The Great Deceiver

Before we move on there is one last description of Satan I’d like us to briefly examine:

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. – Rev. 12:9

The Apostle John tells us here that Satan is the deceiver of the whole world. John also tells us he has been the great deceiver since even before the garden when He and those who followed him were thrown down from heaven.

This description highlights what a master of deception Satan is. He convinced others with him in heaven to rebel against God. He deceived Adam and Eve into committing the one act God had explicitly forbidden, despite their privilege of walking with Him in the garden. He has tricked most of the world—past and present —into believing that following their own desires will somehow lead to paradise or peace after death.

He will continue to deceive until the Lord returns and he is eternally bound and punished in hell’s fire. Why? Because that is who Satan truly is – the enemy of God and the deceiver of the whole world. Other translations read: who leads the whole world into the wrong way or who fools everyone on earth or the one who leads the whole inhabited earth astray.

It is important to recognize the true nature of the host who has invited you to what appears to be the greatest party around. Because if you don’t know Satan’s true nature, you will fall victim to his tricks and lies. You won’t see through his disguises or the masks his servants wear. You’ll walk into the ballroom unaware that you’ve stepped into a trap. The longer you stay, the more comfortable you’ll become, making it harder to leave—until one day, you find yourself just another servant of the host, wearing a mask just like him. #SinsGreatMasquerade