The adversary of God and man is not a pointy-horned, hooked-nose, miserly individual, tip-toeing through the earth with a pitchfork, hiding in dark corners or under rocks, trying to control a wiry tail, with bulging eyes, and an extra-tight red suit. No, the evil one and his goals are entirely different.
Satan masquerades as an angel of light, then attacks with sinister ferocity. He aims to devour entirely, and he does not sleep or rest from his evil endeavors. His seething ambition does not end with stealing power, but with commandeering all this true, good, and beautiful. He is enthusiastic, experienced, strategic, and wicked in pursuit of his mission. He is the enemy of God, mankind, and God’s creation. He does not relent in trying to usurp God’s reign, destroy mankind’s redemption, and requisition God’s honor for himself with any means.
In short, Satan hates God, hates God’s people, and wants nothing more than to wipe clean all things that oppose his malevolent desires.
Why? He wants power. He longs for glory. He is the quintessence of pride. And it is precisely these goals and more that cause him to relentlessly attempt to undermine God’s good redemptive plan.
How Does Satan Try To Undermine God’s Plan Of Redemption?
The Bible teaches that Satan tries to subvert God in at least three ways:
- Twisting.
- Accusing.
- Exploiting.
Twisting
Satan is the author of taking that which is good and twisting it to his wicked advantage. Whether it was the fruit from the knowledge of good and evil or the Israelites’ desire for a king, Satan seeks to twist God’s words and design. Take, for example, Christ in Matthew 4. One pastor pointed out that Satan did not tempt Christ with breaking moral codes, but instead by bending good desires toward evil: food, trust, and a kingdom.
Accusing
Not only does Satan pervert God’s good things, but he also accuses God’s people of all the bad things they do. If he can get the children of God down on themselves in despair, discouragement, and more, then he has them under his control. His aim in accusation is to have God’s people identify themselves more with their sin than with their reconciled relationship to God. If a person steals, they call themselves a thief. If they lie, they call themselves a liar. While actions are certainly indicative of our passions and desires, the Christian, no matter the foray into sin, is “in Christ.”
Exploitation
Satan is ever-ready to undermine God by gaining access through God’s people. How does he do this? He uses our failures to get a foothold, and once in, he goes to work. Paul says in Ephesians 4:26-27, “BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” In other words, our unregulated anger gives satan a foothold. In other words, our inability to control anger provides Satan access to control our desires and ultimately, if not curbed, our actions. Indeed, James warns us that unmet desires eventually lead to murder (James 4:1-3).
Conclusion
Satan is not as powerful as God. His resources are limited. He is not omnipresent or omniscient. No, Satan will not win.
Consequently, Jesus did not enter the earth to battle Satan as though He were entering a ring of combatants on equal terms. No, Christ entered our world to redeem all that sin had marred and mangled. The second person of the Trinity became a man to defeat sin’s consequence of death by resurrection from the dead.
Jesus knew Scripture so that Satan could not twist God’s Words. Jesus lived the perfect life, so Satan could not accuse Him. Jesus never succumbed to temptation, so Satan could not gain any footholds.
Our Lord reigns! Though Satan’s attacks sought to undermine God’s plan of redemption, they did not prevail. Why? We have a cross, an empty grave, and our God.
On this Maundy Thursday, let us remember that our Lord reigns!
— April 2, 2026