Satan is still alive and well

[Bronson]

At the moment, Satan is not in hell. Rather, Satan roams the earth, seeking people to tempt into sin and thus separate from God. First Peter 5:8 states, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” In John 14:30, Jesus called Satan the “prince of this world,” and the apostle Paul referred to him as the “ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:2). Satan does not live in hell; he lives and works on the earth and in the heavens circling it.

Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44), and he influences and rules the world right now. Satan desires worship (Matthew 4:9), and he uses deceit and distractions to draw man’s focus to himself. The world worships Satan in one way or another, except for those who are of the kingdom of God and are therefore called out of Satan’s deceptions. If a person is not a child of God, he is by default a child of Satan (see John 8:44; Acts 13:10). First John 3:10 tells us how to distinguish the two: “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.” James 4:4 explains that anyone who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

This is important to know, because soon Jesus will return to earth and collect what belongs to Him. He will defeat the followers of Satan and claim His elect for Himself. Ultimately, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). Afterward, Jesus will judge unbelievers according to what they have done during their lives. Anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life is thrown into the lake of fire where Satan and his minions will be by that time (Revelation 20:13, 15). Hell and death are also thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14), so, technically speaking, at no time does Satan reside in hell. But he will be confined permanently in a very hot place that could be called a “hellish” location, to be tormented eternally.

The key takeaway for each person is to ensure that his own name is written in the Book of Life so that he may have eternal life in heaven, rather than eternal separation from God in the lake of fire.

From Got?

 

[Ozias]

Discussing Satan is not a very popular or upbeat Topic in Christianity. And I'm sure he appreciates that. He's our ancient enemy and he would love us to believe he's not real. He has a lot of different tactics that he uses to make Christians ineffective in their Christian walk.

One way the enemy attempts to draw us away from trusting God is by perverting our perception of God’s character. He did this in the garden with Eve when he asked her, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1). He twisted God’s commandment in order to attack and distort His character.

God had said, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16–17).

In essence the serpent was saying to Eve, “God is withholding everything good from you.”

But God’s emphasis was, “You may freely eat, except …” God had given mankind the entire garden to enjoy and all the fruit to eat with the exception of one.

The serpent was twisting how the woman saw God by saying, “God doesn’t really care for you. What good thing is He keeping back from you? He must not love you as you thought. He must not be a good God!” She was deceived and believed a lie about God’s character. The desire to sin was then aroused because God’s Word was no longer life but law. And “the strength of sin is the law” (1 Cor. 15:56).

The enemy still operates this way today. He perverts the character of the Father God in His children’s eyes. We have all had authorities over us such as dads, teachers, bosses, or governors who have been selfish and unloving. Because they are authority figures, it is easy to project their nature onto God’s character since He is the ultimate authority.

 

[MatthewG]

I disagree with the person at gotquestions, Broson. I believe we wrestle around with the spiritual wickedness, this dark world, which is a fight and a wrestling with our own mind, between the flesh and the spirit. Satan is not still around, but perhaps the spirit of him lingers on - in the attitude of people who desire to hurt others, and do evil to others, by their own choice. But that is just a personal belief.

 

[Rockson]

Discussing Satan is not a very popular or upbeat Topic in Christianity. And I'm sure he appreciates that. He's our ancient enemy and he would love us to believe he's not real. He has a lot of different tactics that he uses to make Christians ineffective in their Christian walk.

One can have an over emphasis on the subject or an under emphasis. We need to be balanced.

 

[Obadiah]

One can have an over emphasis on the subject or an under emphasis. We need to be balanced.

Exactly we can't look for a demon under every rock neither can we ignore his destructive force. But he is a defeated foe we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus who strengthens us.

@civic says that unless it has to do with salvation He doesn't get real excited about it.

 

[Fred]

Satan is not still around

Where did he go?

 

[Begotten]

Satan

(See also Devil.)
Satan (Hebrew: satan) simply means “adversary.” From the snake of Genesis 3:1 to inciting King David to count the fighting men of Israel—and onward through today—Satan has been the enemy of both God and man, often referred to in Scripture as “the evil one” or “the devil.” He was the adversary who challenged God about Job and the accuser of Joshua the high priest. In the New Testament, Satan is called diabolos, usually translated as “the devil.” This figure tried to tempt Jesus three times in the wilderness, but Jesus resisted him by responding with Scripture each time. The Bible says that Satan (the devil) is a liar and a murderer, disguising himself as an angel of light, prowling about like a roaring lion. He is also called a “great dragon, the serpent of old.”

Contrary to popular belief, Satan is not an equal opponent or “arch nemesis” of God. Scripture indicates that Satan must ask permission from God before tormenting or tempting certain people, which suggests that his power is limited. Jesus provided the model for resisting Satan when He combated Satan’s lies with Scripture when He was tempted in the wilderness. Jesus brought victory for believers as He came to destroy the works of the devil and render him powerless. Like Jesus, the Bible exhorts us to resist the devil, and he will flee.

