Satan’s Doors

by Chris Simmons

Over the past two weeks, Micky has written about how God places before us doors of opportunity to grow, learn, serve, and be saved, and how that we need to take advantage of the open doors before they close. However, not all doors are the Lord’s doors and not all opportunities presented to us are to be taken advantage of. The scriptures speak of doors from another perspective. Satan uses doors of opportunity to tempt us to sin, transgress the will of God, and ultimately to eternally condemn our souls.

In Genesis chapter 4 we read of Adam and Eve’s sons, Cain and Abel, and how that “the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and his offering He had no regard” (Genesis 4:4-5). Cain became “very angry” and after God asked him “why are you angry?”, He warned him in verse 7, “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Though Cain had not worshipped God by faith (cf. Hebrews 11:4), an open door was now before him to either acknowledge his sin and repent, or to harden his heart and be overcome by Satan and his deceit once again. Sin was indeed “crouching at the door” and Cain chose to proceed through that door and give way to his anger by murdering his brother.

Strong’s definition of the word “crouching” paints the picture of an animal in a recumbent position as it lurks for its prey. We’ve seen the videos of the lion or tiger as it crouches down lurking for its victim. This is the scene depicted for us by Peter in I Peter 5:8, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” There are many doors in life in which Satan is crouching on the other side just waiting for us to come through so that he might destroy us.

Satan deceitfully makes his doors look so appealing as he disguises the true horror that awaits us on the other side. From the very beginning Satan tempted Adam and Eve with a door that he promised would lead to them being “like God” (Genesis 3:5) when in fact all it led to was spiritual death. They succumbed to his deceitful lies (Genesis 3:13; cf. I Timothy 2:14) and Satan had his first victims. Only after they went through his door did they truly understand what it cost them (Genesis 3:16-19, 23-24) and that God meant what He said in Genesis 2:17 about the consequences. Satan is indeed the master of “deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14; 6:11), fraud, and lies (John 8:44; Revelation 12:9) and is relentless in his efforts to place before us doors so that he might deceive and overcome us. The door placed before Cain was based on the lie that giving way to our anger will bring the satisfaction we desire. After Cain went through that door, he quickly realized the consequences were not as advertised (Genesis 4:11-14) and in fact, “too great to bear.” Satan is just as active today, tempting us with doors of deception while he crouches on the other side waiting to pounce and destroy. We would be wise to consider Satan’s schemes and the doors he places before us.

Satan offers doors to us in terms of places we shouldn’t be. Paul wrote in Romans 13:13-14, “Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” Let’s not kid ourselves; we all know there are places we can go that provide “for the flesh in regard to its lusts” and we need to understand that’s where Satan is lurking for us. Whether it be where we know the preponderance of people will be immodestly dressed (i.e., the beach) or engaged in activities that are improper for a child of God like drinking parties (i.e., a bar or night club; I Peter 4:3), Satan presents doors to Christians with the lie that “you can handle it” and that you’re fine as long as you don’t participate “too much” or go “too far.” Paul warned of such a deceptive mindset in Ephesians 5:6-12 calling the philosophy of participating even though we might not approve “empty words.”

Satan offers doors to us in terms of people we shouldn’t be with. Satan presented to Joseph an open door for the lusts of the flesh through Potiphar’s wife who sought to have sexual relations with him (Genesis 39:7). Joseph saw the temptation for what it was and understood that even if no one else knew of it, such a transgression was a “sin against God” (verse 9) and therefore, he could not “listen to her … or be with her.” Joseph understood what Solomon later wrote in Proverbs 5:8, “Keep your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house.” Above and beyond not being in physical proximity of someone we shouldn’t be with, we’re to turn our heart away from even the consideration of such sin. In Proverbs chapter 7, after describing (verses 1-23) a young man who failed to see Satan and sin crouching at the door of someone he shouldn’t be with, Solomon wrote in Proverbs 7:24-26, “Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths. For many are the victims she has cast down, and numerous are all her slain.” Jesus spoke of the need to restrain our heart from even the consideration of such sin in our hearts (Matthew 5:27-28; 15:19-20). Any who would seek to influence us away from God’s standards of righteousness are those who we need to avoid. Paul warned of the influence of those with fleshly mindsets who didn’t believe in the resurrection and divine judgement and who subscribed to the philosophy of “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (I Corinthians 15:32) by saying in verse 33, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad (“evil”; ASV, NKJV) company corrupts good morals.’”

Satan offers wide doors that accommodate anything you’d like to do in any way you’d like to do it. Jesus stated in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Satan will tempt us with doors that are so inclusive and accommodating of anything we’d like to believe, anything we’d like to do, and any way we’d like to live. Strict and faithful adherence to God’s will, way, and pattern is mocked and despised. Reliance on the God’s word and Bible authority is ridiculed and scriptural knowledge is replaced by personal feelings and “think so’s.” Satan will utilize false teachers who will gladly tell our “itching ears” (II Timothy 4:3; ASV, ESV, NKJV) whatever we desire to hear and send us through that wide gate that leads to “destruction.”

How do we keep out of Satan’s doors? Only through a continual love for the truth (II Thessalonians 2:10) and a daily commitment to the scriptural “standard of sound words” (II Timothy 1:13) can we hope to master the roaring lion. Jesus utilized God’s word to overcome Satan’s temptations in Matthew 4:1-11 and we must fight back in the same way. Only through daily study (I Timothy 2:15) and careful meditation on God’s word (Psalms 1:1-3) can we avoid the spiritual death of passing through Satan’s doors.