Author Archives: Dave

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April 15, 2025

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Satan, Spirits

What is the difference between Satan and demons?

After last week’s article a reader asked about the difference between Satan and the demons. Satan and demons are created beings. They belong to the same class of creature, but Satan is superior to the demons.

Satan is an angel. In Ezekiel 28:14 Lucifer, or Satan, is called the “anointed cherub.” A cherub is most likely a type of angel. Satan is also connected with the “sons of God” in Job 1:6. The sons of God in the book of Job are most likely angels. Angels are the only ones, aside from God, who saw the creation of the world. (Job 38:4-7) Second Corinthians 11:14 says Satan is able to transform “himself into an angel of light.” Though the Bible does not directly identify Satan as an angel, the evidence strongly suggests he is an angel who rebelled against God.

When Satan rebelled against God a large number of other angels sinned with him. (Revelation 12:4) The other angels which fell with Satan are referred to as “his angels.” (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:7, 9) The Bible also says Satan is the ruler of the demons. (Matthew 12:24) Therefore, the best conclusion from the Biblical evidence is demons are angels who sinned with Satan and are now under his authority.

Satan also wields authority over this earth. He is the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and “the prince of the power of the air.” (Ephesians 2:2) The Bible says little about the nature of Satan’s rule, except that it is genuine, malicious, and destructive. (1 Peter 5:8) Demons appear to possess some level authority over people (Mark 5:2-5) and nations. (Daniel 10:13)

Little is said in the Old Testament about Satan’s activity in the world. He tempted Eve to sin (Genesis 3:1-6; Revelation 12:9), made false accusations against Job (Job 1:9-10, 2:4-5), and opposed the high priest of Israel. (Zechariah 3:1) In the New Testament Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), filled Judas so that he betrayed Jesus (John 13:27), and filled Ananias’ heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. (Acts 5:3) Satan’s primary activities today are making accusations against believers (Revelation 12:10) and roaming the earth seeking the destruction of men. (1 Peter 5:8)

People today have no way to distinguish between the direct working of Satan and the working of his demons. Satan is a creature possessed of great ability and intellect. However, he is not all knowing or able to be in multiple places at once. He is furiously active, but is always limited in his activity. Satan has many demons who do his will. His power and malice are felt in the world through the working of his subject demons.

Satan is powerful and has great authority, but he is a defeated enemy. His power is restrained (Matthew 12:28-29). He has been judged by Jesus at the cross. (John 12:31; 16:31) As Martin Luther wrote, “His doom is sure.” Consequently, Christians have no need to fear Satan. They can resist the Devil and he will flee from them. (James 4:7) Believers have been given full armor to stand victorious against all the attacks of Satan. (Ephesians 6:13-17)

Satan is a powerful angel who rebelled against God. When he rebelled, other angels followed him. Those fallen angels are demons under Satan’s rule. Satan is the chief enemy of God and of God’s people. He continually rages against God and man. Despite Satan’s vicious assaults, the Christian has been given by God all that is needed to stand firm against the Devil.

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April 7, 2025

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angels, Christian living, Satan

Can a person condemn or command Satan?

Recent conversations have raised an intriguing question. Can a person rebuke or damn Satan? Satan is a real being (Ephesians 6:11). He is a mighty angel who rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:13-14), was cast out of his position in Heaven (Ezekiel 28:16), rules an army of fallen angels (Matthew 12:24), exercises authority over the earth and humanity (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2), and is bent on the destruction of mankind (1 Peter 5:8).

Because Satan is an angel, he is inherently greater in might and glory than any human (Psalm 8:5). As the prince of this world, Satan has genuine authority over the entire earth. Satan’s defeat has been assured by the death of Jesus on the cross (Matthew 12:28-29; Luke 10:18; John 12:31; 16:12). However, he still possesses substantial power over the earth. The might, power, and authority of Satan should make any person think carefully about how they address the Devil.

The book of Jude mentions a conflict between Satan and Michael, one of the chief angels of Heaven. Jude says false teachers “speak evil of dignitaries.” (Jude 1:8) He then contrasts the temerity of false teachers with the wisdom of the archangel Michael. He “dared not bring against (Satan) a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” Jude connects the false teacher’s slander of dignitaries with the dispute between Michael and Satan. This connection indicates the maligned dignitaries include angels, demons, and Satan. Jude’s point is clear. Those who teach Christians to speak evil of angelic creatures, including Satan, are false teachers. Since one of the greatest angels in Heaven dared not rebuke or condemn Satan, then no Christian should dare to revile the Devil.

