Why Are There Different Names for Satan?..... Clarence L. Haynes Jr.

 

Why Are There Different Names for Satan?

• Clarence L. Haynes Jr.

What is in a name? There is a lot that can be said about the name of a person. In today’s times, the name of the child, specifically the last name, is the real identifier of who the child is. There can be lots of people named John, but you distinguish between them by their last name. In biblical times it was different. Often the name that was given defined who the person was. For example, when Esau and Jacob were born, the names they were given described them.

“The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.” – Genesis 25-25-26

Jacob means he grasps the heel, in case you were wondering.

What was true of humans in the Bible is also true of Satan. He does not just have one name in Scripture, but several. The reason why there are different names for Satan is that they all define who he is. When you understand what is in the various names associated with Satan and how they all connect to his character, then you will understand why there are different names for Satan.

What Does Satan Mean?

The Hebrew word for Satan means to oppose, obstruct, or accuse. In Greek, the word for Satan means adversary. This is a perfect definition of him because this is what he does to believers and to unbelievers. In all honesty, he is not a friend of anyone but an adversary to everyone because his ultimate desire is destruction. To help this all make sense, let me show you two areas in Scripture where his character and name match up.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.’” – Revelation 12:10

As you can see here, Satan is described as an adversary and accuser. It is not a coincidence that these two descriptions match his name because that is who he is. Of all the different names for Satan, you discover in the Bible that this one speaks most plainly to his real agenda. He seeks to oppose you because he is your opponent. This points to who he really is. One of his greatest deceptions is to present himself as something that he is not. You will see this as we look at some of the different names for Satan and tie them back to the character of the one who is your opponent.

What Are the Different Names for Satan?

While there are many names for Satan you can find in the Bible, I want to focus on just four of them. Pay close attention to what they mean, which will reveal their relevance.

Lucifer

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!” – Isaiah 14:12

The name Lucifer means star of the morning. The use of this name points to his life before he fell. You should also pay attention because this gives some indication, though a very small one, of what he might look like. Let me explain. Satan is often depicted in human imagery as being red with horns and a pitchfork. Yet the Bible calls him a star of the morning (Isa. 14:12) and even depicts him as being beautiful (Eze. 28). In the New Testament, it is said that he disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). All these things play into his character because remember, he attempts to portray himself as something that he is not. While the Bible does not say exactly what Satan looks like, you can rest assured that he is not running around with a red tail and a pitchfork. He is Lucifer, a star of the morning who looks for opportunities to destroy the people of God.

The Evil One

This definition points to his real and true motives. His thoughts and intentions are evil, not some of the time but all the time. The Bible reveals some of the things that the evil one does.

“When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.” – Matthew 13:19

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” – Ephesians 6:16

I mentioned before that Satan works against the believer and the unbeliever. He is friend to no one. In Matthew, he is depicted as stealing the word planted in someone’s heart so it cannot take root and allow for growth. This can be true of a believer or an unbeliever. In the other instance, he is attacking the believer with the intention to oppose or obstruct their progress. Regardless of who he is going after, he has no good in him, and his purpose, as we said earlier, is destruction. This is the heart of the evil one.

The God of This World

“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

It is interesting that the Bible would call Satan the god of this world if you think about how gods are viewed by men. The gods are worshipped, followed, and obeyed. If you know Satan’s past, the reason why he was kicked out of heaven is that he wanted to sit in God’s seat and be worshipped, followed, and obeyed. Because he was unable to sit on the throne of heaven, he sits on the throne of the earth looking to get people to worship, follow, and obey him. He often works deceptively through the influences of the world so that people who are following him don’t even realize it. This leads to the last name I want to refer to.

The Father of Lies

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” - John 8:44

This name perfectly encapsulates the way Satan operates when he deals with people. He uses lies and deception. I have never heard it said of anyone else before that they are incapable of truth. Yet, Jesus said this of Satan, “there is no truth in him.” Everything about him is filled with trickery. He will not tell the truth because he cannot tell the truth. One of Satan’s goals is to always move you away from what is good. Sometimes he will even attempt to move you away from the truth that is right in front of you. This is how people can use Scripture to deceive others. He even tried to do this with Jesus when he was tempting him in the wilderness. Satan used Scripture.

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written:

‘He will command his angels concerning you,
 and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” – Matthew 4:5-6

It is amazing that even in the quoting of scripture, Satan was distorting the truth. The reason why he can do this is because there is no truth in him. After all, he is the father of lies. There are many different names for Satan in the Bible, which we could never cover completely in one article. When it all boils down, remember more than anything else that he is your adversary who has one goal, to bring you down. Whether he goes by Satan, Lucifer, the evil one, or any of the different names for Satan in the Bible, they are going to tie back to this one goal. As you continue to learn about who he is just remember the greater one lives inside you. Approach Satan with knowledge but without trepidation because of all his names; not one name of his is greater than the name of the one who lives inside you.