Satan has caused havoc for thousands of years and his malicious activities will continue for a time into the future, but his end is coming. God will confine Satan to a place called “the bottomless pit” for 1000 years before he is finally sent to the lake of fire—the final hell prepared for him and his fallen angels. (See Revelation 20:3; 20:10; Matthew 25:41.)


Jim George, Know Your Bible from a to Z

 

[Begotten]

Where did he go?

He is roaming about seeking whom he may devour. He's dressed up like an angel light. That's why we need to put on the whole armor of God.

Paul explains the source of counterfeit religion—Satan the devil, the master counterfeiter. He deceives the whole world.

For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15

 

[MatthewG]

Where did he go?

Lake of fire.

 

[Obadiah]

Lake of fire.

Could you explain that a little more in detail please?

 

[Obadiah]

Titus 3:5 Lexham English Bible (LEB)
5 he saved us, not by deeds of righteousness that we have done, but because of his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

The Greek word polingenesia means to a renewal or rebirth of a new life in Christ, by the Holy Spirit. Jesus told Nicodemus, “unless someone is born of … Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5). At the moment a person is converted, he is regenerated or renewed, passing over from death to life eternal. Jesus explains this at John 5:24, “the one who hears my word and who believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” The principal feature of the rebirth of a new life in Christ, by the Holy Spirit, regeneration, is the passing over from death to life eternal.

At that point, the Spirit dwells within this newly regenerated one. From the time of Adam and Eve, God has desired to dwell with man. God fellowshipped with Adam in the Garden of Eden. After Adam’s rebellion, he chose faithful men, to walk with him in their life course, to communicate with them. Enoch, Noah, and Abraham walked with God. In the Hebrew language, the tabernacle is called mishkan meaning “dwelling place.” In both the tabernacle and the temple, God was represented as dwelling with the people in the Most Holy. He also dwelt with the people through the Son, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) After Jesus’ ascension, God dwelt among the Christians, by way of the Holy Spirit, in the body of each individual Christian, which begins at conversion.


Edward D. Andrews, Blessed by God in Satan’s World: How All Things Are Working for Your Good

 

[TedT]

He is also called a “great dragon, the serpent of old.”

The verses in which we learn these names for him are Rev 12:4-9 in which we also learn that he has been flung into the earth with great animosity by Michael and all the holy elect angels. It does not say he ever left earth...

The interesting thing we can also learn is that before he was flung to earth, he did some flinging of people himself, flinging (the same word: to throw down with vigour and animosity) one third of the stars into the earth.
The question looms large: who are these stars and why did Satan reject them before his great battle with MIchael?
1. they had to be sinful or he would have no power over them and
2. they must have been useless to help him in his war.

Now the only sinners I can think of that might be useless to Satan are the sinful but good (elect) seeds, HIS elect sheep who have gone astray into evil, aka the sinful people of HIS kingdom who are sown by the Son of man into this world as explained in Matt 13:36-39, sinners who would not fight in his war against their chosen GOD.

Of course, this implies that the creation and fall of ALL sinners happened before the war by which Michael cleansed heaven of all sinners.

 

[Bob Carabbio]

At the moment, Satan is not in hell.

BINGO!!! We get a lot of our "satan" imagery and phony information from ancient Catholic "Art", and Dante's Inferno foolishness, and Hollywood imagery - which is ALL what satan WANT'S US TO BELIEVE!!!

HELL isn't and never will be satan's "kingdom" - it's his doom When Hell gets chucked into the lake of fire after the judgement, so will he, with all his followers, human and otherwise.

And satan's not an ugly horned thing in red pajamas with a tail, and hooves. Chances are that if you saw satan and Jesus walking together, satan would be the good looking one - since he appeals to the lust of the flesh. The old TV Series "Lucifer" was more "physically accurate" than "Dante's foolishness" ever was. But the religious community continues to push the phony "Hollywood horror movie" version of satan and his operatives.

 

[MatthewG]

Could you explain that a little more in detail please?

Where else would you like me to put the devil? Lake of fire, is where he went to be forever it is said - concluding that he is done away with. Where is the lake of fire? Infront of the lamb and the angels? Is the fire coming from Yahavah?

 

[Complete]

'Hereafter I will not talk much with you:
for the prince of this world cometh,
and hath nothing in me.'
(Joh 14:30)

'The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
that ye may know what is the hope of His calling,
and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of His mighty power,
Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead,
and set him at His own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,
and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
And hath put all things under His feet,
and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.'
(Eph 1:18-23)

'For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power:'
(Col 2:9-10)

'But God, Who is rich in mercy,
for His great love wherewith He loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved )
And hath raised us up together,
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace
in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.'
(Eph 2:4-7)

* Our risen Lord is far above all principality and power, and every name that is named, and we in Him.
Satan holds no fear for us in Christ Jesus our Lord.