Satan is an immaterial, corrupt, and rebellious being who acts invisibly to seduce and harm. Dissatisfied with his rank, he wanted to elevate himself above God, which caused his fall and the appearance of sin. Driven out of paradise, he arrived on Earth.
He is often depicted as the serpent that led Adam and Eve to the first sin. Therefore, Christians believe that Satan is the tempter of humanity, using repeated attempts to make humans succumb to sin and make the world evil.
In the Bible, he is also identified with other figures:
- Job’s Accuser
- The Tempter of Jesus
- A sea monster called the Leviathan
- A dragon in the book of Revelation
1 – Vulnerability of the Human Being Before Regeneration
Before regeneration, human beings are dominated by their sinful nature and the influence of the world. They are spiritually dead, a direct consequence of original sin.
Ephesians 2:1 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,”.
This “spiritual death” does not mean non-existence, but rather a total inability to respond to God, to discern His will, or to understand spiritual things.
1 Corinthians 2:14 “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”.
The spirit is like a “deactivated channel” that makes it permeable to Satan’s influences. Satan cannot read minds like God, but he observes, tempts, and experiments to discover each person’s weaknesses (Figure 1, flow A).
The “deactivated” spirit of man before regeneration is very vulnerable. Satan does not need to “force his way in”: he simply exploits natural desires, fears, hurts, anger, lust, pride, and sinful habits. 2 Timothy 2:26 speaks of people caught in the devil’s trap, who has captured them to do his will: “and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.“.
Satan and his strategies
From a biblical perspective, Satan (or the Devil) is an accuser, tempter, and adversary of God and humans. The Bible describes several strategies he uses to reach the human soul and turn it away from God:
- Temptation by carnal desires
- Deception and lies
- Pride and arrogance
- Fear and discouragement
- Division and hatred
- Idolatry and attachment to wealth
Before regeneration, human beings are vulnerable. Their bodies (desires, instincts, needs) are no longer governed by a living spirit subject to God, but become exposed to the influence of Satan. Satan exploits this vulnerability by using the five senses to tempt people, divert them from the spiritual path, and cause them to fall. Matthew 26:41 mentions: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”.
The View
We must be careful what we look at.
Genesis 3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”.
Seductive images, deceptive appearances, and visual distractions can distract us and cause us to fall.
Hearing
We must be careful what we listen to.
Psalms 1:1 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,”.
Lying words, flattery, music, or speeches that incite rebellion or lust can influence the spirit. The noise of the world can drown out the voice of conscience or the voice of God.
In some biblical texts, Satan is described as “the father of lies,” who uses words to seduce.
John 8:44 “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”.
Satan uses flattering words or half-truths to seduce.
The Sense of Smell
Smell can arouse desires or lust and bring back memories of sin.
The Taste
The forbidden fruit is described as “good for eating” in the Genesis account. Satan can exploit taste to push man to seek material pleasures at the expense of spiritual values. This can manifest itself in an obsession with luxury, gastronomy, or overconsumption. Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins, representing an excess of pleasure related to food and which can divert man from moderation, gratitude, and sharing. The seven deadly sins are well known in Christian culture, but their origin is more theological than strictly biblical.
The Touch
Physical contact, sensual or tactile pleasures can become an obsession. The need to possess, control or manipulate and attachment to material goods can arise from contact with things or beings.
Each sense can be a portal to temptation or transcendence, depending on the individual’s intention, vigilance, and inner quest. From a spiritual perspective, the five senses are gateways to the soul (Figure 1, flow B), and Satan can use them to sow doubt, desire, or distraction.
The Concept of “Common Grace”
In theological debate, some theologians argue that it is more accurate to say that the “dead” spirit renders man incapable of fully resisting sin in his own strength. According to them, the spirit is “dead” to refer to a person separated from God, not yet transformed by faith or divine grace. This does not mean that he is incapable of resisting evil or doing good. This idea comes from the concept of “Common Grace.“.
Common grace is a Christian theological concept that is part of Reformed doctrine, particularly Calvinism. Unlike saving grace, which is reserved for the elect for salvation, common grace is granted by God to all humanity, regardless of their election. It is characterized by the following three points:
- It is universal : It is granted to all human beings, believers or not.
Psalms 145:9 “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”.
Matthew 5:45 “that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”.
Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”.
Acts 14:16-17 “16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”.
In addition to His compassion, kindness, and goodness, God shows patience toward all, elect and not (Nahum 1:3).
- It is the restraint of sin: Although common grace is not saving, it limits sin in the life of each individual and in society.
Genesis 20:6 “Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.”.
Nabal’s wife Abigail understood this grace in 1 Samuel 25:26 as she implored David not to seek revenge: “And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.“.
Common grace includes not only God’s restraint of evil, but also His sovereign release of it for His own purposes. When God hardens an individual’s heart, He releases His hold on that heart, thereby delivering it over to the sin within (Exodus 4:21; Joshua 11:20; Isaiah 63:17; Psalm 81:11-12).
In the New Testament, Paul speaks of God’s liberation from constraint, who gave the pagan world over to its own depraved mind, to do unworthy things (Romans 1:28 “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.“).
- It allows for “social justice for the unbeliever” : God exerts such an influence that even an unsaved person is able to perform good deeds towards his neighbor, without his spirit being regenerated .
Romans 2:14-15 “14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)”.
Providential Common Grace
It is manifested by God’s goodness to all His creation, for example rain, food, joy, moral conscience as well as scientific and artistic progress.
The concept of common grace allows us to understand:
- Why non-believers can do good or have a moral conscience.
- How God acts in the world even outside of salvation.
- How society can function despite the presence of sin.
2 – Liberation of the Human Being After Regeneration
John 3:6 says, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”.
The regenerated man is born of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit revives his spirit and restores the channel of communication with God.
Being “born again” is a divine act. The person who experiences this new birth becomes a child of God, led by the Spirit in all dimensions of his being, and thus rediscovers his true vocation.
Romans 8:16: “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”.
John 1:12-13: “12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 mentions that the believer’s body becomes the “temple of the Holy Spirit” and that their actions can now glorify God: “19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.“.
The spirit, enlivened by the Holy Spirit, is restored to its function of communion with God and directs the soul and body according to divine order (Figure 2, flow C). Satan can no longer act as a puppeteer over the soul and body, because the Holy Spirit now occupies the human spirit, the central place of man.
The believer is no longer under the dominion of sin, but is called to walk in the freedom of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16-17 “16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”.
By comparing the state of man before and after regeneration, we understand why we need to be born again. Only those born again are forgiven of their sins and can restore their relationship with God.
How is this possible?
The new birth is obtained by putting one’s faith in Jesus Christ, Who paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”.
When a person is saved, he or she is born again, spiritually renewed, and becomes, through this new birth, a child of God.
In summary, the study of the dead spirit and the quickened spirit illuminates the depth of the fall and the greatness of redemption. Without God, man remains vulnerable, his spirit separated from the source of life and exposed to the influence of Satan. But in Christ, the spirit is regenerated and restored to its primary vocation: to receive divine life and lead the soul and body in obedience to God.
Thus, the new birth is not only a moral change, but a true spiritual resurrection, which places man back in the original divine order.
In Christ's Love
