TO KNOW THE ENEMY

 

There is great insight into the adversary, and how he operates, from his interaction with the children of Adam and Eve, and Cain in particular.

Firstly, to draw Cain into his web, Satan observed him closely. When Cain showed openly he was not interested in knowing God and aligned himself with his older brethren who loved Satan more than God, the adversary knew he had the right man (Moses 5:16). He needed someone as arrogant and prideful as himself but who knew the snares of mortality that could defeat God’s plan for humanity. And he was even prepared to sacrifice his position of leadership for such an opportunity. In time Cain became ‘the father of Satan’s lies’ and assumed his name of Perdition (5:24) and this is how it happened.

From his observation of Cain’s relationship with his righteous brother Abel , he knew just how to push the buttons to ignite jealousy and from there to initiate him into secret combinations of gain and murder (Moses 5:18-21). But to bind Cain into his oath, Satan first commanded him to implicate his apostate brothers in the same oath so that they would not reveal the plan to their father (Moses 5:29). Interesting, isn’t it? Why would he worry that Adam would find out?

This is why. Satan knew who Adam was and the coward that he is, he feared him. John the Beloved was shown the war in heaven and he described Satan as the dragon who fought with his angels and the leader who opposed him with his angels and prevailed against him was Michael the Archangel (Revelation 12:7-10)…… the name by which Adam was known in the pre-mortal life (Guide to the Scriptures, Gospel Library). Satan feared Adam who cast him and his followers down to this earth (v 11.

Secondly, he made Cain swear ‘by the living God’ that he would not reveal the secret oath by which he was bound. This was a plain admission on his part that there is none greater than God, and that he harbours secret respect for the very enemy he tries to deny and whose kingdom he tries to destroy. Not a very smart move for someone with self- aggrandizing bravado.

This is the most important part of this intriguing story: “During the ‘war in heaven’ shown to John the Beloved on the Isle of Patmos, it does not appear that Elohim interfered in any way even though He was greatly concerned with the outcome. The scripture says that when Satan was ultimately cast out it was Michael and his angels who did it. It even describes HOW they did it: ‘by the word of their testimony’ (Rev 12:11).”  (W. Cleon Skousen, “The First 2,000 Years”, p 101)

The adversary knows us from pre-earth life but he has no power here but what we give him. We have the biggest advantage that he will never have, a body. That in and of itself makes us greater than him, and he knows it. The second biggest advantage is our testimony of ‘the blood of the Lamb’, even the same that we defeated him with in pre-mortal life (v 11). The third biggest advantage is our righteousness. He quivers before it. He kneels before it. It is like an open flame that threatens to destroy.

Satan has no power on his best day to destroy you on your worst day…….fear not. You are one of the angels who fought the greatest war in our history and you prevailed against the greatest enemy….and you still have your sword.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: I Am A Warrior of Light by Greg Collins)

THE ENEMY

 

Imagine this fear. When Joseph was asked by some brethren about the creation of the world and how it was inhabited, he answered:

“I will tell you how it was. You and I were in the spirit world at the grand council….we saw and heard them talk of formation of the world and we were among those when the morning stars sang together and when the sons of God shouted for joy. We were among those who had more courage than others and therefore we came down here and took bodies.

“Some who did not have the courage said, “Father, we have fought Satan face to face here in the spirit world and helped to cast him down there and now to go down and fight him again face to face, we are afraid we shall never return to thy presence and would prefer a lesser degree of glory and go to some other of your creations where we are sure of returning. Yes, you and I had more courage and came down HERE of our own agency and choice.”  (Autobiography of Anson Call, p 19)

Who is this enemy that is so feared? When Moses encountered him and refused to worship him, Satan’s reaction drove exceeding fear into him to the point where he saw the bitterness of hell (Moses 1:20). I am guessing that would be enough to scare any righteous person to lose courage. I fear though that we have become so desensitised to sin in our day and age that we don’t fear him enough and he doesn’t seem real enough.

The adversary has two goals: 1. To make all men miserable like himself (2 Nephi 2:27); and 2. To overthrow Christ who he rebelled against in pre-earth life (D&C 29:36-9). I once asked a friend of mine in Utah who is very well versed in scripture why Satan is called ‘the son of the morning’. Here is what he replied:

“My presumption is that the term ‘morning’ refers to the fact that he was born early on as a spirit offspring of the Father. Perhaps he might have even been second born vs his brother who was firstborn.

