I wrote this blog post a few months ago during a church service. It had been weighing on my heart for a while. Sometimes in Christian cultures, there can be a tendency to regard the Devil as stupid, as powerless, as an annoyance to be swatted at or even ignored. While I recognize the need to avoid putting Satan in a position so lofty that we are paralyzed by fear, I believe that diminishing him can be just as harmful as elevating him. All truth is God’s truth, and if the truth is skewed, one has to wonder exactly who benefits from that. I don’t think it’s God.
With that said, I would like to counter 3 lies I’ve heard Christians speak as truth. Even if you disagree, I ask that you seriously and deeply consider these things and your objections to them. Are the objections based upon Scripture? Logic? Is it because someone you respect told you something different and you believe them? Is it because you’ve never heard differently? Does it have to do with temporal verses eternal fulfillment of scripture (i.e. Jesus was “slain before the foundation of the world,” [eternal, Revelation 13:8, NIV & KJV] and yet He wasn’t slain until about 2000 years ago [temporal], to which even the writer of Hebrews attests (Hebrews 11)).
1. The Devil is Stupid—I would like to come at this from a logical standpoint. Genesis 3:1 says:
Now the serpent was more crafty [some translations say “cunning”] than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made
The Devil is the only adversary to the Most High God. Think about it: who else in Heaven and Earth can stand in the presence of God (Job 1:6-12) and oppose Him? Humans cannot even look at God and live (Exodus 33:20). What are we saying about God when we reduce His only opposition to something weak, sniveling, and stupid; a brain damaged kitten instead of the lion-like predator the Bible calls him? The Bible never calls him stupid, but it does call him cunning, a lion, an adversary, a dragon capable of waging war in heaven… The devil is much smarter and more powerful than you. Plus, being millennia old, he has a lot more life experience.
2. Demons cannot say the name of Jesus—This is just false. Demons can and do not only speak His name, but acknowledge His diety, power, and His work of salvation. Consider these examples, excerpted here (all emphases mine, all verses ESV):
Mark 5:1-20 (see also Luke 8:28-39)—The demoniac of Gerasenes
6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”
Luke 4:31-37
33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
And lest you tell me, “That was before Jesus died on the cross!”
Acts 16:16-18
16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”
Acts 19:11-17
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”
In these examples, the demons call Jesus by name, acknowledge Him as the Son of the Most High God and the Holy One of God (notice how using this title reveals their assent that God is the Most High), and declare that the gospel is the way of salvation. In most of these instances, the demons come forth with this information themselves—they recognized Jesus without any introduction and addressed Him without prompting.
Backing up to point one, I think it’s safe to assume that if the demons know who Jesus is, what He came to do, and what He did, the devil does as well. He didn’t forget between Acts 16 and today that Jesus and the Most High God made the way of salvation. He knows exactly what the cross meant, probably better than many believers.
3. The Devil is here right now—Not likely. The devil is neither omniscient nor omnipresent. Jesus Himself only encountered him once on Earth that we know of. He is probably not interested enough in you to pay a personal visit. That does not mean, however, that he is unaware of you and what you are doing. Demons of varying degrees of power may very well be “here right now” with any type of assignment, including to observe and report (See also: The Devil is listening; The Devil is watching)
These are 3 points I think it is important to know as believers. On a practical level, I think it is important to know your opponent in spiritual warfare just like it is in any other scenario. Particularly for those who engage in spiritual warfare, but for all believers in general. If we believe the devil is stupid, we are likely to underestimate him and miss what he’s doing. We may even become lazy, assuming that he isn’t smart enough to “get” us and stop watching out. If we believe demons cannot speak the name of Jesus, that opens the door for them to trick us into leaving them alone; they say the Name, we assume they’re gone, we stop bothering them, they get to stay. If we believe the devil is where we are, it can lead to unnecessary fear or paranoia. Alternately, it can cause hubris where we may assume the most powerful evil spiritual being that exists comes personally to oppose us, or cannot oppose us, or cowers from us.
Can you think of any other practical reasons it may be important to understand these things?
I am happy to discuss these things more in-depth privately, or any other controversial topic. Truth is a part of the armor of God. The more we know and understand, the more ready we are for battle. And I’ve found the best way to learn and understand is to talk with others and listen or read what others have to say. Thank you for reading and considering.
