHRIST . . .

Satan has the whole world of unbelievers under his control (Matthew 4:8-10; John 14:30; 1 John 5:19).

Unbelievers belong to him (1 John 3:8, 12) and are his children (1 John 3:10).

Satan has the power of influence and blinding. He blinds the minds of the unbelieving (2 Corinthians 4:4). He prevents the gospel from entering their hearts (Matthew 13:19; Luke 8:11). Satan speaks through fortunetellers (Acts 16:16), cult leaders (1 Timothy 4:1-2), and false preachers (2 Corinthians 11: 13-15). He seeks to deceive about his existence, his purposes, his activities, and his coming defeat. He is the deceiver of the whole world (Revelation 12:8). His ultimate deception will be in the anti-christ (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

Satan can control a person’s body. Demons can cause muteness (Luke 11:14), mental disorder (John 10:20), violent action (Luke 8:26-29), and crippling (Luke 13:11, 16). In these examples Satan caused people to be handicapped although there was nothing physically wrong with them.

Satan influences governments and nations. Daniel 10:12-13,20-21 gives us a glimpse into the spiritual realm of angels and demons and how they affect nations. The "prince of the Persian kingdom" (v.13) is apparently a demon exercising influence over the Persian realm in the interests of Satan. The archangel of God named Michael finally overcame his resistance. Likewise the "prince of Greece" in verse 20 is also a demon.

SATAN’S POWER OVER BELIEVERS . . .

Satan tempts believers to . . .

disobedience (1 Chronicles 21:1-7).

lose faith in God (Luke 22:31-32; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:16).

lie (Acts 5:3).

immorality (1 Corinthians 7:5).

be preoccupied by the world (1 John 2:15; 2 Timothy 4:10).

be proud (1 Timothy 3:6).

discouragement (1 Peter 5:6, 7, 10).

He also tries to create doubt (Genesis 3:1), persecutes the Church (Revelation 2:10), hinders our service (1 Thessalonians 2:18), infiltrates our ranks—and so confuses the world as to what a Christian really is (1 John 4:1-6; 2 Peter 2).

but . . .

Jesus cast out demons as evidence of His victory over the prince of demons.

The truth is that "his infernal majesty" is bound and is powerless before the Son of God (Mark 3:27).  Christ has defeated Satan (John 12:31). He defeated Satan and all spiritual forces of evil at the cross (Colossians 2:14-15). Satan has fallen from the heavens (Luke 10:18). He is cast out of heaven and into the earth and no longer has the ability to accuse us before the Father (Revelation 12:10, 12-17).

Christians do not need to fear Satan, because . . .

Satan can only do to believers what God permits him to do (Job 1:12; 2:6).

In Christ we have been delivered from Satan’s power (Colossians 1:13; Acts 26:18).

We have the promise that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our capacity (1 Corinthians10:13).

Christ keeps us safe and Satan cannot lay hold of the believer to harm him (1 John 5:18).

Demonic powers cannot separate us from God’s love in Christ (Romans 8:37-39).

Those who are in Christ can overcome Satan (Revelation 12:11; Romans 16:20; 1 John 2:13-14).

Greater is the One who is in us than Satan who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

We can resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7).

The weapons that we have been given can pull down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

If we use the armor of God, we have God’s promise that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11, 13).

THE NATURE OF DEMONS:

The Bible clearly portrays them as personal beings. They have:

intellect (Mark 5:7),

knowledge (Acts 19:15),

emotion (Matthew 9:31; Mark 5:7; James 2:19),

self-awareness (Mark 5:9),

will (Matthew 8:31), and

ability to speak (Mark 1:24; 5:7-12; Acts 19:15).

Restrictions:

Demons are not omnipresent nor do they have unlimited power. Their freedom is restricted, as is that of Satan, by their own nature and the power of God (Job 1:12; 2:6-7).  Since demons are fallen angels, like angels they are immaterial and not usually subject to human visibility or our other senses.  Demons are not all-knowing. Demons are fallen angels and angels don't know everything (1 Peter 1:11-12). There is no indication in the Bible that demons (or Satan for that matter) can read our thoughts. They are pretty good at predicting human behavior, however, because they are experts on human nature.  Demons are numerous. It is impossible to count the number of angels (Revelation 5:11; Hebrews 12:22; Daniel 7:10) and the fallen angels were apparently a third of all these (Revelation 12:4,9). This means that there are many, many demons. Nevertheless the number of demons is far less than holy angels who care for God's people.

Descriptions of the powers, activity and personality of Satan and are scattered throughout the Bible:

He is a created being, a former Archangel, and thus is inferior to God. Among other limitations, he can be only in one place at one time; he has limits to his knowledge and power.

Satan cannot perform any acts unless God approves (Job1:6 to 2:10).

He is a trickster and an unreliable source of information. John 8:44 speaks of him as a liar, the father of all lies.

He is the ruler of the earth (John 12:31, Ephesians 6:12 and 2 Corinthians 4:4)

He leads a personal army of demons (Matthew 12:24)

He can adopt a spirit form, reside inside a person and influence their thoughts and behavior:

Ephesians 2:2 describes him as a spirit who works within "the children of disobedience."

John 13:2 describes how Satan "put into" Judas Iscariot's mind the decision to betray Jesus.

Acts 5:3 describes how Satan filled Ananias' heart with the decision to lie to the Holy Spirit about the proceeds of a real estate sale.

His existence places humans in extreme peril.. 1 Peter 5:8 describes him as a dangerous entity, a roaring lion, who roams all over the earth "seeking whom he may devour."

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Ephesians 6:16 Besides all these, having taken up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming

darts of the evil one. (17) And receive the helmet of salvation...

Commentary

In the first part of verse 17 Paul goes on to say, "And receive the helmet of salvation." This is for covering our mind, our

mentality, against the negative thoughts directed at us by the evil one. Such a helmet, such a covering, is God's salvation.

Satan injects into our mind threats, worries, anxieties, and other weakening thoughts. God's salvation is the covering we

take up against all these. Such a salvation is the saving Christ we experience in our daily life (John 16:33).

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James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Portland, Oregon Church  -  Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association