[I will post chapters of my next book as I write them. If you have any suggestions or comments, reach out through my contact form. To read everything released so far, visit the Satan and Spiritual Warfare page.]
In 1943, the Australian military formed the “Z Special Unit.” One of the unit’s first tasks was a daring one – sailing from Australia to a port in Singapore to sabotage several Japanese cargo ships. But they wouldn’t set sail in a battleship. Instead, fourteen soldiers would approach the Singaporean docks disguised as local fishermen, plant mines on the cargo ships, and detonate them after they had escaped to safety.
Not only did the Z Special Unit manage to sink around 39,000 tons of cargo1, but the Japanese had no idea who sabotaged them. They were so convinced that their ships were safe from enemy forces that they believed there was only one explanation – local rebels. Over the next few months, the Japanese secret police proceeded to arrest, torture, and execute locals as they tried to discover the source of this attack. Though they may have forced some false confessions, they never found the true identity of their attackers. They suffered loss and never understood how.
so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. (2 Corinthians 2:11)
In a book about understanding Satan and spiritual warfare, most readers have probably guessed where this story leads. You may be nodding to yourself while thinking, “Yes, far too many Christians are unaware of Satan’s secret attacks.” That’s because many likely picked up this book assuming they’re reasonably aware of how Satan attacks us.
For example, many readers may believe one or more of these truths about Satan:
Satan whispers lies in your mind and knows what you’re thinking.
Satan attacks your body with sickness and injury.
Satan tempts you by planting sinful thoughts in your head or bringing specific temptations to your ears and eyes.
Satan makes your teenager doubt their faith.
Satan makes you lose control and yell at your kids.
Satan spreads lies about your favorite pastor or politician.
Satan distracts you during church, Bible reading, or prayer.
This is the enemy Christians have taught and learned about for years. Because we believe the enemy works this way, we’ve been conditioned to fight a certain way against him. We think we know the enemy’s goal and are confident we know exactly what he can (and does) do to accomplish that goal.
But what if we’re wrong? How would we react to temptation if we realized Satan wasn’t personally attacking us? How would we work through evil thoughts or desires if an outside force wasn’t responsible for them? What could we blame for a child’s crisis of faith? What would it mean if Satan didn’t even know most of our names?
This book will help Christians work through a scary reality: we’re wrong about Satan. We’re ignorant of the devil’s plans. We don’t know his goals, let alone how he makes them a reality. And we’re so confident about what we think he’s doing and how he does it that we spend our lives blind to what Satan is actually doing.
The Japanese soldiers in Singapore made a critical error: they didn’t account for what their enemy was actually capable of, and that resulted in suffering loss without ever truly understanding why. Yet, unlike the error made by the Japanese soldiers, we don’t just suffer a single, devastating attack. We experience daily loss. We leave the most sensitive areas of our spiritual lives exposed to frequent attacks because we fundamentally misunderstand our enemy’s capabilities, goals, and methods.
That’s because the Satan we talk about is largely fictional. Like Frankenstein’s monster, he’s a combination of various parts: a bit of Hollywood here, a dash of influence from pagan religions there, and a hearty infusion of Christian tradition have created a being that we think we’re reading about in the divinely inspired pages of God’s word. However, the Satan who Scripture warns us about isn’t the same one we talk about today. By the end of this book, you may even wonder if the modern understanding of “Satan” is one of Satan’s greatest deceptions.
But what is this book? The goal is simple – I want Christians to surrender every area of their lives to Jesus. To do that, it’s important to expose areas of their lives they withhold from Him without ever realizing. I believe many live their lives suffering daily sabotage because they misunderstand who Satan is and what spiritual warfare really looks like.
I wrote this book to help people understand the spiritual world that has been revealed in Scripture, largely freed from our traditions and assumptions, so that we can understand how it truly impacts our lives. Readers will see the real work of Satan in the world around us. But more than just discussing something intellectually curious or emotionally stimulating, this book will help you understand Satan so you can grow in spiritual maturity and surrender more of your life to Jesus.
However, this book is also one I’ve hesitated to write. Even as I type these words, I still wonder if I want to publish it (though if you’re reading it, you know how that turned out). My concern isn’t because I fear I’m wrong, but rather because I’m putting this book in the hands of someone I can’t comfort.
I’m going to introduce you to the real Satan. You’ll see this familiar foe so clearly that it may seem like you’re learning about him for the first time. We’re going to carefully peel away layers of assumptions created by years of traditions, replacing them with a more biblical understanding of Satan. You will see that the enemy isn’t who you thought he is, but is in fact far more dangerous and involved in your life than you ever realized.
