Does The Devil Know?

Question: Does Satan know when he tempts us if we are going to fall short and sin, or bring praise and honor to our Saviour, before hand? And does Satan know the end time destination for him now?

Answer: God alone knows our hearts (Luke 16:15, Psalms 44:21, Acts 15:8). One of God's attributes is that He is the God who knows (1 Samuel 2:3)... in other words He is Omniscient (all knowing). No created being is capable of this. It's one of the things that makes God stand out apart from His creation. So does the devil know the future... as a created being... a fallen created being, at that... not a chance. Beside looking at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7, Psalms 7:9, Proverbs 21:2, Jeremiah 17:10), and knowing even motives (Proverbs 16:2), God alone can reveal the future because He alone knows it...

Isaiah 44:7-8 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. 8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.

Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one." (See also Isaiah 45:21, Isaiah 46:10)

Isaiah 48:3-5 I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. 4 For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze. 5 Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, 'My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.'

God made it very clear that He is unique and that no false god (and that's all the Devil is) can be anything like Him. This is why no demon inspired fortune teller or magician can fortell the future. The king's dream that Daniel was asked to interpret (which dealt with the future) could only be revealed by God...

Daniel 2:27-28 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.

It is God alone who knows how we will act and react (Hebrews 4:13). As a believer, if we fall down it is God who gets us up again (Proverbs 24:16, Psalms 34:19, Psalms 37:24, Micah 7:8, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9). It is God who has promised to be working all things out for our good (Romans 8:28). His purpose will always stand (and the devil can't change that!)...

Isaiah 46:9b-10 I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

It's pretty awesome that the God who sees and knows all, is the same God who is in control! That's why we never have to fear events, circumstances, or even the devil.

The Devil knows the past and present on a limited basis (since he cannot be in all places at the same time like God, but that's another article). Perhaps this is the number one reason why the devil keeps throwing a Christian's past at them, accusing them, counting on them to forget God's promise that He forgets all our sins (Psalms 103:12, Isaiah 43:25, Acts 3:19). God has promised that there is nothing that can now condemn us -- not even the Devil (Romans 8:1)!

Speaking of the past, the Devil is quite aware of what has been written down in God's Word. The Devil knows scriptures and can quote them as needed (i.e. Luke 4:9-11). Perhaps the right word here was not "quote" them, rather it should be "misquote" them. Every time the Devil is quoting scriputure he's using it as a deception (misusing the verse) or a lie (by using the passage out of context). This shouldn't surprise us since the Devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). Regardless of the Devil's penchant for misusing Scriptures he does know what they say (though he doesn't necessarily understand them. See 1 Corinthians 2:8 and principle of 1 Corinthians 2:14). This means that the Devil knows what God has revealed as being in store for him (i.e he's toast... Revelation 20:10). It's for this very reason that he's like a caged lion (1 Peter 5:8) raging at all that belong to God's...

Revelations 12:12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

The good news is that He is powerless to spiritually harm us!

1 John 5:18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.

The cure for every attack of the Devil is clear...

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.