In Matthew 16 Jesus granted Peter the authority to bind and loose. Some have interpreted that promise to include the authority to bind Satan. However, Jesus does not speak of Satan in that conversation. Jesus nowhere teaches that Christians have the power to bind Satan. The focus of Matthew 16:13-20 is the deity of Jesus and the establishment of the church. Jesus promises the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church, but He is not promising the power to bind Satan. He gives assurance the church will continue and will not be cut off by the assault of any power. This promise is defensive, not offensive. Christ will secure His church and it will stand. Jesus does not enable the church to storm Hell or equip Christians to engage Satan in hand to hand combat.

Matthew 18:18 also speaks of binding and loosing. Both Matthew 16 and Matthew 18 speak of binding and loosing as a function of the church. The authority to bind and loose was first granted to Peter (Matthew 16:19) and then to the church (Matthew 18:18). Matthew 18:18 is the only place in the New Testament which gives particulars about the function of binding and loosing. The authority to bind and loose is directly related to the church’s discipline of a sinning believer (Matthew 18:15-17). Binding and loosing is never spoken of in relation to Satan but in relation to others in the church. Jesus gave the church the authority to determine who is and is not a part of the congregation. He did not give anyone the authority to tell Satan to “hit the bricks.”

The New Testament gives believers clear instructions about the right response to Satan. The Bible does not instruct a Christian to rebuke Satan. Scripture does not include a single example of a Christian rebuking Satan. The Christian is not to command Satan, but to resist him (James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8-9). The Christian is not to condemn Satan, but to stand firm against his attacks. (Ephesians 6:11-14). God promises the believer if he will resist the Devil, then Satan will flee. The Christian has no need for dramatic denunciations of the Devil. The believer who relies upon the power of God and remains steadfast in faithful obedience to God’s Word will be victorious over Satan because, “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

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September 24, 2024

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government, Life Questions, Radio Show

A Biblical View of Government

Pastor Tom Schierkolk recently aired a six part series on government. You can listen to the entire series below.

Remember What God Has Done

Self-Evident Truths

A God Who is Present

Principles of Law

The Purpose of Government

What Kind of Government?

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August 20, 2024

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Bible Overview, Old Testament

What was manna?

The Israelites ate manna for forty years. Nearly every meal, every day, seven days a week the Israelites ate manna. During the forty years in the wilderness the average Israelite would have eaten tens of thousands of meals of manna. Manna kept the Israelites alive in a land where food was scarce. Manna was so important to Israel that God commanded them to put a pot of manna in the Ark of the Covenant as a memorial of the wilderness wanderings. What was manna?

The Hebrews named their wilderness food “manna” because they did not know what it was. Manna is a Hebrew word that means, “what is it?”. Was it vegetable, meat, grain or fruit? No one knows. All the Bible says about the nature of manna is that it was bread from Heaven, was white and tasted like a flat cake made with honey. (Exodus 16:4, 31)

Every morning manna appeared on the ground. God commanded the Israelites to gather each morning enough manna to feed their own household for one day. Any who tried to store manna overnight found it rotten the next morning. The exception to this was Friday. On the sixth day of the week the Israelites were to collect enough manna for two days. The fourth commandment forbade the Israelites to work on the Sabbath. God would not send manna on the Sabbath. Instead, God would preserve the manna collected by Israel on Friday morning so that it would remain edible through Saturday.

God gave manna as the primary food to sustain the Israelites during the entire forty years of their travels in the wilderness. This daily provision was a remarkable testimony of the faithfulness of God to keep His promises and to provide for His people. Manna was more than just food to keep Israel alive. Manna was a lesson, an examination and a picture.

The Bible declares two additional reasons God sent the Israelites manna every day. He gave them manna each morning as a test of their obedience. (Exodus 16:4) The Israelites were notoriously disobedient. The manna was a daily test of their obedience. Each morning every family was faced with a choice, would they obey God today or disobey Him? The manna was one way in which the Israelites faithfulness to God was revealed.

The manna also served as a continual illustration of the Israelites need to obey God. God gave manna to teach them that a person’s life depends not only on what he eats, but also upon obedience to the Word of God. (Deuteronomy 8:3) The manna was given as a daily reminder the Israelites were totally dependent upon God for their life. If they obeyed Him they would receive His blessing.

The most important thing about manna is its imagery. Manna was a picture of Jesus. Jesus taught the manna in the wilderness was not the True Bread from Heaven. Jesus was the bread from Heaven sent from God the Father for the eternal sustenance of all who believe Him. (John 6:32-40). When Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” He declared Himself to the be what all people need and who will give life to all who receive Him. Those who take Jesus as their Savior will live forever.

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August 7, 2024

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Christianity, Current Events

How should Christian’s respond to the opening of the Paris Olympics?

