Reflection Questions – Satan File 5: “Where Satan’s Throne Is“ (Isaiah 14.13b, Revelation 2.13)

Isaiah 14:16-17: “Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, ¹⁷ who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’

1. We’ve been studying God’s great enemy (and ours) for the past four weeks. What has the Lord shown you – or reminded you of – through these teachings?
2. One of my prayers in teaching this series is that God’s people would be awakened to the presence of the supernatural realities – both beneficent and nefarious – in our everyday lives. Think about 2 Kings 6:15-17. How does this familiar story change our perspective about these very present realities – both helping angels and a very real, circling enemy? How does it change the way we should think about setting out each day (Eph. 6:11)?
3. Peter describes Satan as a VERY active, present adversary. Furthermore, Peter tells us that he’s VERY dangerous! He describes him as a roaring lion, going about seeking a victim to devour (1 Peter 5:8). This would have been a vivid description for readers in the first centuries of church history – the age of colosseums, lions, and Christians! How is Peter’s view of Satan’s presence in our lives different than our own? Is it lacking faith to NOT see things Peter’s way? That is, if I dismiss or diminish the idea of satanic influence in my daily life, am I essentially refusing to believe the Word of God on the matter? Has the Bible’s view of ‘things as they are’ been neutralized by our ‘scientific age’? What does this say about the state of the Church in 2023? Discuss.
4. Contrary to modern depictions of Satan, Ezekiel 28:12 describes him as being “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” How does this change our understanding of the one who is “seeking someone to devour?”
5. Ezekiel 28:17 tells us why Satan fell: “Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.” How does a false focus – like pride or obsession with self – lead to a ‘corrupted’ wisdom? How does it change the way we see the world around us? How do we see this reflected in our culture today? Consider 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Discuss Proverbs 9:10 in this context. What’s it saying to us?
6. In their song, Sympathy for the Devil, the Rolling Stones give Satan credit for a number of atrocities in history – from the murder of the Tsars’ family in Russia, to Germany’s World War II atrocities, to the assassination of JFK, and even the crucifixion of Jesus! Are they overstating his influence? Is Satan really that involved in human history? Read Isaiah 14:16-17 carefully. What do you think? How do we see his rebellious influence in our world today? Consider: when he is locked up during the Millennial Kingdom, all war will cease. But as soon as he’s released for a short time, aggression will begin afresh (Revelation 20:2, 7-8). So, am I overstating it to say that he causes war on earth with all of its horrors?
7. Discuss the devil’s prevalence in the secular world today. How is it reflecting his values rather than God’s? In what ways has he even influenced the Church community?
8. In 1 John 4:4, the Apostle describes Satan as “he who is in the world” (in contrast to He who is in Heaven). But then he goes on to remind believers that “He who is in you [that is, the Holy Spirit] is greater than he who is in the world.” What are the implications of this verse for believers?