Our Caring and Able Father..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Our Caring and Able Father

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Chronicles 20:1-4

Everyone faces challenges in life. Whether our struggles are financial, vocational, relational, or physical, we can be certain that nobody is exempt. Fortunately, we serve a God who is both interested in our problems and able to take care of them.

When trouble looms, prayer is always a good first step to take. But having a foundation upon which to build our prayers also makes a difference. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, faced an enormous challenge. Three different tribes--the Moabites, Amonites, and Meunites--simultaneously waged war against him. Most leaders would have crumbled under such pressure, or at the very least taken drastic measures, but Jehoshaphat was a wise king. Though afraid, he did not strike out against his enemies.Instead, knowing that God was interested in his dilemma, he "turned his attention to seek the Lord" and proclaimed a fast throughout the land (2 Chron. 20:1-3).

Jehoshaphat also knew that God, who was greater than any earthly problem, had done miraculous things for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Daniel. That same God would help him, too, in his hour of need. We should never underestimate the Lord's interest in our affairs. He helped our ancestors in the Bible, and He can and will help His children today.

It's easy to think our problems are unimportant in the eyes of God, but He doesn't feel that way at all. Whatever concerns us concerns Him. If we, like Jehoshaphat, turn right to God and proclaim His power, He will intervene. And no matter how great our challenges are, God is greater.

God Our Great Deliverer..... Craig Denison

 God Our Great Deliverer

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Our heavenly Father is the giver of every good gift. His mercies are vast, powerful, and real. His love has the ability to completely overwhelm and satisfy every one of our needs. Everything he gives us satisfies, transforms, and leads us to abundant life. As we spend this week stirring up our affections toward God, allow your heart to become soft and open. Allow his loving character to draw you close and provide life to every dry and weary place in your soul.

Scripture:“You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.” - Psalm 32:7

Devotional: 

Our God, who delivered Daniel from the clutches of ferocious lions, David from countless pursuers, Israel from the entire nation of Egypt, and Lazarus from three days of death, promises to deliver us from whatever schemes the world has set against us. 2 Samuel 22:2-4 says, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”

When we call upon the Lord our God, he works in mighty, mysterious, and perfect ways. God is perfectly able to do any and every work it takes to deliver us. Whether you need deliverance from sin, affliction, lies, or sickness, God has the power and desire to deliver you. He is both mighty and loving. He is both mysterious and real. He is both servant and King. And he sees your need and longs to meet you exactly where you are.

What enemy comes against you today? What stress, circumstance, sickness, or sin seems to have entangled you? The Lord says to you, “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:14-16). Hold fast to the hand of your heavenly Father. Don’t just put your head down and muscle through whatever circumstance is before you. Instead, call on your Great Deliverer, place your hand in his, and allow him to guide you, equip you, and empower you for whatever stands in your way.

God loves to take the very circumstance that seemed insurmountable and use it to reveal to you the reality of his power and love. He loves to take the walls of Jericho that seem to stand between you and your dreams and cast down the enemy that you couldn’t defeat on your own.

Psalm 32:7 says, “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.” God is surrounding you with his shouts today. The question is, will you have the patience and faith to pause, open your ears, listen, and follow wherever he leads you?

Spend time in prayer allowing God to deliver you, protect you, comfort you, guide you, and give you peace.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire and ability to deliver you from whatever lies before you today.

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:17-18

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.”Psalm 34:7

“You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.”Psalm 32:7

2. Reflect on your own life. Where do you need deliverance today? Ask the Spirit to give you revelation about an area from which he wants to deliver you.

3. Spend time in God’s presence opening your ears to hear all that he would speak to you. Ask God to deliver you. Pray boldly that your heavenly Father would come through for you in mighty and miraculous ways.

Keep your eyes open today to take notice of all the different ways God answers your prayer. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” God will deliver you because he loves you, and his nature does not change. If he delivered Lazarus, the Israelites, David, and Daniel, he will deliver you. Have confidence in the love and power of your heavenly Father today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 34

What the Book of Judges Can Teach the Church Today..... By Chara Donahue

 What the Book of Judges Can Teach the Church Today

By Chara Donahue

Today's Bible Verse: “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10

It is a frightening thing to know that churches can grow and find success not because they are close to the heart of God, but because they have learned through tradition and good business how to build an enterprise. The time of the judges was full of rising and falling, disaster and success, but there is a constant refrain of people forsaking the one true God for a false idol, which knowledge, business, and best practices can become. The church and its leaders can never forget where true life comes from. They must remember the prayer Jesus prayed for his church: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

One of the most striking and beautiful characteristics of the church is her diversity. She reaches across the world and makes disciples of all nations. While the global church may be made up of every race, sex, and ability, many local churches struggle with homogeneity. Another problem is when churches welcome others who are different, hoping that they will assimilate and adhere to their church’s customs, which may be outside of what Jesus asks of his people.

