Satan, an uninvited and obnoxious intruder, disturbed the peace in the Garden of Eden, ruining the agreeable relationship between God and mankind, represented by Adam and Eve. As a deceiver, accuser, and destroyer, he has caused unbelief, fear, distrust, hatred, and division ever since. God, as our Host, has prophesied in His Word that He will one day, for a time, throw this intruder out to restore peace to His fellowship with humanity. Satan remains a major cause of the present separation between God and man, and his binding after Christ's return will be a vital step toward the restitution of all things, facilitating harmony during the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on earth. Originally a glorious cherub covering God's throne, Satan began with significant responsibilities, possibly governing the earth. His greed and desire to exalt himself over all led to thoughts of taking God's throne, fueled by vanity, selfishness, and pride. These sins embittered him until he planned a coup against heaven, recruiting other angels to his cause. Despite his efforts, God has declared that Satan's power will ultimately be broken, signaling his eventual end. Even now, Satan and his demons continue to deceive and tempt human beings, especially God's children, targeting them as they are destined to take over his throne with Jesus Christ. Though God remains faithful, Satan focuses on humanity, exploiting any doubt about their endurance. We must resist his daily, evil influences with strength and faith. Soon after Christ's return, God will break Satan's power over humanity for a thousand years, imprisoning him for most of the Millennium. During this time, the earth and its inhabitants will enjoy refreshing times without Satan's constant pressure to defy God, allowing a proper relationship between man and God to be restored. The confinement of Satan will be among the wonderful events following Christ's return, providing a profound reason to anticipate the coming of God's kingdom.

The apostle Peter warns us to be sober and vigilant because our adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Peter compares Satan to a lion due to the deceptive and predatory nature of this beast, which mirrors Satan's strategies and tactics. Like a wild lion that hunts under cover of darkness using natural camouflage, Satan, the great deceiver, often works invisibly, patiently stalking his prey with acute senses far sharper than ours. He sees us when we are unaware of his presence, always hunting for the weak, the ailing, and those who have fallen behind. Once he attacks, Satan causes great pain, pinning us down and wounding us before going for the kill. Thinking of Satan as a lion, quietly and invisibly stalking, reminds us to stay alert to avoid being maneuvered into a vulnerable position where he can leap out to maul us.

For generations, mankind has debated the existence of Satan, with many now believing he does not exist, a notion popularized by Bishop Fulton Sheen as Satan's greatest trick. National polls reflect this shift, showing a decline from 68 percent of Americans believing in Satan's existence in 2003 to 57 percent in 2013. Despite this, membership in organizations associated with Satan, such as the Satanic Temple and the Church of Satan, is rising, with the Satanic Temple gaining 50,000 members post-2016 election, totaling around 100,000, and the Church of Satan estimated at millions worldwide. Ironically, both organizations officially deny Satan's existence while invoking his name in rituals and portraying him as deserving of respect and admiration. Satan's image is also going mainstream, seen as admirable and cool in entertainment like the television show Lucifer, where he is depicted as attractive and intelligent, assisting the LA police department with compassion. Beyond entertainment, Satanists are socially active, with the Satanic Temple launching initiatives like the Protect Children Project in 2014 for legal assistance against corporal punishment in schools, and the After School Satan Clubs in 2016 to counter evangelical influence, focusing on free inquiry and rationalism. Satan's growing influence and cunning efforts to deny his existence while rehabilitating his reputation are evident as his presence becomes more prominent in society.

In the great spiritual battle, we are warned to be sober and alert, for our enemy, the adversary known as the devil, prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. To counter his attacks effectively, we must understand his methods and schemes, though he, the deceiver, strives to remain hidden in his true nature and operations. We are not ignorant of his schemes, yet there is fear that, just as the serpent deceived Eve with craftiness, he might lead minds astray. Originally, he was known as Helel, the anointed cherub who covered the throne of God, established in perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Present in Eden, the garden of God, adorned with precious stones, he walked on the holy mountain of God until iniquity was found in him. His fall came from a heart filled with pride, declaring intent to ascend into heaven, to exalt his throne above the stars of God, to sit on the mount of the congregation, and to be like the Most High. Cast down from heaven, he was renamed to reflect his true character as an adversary. Now called Satan, meaning adversary, he stands as the opponent of God, believers, and all that is right and good. He may disguise himself as an angel of light, but this is merely a sham of deception to aid his work as the arch adversary. Also termed the devil, meaning slanderer or defamer, he is depicted as the great red dragon, highlighting the magnitude of his power, his murderous and bloodthirsty nature, and his ferocious cruelty, especially in his end-time character. As the serpent of old, his crafty character and constant activity of temptation and deception are evident. Known as the evil one, he embodies an active and malignant evil, contributing to the worsening of this present age through his presence and activity. He holds titles such as the prince of the power of the air, indicating his leadership over the demonic host operating continuously to fill the atmosphere with deception, doubts, and temptations. As the spirit working in the sons of disobedience, he energizes human spirits with attitudes, moods, and impulses contrary to God. Above all, he is the deceiver who continuously deceives the whole world through lies, denials, counterfeits, and perversions of the truth, employing many traps and tricks to lead people astray.

