BQ: Today many Christians take sin and Satan pretty lightly? Are you one of them? I used to be, but it began to occur to me that maybe it's a little bit more serious than I'd thought. Why? Here's a good example of when Michael the archangel was having a conflict with Satan:
"But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”" (Jude 1:9)
Notice that even Michael, a very powerful angel, understood that Satan was a supernatural and powerful evil, and not something to be taken lightly. I've heard people today make some pretty snide remarks about the devil, but it's important to realize that we simply can't take on Satan one-on-one and win. We have to have the Lord firmly on our side, and we have to realize that it's Christ's strength that's empowering us in the battle. If even Michael treats Satan with great caution, shouldn't we do the same? Or as Barclay said, "If the greatest of good angels refused to speak evil of the greatest of evil angels, even in circumstances like that, then surely no human being may speak evil of any angel."
BQ: We're looking more at the supernatural strength of supernatural evil, or Satan, and why we should sometimes take it more seriously than it is. I suppose the connection in my mind is that of casual sin (or sin that we want to keep around and pretend is ok) and Satan. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that we should, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
A roaring lion honestly isn't something that any of us would probably want to tussle with mano a mano. Even Michael the archangel showed great caution around Satan and turned to the Lord and not his own strength when dealing with Satan. Gen 4:7 connects with the above noting that, "I you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
Satan's power comes through sin, so this evil that even Michael took very soberly...is sometimes something that we don't take seriously. It can be the little sin that we want that leads to a bigger one. In a marriage, it might be a husband hanging out once or twice with a female coworker in a group environment, then enjoying that, then in a more intimate setting, and on and on until adultery occurs. The thing is, Satan is a clear and present danger, but he's a master of deception, too. More tomorrow.
BQ: We've been looking into the seriousness of Satan, and thus sin. Today we're going to look at 2 Pet 2, starting in verse 9, emphasis mine: "The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.
Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong." Jude 8 confirms saying, "Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties."
Satan is the most powerful of the fallen angels. Do the above verses make him seem like a being to be trifled with? Like he's just a chump? No way! Instead, he's a massively powerful being, and even angels don't revile him! I also can't help but notice that people that don't take him seriously are mentioned as "indulging the flesh" and "having no knowledge." This can absolutely apply to us if we're not careful!
BQ: In looking at how we should treat Satan, we need to look at how Jesus treated him, too. Matthew 4:1-4 has a little bit of this:
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
Notice that even Jesus did not take Satan lightly, but instead was prepared with the Word of God in defense. Jesus actually had preparation for dealing with Satan. He took it seriously and wasn't flippant, and instead used the Word as a familiar weapon. Can you use the Word in your defense when you're weak? If Jesus and the angels all take Satan and his angels seriously and soberly, we need to, too. Satan and sin are just aren't things to be taken lightly! :)