Bible Study with the Cincottis – Satan & Self – 04/12/2026
Today’s Bible Study, Authored by Arthur Cincotti.
Listen to our Bible Study Discussion at: Satan & Self – Audio Podcast
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Satan and Self
“…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” II Cor. 2:11
There are two culprits in this fallen disorder that we currently live in, and sometimes it is difficult to distinguish which comes first, the chicken or the egg, so to speak. Is it Satan’s determination to wreak havoc in God’s creation, or our natural bent toward rebellion and self-will? We are both image bearers in God’s creation. Satan, one of the elohim, “Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty…the anointed cherub who covers…You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created…”Eze 28:12,14,15. Then there is us, the apple of God’s eye; a blend of fleshly form and yet soulish and spiritual at the same time, given dominion and authority, and emulating our Father who art in heaven with our bent toward creativity and our capacity to love.
We can’t reconcile this question, but we can examine the landscape and draw life-giving conclusions from the revelation that we have. Today, we will examine Satan and his dark kingdom, with all his cohorts, in order to understand his role in the chaos that surrounds us. I shudder to give him too much credit, but it seems necessary to find where the lines of demarcation fall; what, in regard to our failures, is the fault of demonic prowess, and what is the result of our own proclivities. We shouldn’t be casting out our own sinful behavior, especially where we have the capacity to repent, but likewise, we shouldn’t be asking for forgiveness for demonic oppression that vexes us. We must learn to distinguish between the two in order to enjoy the healthy, abundant life that Christ promises.
In his book, The Unseen Realm, Michael Heiser makes a case for a pantheon of elohim (god’s “small g”) in the heavenly realms, a council of sorts, that have been given limited jurisdiction over the affairs of mankind. According to Heiser, a scholar of ancient languages, drawing from Mesopotamian and Biblical texts including Ps. 82 and Gen. 11, God disinherited the nations of the world at Babel, placing them under the authority of these lesser gods, while retaining unto Himself a select people for His own special purpose; to demonstrate His glory through them and show them His special favor. It doesn’t go well for the other nations that fall into the most depraved forms of idolatry, violence, and immorality. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go well for His special people, Israel, who prosper for a season, while they are determined to keep a connection with Yahweh by keeping His commandments, but who also drift from this life-giving relationship. God promises to bring a rescuer through the bloodline of this people group in order to restore all things to His intended design and bring back the disinherited nations. He speaks prophetically to His Messiah, “Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.” Ps. 2:8
The question will arise for us, especially when in the midst of intense battle, are we just pawns in a heavenly conflict? What ground is gained or lost because of our suffering? What is Satan after? I thought he was defeated at the cross? Do we have any authority in this ordeal? These are pressing, heartfelt questions that every believer will stumble up against at some point in our pilgrimage. There are answers woven into Scripture, though cryptic at times, that give us peace and restore our sense of purpose.
What does Satan want?
Not that we ever should think to negotiate with Satan, but it is worthwhile to know what your enemies’ demands are. In many ways, I think we are of no consequence to Satan. It’s not as if he longs for our affection through our allegiance. He makes his demands known when he tempts Christ in the wilderness: “fall down and worship me.” Mt. 4:9. Some commentators speculate that Satan was jockeying for information in this exchange, challenging Jesus’ identity. Pride was his stumbling block, as it is for each one of us. Satan was defeated at Calvary; “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Col. 2:15. Christ veiled His identity while among us in order to lure Satan into his own defeat. Paul explains, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” I Co. 2:8
Why does it seem as though he still has power?
Satan’s power lies in the extent to which we yield to him. He traffics in our depravity and negative confession. Doorways to demonic activity are opened by us through our behavior. For instance, a man who steals a tool from a job site has now opened a door into his own soul for a thieving spirit. The person who lies on their tax returns has opened a door for further activity of a lying spirit to have access to their heart and life. The person who dabbles in lust is opening a door of sexual immorality, which has a spiritual origin. Satan has made himself the enemy of God and has determined to taint and destroy the goodness of God’s creation. Since the born-again believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit – that is, God’s temple, or tabernacle – then the closest Satan will ever come to sitting on God’s throne is to sit on the throne of our hearts, which is rightfully God’s. We get to choose. “Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself and enemy of God.” Js. 4:4.
Christ is the defining and deciding vote in the equation. Once again, Paul explains, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” I Co. 15:22-26. Some have called the dispensation that we now live in “now, not yet.” Christ has come and accomplished what only He could accomplish. It was necessary for the atoning sacrifice to be without blemish. The wrath of God has been satisfied and peace with God has been made available. Don’t trivialize it! Satan is defeated, but still has latitude here on the earth until Christ’s return. “Come Lord Jesus!” Rev. 22:20.
Heiser speculates that the thing that demonic entities are presently vying for is existence. They know that when Christ returns and brings an end to this age, which is a glorious event for us, they will be relegated to the lake of fire. Frankly, they like the current atmosphere where they can move and execute with a degree of freedom. If we better understood the authority that we have in Christ, we could restrict that freedom, and the church presently does, otherwise all hell would break out even worse than it is now. They are prolonging the end and contesting for every image-bearer. They may not be able to drag the believer into hell, but their activity in the soulish realm can weaken our testimony and diminish our power and stifle our witness.
In his book The Return of the Gods, Jonathan Cahn makes a case for a revived assault on mankind by demonic forces. He calls out ancient deities by name, such as Baal, Molech, and Ishtar, and reveals their presence in our contemporary world. Though his outlook is grim, his throbbing admonition is to maintain our confession of the One true God and the gift of His Son. He is the, “King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!” Rev. 19:16. “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Act 4:12
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