The pervasive image of Satan as a red guy with horns and a pitchfork, orchestrating all the evil in the world from his command center in hell, is nothing more than myth. The devil is not red with horns and a pitchfork. And while he does orchestrate evil, he doesn’t do it from hell. No, Jesus revealed that hell is the place prepared to destroy Satan and his demons, not their home (Matt. 25:41). In fact, the devil will not see hell until his final rebellion at the end of time when he is thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:7–10). This all begs the question: If Satan isn’t in hell, where is he and what is he doing?
The Opposer
The Bible teaches that Satan spends his time roaming the earth, searching for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8).
Like most names in Hebrew, “Satan” is more than a name; it’s a job description. It means “one who opposes or blocks.” Picture man-to-man defense in the game of basketball. As you move about the court, trying to make your best shot, the devil hovers over to block you. You feel his breath on your face, whispering things like “You can’t make this!” or “You’re no good!” Understand that Satan is your greatest opponent, and his goal is to ensure that you miss yours.
The Accuser
Satan has another role, too. And that’s as “the accuser of our brothers and sisters” (Rev. 12:11, NLT). In this, Satan works like a prosecuting attorney filing claim after claim of how we tripped up and why God can’t use us. These threats and accusations are the bulk of the spiritual warfare that we face and too often hold us back from our destinies.
Three Weapons
Thankfully, God has not left us powerless to Satan’s attacks. The book of Revelation reveals the three sure-fire weapons God has given us to silence Satan’s threats.
And they have defeated [the accuser] by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
—Rev. 12:10-11, NLT
The Blood of the Lamb
In my book, Silence Satan: Shutting Down the Enemy’s Attacks, Threats, Lies, and Accusations, I chronicle my own battle with Satan’s accusations. But just as I was about to walk away from ministry, the Lord opened my eyes to the words of John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, ESV). This was a familiar scripture, to be sure. But in the heat of the warfare, I understood it in a fresh, new way. I saw that “behold” isn’t a quick glance, but a close study. In this verse, John the Baptist instructs us to meditate upon and look closely at Jesus in His moment of taking away the sin of the world.
With this newfound revelation, I fell to my knees and, through my mind’s eye, saw visions of the gruesome scene when He who knew no sin took on my sin (2 Cor. 5:21). I then tearfully positioned myself at the foot of the cross to be covered by His measureless amount of forgiving blood.
All the agony Jesus faced on the cross was meant to heal ours. This is what Isaiah prophesied: “By His wounds we were healed” (Isa. 53:5). See that the cross is the place of your victory. It’s the place where your record of wrongs was canceled, and thus, where Satan is dethroned and silenced in your life (Col. 2:14–15).
Your Testimony
Our testimonies are the stories of our struggles and how we overcame them through God’s power. These are extremely poignant because they build the faith of listeners to expect that God will also do the same for them.
Jesus’ Resurrection provides a pinnacle example of the power of testimony. Upon rising from the dead, he could have appeared with a redeemed body that erased all signs of the past. But instead, He kept the scars from the things He had suffered as evidence that there stood a man who should be dead but is now alive (John 20:19-20). His scars are His testimony, and they tell His story.
It’s important to recognize that scars are simply wounds that are healed. So just as Jesus modeled, the scars from your past are testimonies of the power of God in your life. They provide evidence to others that God still mightily heals and transforms.
The Crucified Life
The Bible uncovers the final weapon in our arsenal against Satan: “… and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” This describes the crucified life. If your past is completely nailed to Christ’s cross, then there’s no reason for shame or embarrassment. Your record of wrongs should no longer haunt you, and you should no longer fear the opinion of others.
When I arose from Satan’s attack on my life, it was like bursting forth from a tomb. The guilt and shame that attempted to keep me in the grave could no longer hold me down. The past had lost its influence. Rather than shut me up, I determined to speak up and tell my story, regardless of what anyone thinks.
Silence Satan and Live Victoriously
Satan’s threats are aimed to silence our voices from influencing the lives of many others. He knows that our stories have the ability to release the power of Jesus, and so he tries to mute them with accusations. But through the Blood of the Lamb and the testimony of its transformation, we have control of our pasts, and with it, the ability to silence Satan and live victoriously!
Kyle Winkler is founder of Kyle Winkler Ministries, a media and teaching ministry broadcasting on the Christian Television Network and various online outlets. Before launching his own ministry, Kyle served at Christ Fellowship, one of the nation’s 15 largest churches, and as vice president of an international apologetics ministry. He holds a master of divinity in biblical studies from Regent University. Arm yourself with daily encouragement from Kyle on Facebook and Twitter. His latest book, Silence Satan: Shutting Down the Enemy’s Attacks, Threats, Lies, and Accusations, releases in September.
Bill Wiese 
Paul McGuire 
Abby Trivett 