Satan, often accompanied by a vast army of demons, is a significant unseen influence behind many of man's troubles, not by forcing actions but through our ignorance or carelessness toward his deceptions. Human tendencies swing between blaming him for everything or ignoring his existence, yet his impact persists even after baptism and receiving God's Holy Spirit, potentially intensifying as he focuses more attention on believers. Many in the world are deceived into believing he does not exist, viewing him merely as a symbol of evil, but he is real and leads a huge army intent on destroying God's plan. Revelation 12 reveals a major battle in heaven where Satan and his angels were defeated and cast down to earth, the very place we inhabit, marking it as a place of restraint or prison for them. Described in terms of chains of darkness or a silo, this earth serves as their storage bin, where they are restrained awaiting judgment, sharing this space with us as intruders in their domain. Satan, originally named Helel, was a being of great beauty and wisdom, created by God as the sum of perfection until iniquity was found in him. Adorned with precious stones and full of power, he rebelled, desiring to be like the Most High, leading a campaign of deceit to separate many angels from God. His ambition to ascend into heaven and rule led to war against God, resulting in defeat and confinement to earth, a place of reduced liberty and restraint. In Luke 10, Jesus speaks of witnessing Satan fall like lightning from heaven to earth, where we now must confront him. The struggle against him and his demons is formidable, yet God's grace ensures we are not alone in this battle. Daniel 7 and Revelation 12 suggest that Satan drew one-third of the angels with him, indicating a vast number of demons—potentially millions—under his command, invisible and deeply knowledgeable of God's laws, making them dangerous adversaries not to be disregarded. Daniel 10 illustrates the intense spiritual conflicts involving Satan, possibly as the king of Persia, where even mighty angels like Gabriel faced resistance from him until aided by Michael. This shows his power, yet also the protection provided by ministering angels who stand between us and potential annihilation, often intervening without our awareness. Satan, also called the great dragon and Helel, is the king of demons, driven to retain authority over earth, knowing that believers are heirs of salvation destined to replace them in rulership. Despite their numbers and desperate efforts to thwart God's plan, demons are a kingdom divided against themselves, unable to unify due to their rebellious and competitive nature. Their leader, Satan, holds them in line through sheer force, not loyalty, ensuring their eventual fall, which is an advantage to us. In interactions with God, as seen in Job, Satan displays a cynical and deceitful nature, projecting his own motives onto others, believing no one is genuinely good and all are driven by selfish gain. His taunting, restless demeanor reveals him as an outsider, even when in God's presence, influencing human nature with cynicism and doubt, destructive traits that undermine relationships and faith. Though Satan is a chief mischief-maker, his power is limited by God, who sets boundaries on what he can do, as evident in Job's trials where God permitted testing but protected Job's life. We, too, face tests within the limits God allows, strengthened by faith in His goodness, not merely for His gifts. Victory over Satan is assured through Jesus Christ, who has already defeated him, living in us to provide strength if we remain obedient to God and stand firm against Satan's deceitful stratagems.

In this horribly divided world, there is someone tampering with the attitudes, conduct, and communication necessary for true unity. Satan is clearly stirring people up against one another and against God, influencing them through the flesh to move in a direction that leads to division. Without defense against this, the result is separation among themselves and from God. Satan's tactic of disinformation, misinformation, and obliteration obscures the significance of the Day of Atonement. To many, including Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, its meaning has been hidden or misunderstood, largely because satan works to hide its importance behind a smokescreen, striving to erase its relevance in the minds of those aware of his existence. Revelation 12:9 reveals that satan deceives the whole world, a deception evident in societal disbelief in his reality. Even churches and theologians often view him as a mere metaphor or myth, reducing his presence to a shadow despite his active role in stirring discord. This disbelief allows him to work destructively in the background, unnoticed by many. Satan's primary approach to deception is through mis-education, a tactic begun with Adam and Eve. By offering just enough truth to make his lies plausible, he leads to separation from God, resulting in every horrible condition mankind has experienced. His influence motivated Adam and Eve, and subsequently all of mankind, to separate themselves from God by convincing them they have the right to set their own standards of right and wrong, standards that fail to produce the promised prosperity, health, peace, or well-being. The Day of Atonement is a thorn in satan's side, a day he would prefer mankind to forget or remain ignorant of, and he has largely succeeded in this endeavor. As long as satan can keep humanity separated from God through his deceptions, salvation remains impossible.