Some will be thrilled because their life experiences will finally make sense. Others will feel great relief as they clearly see the role Satan plays (or doesn’t play) in their lives. I believe many will take the truth they see in God’s word and surrender areas of their life to Jesus that they never realized they were trying to keep Him out of.
However, my heart is heavy for those who will feel their faith shake as teachings they’ve heard for years, even decades, start falling apart. They may be embarrassed as they reflect on comforting or accusing words they’ve offered to friends or family experiencing temptation or suffering. They will realize they can no longer blame Satan for the problems in their lives that have hurt themselves or others. Some may have to admit that a fear or fascination with Satan played a bigger role in their lives than a love and devotion to Jesus Christ. They may think a core part of their Christian life has been a lie and wonder what else they were wrong about.
To those who may struggle with their faith in the following chapters, I offer you two pieces of advice:
Advice #1: Keep reading. This book may break down some of your beliefs, but they will be replaced with biblical clarity. So take this advice seriously: read to the end before you question anything about your faith.
Advice #2: Jesus Christ is still the same God who saved you. By the end of this book, not only will you better understand Satan, but you’ll find a renewed desire to run to the safety of Jesus and rest in His holy arms more than ever before. Your beliefs about Satan may need refinement, but don’t confuse that with your faith in Jesus Christ.
This book will challenge what you think is true, and you may even see new things in the Bible you never noticed before. As you read, you will see God’s word elevated far above our traditions, upbringing, preferences, and even our personal experiences. Readers will be challenged to reevaluate their assumptions about this ancient foe. Doing so is almost guaranteed to reveal how many have allowed something other than God’s word to dictate what they believe. But please don’t confuse that with thinking this book teaches something new.
Our culture is far too fascinated with unearthing new and exciting teachings that no one in the past 2,000 years has been smart enough to uncover. This isn’t something new and exciting that overturns a fundamental teaching of Christianity. Rather, this book will help Christians clear away the many contradictory assumptions that have clouded their ability to truly understand Satan and spiritual warfare.
If you’re here because you’re drawn to the new and exciting, you may be disappointed. Find your excitement in understanding the truth of the world God created and has revealed in the Bible. Read this book to refine your understanding of God’s word, not completely redefine it.
I would like to end this introduction by talking to three different groups of readers:
To those nervous about having their traditions and experiences shaken: This book isn’t easy to write. And although I endeavor to make it easy to understand, many will find it difficult to accept. However, I want you to move to the rest of this book with a desire to learn so you can live for Jesus. Don’t be afraid if something challenges what you’ve always heard or assumed. You will find plenty of biblical content that will allow you to go to Scripture and see what God has revealed about Satan, and then you can compare that to whether your tradition is consistent with the Bible. But above all, make sure your loyalty is to God’s word above your traditions, assumptions, and even your experiences.
To those easily excited about gaining more knowledge or learning things that aren’t mainstream: This book focuses on one of the Bible’s most popular and sensational topics. In the excitement of learning about Satan and the spiritual realm, it’s easy to get so wrapped up in learning stuff that we neglect to apply it to our lives. Don’t acquire biblical head knowledge without learning how that knowledge must impact your life. Don’t let yourself become more excited to learn about Satan than to live for Jesus. Let this book fuel your passion for hating sin and loving righteousness as you continue growing in spiritual maturity.
To those who are excited about what they learn in this book: Be careful and dwell on 1 Corinthians 8:1 we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. Although Paul was talking about whether Christians were allowed to eat meat offered to idols, these “knowledgeable” Christians weren’t wielding that knowledge with love. It’s so easy to get excited about a deeper understanding of the Bible and then smash people over the head with it. As you start to understand Satan, you’ll also notice just how often people around you are struggling through their lives because they don’t understand the roles of Satan and worldliness in their lives. Use the knowledge you gain in this book to love and serve those around you. In settings where there isn’t time to have a meaningful discussion about a topic that painfully challenges something a person has believed for decades, sometimes the loving thing to do is stay silent for the moment and pray for an opportunity to talk to them in a better setting. We’ll discuss more about what to do with this knowledge in Chapter XX.
If you fit into some, all, or none of these categories, I’m glad you’re reading this book. My prayer has been that God will use it so His people will not only “stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11) but also grow in holiness and spiritual maturity for the sake of themselves and those around them. Venture into these pages with prayer, humility, and a passion to grow in God’s word so you can live for Him.
1 The Official History of the Operations and Administration of Special Operations – Australia (SOA), also known as the Inter-Allied Services Department (ISD) and Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD), Volume 2 – Operations – copy no 1 (for Director, Military Intelligence [DMI], Headquarters [HQ], Australian Military Forces [AMF], Melbourne), retrieved from National Archives of Australia, RecordSearch, on December 2, 2023, at https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=235327&S=198&R=0
