THE AIMS OF SATAN

Dedicated to the memory of Brother Joseph Stewart, who labored for many years in
Eastman, Georgia.

Rev 12:7-12
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his
angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan , which deceiveth the whole
world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our
God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our
God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not
their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the
sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a
short time.

I. FIRST, NEVER FORGET THAT SATAN IS THE ENEMY.

A. Satan knows that the word of God is a preventive measure against him.
1. Luke 8:11-12 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they
that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe
and be saved.

B. He is a vicious, unrelenting enemy.

1. 1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

C. He is continually seeking to exploit our weaknesses.

1. 2 Cor 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

D. He would happily allow someone to think he/she is doing all that is required.
1. Matt 25:41-46
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared
for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me
not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or
naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of
these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

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II. SATAN INTENDS TO KEEP YOU OUT OF THE CHURCH.

A. He knows that those in the church are protected.

1. Acts 2:46-47 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from
house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having
favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

2. Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

B. He knows that the blood of Christ purifies.

1. Heb 9:22-23 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood
is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified
with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

2. Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

C. He knows that baptism joins us to Christ and separates us from the world (him).
1. Rom 6:3-5
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his
resurrection:

2. Col 1:12-14 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins:

3. Eph 1:22-23 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the
church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

D. He knows that our obedience to the gospel endues us with power.

1. Eph 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout
all ages, world without end. Amen.

2. Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

E. He knows that the church is the epitome of the wisdom of God.

1. Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be
known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

F. He knows how much Jesus loves the church.

1. Eph 5:23-25 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he
is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and
gave himself for it;

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III. SATAN AIMS TO GET THE CHILD OF GOD TO QUIT.

A. He wants us to miss our old lives.

1. Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is
fit for the kingdom of God.

2. 2 Tim 4:9-11 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having
loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

3. James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity
with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

4. 1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away,
and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

5. 2 Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of
the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is
worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit
again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

6. Matt 16:23 But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto
me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

B. He wants our love for God and our fellow Christians to diminish.
1. Matt 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

2. Heb 10:24-29
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and
so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more
sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the
Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath
done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

IV. SATAN AIMS TO MAKE YOU WORTHLESS.

A. He wants us to be unfruitful.
1. John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth
fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

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 B. He wants us not to be concerned about actually having to do anything for Christ.
1. 2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

2. James 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

C. He wants us to go to sleep on the job.

1. Rom 13:11-12 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is
our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

V. SATAN AIMS TO PROVOKE AND TEST YOU.

A. As he did to David.
1. 1 Chron 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

B. As he did to Job.
1. Job 1:6-12
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came
also among them.
7 And the LORD said unto Satan , Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From
going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the LORD said unto Satan , Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth,
a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou
hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the LORD said unto Satan , Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth
thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

C. As he did to Joshua the high priest.

1. Zech 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and
Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

D. As he did to Jesus.
1. Matt 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

E. As he did to Peter.
1. Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he
may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren.

F. As he did to Ananias and Sapphira.

1. Acts 5:1-3 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept
back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the
apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to
keep back part of the price of the land?

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VI. SATAN AIMS TO GET YOU TO BETRAY CHRIST.

A. As Judas did.
1. Luke 22:3-4 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him
unto them.

VII. SATAN AIMS TO FOOL YOU.

A. By appearing in the disguise of good.
1. 2 Cor 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the
apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it
is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall
be according to their works.

VIII. SATAN AIMS TO PREVENT THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL.

A. As he did to Paul.
1. 1 Thess 2:17-18 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart,
endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Wherefore we would have come
unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

Acts 26:15-18
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a
minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will
appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that
is in me.

Invitation: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess Christ as the Son of God, Be Immersed for the remission of
sins, and then grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, remaining faithful until death.

If you are a Christian and have sinned publicly, then you are invited to remove your
separation from God by public repentance so that prayers can be offered for them.