Satan Is No One's Friend (Part 2)
Satan does not love his henchmen (and henchwomen). He only uses people to accomplish his purpose which is the damnation of all mankind. He has already failed to get millions to follow him, but he will not be deterred in his quest to gain even more followers. When it came time for Jezebel to be punished for her excessive love of sin, no record exists of Satan mourning for her loss or shedding as much as one tear. No, he is already seeking out someone else to take her place.
Another of Satan's great servants was Judas. The Lord treated him as He did all His disciples—even knowing that he was a thief—and that he would some day betray Him. Judas may have exhibited the remnants of a conscience when he took the betrayal money back to the chief priests, but he had been living with his covetousness for a long time. How does that happen to one of the twelve—who heard Jesus preach and work miracles on many occasions? How does one live with himself? How could he actually approach those who had rejected Jesus and agree to betray Him? How does such a person not possess a cruel and black heart? Somehow, he let Satan convince him that he was acting in a profitable manner. So, when Judas hanged himself and died, did Satan send flowers? Hah!
And how did Satan treat those who opposed Jesus and the apostles for decades? The chief priests condemned Jesus; the Sadducees tried to trick Him, the Pharisees and the scribes also denied that He was the Christ. They all rejected the miracles that He did—and His teachings as well. They were all doing the will of Satan, who constantly tried to get Jesus to sin and thus fail in His mission to save mankind. Their opposition to Jesus reached a peak when they tried Him and crucified Him. This is what Satan wanted them to do, and they did not disappoint him. So, how did the devil reward them for their fine work? After Jesus' resurrection, they lied about Jesus being raised from the dead, claiming that His disciples stole His body from the tomb under the cover of darkness. Lying was of no consequence to them; they had learned well from their master (John 8:44). For all their Satanic efforts, their reward (and that of their children) was to be slaughtered in A. D. 70.
The Jewish historian Josephus describes the Destruction of Jerusalem as an awful punishment. Why didn't Satan intervene and help all of those who had labored so diligently on his behalf? God is love, as the Scripture teaches, but the devil lacks the capability for it. He simply abandons his dupes and probably laughs at their calamities. So when he tells you, “Try this sin; you'll really enjoy it,” don't listen. He's lying to you, as usual. When he further presses, “You really need this,” don't fall for it. When he tells you, “You really don't have a choice,” disagree with him. He will never be your friend.