Furthermore, it is the SPIRIT not Satan that lives within me. While Satan can and does taunt me from the outside, the Bible never talks of him as indwelling us or speaking to us from the inside. Again, the phrasing of being sealed by the Spirit is helpful. A seal locks the letter with the stamp of the king. Seals remove openings that allow contaminants to flow into an object or that allow seepage out of the object. We are sealed in the Spirit. Exposit that and then think of the implications!
Consider also that when Satan approached Eve and later when he approached Jesus, while he did use God’s Words against them, he did it externally. He did not come internally into their psyche, and I would argue strongly that he is unable to do that to any who are in Christ Jesus, sealed by the Spirit. Satan can possess unbelievers from the inside. And he can oppress believers from the outside. But I see no Scripture that warns of a Satan that can speak inside of us once we are in Christ and sealed by the Spirit. The Bible presents a dangerous Satan, but not an omnipresent and omniscient one. That’s God, not Satan.
If you are in Christ, you do not have Satan and the Spirit inside of you dueling it out. THAT is a bad teaching, and those knowledgeable in theology should know better than to entertain that idea.
I am a big proponent of expository Bible preaching and teaching. I employ it even right now as I think about why an expository understanding of Scripture protects us from fear of a Satanic voice that can lead us astray from Scripture from the inside. Satan may attempt to use someone outside of me misusing Scripture to deceive me, and in that event it is important to understand Scripture objectively to ward off such bad teaching.
But if we are in Christ and sealed by the Spirit, the Spirit within us is greater than our opponent outside of us. It is in that framework that I can come to God in my Bible reading and confidently listen for Him to speak through His written Word to me.
I hope something there is helpful to you as you think of how to approach your own personal Bible reading and prayer.
Adapted from Wendy Alsup’s blog, theologyforwomen.org. Wendy has authored three books including By His Wounds You are Healed: How the Message of Ephesians Transforms a Woman’s Identity. She is also a wife, mom and college math teacher who loves ministering to women.
