It all starts in the Garden of Eden. The satanic deception began near the beginning, with Eve’s deception and Satan’s lies. Unfortunately Adam, though not deceived, fell prey to the devil’s lies also, through his wife, and disobeyed his creator. That led to God cursing the whole universe. That changed us all forever. Eve was the mother of all humans and thus we are all the children of Adam and Eve. That means their sin-cursed nature was passed to all of us. It has consequences.

The result, as Adam’s offspring we are all subject to both a physically and a spiritually flawed nature. Death entered the world though their bad choices, death physically and spiritually. From the moment they took a bite of the forbidden fruit they died spiritually and physically “in dying they died”. In the continuous sense, their bodies began to die.

In this world we have two enemies: our sin-cursed nature and the external evil nature of those demonic forces that prowl around looking to devour us.

Spiritually Jesus Christ has beaten the devil on the cross and His precious blood has washed us clean of the consequences of our sin nature inherited from Adam but we have still to be vigilant against the effects of the curse remaining in our flesh and the tricks of the devil to lead us into more sin and deception.

In church we often hear preached the nature of our inherited sin from Adam, but we don’t hear too often an expose of “the presence of an evil malevolence that goes beyond the decay we see in this world and the fallenness we see in human nature.”

Matthew lays out very clearly most of the devices Satan uses to accomplish this in men, women, families, church, society, nations and governments.

His starting point is Hebrews 2:14, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil…”

Matthew states that he wants to present “a detailed theology on how the devil works, and how his evil in manifested in this world, using the Bible as our foundation and history as our aid.” This he has achieved. I can say I have never read anything like this book. Anyone who reads this book will be rewarded with a clear understanding of how the devil works in human flesh, the consequences on our society, which is devastating, but also how Jesus Christ has defeated him.

It is often said “that the devil has convinced the world of two lies, that he does not exist, and that he is all powerful.” Both can’t be true, but in a postmodern world, where there are no absolutes, people entertain such thoughts without contradiction.

Satan does exist and the effects of his actions in the sphere of men is very apparent. Once western nations were founded on Christian principles. They were Christian nations, at least in law. The Bible was commonly read in churches, schools and even used in the law courts. But the mechanics of the devil’s work has been to remove a knowledge of the Bible from our society and as a result the battlefield has been laid open to his assaults on the souls of men.

I am reminded of a story that a follower of Christ from Batak once told me. Batak people were evangelised in northern Sumatra hundreds of years ago. The whole nation, the various tribes who go under the banner of Batak, were saved and followed Christ. They were a physically well-built and strong people who were fiercely protective of their love of God and their Christian culture. The neighbouring fanatic Muslims of Aceh tried many times to militarily conquer the Batak people but never could. Islam is usually spread by the sword. Well that didn’t work. Then in the late 1900s as Darwinian evolutionary doctrine took hold in the West the Batak people opened their nation’s education system to allow the “more advanced” and “educated” teachers and missionaries from the West to teach their children.

Satan couldn’t get his demonic doctrine – Islam – in through the front door so he tried and succeeded in getting his demonic doctrine – Darwinism – through the backdoor. The indoctrinated Batak children grew up and took their positions in society changing the culture. This led to the Batak people rejecting the creator God of the Bible and many fell into atheism.

The door was now open. Islam could now just walk right in through the front door. The vacuum was created by acceptance of one demonic doctrine, in the name of modernity and being better educated, so that another demonic doctrine could fill that space. Ironically Islamic adherents reject Darwinian evolution. But that doesn’t matter. Satan is the author of confusion. His only end game is destruction of people by any means.

Satan has the power of death but not over the soul. In this context our Lord Jesus Christ told us:
“…fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

Satan is disarmed when we fear God, we reject all his soul destroying tactics in the post-Christian culture (pride, rebellion, lust, sexual perversion, sexual identity, fascination with spirits, witchcraft, false religion, false education, love of the world, love of wealth and status, individualism, rejection of family, and many more).

Be aware of these devices. This book is a good starting point!

This is not a book you want to read once, but many times and use it to educate those in your sphere of influence. This book is filled with expository Scripture, a guide to the only truth. As the Psalmist said:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

Matthew has skilfully used the word of God to illuminate the path we must walk keep us out of the devouring jaws of our adversary the devil.

Professor John Gideon Hartnett BSc(hon), PhD (UWA) FOJC
https://johnhartnett.org