How Jesus and the Devil Are Alike, Part I

My title may have caught you off-guard—Jesus and the Devil, alike!? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Before you dismiss this seemingly-ridiculous proposition, I ask that you give me these next several posts to prove and expand my case.

At first casual thought, there may be no noticeable difference between Jesus and the Devil. How can there be any fellowship between pure good and pure evil? But that is where we get tripped up. We must look broader—much broader. We must go to the very essence of these two, to their very nature.

Upon pulling back, we can draw our first parallel. Both Jesus and the Devil are spirit beings. This may seem like no extraordinary revelation, but, again, upon closer examination, we can discover some useful insight.

Both Jesus and the Devil are spirit—they interact with each other in the same world, in the same plane. But wait, you say, how can Satan—who is wholly evil—even approach Jesus—who is wholly good? The Bible tells us the story of two encounters between the Devil and God in Job chapter one and two. Satan too has access to the throne of God. He, the angels, and now we, though Jesus’ covering, have free and unrestricted right of entry to the throne of God.

Satan is known as the “accuser of the brethren,” but did you ever stop to think of who he’s charging? Who’s on the other end, listening to these accusations? It is God. Satan has his cronies down here using every tactic known to demons to ensnare us and make us stumble. And when we do, Satan is quick as a flash to gloat and point out our shortcomings to God. But if we have accepted Jesus as our Saviour, if we are washed in His redeeming blood, then when God looks down He says, “I don’t see anything wrong. I see my holy, sanctified, restored son or daughter.” Satan grumbles and chalks yet another one up for God. (If you have not been saved by Jesus’ grace and would like to learn more, click here.)

Also, because both Jesus and the Devil are in the same realm, they can interact, but these encounters are not always peaceful. In fact, quite the opposite. The Bible tells us that the forces of Heaven and hell are constantly at war with each other. Surrounding us is a battleground. But it is not physical, not, it is a war for the harts and souls and minds of a generation.

Just because the Devil is similar to Jesus by being spirit makes him all the more potent. He is invisible, yet he can see and hear. He wields no sword or gun, per say, yet he can influence the course of history. He cannot control your mind, yet every day he imprisons more and more souls in the pit of hell. This enemy is just as real and even more dangerous than the terrorists of today. Yet, compared to the Other spirit-being, he is powerless. At the name of “Jesus” cried out by his victims, he flees in terror. For Jesus is all-powerful; simply at the sound of His glorious name will every knee bow, both in heaven and earth. How much power do we—His heirs and children—too hold over the Devil, if we choose to use it.

“For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.” ~ Ephesians 6:12, NLT