Salvation Summaries

Does the ruler of this world, Satan, have any influence over non-Christians?

Before I answer this question, it might be helpful to some readers if I first establish whether Satan exists, and then if he does, I can address what influence he may have on others.

So, does Satan exist?

According to the Bible, the answer is “yes.” Using the New International Version of the Bible, the word “Satan” is found 53 times, and the word “devil” (a synonym for Satan) 33 times. Satan is mentioned in at least 15 books in the Bible, with Job and Revelation being some of the better ones in terms of describing who Satan is, his capabilities and position relative to God. I’ve copied a relevant portion of Job below:

• Job 1:7-12 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.” 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

But some of you may be saying, “Well, of course the Bible says that Satan is real, but I don’t necessarily believe all of what the Bible says. Can I know whether Satan is real outside of reading the Bible?”

I believe the answer to this question is also “yes,” and let me offer you two reasons.

Reason one begins with a question. Do you believe in angels?  I would guess that you do. Assuming you do, and to be consistent in your thinking, you would need to believe in Satan too. Why? Because Satan is simply a fallen angel. Or, let me put it this way.  If angels are real, then only God could have created them, right?  And if He created angels, which are spiritual beings, then it only makes sense that He could have created Satan, who is also a spiritual being.

My reason number two also begins with a question. Do you believe in good vs. bad, or good vs. evil?  I would hope, and think, that you do.  And assuming you do, then ask yourself, where does morality, or right and wrong, come from? If we evolved from apes, we wouldn’t have morality, just like they don’t (for why would we?).  But because we do, it must have come from somewhere. That somewhere is God. And if there is a God, who is good, then it is only reasonable to assume that there is a Satan or devil, who is bad (evil), for in this world we clearly see both good and evil.

OK, so now that we have established that Satan exists, let’s address the primary question at hand. Does Satan influence the minds of unbelievers?

The answer to this question is also “yes,” as evidenced from the verse below.

• 2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

According to this verse, Satan prevents (though subject to God’s approval, which we see in the verses from Job) non-Christians from seeing who Christ really is.  Christ is the light of the gospel, and the good news of the gospel is that Christ died and rose again to save sinners like you and me.

So why would Satan want to keep people from knowing who Christ really is?  Simply put, Satan does not want people to be saved.  He knows that the only way a person can be saved is if that person puts their faith in Christ as their Lord, and submits his or her life to Him.  If Satan can prevent people from doing this, he will have accomplished his goal.

“Assuming that is true,” you say, “then how does Satan blind unbelievers from knowing Christ and being saved by Him?”  The answer is that Satan deceives them, and I believe there are two primary ways in which he does this.

First, it is possible that Satan has created other religions, or influenced the minds of others (founders) to create new religions, that draw people away from who Christ really is. I’ll mention a few examples here, even though I do so at the risk of offending some.  Islam, Buddhism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses all have a view of Jesus that differs from the Bible’s view of Jesus, for their view is based upon a book, or books, other than the Bible, and/or from teachings that are inconsistent with the Bible.

Second, I believe Satan has influenced the world in which we live, and the one in which he rules (according to the Bible). We see evidence of it all around us.  Let me explain.

Most universities and schools throughout the world teach their students that humans simply evolved from apes, that premarital sex is OK as long as it’s “safe,” and that abortion is OK. They also teach, among other things, and directly or indirectly, that the most important person in this life is you, that every person’s aim in life is to do those things that please him or her, and that true happiness is in finding a high paying job, becoming wealthy and having a good reputation. Would you agree with me so far?  These teachings, and this line of thinking reflect the views of the world, or that found in universities, schools, societies and cultures – and is thus a worldview.

The problem with this particular worldview though, is that it is contrary to the Bible, and Satan knows this. According to the Bible, God created man (God formed man from the dust of the ground, breathed life into his nostrils, and made him in the image of God), abstinence should be followed, and life in the womb should be protected. The Bible goes on to say that a person’s chief purpose in life is not to promote himself or herself, but to live for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) and to glorify God.

But there’s another problem with this worldview.  It is not only inconsistent with the Bible, it is entirely consistent with another religious book, and that is the Satanic bible.  “Ah, come on…” you say, “you can’t be serious!”  Let me explain.

According to Wikipedia (which may not be the most accurate source, but good enough), Satanism challenges the 10 Commandments and the golden rule, and promotes hedonism.  What is hedonism?  It means that a person’s pleasure and happiness is their sole or chief end in life. Further, the Satanic bible contains something called the Nine Statements (which are likely an attempt to mock the 10 commandments), and I’ve copied some of them below.  Read them, and see if they line up more with the worldview I described above, or with a Biblical worldview.

1. Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence!
2. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates!
3. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all!
4. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!

Summary

In addition to possibly creating religions that prevent people from believing in Christ as Lord, Satan appears to have fostered a worldview on this earth that is more consistent with what he wants rather than what God wants. Because of this, it has become very difficult for many people to “break away” from the things that are most valued and protected according to the world (money, wealth, fame, the right to have an abortion, the requirement to believe in evolution, etc.) and to embrace a Biblical worldview, or one where creation, protecting life, and living not for oneself but for God – among other things – are considered to be true and right.  Satan can use either method to blind the minds of unbelievers to not pursue Christ, and thus not become saved.

Can you have assurance of your salvation?

 2 Corinthians 4:13-14 13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.

Because I have answered this question before in other blog posts, and since I wrote probably too much in my answer above, my response here will be short.

According to this verse, the answer is “yes.”

Paul and his primary audience “know” that just as Jesus rose from the dead, they will rise from their death to be presented before God.  Knowing that you will go to heaven when you die is the same thing as having assurance of your salvation.

Is salvation a one-time event or life-long process?

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

This is another question that I answered in a recent blog posting, so I’ll also keep my response here short too.

According to the above verse, when a person becomes saved, he or she is what the Bible calls “a new creation.”  Other versions of the Bible say “a new person” and another term used in the Bible to describe this is “born again.”  As a result, becoming saved is a big deal, and represents a big change in one’s life.  The change, as I’ve mentioned in prior posts, is that the God of the heavens and the earth forgives a person of his/her sins, declares him/her to be righteous, and gives him/her the Holy Spirit.  If salvation were a life-long process, there would be a gradual or ongoing, and likely unnoticeable change, in the life of a person, rather than a dramatic change over a short period of time. As a result, this particular verse supports the view that salvation is a one-time event rather than a life-long process.