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An Amazing Fact:

The octopus is among the most flexible, versatile,

and clever of all sea creatures. When it comes to
disguise, it is also the ultimate chameleon. Thanks to special
cells in its skin, the octopus has the ability to change color and
even skin texture, assuming a thousand combinations. In the
blink of an eye, it can fade into the sea floor, appearing to
be just another bumpy rock, piece of coral, or floating
seaweed—or even mimic the movements of creatures
such as crabs, fish, and sea snakes!

B orn to a family of peasants in Siberia in 1869,

Grigori Rasputin was always impressed by the
power and rituals of Russian priests. After claiming to
have experienced a great religious revelation in 1897, he
portrayed himself as a wandering monk and holy man.
Though largely uneducated, Rasputin was shrewd
and charismatic. In 1904, he traveled to Saint Petersburg,
impressing many of the religious and social classes as
a mystic and spiritual healer. He eventually met Tsar
Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra. The quasi-priest
gradually wormed his way into the imperial family
by saying that he could heal the Tsar’s only son,
Alexei, who suffered severely from hemophilia.
Strangely, young Alexei did seem to improve
by following Rasputin’s advice. Rasputin soon
became a permanent fixture in the palace.
 When Tsar Nicholas left Saint Petersburg in 1915 to command the Russian
army in World War I, Rasputin solidified his manipulation over Alexandra,
even influencing disastrous political and military decisions. Many accused the
empress of having an affair with the “Mad Monk.” On December 30, 1916,
a group of Russian noblemen who feared the influence of the evil charlatan
over the imperial family assassinated Rasputin and threw him into the Malaya
Nevka River.
Many historians attribute the fall of the Russian Empire and the rise of
communism to the destructive influence of Rasputin. The Bible also tells of a
powerful, rebellious, and evil being that has deceived and highjacked an entire
world, bringing untold misery …

When you see a blank, use your Bible to

look up the missing word and fill it in.

1 What was the name of the rebellious angel in heaven,

and why did he rebel?
Isaiah 14:12 How you are fallen from heaven, O _______________,
son of the morning!

Isaiah 14:13, 14 For you have said in your _______________, ... I will
be like the __________ __________.

Ezekiel 28:17 Your heart was lifted up because of your

_______________; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your
_______________.

NOTE: Lucifer was the most powerful and beautiful of God’s creatures. He was the
highest of the angels and most likely led the heavenly choir. But he allowed his
wisdom and beauty to fill him with pride. (See supplement entitled “Satan Symbolized
by the Kings of Tyre and Babylon” at the end of this lesson.)

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King
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 2 Did God make a devil when He created Lucifer?
Ezekiel 28:15 You were _______________ in your ways from the
day you were created, till _______________ was found in you.

NOTE: God made a perfect angel who, of his own free will, chose to be an enemy of
God—a choice that ultimately turned him into a devil.
It may be hard to imagine, but if we had known Lucifer before his fall, we would
have loved him. We don’t know exactly for how long, but Lucifer may have joyfully
served God for eons before cherishing seeds of pride and resentment in his heart. The
Lord could have made all of His creatures like robots, but a robot cannot love. True
love must be freely given, willing to take risks that love will not be returned. Parents
take the same risks when having children, knowing that they will sometimes disobey.
God allowed Lucifer to carry out his rebellion for several reasons. First, God
had to forever settle any question of whether or not His creatures have freedom of
choice. Second, if God had destroyed Lucifer as soon as he began spreading doubts
about God’s love and government, the other angels and intelligent creatures would
have had lingering doubts. They might have thought, “Perhaps Lucifer was right.”
Therefore, Lucifer must be allowed to demonstrate the horrible results of sin.
Finally, God does not want His creatures to obey Him merely because He will
punish them if they don’t. He wants us to obey Him from principles of love rather
than from fear.

3 What finally happened to Lucifer?

Revelation 12:7 And __________ broke out in
_______________; Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the
_______________ and his angels fought.

NOTE: Eventually, Lucifer and the angels who sided with him were expelled
from heaven.

Lesson 3 3
 4 What powerful beings work under the devil’s command?
Revelation 12:4 His tail drew a _______________ of the stars
of heaven and threw them to the earth.

Revelation 12:9 He was cast to the earth, and his

_______________ were cast out with him.

NOTE: Satan is so cunning that he was able to deceive one-third of the angels of
heaven into following him in his rebellion against God. Now called “devils” and
“demons,” these fallen angels carry out Satan’s plans.

5 What methods does Satan use in his work?

A. Revelation 12:9 Satan, who _______________ the
whole world.

B. Mark 1:13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days,

_______________ by Satan.

C. Revelation 16:14 For they are spirits of demons, performing

_______________.

D. Revelation 12:10 For the _______________ of our brethren,

who _______________ them before our God day and night, has been
cast down.

E. John 8:44 He was a _______________ from the beginning. ...

For he is a __________, and the father of it.

4 Lesson 3
NOTE: In one respect, Satan has an advantage over God in the battle between good
and evil. God uses only truth, but Satan can use truth or lies, in any combination, to
best serve his purposes. (See supplement entitled “Expect the Unexpected” at the
end of this lesson.)

6 When is the devil most dangerous?

2 Corinthians 11:14 For Satan himself transforms himself into an
_______________ of light.

NOTE: Jesus warned us, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Satan is the
most dangerous when he poses as a spiritual being working inside the church. (See
supplement entitled “A Brilliant Angel” at the end of this lesson.)

7 Does Satan know the Bible?

Matthew 4:5, 6 The devil … said to Him, “If You are the Son of
God, throw Yourself down. For it is _______________: ‘He shall give His
angels charge over you.’”