“We have so many fascinating stories among the great patriarchs of having two competing sons vying for the firstborn birthright and it almost seems as though these stories are a continuation of that which started in the pre-mortal life with the Saviour and Lucifer. You can even get that sense from a statement in D&C 88:115, about Lucifer having as his goal that of displacing his brother from his throne.” (Larry Keeler, 6 February 2023)

The adversary knows if he gets us, he gets Him….but that will never be….because we are the brave ones…..

There is a desire in my soul

That wants to conquer Goliath

And watch him fall….

This warrior within me never sleeps

And yearns to hear the angels’ call,

A call to battle to make the devil fall.

And when Christ comes in clouds so holy

He will conquer that enemy

And we will confess His glory.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: He Shall Reign by Susan Edwards)

A THIEF OF GLORY

 

The similitude that comes to mind when we think of Satan is a snake but John the Revelator describes Satan more aptly from his vision. What could be more deadly and more powerful than a snake? A dragon. The dragon that John saw was red, a colour that represents fury. And how well he painted the scene of the dragon who drew with ‘his tail the third part of the stars of heaven’! (Revelation 12:4).

The Book of Revelation calls Satan ‘an accuser’ who accused us of our sins to the Father, day and night (Revelation 12:10). I can only imagine the glee with which he relentlessly and craftily complained about us, claiming that we were beyond redemption and would all be lost if the Father did not accept his plan. No mercy and no genuine concern for our welfare. But then the Saviour stepped forward and offered both and hope was born. But ‘the accuser’ picked up another tactic and sought to destroy our faith in Christ without ceasing. A war ensued….”the same kind that prevails on earth; the only kind Satan and spirit beings can wage – a war of words, a tumult of opinions, a conflict of ideologies; a war between truth and error, between light and darkness…”(Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:518).

This is how we won the war in heaven. When the Saviour stepped forward to take responsibility for us He sealed His fate as our Redeemer. So sure was the foundation of His commitment that the Atonement in mortality was really just a formality. So iron clad was His destiny as our Saviour that it became our reality long before the earth was made. The scriptures confirm that ‘the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world’ meaning the power of the Atonement was already in place in pre-mortal world enabling all God’s children, from the beginning, to be born innocent (Revelation 13:8, 1 Peter 1:18-20; Mosiah 3:13; 4:7; D&C 93:38). Because the Atonement was such a surety, it was as if it had already happened and consequently we could draw upon its’ blessings and power before we were even born. It is this power and our testimonies by which we defeated Lucifer and his followers in the war in heaven (see the New Testament Institute Manual commentary on Revelation 12:11; 13:8, By Blood and Testimony)

The name ‘Lucifer’ means ‘light bearer’. He was so great once, ‘he was in authority in the presence of God’ (D&C 76:25). So great was he that we wept when he was lost (76:26). We too are great with enormous potential but we can find ourselves lost too under his influence. His fury will not spare one soul. He will use every tactic and every tool to steal our spiritual identity, to kill our faith in God and to destroy our commitment to Christ (John 10:10) . We of the last days cannot allow this to happen. We will not allow the red dragon to win. We already know the outcome. The only question remaining is who will be among the survivors. The war has not ended. In the words of Elder McConkie: “……..the battle lines are still drawn. It is now on earth as it was then in heaven; every man must choose which general he will follow” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:518).

These are the tools Satan uses that are so prevalent in our society:

HIS THREE DOCTRINES:

No punishment for sin

Nothing after death

He does not exist

HIS LIES THROUGH RATIONALISATION:

Just once won't hurt

No one will know

Everybody is doing it

HIS VALUE SYSTEM:

Selifshness

Self-indulgence

Immediate gratification

HIS SALES TECHNIQUES:

Pacifying

Flattering 

Lulling 

Like a thief in the night,

He seeks to steal, kill and destroy.

He is the collector of ruined lives,

The Master of ravaged souls.

 

He is the Son of the Morning,

His pride yielded irreversible cost

In the beginning we sorely wept

When his soul was forever lost.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: AI generated by NightCafe Creator)