Chapter 2:

An Enemy You Must Face,
a Friend Who Will Help

Many who are struggling to improve the world are frustrated. Why is it that not even carefully planned programs achieve the desired results? Why do people insist on hating one another when it is in their best interest to be kind and generous? Why do so many seem to take malicious delight in causing pain, inflicting vicious cruelty on defenseless animals and on other people? What moves some to vandalize and destroy and steal other people’s property, utterly heedless of the suffering they cause? Why is ignorance and confusion about God and the Bible so widespread?

The Bible offers an answer: we are not alone. There is an invisible Opposer. In the Hebrew language, the word for opposer is "Satan". This one is working hard to prevent people from turning to God. He enjoys inflicting pain. He has a thoroughly twisted mind. He hates God and anything good, but he is very intelligent, using cunning deceit to obtain his ends. We cannot outsmart him on our own; those who try may never realise when they are overcome, going to their grave believing they are doing just fine.

God has exposed this enemy in the Bible, and there also we find the help we need to succeed against him. First, who is this Satan? Where did he come from? Why is he so evil?

Before God created the earth, he created the heavens. There he created spirit persons. We call them "angels", which means "messengers", because that is the way they have been used toward us. Many people think that angels are humans who died and went to heaven, but the Bible describes them as applauding and praising God when the planet Earth was first created, long before anyone lived here. —Job 38.4a,7.

The Bible mentions three ranks of angels: cherubs, seraphs and ordinary angels. (Gen 3.24; Isa 6.2, 6; Acts 12.6-10) It does not explain much about these different kinds; no doubt someday we will learn much more. Cherubs appear to be the highest rank. (The Bible also mentions "the archangel", which means "chief angel." By definition, there can be only one. We will discuss him in Chapter 5.)

All that God creates is perfect*. He does not want evil, and so would never be the source of it. (Compare De 32.4, 5) So all the angels were created of excellent quality, fit for the position and service for which they were made. None of them were doomed or fated to fail.

Faithful angels do not want us to worship them. Twice, when the apostle John felt moved to kneel in worship before the angel who was showing him the Revelation, the angel rebuked him sharply, saying: "Be careful! Do not do that! All I am is a fellow slave of you and your brothers... Worship God!" —Rev 22:8, 9.

Unfortunately, long ago there was one angel who developed a different attitude. The Bible tells us that God created the first humans, Adam and Eve, in the beautiful paradise of Eden. Then He assigned a cherub to be there to watch over them. This cherub betrayed the trust placed in him. Because of his beauty, his heart became haughty, and he moved to have mankind serve him instead of their Creator. —see Ezekiel 28.13-17.

This was rebellion, treason! How could an angel have such ideas? He was not influenced by another rebel, since he apparently was the first. Certainly God would not have been the source of such bad thinking. No, Satan conceived this proud ambition within himself. God has given intelligent creatures the ability to discern right from wrong. This means we can by imagination alone see the possibility of wrong action. To do so is not bad; it is in fact inherent in intelligence. We prove our goodness by rejecting evil, not by being unaware of it. If instead we allow ourself to dwell on a wrong idea at length, exploring it mentally, we may find it tempting. For example, it is healthy to feel good about oneself and to take satisfaction in real accomplishments. Yet it can be only a short step from healthy self-esteem to narcissism, excessive pride, and selfishness. As shown by this angel who became Satan, thinking too much of oneself can cause a serious problem. —James 1.14, 15, Romans 12.1-3.

No matter how smart we feel, we should realize and accept that we do need guidance in knowing right from wrong. On our own, even with a perfectly clear mind, we may have insufficient awareness of all the factors to safely calculate the difference between a wise and a stupid decision. We think ahead for possible consequences of a choice, but as you no doubt know from experience, often not far enough.

Knowing this, God set about lovingly providing guidance to his new creation in Eden. First, to emphasize their need to trust him as their Instructor, he set aside one tree in the garden as ‘off limits’, so’s to speak, forbidding Adam and Eve to eat from it. This did not diminish their enjoyment of life; it merely served as a sign of God’s authority to tell them right from wrong. Just by looking at the tree, they could see no obvious reason why they should stay away from it; they would have to trust God and obey because he said so. If they appreciated that he had given them their beautiful home, each other, and a purpose in life, this would be easy to do. —Genesis 2.16, 17.

In his bid for power, Satan took advantage of this restriction and urged Eve to take from the tree and eat. To speak he used a modest, cautious animal, a snake, like a ventriloquist uses a dummy. Far from frightening Eve (no animals were dangerous in Eden) it was a cunningly disarming approach. He told her that she should break free from God and decide for herself how to live her life; "you will not die." But he was lying; his real aim was, not that she be free and have a better life, but to bring her under his influence. He was also slandering God, calling Him a liar. That is why Satan is also called the "Devil", which means "slanderer". —read Genesis 3.1-7 before continuing.

