Recognizing the beast system starts with knowing that Satan is a real being.
God’s Word says Satan desires to be worshiped over God [Isaiah 14:12-13]. He is the leader of an angelic rebellion against Him [Rev 12:3-4]. He is the ruler of the kingdoms of this world [Matthew 4:8; John 12:31; 16:11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2] and he is the father of lies who blinds the minds of unbelieving men to the truth of God [John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 4:4]. Such thinking is dismissed as nonsense to most but when Satan is removed from the equation so, also, is the reality of evil.
Evil is real.
Outside of this truth, conspiracy remains forever crouched in the corner, hidden in the half-light of the human mind. It becomes eclipsed by the everyday activities of our overly busy lives while it creeps closer to fruition. It reminds me of what God says it was like in the days of Noah [Matthew 24:38].
Satan rebelled against God because he desired to be God. He took some of God’s angels with him. It should not surprise us to know that he and his horde use men to accomplish his purposes [Matthew 16:22-23].
Blaming evil on Satan, however, doesn’t let man off the hook.
P2ALM 