Satan is identified as the primary agent of manipulation through disinformation and the distortion of attitudes, aiming to drive human reasoning toward self-satisfaction, which is the essence of sin. Known as the prince of the power of the air in Ephesians 2, his influence permeates the atmosphere, and by nature, humans are tuned to his wavelength, making his manipulation often indirect and difficult to perceive. This influence feels natural since it has been part of human behavior from birth, yet it fosters enmity against God, as noted in Romans 8:7. Even when his influence goes unnoticed, it produces discernible fruit, revealing evidence of manipulation through outcomes like confusion, division, and warfare, often progressing in that order. The origin of earthly turmoil traces back to vanity arising in Satan, or Helel, over his beauty and abilities, including intelligence and wisdom bestowed by God. Over time, he deceived himself with a lie that he was not receiving his due, despite God's intrinsic love and justice. This lie fueled his vanity, leading him to believe he deserved a higher position, eventually inciting him to enlist other angels in a rebellion against God, resulting in division and warfare. Revelation 20:1-2 describes an angel binding Satan, referred to as the dragon and serpent of old, for a thousand years. Yet, Revelation 20:7-8 reveals that upon release, he will deceive the nations, gathering them for battle, demonstrating his persistent and effective deceit even after a millennium of God's government. In Acts 5:1-3, Satan is shown filling the heart of Ananias to lie to the Holy Spirit, leading to self-satisfaction at the expense of truth, ultimately resulting in death. This illustrates his method of moving individuals toward self-interest over obedience to God. In Matthew 16:22-23, Jesus rebukes Peter with "Get behind Me, Satan!" identifying him as the source of Peter's objection to God's purpose for Christ's suffering. This reflects his tactic of offering an easier path, as seen in Matthew 4, tempting Christ with rulership without suffering, a deviation from God's will. I Peter 5:6-8 warns of Satan as a roaring lion, seeking to devour the vulnerable, especially those straying from the group or overwhelmed by emotions rather than truth. He exploits feelings of being unfairly treated, mirroring his own fall, to stir rebellion or capitalize on existing discontent. II Corinthians 2:11 acknowledges Satan's devices, urging awareness to prevent him from taking advantage. II Corinthians 4:3-4 names him the god of this age, blinding minds to the gospel, while II Corinthians 11:13-15 reveals his ability to transform into an angel of light, with his ministers posing as righteous, deceiving within the church. Satan's influence consistently moves individuals toward self-centeredness, the opposite of love, driving division and self-indulgence at the expense of God and others. His subtle tactics can lead to withdrawal from fellowship, prioritizing personal feelings over communal unity, perpetuating a cycle of self-focus rather than self-denial.

We face powerful, cunning, and implacable enemies in our spiritual struggle, with Satan as their leader. These invisible, supernatural beings occupy seats of authority over this earth, restrained by God's limits, as seen when Satan complained about the protective hedge God placed around Job. Though they view us as invaders of their first estate, now disqualified by God's judgment, they defend what they consider their territory, leading to inevitable clashes with us as heirs of salvation. Satan employs warfare tactics against us, invading our minds with opinions, convictions, and feelings that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. In the Garden of Eden, he used deceptive reasoning to alter behavior, aiming to destroy our relationship with God by fostering doubt in His goodness and the rightness of His promises. His devices, described as contrivances, techniques, and schemes, are primarily mental, leveraging his ingenious subtlety to lead us astray. If we catch his influence early, we can render much of his cleverness inoperative. One of his ploys is turning good into evil, as seen when godly sorrow for sin can be twisted into abnormal self-pity, destroying relationships with God and the church, or when righteous indignation becomes bitter self-righteousness through unforgiveness. Satan uses distractions and illusions, making material things or vanity seem important while diminishing the value of eternal, spiritual matters. Despite his earlier defeat by our Captain of salvation, Jesus Christ, he persists in seeking to destroy God's purpose for us, using disinformation—plausible lies spread through false prophets—to deceive. His subtlety, a hallmark of his nature, mirrors the wolves in sheep's clothing he employs, leading us step-by-step away from God's purpose through distractions like worldly cares or desires. In Genesis, his cunning, described as shrewd and malevolent, was evident when he subtly cast doubt on God's credibility with Eve, minimized the penalty of disobedience, and offered a false reward of becoming like God, reorienting life toward self rather than obedience to God. This deception made God seem a rival to be outwitted, fostering enmity in the carnal mind. Satan's lies, producing death through sin, are deliberate attempts to destroy life, both in quality and finality. His counterfeits are often so subtle that only the trained can spot them, but God equips us to recognize and overcome these ploys, stratagems, and devices to defeat our deadly enemy.

