Explaining Jesus to Muslims
Download PDF version

19. Jesus’ victory over Satan

Who is Satan?
From the book of Job we learn that Satan is a leading angel who is given permission by God to test Job.

"One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."                          (Job 1:6)

On reading further we find that Satan is able to kill and destroy and can manipulate humans and nature to work out his purposes.

The apostle Paul calls Satan "the god of this age" who "has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians 4:4) By calling him "god of this world", Paul means that Satan has taken the place in the lives of unbelievers that God alone should have. He blinds people's minds so that they follow ungodly philosophies and false religions and ignore truth as revealed by God. In Ephesians 2:2 the apostle Paul calls Satan "the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." Spirits do not have bodies. Satan is a spirit and the ruler or king over other spirits. He is not restricted to earth, his kingdom is in the air.

In Hebrews 2:14 we learn that Jesus became man "so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil." Satan is also called Iblis, the evil one or the devil. Satan holds the power of death, because he induces people to sin and to come under sin's penalty, which is death.

The apostle John says:

"We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God (Jesus) keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.                   (1 John 5:19)

Again we learn that Satan is in control of unbelievers.

Satan's kingdom
Satan's kingdom consists of hundreds of thousands of spirits known as demons, evil spirits, nature spirits, territorial spirits or jinn. It appears that they are fallen angels, that is angels who sinned and rebelled against God. Satan is not all powerful like God. He is a created being, but his power and the extent of his activity is increased by the cooperation of this host of demons.

"Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, "By Beelzebub (another name for Satan), the prince of demons, he is driving out demons." Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.                                                              (Luke 11:14-20)

The apostle Paul told Christians at Ephesus that their struggle is not against flesh and blood (human beings), but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

Satan and his demons adapt the manner of their activity according to the locality and the enlightenment of the age, but both the animist in the village and the atheist in the university are under Satan's power.

Satan confronts Jesus
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Then the devil took him to the holy city (Jerusalem) and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Jesus answered him: "It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test."

Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.                     (Matthew 4:1-11)

The purpose of God for man in this world is that he might be saved from sin and death. The Saviour provided by God is Jesus Christ, the sinless one who died in our place. If Satan could only tempt Jesus to sin, he would ruin God's purpose. Jesus was not to accomplish his mission by using his power for his own needs (1st temptation), or to win a large following by miracles or magic (2nd temptation) or by compromising with Satan (3rd temptation). Jesus never sinned by action or word or thought. Jesus defeated Satan by using the written word of God.

Satan's sin was pride. He said:

     'I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:14)

Satan is in competition with God, he wants the whole world to worship him. He is a liar and deceiver, deceiving people with false philosophies and religions. All who sacrifice to spirits have been deceived into worshipping Satan. But he was not able to deceive Jesus.

Jesus confronts Satan
An important part of Jesus ministry was casting out demons from people who were afflicted with them. This was a direct attack by Jesus on Satan's kingdom.

"When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick."         (Matthew 8:16)

Not only did Jesus cast out demons himself, he also gave his disciples authority to do it.

"He called his 12 disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness."                                             (Matthew 10:1)

Later Jesus sent out 72 disciples with the same purpose. When they returned they said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy, nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."                                                                          (Luke 10:17-20

Jesus explains this victory by the fact that although Satan is strong, someone stronger than him has come to attack his kingdom.

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armour in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils."                            (Luke 11:21-22)

Jesus' victory over Satan
Jesus said: "Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world (Satan) will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth (crucifixion), will draw all men to myself." (John 12:31-33)

"And having disarmed the powers and authorities (demons), Jesus made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross."   (Colossians 2:15)

Jesus' death on the cross looked like defeat, but in fact it was a great victory - victory over sin, death and Satan. Victory over sin, because on the cross Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of mankind, so enabling those who believe in him to be forgiven. Victory over death, because on the cross he conquered death. He rose from the dead himself and guaranteed believers that they would have eternal life. Victory over Satan, because on the cross Jesus defeated the enemy, Satan and his demons, by making man's salvation sure.

Satan's defeat is recorded this way in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation:

"And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels (demons) with him. Then I heard a voice in heaven say:

     "Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."            (Revelation 12:7-12)

We can escape his fury when we throw in our lot with Jesus, the only one who is stronger than Satan. The final doom of Satan is also foretold in the book of Revelation. "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10)

Jesus has won the victory over Satan. The victory belongs to Christians as well as promised by the apostle Paul: "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet."             (Romans 16:20)