God did not ignore or excuse their rebellion. They had chosen independence, so he gave it to them: outside the paradise garden! And just as God had warned, they eventually died. —Gen 3.16-19, 23, 24, 5.5.

We can learn an important lesson from this. Have you noticed that when some people are told not to do something, they make it their aim to do that very thing? "Nobody can tell me what to do!" they shout. It is their philosophy in life that all rules are made to be broken, that all restrictions must be defied. Some call that human nature, and believe it is a normal impulse that will always be with us. Certainly children have the tendency to test limits placed upon them. But many people are maimed or killed because of stubbornly resisting authority or advice. So such an impulse must not be treated lightly.

It is especially deadly to have a rebellious attitude toward our Creator’s rules. For example, we could defy the law of gravity by stepping off a cliff, but it will hurt. The consequences of defying His moral laws are just as sure, but not usually so quick. Short-sighted persons may think they are getting away with it because it doesn't seem to hurt at first. Wiser persons can see further ahead; they also trust God, who can see forever. The Bible promises, "the meek shall inherit the earth." A "meek" person is respectful and submissive to God, not rebellious, determined to refuse all authority. So which choice will you make? Will you submit to God and inherit the whole planet as your home (shared with other good people), or would you rather be dead?

Do you feel like the American revolutionary who said, "Give me liberty or give me death"? We rightly resist being enslaved, but "slavery" to God is in fact true freedom. (see 1 Pet 2:16 and Rom 6:16-23) So let us be wise in our pursuit of liberty. In reaching out for "liberty", Eve got death. She lost the carefree life of peace and good health she had under God’s rule in Eden. God’s rules had not burdened her, and they will not burden us. We reach out for true liberty by letting God teach us how to live. Satan promises us freedom, but it is false. We must be able to see through his deceit and reject the "freedom" of those who reject God. (compare 2 Pet 2.18,19.) This false promise of freedom is still one of the principal ways Satan misleads people. He is so skilled at it that even those who do love God find it a challenge to resist the allure.

We also learn something about God from this. Many parents today make excuses or even laugh when their children are rebellious. These children later become serious problems for society, unless they learn discipline from some other source. God knew he could not just let this disobedience pass. We should be grateful that He believes in order in His family.

How Much Power Does Satan Have?

It is obvious that Satan’s influence is widespread. But many people assume that it is limited to criminals and low-lifes, drug addicts, drunks and prostitutes. Not at all. The Bible describes highly placed religious leaders as doing Satan’s work, for example, those who hated Jesus for telling the truth about their hypocrisy. Jesus boldly told them to their face: "You are from your father the Devil."— See John 8.42-47.

Nor should it surprise us in this day and time that political leaders often yield to the corrupting influence of this enemy of God. That is why the Bible can say: "the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one." (1 John 5.19) The Bible even calls Satan "the god of this system of things." (2 Corinthians 4.4) His power in the political world is so extensive that he could offer Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory" as a temptation.— Matt 4.8-10, Luke 4.5-8.

So when Jesus later said "my kingdom is no part of this world," (John 18.36) he did not simply mean his kingdom is not based on Earth. Rather, he meant it was not allied with any earthly kingdom, nor did it spring from such. This is a very important fact for us to keep in mind, if we are interested in being part of his kingdom. If we join ourselves in devoted allegiance to any "kingdom" (government) of this world, obeying it without question, we become part of the world. We will in time be led or pressed to do things in opposition to God. For example: those who shouted "Heil Hitler!" and sang the Nazi propaganda songs with all their heart, were in time led to do monstrous things against the Jewish people, and against Christians who did not bow before the State. Can it happen again? It already has, many times. In the end, which side will we be found on? —see John 17.14-16, James 4.4, Revelation 16.13,14, 19.19. (More on this in Chapter 11, "Loyalty to the Kingdom". We recommend you read Chapter 6, "Let Your Kingdom Come" first, for a clearer picture of what the Kingdom of God is.)

Satan’s influence also extended into heaven; other angels have joined him in abandoning God. Jude 6 mentions "angels that forsook their own proper dwelling place." Genesis 6.1-4 describes how this occurred: "the sons of God began to notice the daughters of men, and they went taking wives for themselves." The result was a violent, wicked world. These women bore as sons freakish giants, mighty men, called "Nephilim" in Hebrew, which in effect means big bullies, merciless tormenters and killers. Mankind’s survival came to be in grave danger. To protect those who would serve Him, God swept away that world by a great Flood. This killed the giants and all the other wicked people, but not the fallen angels. These are now called demons or wicked spirits. Although they are no longer permitted to materialize to bear children, they still work with Satan to influence men toward evil. They delight in seeing immorality. They take sadistic pleasure in seeing violent conflict and death. Yet, just like Satan did, they can also present themselves as kindly, helpful spirits. Do not be misled; once they get a grip, they often turn to tormenting their helpless victims. Only by heeding God’s advice can we be sure of protection from them. —2 Corinthians 11.13-14, Luke 11.24-26.

