John 13:26, 2 7 – “So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.  After the morsel, Satan then entered into him.”
This verse is about the last supper of Jesus with His disciples and the way Satan entered into Judas.  Jesus pictures Judas Iscariot as a devil.  Jesus said in John 6:70,  “Did I myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?”   In the Bible we can notice different kinds of influences by Satan. The influence of Satan started with the temptation of Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 3.  As we all know, God had planned the crucifixion of Jesus for the redemption of Adam and Eve and the entire humanity from sin so that we can be with God in eternity.

  Jesus healed many who were possessed by demons.  “When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill” (Matthew 8:16).  According to  Mark chapter 3, The demons cast out from one person entered into 2000 pigs.  The influence of Satan is out there always with the intention of blocking our redemption.   A demon wants a body to live in just like the demons from one person asked the permission of Jesus to enter into 2000 pigs.  A person may not be possessed by the demons all the time, but the influence of Satan is always out there with the intention of, fooling us, trapping us and destroying us.

What are some situations that can bring the influence of Satan?
1)Through betrayal -The devil had already put into the heart of Judas the idea of betraying Jesus (John 13:2).  Judas agreed with the high priests to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.  He became Satan’s agent willfully, and since then he waited for an opportunity.  How  Satan made him end his life is tragic and terrifying (Matthew 26:14-16).  The thought of betraying anyone is coming from Satan.  If you entertain that thought in your mind, Satan will make that happen.  If you uproot it from the very beginning, Satan will leave you.

2) Through our Greed Satan can influence us.  Six days before the Passover when Jesus was at the house of Lazarus, Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with a very costly perfume.  Judas spoke against it and suggested to give that money to the poor (John chapter 12).   Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.  For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me” (John 12:7, 8).  Judas said it not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he handled the money box and stole from it (John 12:6).
The desire of stealing and accumulating money is coming from Satan.  When we entertain that thought too much, Satan will make you do it. It is insisted in Leviticus 25:35-37 that we should not lend money or silver for interest.  Charging interest for the money lent to a poor person is a sin.  God expects everyone who have excess money to distribute it to the poor in order to inherit the kingdom of God.  This is clear from what Jesus said to the rich young ruler in Matthew chapter 19.

3)Satan can influence us by receiving the holy communion unprepared.
In 1st Corinthians 11:27-30, Paul is warning us of the negative consequences of taking the holy communion without sanctification.  “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (Verse 27).
 “Bu a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (Verse 28).  During the last supper, Jesus blessed the bread and gave it to them saying it was his body. Similarly he blessed the wine and gave it to them saying it was his blood.  Judas ate the bread and drank the wine with a betraying and greedy heart.  Satan entered in him immediately.  We should not receive the holy communion with a sinful heart. I have noticed some men who abuse alcohol before and after receiving the holy communion. Satan enters in people like that because they abuse the body and blood of Jesus intentionally.  They give chance to family feuds, mental trauma to wife and children, unhappy relationship and divorce. 

4)Jealousy brings the influence of Satan.  The high priests, the Pharisees and the Sadducees were jealous about the popularity of Jesus. Jesus mingled with the ordinary people, heard their problems, ate with them, cast out demons from them, and performed hundreds of miracles according to their everyday needs while their traditional leaders sat in the highest places in the synagogue and desired to be honored by them.  Their jealous influence gave an easy ground for Satan to spare Barabbas and crucify Jesus.  Joseph thrown into the pit by his brothers is a perfect example of Satan influencing the minds of people through jealousy (Genesis chapter 37).  We should not be jealous to anyone to avoid the influence of Satan in our life. 

5)Uncontrolled sexual desires can make a person sin with the influence of Satan.  When people have sexual desires, if they lack in self -control, Satan will tempt them to commit sin, that is,  to indulge in illegitimate sexual relationship.  Fornication before marriage is happening because of the influence of Satan. That is why Paul wrote, “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.  But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.  The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband” (1st Corinthians 7:1, 2, 3).  Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a  helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18).  “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you?  If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are” (1st Corinthians 3;16, 17).  So we should all respect our body as the temple of God, and we should not abuse our body for sexual pleasures outside the marriage of a man and a woman.

