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Satan's Gun (Part 1)

Margaret Thatcher said, “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” It is easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it—Benjamin Franklin. “When you flee temptation, be sure you don't leave a forwarding address.”[1] The Christian life is like a war. Christians are soldiers in God’s army. The opposing general is Satan (1 Peter 5:8). Children of God wear armor (Ephesians 6:14-17a) and carry a big weapon (Ephesians 6:17b) to fend off the darts of the devil (Ephesians 6:11, 16). Satan is a war strategist—he has the most victories among any general in history. In Ephesians 6:11 the word for “wiles” is μεθοδείας. From this we have the picture of Satan and his “methods.” Paul wrote of something similar in 2 Corinthians 2:11. If Satan used his methods against the Son of God (Matthew 4:1-11), we His servants, should expect equal no less from him (cf. John 15:20).

               

The gun from which the devil shoots is “temptation.” The words “tempt,” “tempted,” “tempting,” and “temptation,” occur 62 times. James gave a detailed description of the temptation process so as to help Christians counter the devil’s bullets (James 1:13-16). The word “tempted” in the text comes from πειράζω and it means “to solicit to sin.”[2] Merriam Webster defined “tempting” as “having an appeal : enticing.”[3]James’ audience needed this sermon, as they were like fish being enticed by temptation, even in the pews. We like them still need this sermon today, as we are no strangers to the bullets from the devil. What three things should you keep in mind about the devil’s ammunition?  

 

God Doesn’t Fire the Gun (James 1:13-14).

Wrong views about temptation are:

                There is no such thing as temptation—Atheists.

                God tempts man. God aims at many things, but He doesn’t pull the trigger in this instance. To think that God is the ultimate author of temptation is erroneous. First, James could not be simpler: “neither tempteth he any man.” Second, the penmen said, “God cannot be tempted with evil,” which was a declaration of His holiness (Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Revelation 4:8). For God to dangle sin in front of individuals would be to contradict what God has said about Himself. Third, God's allowing does not equal God’s authoring. God’s supposed performing a sinful action are really man’s actions in response to God’s Law (Exodus 7:13-14; Isaiah 63:17; Romans 1:24, 26, 28; 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). God CANNOT fire the gun of temptation, instead He seeks to enforce "gun laws" (Matthew 6:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Revelation 3:10).  

                Calvinists believe that man has a sinful nature; he is just disposed to sin; he will give in.[4] 

               

Instead, the devil is the one holding the gun (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5). He has been doing so for a long time (1 John 3:8). Linguistically, his name goes along with his game. In the Greek, Satanas (Σατανᾶς) means adversary[5] (1 Peter 5:8). In the Hebrew, his name occurs a few times (1 Chronicles 21:1; Job 1:6-9, 12; 2:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 109:6; Zechariah 3:1-2). The word śâṭân (שׂטן) is also used to denote adversarial actions or a human adversary (cf. Numbers 22:32; 1 Kings 5:4). Satan goes by other names such as serpent (2 Corinthians 11:4), the devil[6] (2 Timothy 2:26), and the dragon (Revelation 12:9).  

               

Satan is earnestly seeking to shoot as many people as he can. He uses every resource and walks down every path to try to seek to destroy everyone. He has great power (Acts 26:18). James’ phrase “when he is drawn away” comes from ἐξέλκω. A.T. Robertson pictured it as “Like a fish drawn out from his retreat.” Vincent said, “as beasts are enticed from a safecovert into a place beset with snares.” The word “enticed” comes from δελεάζω and Strong says it means to entrap.[7] Like a fisherman, he uses baits and like a hunter he uses many traps (1 John 2:15-17). The devil will use whatever means necessary to urge you to lose your spot in Heaven.

               

But how does Satan do this? Its not miraculous, but perhaps providential. He did so with Job and does so with us. Perhaps certain situations are crafted by the devil to entice us to fall. He cannot do so without God’s permission; however (Job 1; Luke 22:31). The word “demand” means to obtain by asking or “to beg off.”[8] We cannot forget that sin is always present before us and that our desires may be drawn to specific ones. Like five different billboards with five different sins, we might pass by all of them, but only be tempted by the first two. Nonetheless, while the devil does have a store of ammunition in his firearm, he cannot harm you unless you let him. Satan’s entering is first preceded by man’s opening (Luke 22:3; John 13:27; Acts 5:3). We can resist (Ephesians 4:27; 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:26; James 4:7).

 

Endnotes

[4]Albert Barnes.

[6]The word for devil is διάβολος and Thayer observes his name means a slanderer and accuser.

[7]Strong’s Concordance.

[8]Vincent Word Studies.


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