Satan’s Strategy for Your Life #6: The Masquerade

“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

—2 Corinthians 11:4

In September of 2009, a man in Shreveport, Louisiana, was arrested for impersonating a police officer. He had placed a red light on the dashboard of his car and went around pulling people over, that is until he pulled over a car, approached it, and found himself face to face with the mayor of Shreveport! He quickly ran back to his car and drove away, but it was too late, the mayor followed him home and called him in—he was arrested for impersonating a police officer.

Satan tries to masquerade as an angel of light. He may appear to be someone godly, someone who knows the Scripture, and wants our best, but he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). This “angel” attacks through false philosophies (Colossians 2:8), false religions (1 Corinthians 10:20), false ministers (2 Corinthians 11:4-5), false doctrine (1 John 2:18), false disciples (Matthew 13:24-30), and false morals (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12). Think about the beginning of Mormonism—an angel known as “Moroni” appeared to Joseph Smith and gave him the Book of Mormon, which is in complete contradiction to the Bible. Who was this angel? It was Satan masquerading as an angel of light. Or consider the beginning of Islam when the prophet Muhammad received the “meanings” or Quran over a 22-year period of time in a cave as the “angel Gabriel” appeared to him and explained the way of Islam to him. No one was allowed to question “the Prophet” and he had exclusive authority. In both cases these “angels” appeared as angels of light, and their lies lead many astray.

He knows the Word of God—after all, he tried to turn and twist the Scripture when he was face to face with Jesus Christ, God-incarnate! He knows how to distort a Scripture text and use it to his own advantage. He is a better theologian than we will probably ever be, for he has had since the beginning of creation to study God, His people, and His Word. He is adept at sabotaging our lives and many have been duped by his schemes. We are told to stand against “the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11), and make sure that we are not “outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs” (2 Corinthians 2:11). He prowls around like “a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). But, his most subtle tactic is when he “disguises himself as an angel of light.” Satan knows angels very well, having been an angel himself at one time (Ezekiel 28:14, 16). But we know that he is a fallen angel, destined to roam the earth, at war against God and His people, and doomed to destruction.

Satan is a defeated foe, but he continues to impersonate or disguise himself as an “angel of light” but the Christian, like the mayor of Shreveport, knows what is true and what is not, who has real authority and who does not. We do not have to give into Satan’s devices! Through Christ, we are invincible! As Chip Ingram says, “We do not fight for victory; we fight from victory!” As 1 John 4:4 says,  

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 

Or 1 John 5:4-5,  

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

May we not give into the devil’s masquerade, but may we always readily identify him as the defeated foe he is—knowing that Christ has procured victory and we are victorious through Him! Amen.