“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
This famous quote, often attributed to French poet and essayist Charles Baudelaire, has a lot of truth to it, doesn’t it?
Mainstream media often portrays the devil as a cartoon character with a goatee, goat legs, horns, and holding a pitchfork. Hollywood either presents him as a misunderstood, tragic individual, garnering sympathy from viewers, or features him and other demonic forces in horror flicks for a jump scare. And so, many people consider the devil and his evil angels to be fictional characters.
As Christians, we know the sobering reality. The devil and his evil angels exist. They are very real. The Bible portrays Satan and his purpose clearly in a stark warning to believers: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
The devil exists, and he is our enemy. He prowls around like a roaring, starving predator, looking for someone to devour: you, me, and everyone who believes in Jesus. His goal, as it has been since the fall into sin, is to tempt God’s people to turn away from our heavenly Father.
Let’s be clear: the devil is powerful, and he is very good at what he does. Temptation and accusation are his main weapons against God’s people. He tempts us to fall into sin, and when we do, he uses our sin to accuse us, filling us with shame, fear, and doubt that God could ever forgive us. In many ways, I consider that to be the greatest trick the devil could ever pull: convincing us that God could never forgive us.
But let’s be even clearer about this crucial point: the devil is no match for our Savior Jesus.
In his earthly ministry, Jesus was tempted in every way common to man and yet was without sin. He went toe-to-toe with the devil in the wilderness, and his victory was never in question. He drove out demons from tormented individuals. More than that, he came to set suffering captives free from sin—including you and me—with his perfect life, innocent death, and triumphant resurrection.
Jesus came to set us free from sin. He came to shatter the devil’s lies. He came to give us the truth and set us free. He came to make who we are to God clear beyond a shadow of a doubt: we’re dearly loved children, fully and freely forgiven.
Dear Christian, hold on to that amazing, grace-filled knowledge. It’s not a trick. It’s the truth.
2000 Demons: No Match for My Savior reveals the very real danger of evil spirits, even to this day. However, it will also show you the power your Savior wields over the darkest of foes. Above all, it’ll reassure you of the ultimate protection Jesus won for you and all who believe, thanks to his victorious death and resurrection.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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