6)Depriving marital obligations can bring the influence of Satan.  If someone is deprived of the sexual opportunities within married life, there is a chance for adultery because of the temptation by Satan.  All couples have to be careful about this.  “Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self -control” (1st Corinthians 7:5).
This shows the importance of sexual obligations in a married life. If the sexual obligations are not met in the proper way, Satan will tempt us to commit sin.

7)When we do not understand the will of God or ignore it, Satan can mislead us.  Jesus foretold his crucifixion and resurrection to his disciples.  Peter tried to rebuke Jesus in order to prevent his crucifixion.  Satan wanted Jesus to fail as savior.  Jesus said to Peter, “Go behind Me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to Me;  for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matthew 16:23).  Peter did not understand that Jesus was sent by the Father to undergo crucifixion for the remission of our sins.  Satan tried to take advantage of that situation.  Satan’s last hope was that, under torture and facing death, Jesus would sin or call upon God to physically save him.  Satan tried to prevent God’s mission but God accomplished it (Matthew 16:21, 22).  “Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel” (1st Chronicles 21:1).  David knew that God did not want him to take a census of the Israelites, but he listened to the voice of Satan .  “God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel” (Verse7).  The Lord sent a pestilence on Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell.  David repented and asked God for forgiveness.  Also he did penance for  his sin.  We should always seek the will of God in everything we do in order to resist Satan.

8)When fasting or when our body is weak, Satan will tempt us. According to Matthew chapter 4, after fasting for forty days and forty nights, Jesus became very hungry.  Then Satan started tempting Him offering different things.  When Jesus rebuked Satan using the word of God, he ran away.  If Satan can tempt the Son of God, how much more will he tempt us?  So we have to be  cautious all the time.  When someone takes a decision to stop drinking alcohol, Satan will influence through other people to continue drinking.  If he obeys the voice of Satan and continues alcoholism, he may end up in sickness, sexual impotency, financial instability, family feuds, divorce and even early death.

9)When we lose our faith, Satan will tempt us.  In Job chapter 1, we can see Satan approaching God and challenging Him about the faith of Job. God strongly talked to Satan about how blameless and upright Job was.  Satan knew that God had protected Job fully because of his faith.  Even when Job lost everything, he held on to his faith and praised God.  Satan asked Jesus for permission to tempt Peter and take away his faith, but Jesus prayed for his faith Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31,32).   When we do not practice our faith, Satan can influence us. When a Christian marries someone with a pagan faith, there is a chance of decrease in our faith due to ignorance and due to the influence of the spouse.  This situation will be exploited by Satan for their disadvantage in many ways.  Pray and exercise your caution not to let the Holy Spirit to leave you.

10) Faith without works provides an easy chance for Satan to influence us. According to James chapter 2, faith should be followed by works. Instead of just believing in God and preaching about doing charity, we should support our faith by doing charity.  “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself” (James 2:17). “You believe that God is one.  You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder” (James 2:19).  Faith without works is just like the faith of demons who also believe in God 
What are some expressions of the devil in our daily life? 
Running away from the word of God, violating the commandments of God, constant anger, arguments and fights, grinding the teeth during frustration, beating the chest or the forehead, talking about suicide, loving the community more than family, alcoholism and drugging,  using obscene language,  thirst for power and position,  intense desire to accumulate money, gossiping,  
breaking relationships easily,  being careless in doing responsibilities,  the habit of lying,  reckless behaviors of people in religious positions etc. are some of the expressions of the devil.  
The current violence, murders, wars, injustice, black magic and sorcery, and Satan worship all over the world prove that Satan is fully active in the task of taking souls away from God.  He will use all kinds of tricks to achieve this purpose.  

What is the nature of Satan?
The following Bible verses reveal the nature of Satan.
John 8:44: He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from  his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
1st Peter 5:8: “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  
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How do you resist the devil?
The following Bible verses guide us to resist the devil.
Matthew 17:21: “But this kind does not go except by prayer and fasting.”
James 4:7:  “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Ephesians 4:27 – “Do not give the devil an opportunity.”

Cicily Sunny, MA, B.Ed., MSE