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics flaunted transgenderism and celebrated sexual perversion in a display that was lewd and, paradoxically, reminiscent of The Last Supper. The reaction was quick and widespread. Some responded in outrage, some called for a boycott of the Olympics, and some demanded apologies from those responsible. Christians quickly responded and continue to the seek the best response to the shameful tableau. What should characterize a Christian response to disgraceful and displays?

First, men acting as women and promoting vile immorality is wicked. No country, organization or individual should celebrate depravity. The tragic irony of the Paris Olympics’ opening is the producers choice to honor the most egregious desecration of humanity during the prelude to a series of games exhibiting the pinnacle of human potential. The celebration of depraved biological delusion has no place alongside the exhibition of the ability, discipline and skill of the world’s most talented athletes. The bawdy display distracts from those who spent their entire lives in grueling training to reach the heights of their chosen sport. The performers ought to be ashamed of themselves for making the Olympics about them and not about the people who earned the right to be a part of the Olympic games.

Second, Christians should not be surprised when unsaved people act in godless ways. The Olympics games are not sponsored by Christian organizations to highlight the ability of Christian athletes. The Olympics are secular competitions sponsored by unsaved individuals for the entertainment of the lost. Some of the thousands of organizers, hosts, coaches, and athletes associated with the Olympics are Christians. However, Christians make up a small a minority of the total number of people involved. The Olympics have never been about Christian values. Christians should not be surprised by anti-Christian imagery appearing at non-Christian events. Americans are not surprised to find Satanic imagery at a heavy metal concert or to discover immodestly dressed women dancing provocatively during the halftime show of a football game. Nor should anyone be surprised that unsaved people would use an international forum to preach to millions of people their message of flagrant perversion.

Third, Christians should not be surprised by the ungodly acting in ungodly ways, but they should denounce the celebration of homosexuality and transgenderism as a great evil. The event promoted behaviors which God calls abominable, which are contrary to God’s commands, and which pervert God’s design for humanity. The Olympic opening has provided Christians with another opportunity to proclaim God’s design for mankind, marriage and sex.

Fourth, Christians need to be clear about the shamefulness and sinfulness of the abominable display, but they also must remember that the most active promoters of the most wicked, God-hating, humanity-destroying lifestyles are not the enemy. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) The perpetrators of this perverse pageant are also victims. They are slaves bound in sin under Satanic dominion. Compassion must be displayed to those involved. The truth must be spoken and love must always characterize the declaration of truth. (Ephesians 4:15) Because the enemy is not fleshly, the weapons Christians are to employ are not fleshly. (2 Corinthians 10:4) Christians are commanded to conquer evil with good. (Romans 12:21) Hatred, name calling, and lies have no place in the Christian response to this event.

Finally, the Bible gives clear direction to Christians about how to respond when they and their Savior are mocked. Christians are not commanded to respond to scorn with outrage. Christians are commanded to, “lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness,” (1 Timothy 2:2) and to count themselves blessed because they know every slight will be repaid with abundant reward in Heaven. (Matthew 5:10)

Christians must remember God will judge all those who hate Him, His Son, and His children (Revelation 18:3-10) If the event was intended to be a mockery of Christianity or of Jesus- and those responsible for the display have denied the charge- then, unless they repent, all involved will be held accountable by God for their scorn of His Son and His children. The vulgar display will not go unpunished. God will vindicate the glory of His Son.

In the meantime, Christians must proclaim the message of Jesus. (John 15:27) The only hope for the lost world is salvation. The true problem with the world is not debauched sexuality. The true problem is mankind’s bondage to sin. The salvation of the lost is the only solution to this gross deformity of humanity currently masquerading as freedom, inclusiveness and love. This travesty ought to revive the Christian’s passion to proclaim the gospel to everyone because Christian’s recognize the only hope for the world is in the gospel. The Christian must remember the ultimate aim is not a moral world in which Biblical marriage is upheld, unborn lives are protected, church attendance is high and people are kind to each other. The Christian aim is the rescue of sinners from eternal hell to the eternal praise of God. The only way this will be accomplished is through the faithful preaching of the gospel. (Romans 1:16; 10:14-15) The most effective response to this shameful spectacle is the message of salvation from sin through faith in Jesus. Furthermore, the Second Epistle of Peter specifically defines how believers ought to live in a world hostile to Christians, Christ and Christianity. The right response to the world’s evil disdain is a life of quiet submission to authorities, faithfulness in good works, and obedience to God.

Christians ought to be deeply grieved by the flaunting of wickedness on such a massive scale. Christians ought to remain steadfast in their commitment to Biblical truth. Christians ought always to remember the greatest need of the world is not proper morals or more religion, but salvation from sin by Jesus. So Christians must respond to the 2024 Olympics’ opening the same way Christian’s were commanded to respond to scorn and depravity in first century Rome. Hate sin; endure persecution; preach the gospel; and do good to all men.