What Satan Can't Do

What Satan can and can't do is an important topic. I’ve found many people fear Satan. Because of that, rather than starting with what he can do, I’m going to show you what Satan can't do. [Tweet "There are many comforting truths in the Bible about what Satan can't do!"] Many people think Satan is as powerful as God and can do anything that God can do. That just isn’t so. Yes, it’s true that Satan is powerful but I’m going to save the list of what he can do for another post. The Bible says much about Satan. Even so there aren’t any verses that literally say, “Satan can't do (fill in the blank)". It’s actually easy to figure out what Satan can't do. All we have to do is look at interactions Satan had with God and with people in the Bible. A careful examination gives us these comforting insights.

11 Things Satan Can't Do

1. He can't do anything he wants. He’s under God’s control. Specifically he can't attack God’s children without permission. We see this in his attack on Job. The way and the time he attacked Job was according to what God allowed Job 1:7-12; Job 2:4-6.
2. Satan, like other fallen angels, can't repent John 8:44, 2Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6. There is no truth in him. None. He’s unredeemable!
3. He can’t understand the Bible 1 Corinthians 2:9-11. Satan, the spirit of the world, can’t explain it. Only the Spirit of God explains what it means.
4. Satan can't be in more than one place at a same time Job 1:7. God asked Satan where he had been. Satan said he was traveling to different places on the earth.
5. He can’t make you sin. The final decision is always yours. He tempted Adam and Eve but sin entered the world through them, not Satan Romans 5:12.
6. Satan can’t control you against your will if you’re a Christian 1 John 5:18-19. God allows Satan to attack but He can’t control a child of God unless you let him.
7. Satan can’t defeat anyone resting in God’s power Jude 8-9, James 4:7, Ephesians 6:10-13. The smallest child resting in the Lord’s power can successfully resist Satan.
8. Satan can’t continually attack a Christian who resists Him James 4:7. Some think Satan attacks them all day every day. When you resist He has to flee!
9. He can’t predict the future or read people’s minds. Only God does that Hebrews 4:12, 1 Corinthians 13:12, Psalm 139:23-24. Satan couldn’t predict the future with Job or read his mind. Job never did what Satan thought he would do!
10. Satan can’t take away your salvation John 10:27-30. No one can take us out of Jesus and the Father’s hands!
11. Satan can’t win Revelation 12:7-11, Revelation 29:7-10! His future is certain. He knows what the Bible says but doesn’t believe it.

This is reassuring, if you're a Christ follower! Are you still afraid of Satan? If you are a child of God you don’t need to fear Satan. Greater is He who is in you, the Holy Spirit, than Satan, who is in the world 1 John 4:4. [Tweet "Knowing what Satan can do is interesting. Knowing what Satan can't do is reassuring!"] What questions do you have about this or other things you’ve heard about Satan? Please post them below. I’d love to hear from you. If you aren't a Christ follower and would like to be, please email me, I'd love to talk with you about it.