When building teams or choosing leadership, churches must remember that a body is composed of many parts, and each has their particular function.

In Judges 3 it was Ehud’s differing characteristic that enabled him to be Israel’s deliverer from Eglon, the king of Moab. Ehud was a left-handed strategist who was born into a right-handed society. While this difference is slight, it was vital to his success as a judge. Ehud was underestimated because he was different, and we lose strength as the church when we demand that people think, act, and look the same. We should all stand firm on the Word of God by following his commandments as the Spirit enables, seeking unity amidst diversity. We are at our best in glorifying God when the different parts of the church body function as a whole.

If you have never read the book of Judges, today is a good day to start. Far beyond the paltry dramas you find on Netflix or Twitter; not only will you find the full stories to the lessons mentioned here, you will also read of Samson, the rash vow of Japheth, a tragically slain concubine, and many more. Judges reveals the brokenness of humanity apart from the Spirit interceding. These stories clearly show that what the church needs most is Jesus’ rule and reign.

3 More Habits of Happy People..... by Debbie Holloway

 3 More Habits of Happy People

by Debbie Holloway

In a previous devotional, I mentioned the first 3 "Habits of Happy People" according to a list I recently found. I figured I would share more Happiness Tips and continue to measure how the wisdom fits into a Christian worldview. So, let’s look at three more habits of happy people…

1. Express gratitude for what you have

Gratitude, or thankfulness, is encouraged throughout Scripture. Just a few verses espousing this attitude include:

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18).

“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” (Psalm 95:2)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6).

Followers of Christ are meant to be selfless, other-focused, and God-focused, not wrapped up in our own temporary discontentment. Noticing the blessings we do have, and expressing gratitude for them, helps us remember the big picture: we have already been given the ultimate gift of life through Christ!

2. Dream big

The most important thing the Bible tells us about ourselves is that our identity in Christ, and our status as God’s creations and children, should underscore everything we do. Do you think of yourself as a slave to sin, or to a static, hum-drum life? Well, Paul says:

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:17).

Co-heirs. Sharing in his glory! According to Christ, God notices the fate of sparrows – so how much more does he care for the hopes and dreams of his sons and daughters? Christ also says that our faith is strong enough to move mountains, and that we will accomplish greater things for his Kingdom than even he did during his ministry. If that doesn’t say “dream big!” – I don’t know what does!

3. Don't sweat the small stuff

Not only do the Scriptures encourage us to let go of anxiety over “small stuff” – but God even wants us to relinquish worry over BIG stuff! Consider this passage from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Intersecting Faith and Life: Is active gratitude part of your daily routine? What about anxiety? Is a skewed perspective of yourself limiting your potential?

Further Reading

The Beatitudes (Matthew 5-7)
Ecclesiastes 3

A Prayer for the Lost..... by Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer for the Lost

by Debbie McDaniel

"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

Dear God,

You know our hearts, you hear our prayers, and care about all that concerns us. You understand the burden we carry and how we want, more than anything, to see our loved ones come to you. Help us to remember that you love them more than we ever could. And you desire to extend your great love and forgiveness, your mercy and hope.

Thank you that nothing is too difficult for you. Thank you that your power is unlimited and you came to set the captives free. Thank you that you wait, arms open, for the prodigal to return, that you look for his arrival to lavishly celebrate that he’s come home.

We praise you for you are Redeemer and Rescuer, Savior and Lord. We know and believe that there’s no pit so deep that your love can’t reach us still. We understand that your mercies are new every morning, and your faithfulness is great. 

Lord, we ask that you would halt the plans of the enemy over these we love as we bring them before you right now. We pray that his schemes be demolished and that your plans for good, for a future and hope, would prevail. Would you open blind eyes that they might see your Truth. Would you rescue those walking in darkness and heal the deep wounds of those who’ve been hurt.

We pray for the miraculous intervention of your Spirit to draw them to yourself, to work strong on behalf of our loved ones who are lost and wandering.

For you came with good news, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for captives and release for the prisoners.

Though we deserved penalty for our wrong, you stood in our place and took the blows on our behalf.  You choose to die, so that we can live. Forever and free.

Lord, forgive our unbelief. Forgive the times we’ve doubted that you could ever change a distant heart. Forgive our hard-heartedness, our weariness, or forgetfulness to “pray continually.”

Thank you that you never give up on us.

Remind us of how you’ve changed our own hearts. How your miracle of life and hope has sprung up deep within our souls.

We love you Lord, we need you, and we thank you that you hear our prayers and are at work even now.

Powerfully. Faithfully. Miraculously.

Thank you for the gift of our Savior, God with us. Thank you for your goodness and love…

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.