We cannot destroy Satan— only God can. Until he and his kind are out of the way, there will be no perfect world of peace and harmony. Jesus cast out demons, assuring us of God’s power over them. (For example, see Mark 5.1-20, Luke 11.14-22.) As for us, we can stand fast against Satan’s guile and intimidation personally. And we can exhort and inspire others to do the same. That will improve the world that little bit. But for Paradise, we must wait on God.

Why Has God Permitted Satan Such Power?

Satan has not achieved his power by pushing God aside; rather, God has allowed him to have it. Why? What good could ever come of that? It all goes back to the claims Satan made to Eve. Remember, he said we did not need God; we would enjoy life more without His control or guidance. God decided to let us find out for ourselves. We wanted freedom, so we got freedom. We thought we were being smart. He gave us the chance to prove it. What does history show? Have we conquered death? We haven’t even conquered the common cold! Rather, many millions have been cruelly slaughtered by war or slowly starved by oppression or corruption. Now we have reached the brink of the nuclear precipice. Are we smart or what?

In all of this God has not remained silent. He has kindly given us His word on right and wrong, and many have acknowledged the sense of it. Looking at history, insofar as men and nations have at times respected godly standards, there has been some success in enjoying life. But then the people get complacent and self-indulgent, and the cycle of societal decay and collapse returns, as is happening now. —Micah 6.8, Prov 14.12.

Satan has not helped mankind. He has not led us to peace and prosperity, because that is not in him. He gives riches and power for a while to those who do his bidding, then discards them when they cease to be useful. He sees us as mere animals. Those who are meek, trying to be human and humane, he exploits and crushes. God does not permit him to do everything he wants, else we really would be living in hell, as some say we are.* But we have come rather close to it at times, in some places. It is instructive to observe the dynamics of a despotic regime, where one man can impoverish and destroy his own nation, and his underlings, with shortsighted craven selfishness, help him do it, while the masses are powerless to stop him. This is Satan in miniature, and we should learn from it. We choose to experience these object lessons whenever we put improper confidence in a man, which we do with depressing regularity. God does not entirely protect us from ourselves. He has prevented us from rendering ourselves extinct, and he has interfered whenever we or Satan plotted to do anything that would hinder His purpose. He does provide some protection to those who take his side, but we are still subject to the environment of our times. Tragedy can befall us, and we cannot always say that Satan directly caused it; God allows good people to have accidents also. And he does allow Satan to test our dedication with persecution. Rather than assume God does not care about us, we see these trials as opportunities to demonstrate the quality of our convictions.

This leads us to the other reason God did not crush the rebels on the spot. His own honor was involved. If he had killed Adam and Eve, he would have wiped out 100% of the human race. That would have in effect been an admission before the angels that this particular creation was defective; humankind was a failure that had to be scrapped and replaced. But God does not create faulty things; he had confidence in the quality of his work. True, those two had used their grant of free will to make a bad choice, but God was sure that did not mean all humans would. By permitting Adam and Eve to live and have children, he lovingly has given us, their descendents, an opportunity to take our stand on this issue. How well have you been doing with it so far? If we appreciate our Creator and all the goodness that he stands for, we will do our very best to obey him, and not weakly submit to base impulses. In doing this, we honor God. Yes, we can make him glad, as Proverbs 27:11 says: "Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me."

By now the issue has been proven: people can be loyal to God, even when under pressure, and living independently of the Creator does not work. Does this need to go on like this forever? No! And that is one of the main reasons for the Bible: to assure us that this period of suffering will be brought to an end, not when we destroy ourselves, but when God has decided that the time is right. And that time is very soon. Are you ready? (See chapters 8 and 9 for details.)

Escaping Satan’s Control: How To Become Truly Free

How can we become ready? In this regard, Jesus made a very important statement at John 17.3: "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Again, at John 8.32: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Satan knows that knowing the truth about God will set us free— of him! So it is very important to him to prevent you from learning this truth. He will try to keep you from reading the Bible, perhaps by distracting you with many other opportunities: don’t you need to work overtime? shouldn’t you go to school nights? don’t you deserve to lie back and relax on weekends? aren’t you too tired to pick up the Bible in the evening? let’s go play games down at the arcade. And on and on. He will employ well-meaning friends. He will use ridicule, he will use smooth talk, he will use anything, as long as it works. —see Matt 10.22, 36, 37; 13.19-23.

He has even used preachers, who may say, "Reading the Bible will confuse you, just come to church, listen to me explain it for you." This allows that preacher to tell you anything he wants, whether it be in line with the written Word or not. "Oh," you say, "that kind preacher doesn’t want me to get confused. I’m very grateful for his concern. He’s been to college to learn it right and surely I should trust him." That kind preacher isn’t the kind God sends out if he discourages you from checking what he says against the Book. In contrast, Paul, a zealous Christian preacher, was delighted when people took enough interest in what he was preaching to check it out in their Bibles. —Acts 17.11.

There are many other wily ways Satan will try to separate you from knowledge of God. One of the smoothest is to have people say to you, "All you need is the Bible. Read it by yourself and you will learn all you need." That sounds good, doesn’t it? Yet if you read the Bible (and most people who succumb to this reasoning never seem to get around to it) you will eventually learn that that is not what it says. At Romans 10.14, 15 it points out that God sends out people to preach the good news. He would not do that if we did not need their help, would he? At Acts 8.26-35 we read the story of a man who was reading his Bible, but he couldn’t understand what it meant. God sent a disciple of Jesus to help him, which help he humbly accepted. God knows that you too need the help of trustworthy people who have learned the Bible before you. Satan says, "You don’t need help." God says, "Yes, you do."

But who can you trust to really help you? There are so many who are eager to teach you their interpretation of the Bible. It can be very confusing and discouraging to listen to them all. Many have simply given up trying. This confusion is yet again one of Satan’s cunning ploys to keep you away from God. But God encourages us to keep looking: "Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find." (Matt 7.7; see also vs 11) God himself will help our heartfelt, sincere efforts to come to know him.

Jesus knew we would face this problem of false teachers, so he gave some advice: "Be on the watch for the false prophets; by their fruits you will recognise them." (read Matt 7.15-23) So we can discern between true and false Christians by looking at their "fruits": their behavior, and the results of their behavior. Do they promote peace? Do they honor God? Are they loving? —John 13.35.

As with anything else worth doing, this needs to be done carefully. Remember 2 Corinthians 11.13-15: "Satan keeps transforming himself into an angel of light; it is therefore nothing great if his ministers [seem to be] ministers of righteousness." And Jesus said they would come "in sheep’s covering." If we are careless, we will be deceived.

On the other hand, those who are God’s workers will be subject to a campaign of slander. Satan will use every sort of lie to make them look bad, to induce earnest people to reject them. Remember that Jesus was called a drunken glutton who spent time with whores. (Matt 11.19, Luke 5.29, 30) Or Satan will have people say, "They’re a cult! They’ll take everything you have, including your soul!" It is prudent to be cautious: cults do exist. But Satan will have achieved his aim if by using such scare tactics he can frighten you away from the people who can help you. So you have to be careful about giving credence to stories people tell about others. As the Bible says, "Anyone inexperienced puts faith in every word." —Prov 14:15; see also 2 Cor 6.3-10, Acts 28.22.

One more way that Satan has successfully prevented persons from escaping him is by inducing them to develop an attachment to some activity that is displeasing to God. For example, many video games are extremely violent, yet you may have grown to enjoy them very much. If then you begin to learn about God, you will soon find out how he feels about that (Ps 11.5). You are then faced with a decision. Satan thinks he knows what you will choose. Will you prove him wrong?

Sometimes the attachment is more than emotional: it may be chemical, an addiction. Nicotine, cocaine, heroin, and many other substances have a powerful grip. These too act as the chains of Satan. Even the ungodly world recognizes the harm in these drugs; how do you think God feels about them? For a clue, see 2 Cor 7.1.

At 1 Peter 5:8 we are advised: "Keep your senses, be watchful. Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone." Lions target the weak and the young, those they can take down easily. Likewise Satan aims for those just learning about God, whose knowledge may not be sufficient for them to answer all the cunning arguments and temptations he throws at them. —compare Acts 13.6-10, 45.

A Friend Who Will Help

Do not be discouraged if you see that the path to everlasting life is harder than you thought. First, remember where it leads: to life eternal in a paradise world, with plenty of exciting and interesting things to do, places to go, things to see, beautiful people to do it all with, along with the intimate friendship with the Supreme Creator. And, consider the alternative: all other roads lead to death. —compare Matt 7.13, 14.

And do not exaggerate the difficulty in your mind. The Bible reassures: "Oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4.7) That doesn’t mean he will give up, but it does mean you can succeed in standing firm against him. The Bible says: "take your stand against him, solid in the faith, knowing that the same things in the way of sufferings are being accomplished in the entire association of your brothers in the world." Yes, many others are standing firm, and they can help us too. Associate with these "brothers" and gain strength. —1 Pet 5.9.

Also, Ephesians 6.11-18 says you must put on a "suit of armor" supplied by God. The illustration below lists the various pieces and their purpose. Begin at once to put this armor on. Then you will be "able to resist in the wicked day" (whenever Satan attacks).

	helmet----Hope of salvation: having mind on godly things protects thinking
	breastplate----Protect heart (conscience) by doing only right, no hypocrisy allowed
	shield----Faith means trusting God to be true, gives confident purpose that deflects arrows of doubt, fear or temptation.
	sword----Knowledge of God’s inspired word enables one to cut through false reasoning.
	girdle----Devotion to truth supports the ‘vital organs’, gives sureness of movement in the fight.
	feet----Soldier of God moves steadily with endurance waging peace, preaching the Good News.
Spiritual armor against Satan

Do not forget the last part of defensive equipment mentioned: prayer. A soldier who is isolated, cut off from his leaders, is an easy target. For a more complete discussion of prayer, as well as how to overcome bad habits, see Chapter 13, "Wisdom From God to Guide Your Life."

God is patient, merciful, and willing to help. He wants you to succeed. Peter concluded: "But, after you have suffered a little while, the God of all undeserved kindness, who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish your training, he will make you firm, he will make you strong." (1 Pet 5.10; see also verses 6, 7) God is "near to all those calling upon him, to all who call on him in trueness... their cry for help he will hear, and he will save them." (Psalms 145.14-20) Have faith that this is true. Satan is an enemy, but God is a friend who will help.
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Job 38.4a,7
Where were you when I founded the earth?
7 When the morning stars joyfully cried out together, and all the sons of God began shouting in applause.

Gen 3.24
So he drove the man out and posted at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubs and the flaming blade of a sword that was turning itself continually to guard the way to the tree of life.

Isa 6.2,6
Seraphs were standing above him. Each one had six wings. With two he kept his face covered, and with two he kept his feet covered, and with two he would fly about. At that, one of the seraphs flew to me, and in his hand there was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs off the altar.

Acts 12.6-10
Now when Herod was about to produce him, that night Peter was sleeping bound with two chains between two soldiers, and guards before the door were keeping the prison. But, look! Jehovah’s angel stood by, and a light shone in the prison cell. Striking Peter on the side, he roused him, saying: "Rise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. The angel said to him: "Gird yourself and bind your sandals on." He did so. Finally he said to him: "Put your outer garment on and keep following me." And he went out and kept following him, but he did not know that what was happening through the angel was real. In fact, he supposed he was seeing a vision. Going through the first sentinel guard and the second they got to the iron gate leading into the city, and this opened to them of its own accord. And after they went out they advanced down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

Genesis 1:30
“And to every wild beast of the earth and to every flying creature of the heavens and to everything moving upon the earth in which there is life as a soul I have given all green vegetation for food.” And it came to be so.

De 32.4,5
The Rock, perfect is his activity, For all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; Righteous and upright is he. They have acted ruinously on their own part; They are not his children, the defect is their own. A generation crooked and twisted!

Genesis 1:3-26
And God said: “Let light come to be.” Then there came to be light. And God saw that the light was good, and God brought about a division between the light and the darkness. And God began calling the light Day, but the darkness he called Night. And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a first day. [It would be easy to assume that this means God here started the Earth turning, causing our familiar 24-hour days and nights, which then controlled the timing of the rest of creation, so that it was all done in less than a week. That would, however, be a mistaken assumption.]
Then God said: “Let an expanse come to be in between the waters and let a dividing occur between the waters and the waters.” So God made the expanse, making a division between the waters below the expanse and the waters above the expanse. And it came to be so. And God began to call the expanse Heaven [or Sky]. And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a second day.
Then God said: “Let the waters under the heavens be brought together into one place and let the dry land appear.” And it came to be so. And God began calling the dry land Earth, but the bringing together of the waters he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said: “Let the earth cause grass to sprout, vegetation bearing seed, fruit trees yielding fruit according to their kinds, the seed of which is in it, upon the earth.” And it came to be so. The earth began to put forth grass, vegetation bearing seed according to its kind and trees yielding fruit, the seed of which is in it according to its kind. Then God saw that it was good; and there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a third day.
Then God said: “Let luminaries come to be in the expanse of the heavens [be visible in the sky] to make a division between the day and the night; and they must serve as signs and for seasons and for days and years. And they must serve as luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to shine upon the earth.” And it came to be so. God went making the two great luminaries [appear], the greater luminary for dominating the day and the lesser luminary for dominating the night, and also the stars. So God put them in the sky to shine upon the earth, to dominate by day and by night and to make a division between the light and the darkness. Then God saw that it was good; and there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a fourth day. [Note, the word used was "make," not "create," so this is not saying that the sun, moon and stars are younger than the Earth; it just means that viewed from the ground, these luminaries became distinctly discernable. Their diffuse light was already visible, from the first day.]
Then God said: “Let the waters swarm forth living souls, and let flying creatures fly over the earth upon the face of the expanse of the heavens.” So God went creating the great sea monsters and every living soul that moves about, which the waters swarmed forth according to their kinds, and every winged flying creature according to its kind. And God got to see that it was good. With that God blessed them, saying: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the waters in the sea, and let the flying creatures become many in the earth.” And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a fifth day.
Then God said: “Let the earth put forth living souls according to their kinds, domestic animal and moving animal and wild beast of the earth according to its kind.” And it came to be so. God went making the wild beast of the earth according to its kind and the domestic animal according to its kind and every moving animal of the ground according to its kind. And God got to see that it was good.
And God went on to say: “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness . . .”

Genesis 4:17
Afterward Cain [1st generation] had intercourse with his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch [second generation]. Then he worked on building a city and called the city by the name of his son Enoch. Later there was born to Enoch Irad [third generation]. And Irad became father to Mehujael [fourth], and Mehujael became father to Methushael [fifth], and Methushael became father to Lamech [sixth]. And Lamech proceeded to take two wives for himself. The name of the first was Adah and the name of the second was Zillah. In time Adah gave birth to Jabal [seventh generation]. He proved to be the founder of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. And the name of his brother was Jubal. He proved to be the founder of all those who handle the harp and the pipe. As for Zillah, she too gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of every sort of tool of copper and iron.

Ezekiel 28.13-17
In Eden, the garden of God, you proved to be. Every precious stone was your covering, ruby, topaz and jasper; chrys'o·lite, onyx and jade; sapphire, turquoise and emerald; and of gold was the workmanship of your settings and your sockets in you. In the day of your being created they were made ready. You are the anointed cherub that is covering, and I have set you. On the holy mountain of God you proved to be. In the midst of fiery stones you walked about. You were faultless in your ways from the day of your being created until unrighteousness was found in you. Because of the abundance of your sales goods they filled the midst of you with violence, and you began to sin. And I shall put you as profane out of the mountain of God, and I shall destroy you, O cherub that is covering, from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart became haughty because of your beauty. You brought your wisdom to ruin on account of your beaming splendor. Onto the earth I will throw you. Before kings I will set you, [for them] to look upon you.

James 1.14,15
But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.

Romans 12:1-3
I entreat you by the compassions of God, brothers, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason. And stop being shaped by this system of things, rather, be transformed by making your minds over, that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Through the undeserved kindness shown me I tell everyone there among you not to think more of himself than it is necessary to think, but to think so as to have a sound mind, each one as God has distributed to him a measure of faith.

Genesis 2.16,17
And Jehovah God also laid this command upon the man: "From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die."

Genesis 3.1-5
Now the serpent was the most cautious of the beasts that God had made. So it began to say to the woman: "Is it really so that God said ‘You must not eat from every tree of the garden?’" At this the woman said to the serpent: "Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. But as for the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it that you do not die.’" Then the serpent said to the woman: "You positively will not die. For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you will become like God, knowing good and bad." Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something to be longed for by the eyes, yes, the tree was desirable to look upon. So she began taking of its fruit and eating it. Later she gave some of it to her husband when he was with her, and he began eating it also. Then their eyes became opened and they began to realize that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made loin coverings for themselves.
[Note: they were not blind before they ate, so this refers to feeling exposed, in other words, feeling guilty.]

Genesis 3:16-19, 23, 24:
To the woman he said: "I shall greatly increase the pain of your pregnancy; in birth pangs you will bring forth children, and your craving will be for your husband, and he will dominate you." And to Adam he said: "Because you listened to your wife’s voice and took to eating from the tree concerning which I gave you this command, ‘You must not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground on your account. In pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life. And thorns and thistles it will grow for you, and you must eat the vegetation of the field. In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return." With that Jehovah God put him out of the garden of Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken. And so he drove the man out and posted at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubs and the flaming blade of a sword that was turning itself continually to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 5:5
So all the days of Adam that he lived amounted to nine hundred and thirty years and he died.

1 Pet 2:16
Be as a free people,and yet holding your freedom, not as a cover for badness, but as slaves of God.
Rom 6:16-23
Do you not know that if you keep presenting yourselves to anyone as slaves to obey him, you are his slaves because you obey him: either [as slaves] of sin with death in view or of obedience [to God] with righteousness in view? But thanks be to God that although you were slaves of sin you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were handed over [or sold as slave]. Yes, since you were set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness... even as you [formerly] presented your [body] members as slaves to uncleanness and lawlessness... so now present your members as slaves to righteousness... What was the fruit that you used to have at that time? Things of which you are now ashamed. For the end of those things is death. However now, because you were set free from sin but became slaves of God, you are having your fruit in the way of holiness, and in the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is everlasting life, through Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Pet 2.18,19
For they utter swelling expressions of no profit, and by the desires of the flesh and by loose habits they entice those who are just escaping from people who conduct themselves in error. While they are promising them freedom, they themselves are existing as slaves of corruption. For whoever is overcome by another is enslaved by this one.

John 8.42-47
Jesus said to them: "If God were your Father, you would love me, for from God I came forth and am here. Neither have I come of my own initiative at all, but that One sent me forth. Why is it you do not know what I am speaking? Because you cannot listen to my word. You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of [the lie]. Because I, on the other hand, tell the truth, you do not believe me. Who of you convicts me of sin? If I speak truth, why is it you do not believe me? He that is from God listens to the sayings of God. This is why you do not listen, because you are not from God.

1 John 5.19
We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the [power of the] wicked one.

2 Corinthians 4.4
Among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through.

Matt 4.8-10
Again the Devil took him along to an unusually high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him: “All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.” Then Jesus said to him: “Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’”

Luke 4.5-8
So he brought him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in an instant of time; and the Devil said to him: "I will give you all this authority and the glory of them, because it has been delivered to me, and to whomever I wish I give it. You, therefore, if you do an act of worship before me, it will all be yours." In reply Jesus said to him: "It is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’"

John 18.36
Jesus answered: "My kingdom is no part of this world. If my kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is not from this source."

John 17.14-16
I have given your word to them, but the world has hated them, because they are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world. I request you, not to take them out of the world, but to watch over them because of the wicked one. They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.

James 4.4
Adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.

Rev 16:13,14
And I saw three unclean inspired expressions [that looked] like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and perform signs, and they go forth to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty.
Rev 19:19
And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage the war with the one seated on the horse and with his army.

Jude 6
And the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.

Gen 6.1-4
Now it came about that when men started to grow in numbers on the surface of the ground and daughters were born to them, then the sons of the [true] God began to notice the daughters of men, that they were good-looking; and they went taking wives for themselves, namely, all whom they chose. After that Jehovah said: "My spirit shall not act toward man indefinitely in that he is also flesh. Accordingly his days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years." The Neph'i·lim proved to be in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of the [true] God continued to have relations with the daughters of men and they bore sons to them, they were the mighty ones who were of old, the men of fame.

2 Corinthians 11.13-14
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light.

Luke 11.24-26
When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through parched places in search of a resting-place, and, after finding none, it says, ‘I will return to my house out of which I moved.’ And on arriving it finds it swept clean and adorned. Then it goes its way and takes along seven different spirits more wicked than itself, and, after getting inside, they dwell there; and the final circumstances of that man become worse than the first.

Mark 5.1-20
Well, they got to the other side of the sea into the country of the Ger'a·senes. And immediately after he got out of the boat a man under the power of an unclean spirit met him from among the memorial tombs. He had his haunt among the tombs; and up to that time absolutely nobody was able to bind him fast even with a chain, because he had oftentimes been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains were snapped apart by him and the fetters were actually smashed; and nobody had the strength to subdue him. And continually, night and day, he was crying out in the tombs and in the mountains and slashing himself with stones. But on catching sight of Jesus from a distance he ran and did obeisance to him, and, when he had cried out with a loud voice, he said: "What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I put you under oath by God not to torment me." For he had been telling it: "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit." But he began to ask him: "What is your name?" And he said to him: "My name is Legion, because there are many of us." And he entreated him many times not to send the spirits out of the country. Now a great herd of swine was there at the mountain feeding. So they entreated him, saying: "Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them." And he permitted them. With that the unclean spirits came out and entered into the swine; and the herd rushed over the precipice into the sea, about two thousand of them, and they drowned one after another in the sea. But the herders of them fled and reported it in the city and in the countryside; and people came to see what it was that had happened. So they came to Jesus, and they beheld the demon-possessed [man] sitting clothed and in his sound mind, this [man] that had had the legion; and they grew fearful. Also, those who had seen it related to them how this had happened to the demon-possessed [man] and about the swine. And so they started to entreat him to go away from their districts. Now as he was boarding the boat, the [man] that had been demon-possessed began entreating him that he might continue with him. However, he did not let him, but said to him: "Go home to your relatives, and report to them all the things Jehovah has done for you and the mercy he had on you." And he went away and started to proclaim in the De·cap'o·lis all the things Jesus did for him, and all the people began to wonder.

Luke 11.14-22
Later he was expelling a dumb demon. After the demon came out, the dumb man spoke. And the crowds marveled. But certain ones of them said: "He expels the demons by means of Beelzebub the ruler of the demons." However, others, to tempt him, began seeking a sign out of heaven from him. Knowing their imaginations he said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself comes to desolation, and a house [divided] against itself falls. So if Satan is also divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I expel the demons by means of Beelzebub. If it is by means of Beelzebub I expel the demons, by whom do your sons expel them? Because of this they will be judges of you. But if it is by means of God’s finger I expel the demons, the kingdom of God has really overtaken you. When a strong man, well armed, guards his palace, his belongings continue in peace. But when someone stronger than he is comes against him and conquers him, he takes away his full armament in which he was trusting, and he divides out the things he despoiled him of.

Micah 6.8
He has told you, O earthling man, what is good. And what is Jehovah asking back from you but to exercise justice and to love kindness and to be modest in walking with your God?

Prov 14.12
There exists a way that is upright before a man, but the ways of death are the end of it afterward.

Matt 10.22,36,37
And you will be objects of hatred by all people on account of my name; but he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. Indeed, a man’s enemies will be persons of his own household. He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me.

Matt 13.19-23
Where anyone hears the word of the kingdom but does not get the sense of it, the wicked one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart; this is the one sown alongside the road. As for the one sown upon the rocky places, this is the one hearing the word and at once accepting it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself but continues for a time, and after tribulation or persecution has arisen on account of the word he is at once stumbled. As for the one sown among the thorns, this is the one hearing the word, but the anxiety of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. As for the one sown upon the fine soil, this is the one hearing the word and getting the sense of it, who really does bear fruit and produces, this one a hundredfold, that one sixty, the other thirty.

Acts 17.11
Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thes·sa·lo·ni'ca, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.

Romans 10.14
However, how will they call on him in whom they have not put faith? How, in turn, will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach? How, in turn, will they preach unless they have been sent forth? Just as it is written: "How comely are the feet of those who declare good news of good things!"

Acts 8.26-35
However, Jehovah’s angel spoke to Philip, saying: "Rise and go to the south to the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.) With that he rose and went, and, look! an Ethiopian eunuch, a man in power under Can·da'ce queen of the Ethiopians, and who was over all her treasure. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, but he was returning and was sitting in his chariot and reading aloud the prophet Isaiah. So the spirit said to Philip: "Approach and join yourself to this chariot." Philip ran alongside and heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet, and he said: "Do you actually know what you are reading?" He said: "Really, how could I ever do so, unless someone guided me?" And he entreated Philip to get on and sit down with him. Now the passage of Scripture that he was reading aloud was this: "As a sheep he was brought to the slaughter, and as a lamb that is voiceless before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. During his humiliation the judgment was taken away from him. Who will tell the details of his generation? Because his life is taken away from the earth." In answer the eunuch said to Philip: "I beg you, About whom does the prophet say this? About himself or about some other man?" Philip opened his mouth and, starting with this Scripture, he declared to him the good news about Jesus.

Matt 7.7, 11
Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you. . . 11 Therefore, if you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those asking him?

Matt 7.15-23
Be on the watch for the false prophets that come to you in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit; a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire. Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those [men]. "Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!

John 13.35
By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.

Matt 11.19
The Son of man did come eating and drinking, still people say, ‘Look! A man gluttonous and given to drinking wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ All the same, wisdom is proved righteous by its works.

Luke 5.29,30
Also, Levi spread a big reception feast for him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were with them reclining at the meal. At this the Pharisees and their scribes began murmuring to his disciples, saying: "Why is it you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

Prov 14:15
Anyone inexperienced puts faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps.

2 Corinthians 6:3-10
In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, that our ministry might not be found fault with; but in every way we recommend ourselves as God’s ministers, by the endurance of much, by tribulations, by cases of need, by difficulties, by beatings, by prisons, by disorders, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times without food, by purity, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by holy spirit, by love free from hypocrisy, by truthful speech, by God’s power; through the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, through glory and dishonor, through bad report and good report; as deceivers and yet truthful, as being unknown and yet being recognized, as dying and yet, look! we live, as disciplined and yet not delivered to death, as sorrowing but ever rejoicing, as poor but making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

Acts 28:22
But we think it proper to hear from you what your thoughts are, for truly as regards this sect it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.

Psalms 11:5
Jehovah himself examines the righteous one as well as the wicked one, and anyone loving violence His soul certainly hates.

2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, since we have these promises, beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God’s fear.

Acts 13:6-10, 45
When they had gone through the whole island as far as Pa'phos, they met up with a certain man, a sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, and he was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. Calling Barnabas and Saul to him, this man earnestly sought to hear the word of God. But El'y·mas the sorcerer.... began opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Saul, who is also Paul, becoming filled with holy spirit, looked at him intently and said: "O man full of every sort of fraud and every sort of villainy, you son of the Devil, you enemy of everything righteous, will you not quit distorting the right ways of Jehovah?" ... When the Jews got sight of the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began blasphemously contradicting the things being spoken by Paul.

Matthew 7:13
Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.

James 4:7
Subject yourselves, therefore, to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 5:9
But take your stand against him, solid in the faith, knowing that the same things in the way of sufferings are being accomplished in the entire association of your brothers in the world.

Ephesians 6:11-18
Put on the complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations of the Devil; because we have a wrestling, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places. On this account take up the complete suit of armor from God, that you may be able to resist in the wicked day and, after you have done all things thoroughly, to stand firm. Stand firm, therefore, with your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and with your feet shod with the equipment of the good news of peace. Above all things, take up the large shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the wicked one’s burning missiles. Also, accept the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, that is, God’s word, while with every form of prayer and supplication you carry on prayer on every occasion in spirit. And to that end keep awake with all constancy and with supplication in behalf of all the holy ones.

1 Peter 5:6,7,10
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; while you throw all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you. . . But, after you have suffered a little while, the God of all undeserved kindness, who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish your training, he will make you firm, he will make you strong.

Psalms 145:14
Jehovah is giving support to all who are falling, and is raising up all who are bowed down. To you the eyes of all look hopefully, and you are giving them their food in its season. You are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing. Jehovah is righteous in all his ways and loyal in all his works. Jehovah is near to all those calling upon him, to all those who call upon him in trueness. The desire of those fearing him he will perform, and their cry for help he will hear, and he will save them. Jehovah is guarding all those loving him, but all the wicked ones he will annihilate.