NOTE: The devil is an expert at quoting and misquoting the Bible for the purpose of
deceiving people. That is why it is essential that God’s people know the Scriptures for
themselves to avoid being misled.

8 Whom on earth does the devil hate most?

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the
_______________, and he went to make war with the __________ of her
offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of
Jesus Christ.

Lesson 3 5
 9 What two deadly animals does the Bible use to portray Satan?
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil
walks about like a roaring __________, seeking whom he may devour.

Revelation 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that

_______________ of old, called the Devil and Satan.

NOTE: Lions and snakes use stealth and diversion to capture their prey. Like the devil,
they spring suddenly upon their victims and are ruthless and indifferent to suffering.

10 What is the only way we can resist Satan?

James 4:7, 8 Therefore _______________ to God. Resist the devil
and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will __________
__________ to you.

NOTE: The best ways to draw near to God are through prayer, seeking to know Him
through His Word, and submitting to His perfect will.

11 How did Jesus fight the assaults of the devil?

Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For
_____ is _______________. …”

Ephesians 6:17 The sword of the Spirit, which is the __________

of ______.

Hebrews 4:12 The __________ of God is living and powerful, and

sharper than any two-edged sword.

6 Lesson 3
NOTE: Our only safety from Satan’s clever deceptions is in storing God’s Word in our
minds to keep us from sin. The same tools Jesus used to fight the devil are needed
and available to us today.

• “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin

against You” (Psalm 119:11).
• “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

12 What will be the final fate of Satan and his angels?

Isaiah 14:15 You shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths
of the _______.

Matthew 25:41 He will also say to those on the left hand, “Depart
from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting __________ prepared for the devil
and his angels.”

Revelation 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into
the __________ of fire and brimstone.

NOTE: The Bible describes this final punishment as the “second death,” from which
there is no resurrection or parole (Revelation 20:14). Ultimately, the devil, his angels,
and all the wicked will be consumed in these eternal flames.

13 Will Satan ever reappear to tempt God’s people?

Ezekiel 28:18 I brought fire from your midst; it _______________
you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you.

Ezekiel 28:19 “You have become a horror, and shall be _____

__________ forever.”

Lesson 3 7
 Nahum 1:9 Affliction will not rise up a _______________
__________.

14 How does God feel about the destruction of the wicked?

Ezekiel 33:11 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “I have no
_______________ in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked
__________ from his way and ___________. Turn, turn from your evil
ways! For why should you die?”

YOUR RESPONSE
This touching picture displays how our heavenly Father feels about His lost
children. Not only was He willing to die in our place, He went one step
further—He gave His greatest gift, His Son! God is not willing that any
should perish. He is desperate for you to be saved. This is why Jesus died in
your place. Most of the world has joined Satan in rebellion against God.
Will you choose now to love and serve Him?
ANSWER: _______________

8 Lesson 3
 FURTHER STUDY
Satan Symbolized by the
Kings of Tyre and Babylon

In Isaiah 14:4–15, the Bible uses the

king of Babylon as a symbol of Satan, and in
Ezekiel 28:11–19, Satan is symbolized by the king of
Tyre. In both cases, we know that the symbolism goes beyond earthly kings
because God’s description of the being could not apply to any human.
The prophet is describing the wicked power behind these earthly kings.
Notice the ways Lucifer is described in these passages of Scripture; he was:

• In heaven when he fell (Isaiah 14:12)

• Fully wise and perfectly beautiful (Ezekiel 28:12)
• In the Garden of Eden (v. 13)
• Covered with every precious stone (v. 13)
• Anointed as covering cherub (v. 14)
• On God’s holy mountain (v. 14)
• Perfect in his ways (v. 15)

Since the kings of Babylon and Tyre exhibited Satan’s policies and suffered
the same annihilation as his kingdom will, God used them to represent Satan
himself. Virtually all Bible scholars agree on this symbolism. Incidentally, the
Bible records many other references to Lucifer—see Luke 4:5, 6; 10:18;
John 8:44; 2 Peter 2:4; 1 John 3:8; Jude 1:6; Revelation 12:7–9—but without
Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14, we would not have the complete story.

Expect the Unexpected

Many people expect Satan to openly appear as God’s enemy in the
end time, but this is not so. Satan is indeed God’s bitterest enemy, but his
approach will be to feign righteousness (Matthew 24:24). He can appear
as a glorious, angelic being (2 Corinthians 11:13–15) and will seek to be

Lesson 3 9
 worshiped (Revelation 13:12). Scripture is clear that his godly front will be so
convincing that “all the world” will wonder after the beast (Revelation 13:3).
Talk about a tragedy! Satan will be so effective in posing as Christ that
virtually the entire world will follow him, thinking they are following Jesus. Will
you be deceived? Not if you heed the Bible warnings presented in this series!

A Brilliant Angel
Satan is delighted when people portray him as a red, bat-winged
creature that is part man and part beast, having two horns and a long,
pointed tail, carrying a pitchfork and stoking the fires of hell. Nothing could
be further from the truth. Such concepts come from Greek mythology. This
nonsense is found nowhere in Scripture.
Instead, the Bible describes Satan as a brilliant, highly attractive angel
with an uncanny ability to communicate. He is also well acquainted with
Scripture (Matthew 4:5, 6). The devil is a self-proclaimed enemy of God
whose aim is to defame His character and capture His kingdom. Satan also
despises you and your loved ones and has plans to destroy you. This series
will help you understand his plans and learn how to thwart them. Place
your life in the protective care of your mighty Savior—and pray earnestly
for His guidance.

10 Lesson 3
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