satan

According to CS Lewis in The Screwtape Letters, "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight." In the magician view, we obsess over him and look for him under every rock. The opposite is the materialist view in which we act like he doesn't exist.

But we are to know that Satan is real. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual authorities (Eph 6.12). To deal with this well, we must know that Satan exists, be aware of his tactics, and rest assured that our King rules over him (1 Jn 4.4.)

Regarding his tactics, we must know that he is above all a liar. he lies about God and he lies about us (Gen 3.1-7).

Satan seeks to distort our view of God:

• His character
• His communication (one doesn't have to look far to see the liberal jeer to destroy the concepts of inerrancy and sola Scriptura)
• His abilities (this shows up in opposing extremes, e.g., God prospers financially His people to God punishes causing widespread and routine suffering for individual and national sin)
• His heart toward us

We cannot allow the enemy to show speak against our God - he will try (2 Chron 32.9-18). And when successful, we will see, as we do today, the manifestation of the liberal poison flowing through the church. Our God, the great and mighty King, will be spoken of as the same as the god's of other people, "the work of men's hands" (2 Chron 32.19). This must not be so - at least in the Church.

And of course, a distorted view of God results in a distorted view of ourselves and our world. For us to have true life and freedom, we must know God rightly (Jn 8.31-32).