We face powerful enemies in positions of rulership on the earth at this time, with Satan the Devil being a central figure among them. Despite this, our struggle against these forces is heavily weighted in our favor for several reasons. The good angels, described as ministering spirits and flames of fire, far outnumber the bad demons, with a ratio of at least 2-to-1. The demons, under the influence of Satan, are hopelessly divided, operating out of self-centeredness and self-indulgence, unable to maintain unity as a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. They are also terrified of God, a fear that tends to keep them in line, unlike humans who may defy Him. Additionally, God has set limits on what they are permitted to do, tailoring these boundaries to individual strengths and weaknesses, ensuring that no temptation exceeds what one can bear. Satan is not necessary to God's purpose, though we must deal with his presence. God permitted him to intrude into the scene as seen in Genesis, allowing Adam and Eve to be tested by him, and similarly, we are permitted to be tested by his influence. His eventual confinement to the abyss during the Millennium demonstrates that God's purpose of reproducing Himself can proceed without Satan's interference, suggesting that dealing with him is an added challenge for us, potentially leading to greater rewards. Satan's power is extensive, described as the ruler of this world and the prince of the power of the air, with authority over all the nations of the earth. He influences human attitudes by moving reasoning processes toward self-satisfaction, often placing personal desires above God or others, which is contrary to divine commandments. His methods include giving disinformation and stirring up the human spirit, subtly communicating in ways that individuals may not even recognize as external influence. This manipulation often manifests in negative traits and behaviors such as hatred, envy, and selfish ambitions, which permeate from his spirit and broadcast into human minds, much like air carries unseen signals. His deceptive nature is inherent, always emanating attitudes of deceit and hatred, ultimately leading to confusion, division, and warfare among humans. This pattern began when he convinced himself of a lie, believing he was unfairly treated by God, which fueled his vanity and led him to rebel. This same trajectory often plays out in human conflicts, starting with feelings of being mistreated, opening the door to his influence, and escalating to bitterness and division. Understanding this, we must remain vigilant, tuning out his pervasive influence through willpower and faith, recognizing the fruits of his work—confusion, division, and warfare—as indicators of his presence in our lives.

There is no doubt from whom the fire of competition is derived. The source is the spirit of satan, who is so competitive that he took on the Creator God to wrest rulership from Him. This day, the Day of Atonement, is the one above all others that satan has driven to hide behind a smoke screen of mystifying silence. He would very much like to obliterate any knowledge of it, and he has almost succeeded. In Genesis 3:1-5, the serpent, more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, deceived the woman with a mix of truth and lies. He questioned whether God had indeed forbidden eating from every tree of the garden, and when the woman misquoted God's command, he directly lied, saying she would not surely die but would be like God, knowing good and evil. This deception by satan provides substantiation that he misleads through a faulty and spotty education containing just enough truth to make his misdirection seem plausible, resulting in a forcible separation from God that has led to moral and spiritual degeneration. Moreover, satan's influence persists as the god of this age, blinding the minds of those who do not believe, as seen in II Corinthians 4:3-4, so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ does not shine on them. This veiling, akin to a stupor, enables satan to deceive the whole world, working with people who are already in a position of some degree of blindness due to God not intervening in their lives to provide truth. As an adversary, the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, as described in I Peter 5:5-9. Yet, resistance to him, steadfast in faith, is urged, alongside humility and submission to God. Similarly, in James 4:6-7, the call is to submit to God and resist the devil, with the assurance that he will flee from those who draw near to God.

The first recorded sin in all of God's creation involved pride, as seen in Lucifer's downfall. Ezekiel 28:17 states that his heart was lifted up because of his beauty, corrupting his wisdom for the sake of his splendor. Pride blinded him to its own existence and to the impossibility of what he was attempting. God describes him as the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, yet his very gifts and strengths deceived him into misjudging his value in comparison to others. This pride set in motion a reaction to God that continues to this day. In him, we see how pride manifests in us, bringing contention with God, exalting us to break His commandments, deny clear scriptures, reject church leadership, strive for positions, and contend with brothers over trivial matters, disrupting unity and producing confusion and frustration.