Know your enemy

The devil is not some skinny guy in a red suit with horns, a tail and a pitch fork. In Medieval history, people in towns and villages sensing his presence in the community, dressed up that way to try to mock the devil, believing that if they could wound his pride (pride being the cause of his fall from heaven), the devil would leave them well alone. Later generations had no idea of the reason for the caricature and thought that the mock image was the real thing... but though evil in the extreme, he is dazzlingly beautiful, and even comes as an "angel of light" as he seeks to deceive people with his lies. Knowing your enemy and his mode of attack is a key to living a life free from his clutches. - JS

Here's Pastor Mark Driscoll explaining 9 names for the devil in Scripture: