Satan-worshipers are getting bolder. The Grammy Awards this year featured a presentation of a song titled “Unholy” by performers dressed as the devil and his demons. The number of public schools in America hosting “Satan clubs” has been increasing. The number of people openly identifying as Satanists is growing.

These trends get headlines and have many people concerned. Such blatant evil signals the depth of moral and spiritual sickness of our society. Please read our feature story in this Trumpet issue, “The Dangerous Rise of Demonism.” We also have an article about how Satan is using popular music to reach many people today, especially youths (along with our infographic).

Yet the real threat that Satan and his demons pose in our world goes far beyond the obvious examples.

Very few people really understand the devil described in the Bible. This is a being with tremendous power. Isaiah 14 says he made the Earth to tremble and he shakes kingdoms and empires. Different translations of verse 12 call him “crusher of nations” (Emphasized Bible) and say that he “didst lay low the nations” (American Standard Version) and “enslaved the nations” (The Jerusalem Bible).

That is a much bigger problem than a single perverse performance at an awards show. This powerful spirit being is, in fact, “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Revelation 12:9 warns that he has deceived the whole world! So few people today understand this!

How can we be free from this powerful monster? How can we face and deal with him? The Bible answers.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). If you just submit to God, Satan will flee. That’s quite a power God gives you and me—especially considering what the Bible reveals about the devil’s immense power. We don’t have to fear him if we use God’s power.

Beast Powers

Revelation 13 discusses a political power that has dominated the world scene throughout history. It is described in symbol as a beast with seven heads and 10 horns. This represents the world-ruling Roman Empire. It started in 31 b.c. It absorbed all the empires that preceded it and occupied their territory. Compare verse 2 of this chapter with Daniel 7, and you see the components of those other empires: the head of the lion, representing the Babylonian Empire; the legs of the bear, symbolizing the Persian Empire; the swiftness, cunning and cruelty of the leopard, which symbolized Alexander’s Greco-Macedonian Empire. So God used familiar animals to represent the first three dominant empires. But for the Roman Empire, He combined all those animals into one monster. No single beast on Earth adequately defined the Roman Empire.

“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast” (Revelation 13:3). This wound was inflicted in a.d. 476, when the Roman Empire was defeated, and healed in a.d. 554, with the Imperial Restoration—and it became the Holy Roman Empire, receiving the blessing of the Roman Catholic Church and combining the religious element with the political-military empire. Other prophecies show there would be seven resurrections of this beast—and the seventh and final of these resurrections is about to burst on the world scene.

“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (verse 4). Every indication is that this rising European power will be more powerful than America, China and Russia. How is that possible? It’s because they worship the devil! This gives them special power. Your Bible says they will become the superpower of superpowers!

This is a prophecy about a European superpower that we must be aware of. It is going to come on the scene and wreak havoc for 3½ years—after which God will smash it!

Prince of Persia

The book of Daniel was recorded 2,500 years ago, yet it is prophecy for this end time—our time today. Daniel 10:14 records the archangel Gabriel saying, “Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come” (New King James Version). Daniel 12:4 and 9 also show that this prophetic book is only for today. Daniel himself didn’t understand what his prophecy was about! But God has revealed this truth in our day, and you can understand it.

We need to know what this book says about Satan the devil.

The Bible speaks of three archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer. Lucifer rebelled against God and became Satan the devil.

As Gabriel was delivering this prophecy to Daniel, he said, “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days …” (Daniel 10:13). No man could withstand the mighty Gabriel! This is talking about Satan, fighting Gabriel, trying to stop this prophecy from being delivered!

Why did Gabriel call Satan “the prince of the kingdom of Persia”? The kingdom of Persia in this prophecy is the Medo-Persian Empire. Satan is called the prince of Persia because he had that much control over that world-ruling Empire!

Verse 13 continues: “[B]ut, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.” Michael had to come and help Gabriel overthrow Satan the devil. Satan fights with a mighty army of millions of demons!

Verse 20 speaks of “the prince of Grecia,” which the context shows is referring to Alexander the Great, who ruled the Greco-Macedonian Empire. At the time of this prophecy, Satan hadn’t yet gotten control of Alexander. But he did later, and Alexander eventually died at the age of 32 in drunken debauchery.

God allows Satan to get control of men if they give themselves over to him. The devil is going to gain control of this beast power now rising in Europe. Prophecy shows he will directly control the leader of that empire. This is amazing prophecy we must understand!

Lucifer to Satan

Ezekiel 28:12 begins a passage directed to “the king of Tyrus”: “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” This begins talking about a human king, but then speaks of a being “full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty,” who was in “the garden of God” (verse 13). That couldn’t be a man. This is describing Lucifer, who became Satan the devil. But it shows that the king it begins talking about was possessed by the devil! And the devil can still possess people today. Imagine the power a man can have when Satan dominates him like that—particularly if he controls a lot of military armaments.

Verse 14 reads, “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.” Lucifer covered the throne of God. He was there watching and learning from God for eons. Then God gave him governance over Earth, along with one third of the angels. At first, they rejoiced in their duty.

“Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity [or lawlessness] was found in thee” (verse 15). At some point, Lucifer rebelled and persuaded those angels to follow him. He became Satan. He is lawless! And he influences people on Earth into lawlessness. We must beware this powerful being!

“By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned …” (verse 16). Satan is filled with violence, and he fills the Earth with violence! Do you see violence in this world? Oh, do we ever! That is the work of the god of this world.

“[T]hou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more” (verse 19). Satan truly is a terror to this world! He’s the world’s number one terrorist! How many people really believe that? Look at this world: It is getting more terrorized every day—to a frightening degree!

But, as that verse reveals, God is going to destroy this evil so he will never be a problem again.

The Prophet Isaiah recorded a companion passage in Isaiah 14. This records Lucifer as saying, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (verse 14). This being had the audacity to try to overthrow God Himself! And he did so again recently in this end time. So God cast him to Earth. Now, he and all those demons are confined here. No wonder our world is so overwhelmed with crises! (Revelation 12:7-9, 12).

Isaiah 14:16 asks: “… Is this the man [should read, the one] that made the Earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms …?” Satan makes the Earth tremble. He shakes this world!

Genesis 1:2 describes Earth’s condition after the first war in heaven and Satan was cast down: “And the Earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” Earth was destroyed!

Beyond that, much damage was done in the universe. When God created it, the universe was well structured and quite beautiful. But when Satan rebelled, he not only destroyed the Earth, he destroyed the face of the universe! What power the devil has.

“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22). Because of the devil’s rebellion, the universe is groaning in pain, waiting to be freed by the sons of God, led by Jesus Christ and God the Father (verse 21).

When God cast Satan out of the heavens, the heavens rejoiced just to have him gone. The Earth is suffering, but very shortly, we too will be rejoicing in the same way; in a few years, our suffering will be over!

Daniel 8 fills in more detail about how Satan will influence events in this end time. Verse 24 speaks of the physical leader of that rising European power: “And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.” This verse shows that Satan will actually possess this man. That leader’s power will come from the devil!

But God is going to end this evil rebellion. This man will attempt to go up against Jesus Christ, “but he shall be broken without hand” (verse 25). Thank God for that hope-filled conclusion!

Something really special is happening on this Earth today. It’s exciting to be alive at this time because so much is happening. Ninety percent of the prophecies of God are being fulfilled today in this last end. And it shows that right now, Satan is in a frothing rage because he knows his time is just about over (Revelation 12:12).

We are no match for the devil. But the devil is no match for God. Understand just how formidable the devil is and draw on God’s power to resist him—and you can conquer the devil in your own life!

To learn more about how to conquer the devil, request our free booklets Overcoming Satan and How to Be an Overcomer.