The Lord God made a specific number of angels, we know this because two thirds of them did not fall to the deceitful lies of Lucifer, and remained in heaven, while one third were cast out, never able to return to their first estate. There is a specific number of fallen angels, devils, that are on this planet earth. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
Satan is an individual, he can only be in one place at a time, as, we would presume all those who fell with him can, only God is omnipresent. There are, for all intents and purposes, two types of evil, that which the Satanic forces represent, directly opposed to the will of God, intentionally and with malice, and the rebellious nature of mankind, whether intentionally and of his own free will, or simply by the nature of the unregenerated, unrepentant person. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” (Romans 1:28)
If we consider here those fallen angels who can only be in one place at a time, we must also consider just how far their sphere of influence lays, and the amount of power they are allowed to exert over not only the unrepentant man, but those whom the Almighty has chosen for Himself. Perhaps a word picture would help you to understand this better.
If one of these fallen angels, a demon if you prefer, is standing in the middle of a crowd of people, who can he influence, the entire crowd, or only those that he is standing right next to? When spiritual beings, whether angels or devils, see the planet earth, do they see, in reference to those fallen ones, singular individuals, circles or spheres if you will of black malevolence that radiant a certain distance around them, or an entire planet of blackness with only specks here and there of white, blinding lights representing those who have been born-again? “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Prov. 4:18)
I ask this because far too many who profess Jesus Christ as Lord seem to believe that much of what they would consider the adversity that comes into their lives is a direct result of Satan, or one of those who fell with him, and so the question is relevant. How do these devils notice us who have been born-again, and how often do they attempt to release their fiery darts upon us. How close do they need to be to us?
One could also contemplate this, which is only a question of conjecture, does one of those fallen ones follow you around, while one of the ministering spirits, an angel of God, also remain by your side constantly?
This letter serves one purpose, are you being noticed by our adversary, and if so, why?
You cannot blame anything that happens to you on Satan, all who have been born-again belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28) And if you fall to his wiles, if the temptation offered to you is not rejected, but accepted, you are at fault, not Satan.
Is there a sphere of influence, a space that can be measured that these fallen ones have, or do they need to be in your immediate presence to attempt to inflict their desires upon you? In one sense, both may be true, for one simply needs to turn on their television or computer, walk down a busy street or by anywhere where the materialistic items of this world are offered to see the overall influence of this world that at the present time belongs to Satan. The temptations are everywhere, and as such, if we were to see the earth from a distance and with spiritual eyes, we might see the entire planet shrouded in the blackness of sin. Yet because we are blessed by the Lord with the strength to deny these temptations of the flesh, we can, if we will submit to His will, walk safely through it.
But what if you are noticed by our adversary, and he dispatches one of those who fell with him to your side? “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8)
The point of this poorly written letter is this, and I leave you to contemplate it, you cannot blame Satan when you fall to temptation, that is your fault, but what of those personal attacks that come from him, those allowed by the Lord God because our adversary has noticed you? What will you do with them?
