The Deceiver: Our Daily Struggle with Satan

“The victory of Christ over Satan is the very heart of the Gospel.”Satan is powerful, but God is ALL powerful. Although Satan is shrewd and cruel, he cannot bend our will and force us to do evil without our consent. God’s creatures choose daily for or against him. We are always making decisions for or against God. Most of the time choosing God means a deliberate conscious decision. And most of the time choosing evil is just as deliberate because of Satan’s deception. Sin is sugar coated for us by Satan, making it look very desirable and good for ourselves and even all mankind. Satan studies each of us very carefully and attacks each of us on a personal level.There is a real battle going on for souls. This is why we cannot remain indifferent or spectators. Satan hates God, and wants to use us to get at God. The more souls he can corrupt and drag down the more he can satisfy his hate for God. What is the soul? It is not something you have, but rather it IS YOU in the great depth of your ‘self’. It is here that you are able to comprehend, choose, decide, and love. Our soul enables man to set himself in front of God knowing, hearing, and receiving him, but also with the possibility of refusing him.The discusses two Biblical accounts, 1) the temptation and fall of our first parents in the Old Testament, and 2) the victory of Christ in the desert in the New Testament. These signify two great stages of salvation history:1. Victory of the demon over Adam and Eve2. Defeat of the demon by the new Adam. Firstly, Jesus prepares himself for temptation with forty days of prayer and fasting in the desert. The lesson is that through prayer the tempter will be unable to separate us from the will of God.These two moments define the paradigm of Satan’s activity regarding man: the falsification of reality, and presenting evil to man under the form of a completely desirable good. Thus Satan is the Deceiver. However, one of the limits God has put on the action of Satan is the will of man. Satan’s power to seduce can be exercised on a man’s mind, but not a man’s will. If a man does not want to, he does not sin. Satan can urge his will, but cannot bend it to sin. We have the final word. But even then, we can do nothing on our own. We need the power of Jesus Christ in our lives to overcome temptation and the Evil One. It is a fact that God the Father sent no one else but his Son to defeat Satan. We are called to surrender our lives daily to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

I'm about 70% of the way through, and this book is amazing. It is clear in it's describing Satan and his ways. Yet the author never does without mentioning this in light of Christ. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. In fact I bought a hard copy to give to a friend as a gift. OH . . . and there are sections in this book that really seem to describe what is happening today - all the clown-world stuff happening. It really helps to have an overall perspective on what is happening.

This is one of the best spiritual books I have ever read. It addresses the issue of evil and our response to it primarily through analyzing the Biblical accounts of the Fall (Adam and Eve's original sin), and the Temptation of Christ in the desert. An examination of Eve's interaction with satan gives us much insight into our own response to temptation, which is almost always linked to a doubt in the absolute goodness of God and to having an evil presented to us as a good, which once we partake of it we realize that it actually poisons our lives. Jesus, in the other hand, is not deceived during his interaction with satan and has every weapon to be victorious throughout each temptation. He easily exposes satan's lies. The book makes clear that God is all powerful and satan is just a creature, having only as much power over us as we give him through our free choices. We don't need to fear him, we just need the light of faith to unmask the deceptions and the weapons to denounce him when the temptation comes at us. It is a must for everyone wanting freedom from the poisonous influence of evil in their lives, and wanting to stay connected only to God, reaping all of His blessings because of His omnipotent goodness and love for us.

Absolutely a must read! If u have questions read this book. I highly recommend this book. And a easy read.

Every Christian should have a copy of this book. I have given numerous copies to my friends for their enlightenment and edification and they have thanked me profusely for it. . Satan is very much alive and well and Father Fanzaga reminds us that, although we are living in "modern technological times," we have a powerful enemy who has been around since time immemorial, waiting to snatch the most precious gift we have -- our soul.

This is a book everyone should read it is an eye opener not to be read lightly but with faith

A unique perspective on how the devil can and will do everything he can to throw problems at you, onften through your loved ones. Take a look at this bok and see how God can take control of your live and make the devil leave you alone.

I knew the devil walked the earth, but I didn't know how much damage he is doing. I definitely do NOT want to follow him.

Great book!