Over the years, there have been times I have lamented my close association with Satan in the past, (and perhaps the present as well).
But recently it has come to my attention that my past is what has led to my present. Each of us is on a journey. Some choose a path in darkness, some light.
I feel that I was IN darkness for years and am now travel in 'light'.
What if? What IF the only way I was ever able to 'find' the light was by living in darkness? I'll explain:
What if every choice I have ever made had to be made in the manner it was made? I had choices but the choice that I made couldn't have been made ANY differently. For that is WHO I am. Those choices led me to where I am at today.
Praise God that you are now in the light.
Maybe, for you, "following Satan", or walking in darkness, WAS part of your walk. Not that God said, "I'll make him a follower of Satan, then he will understand what it means to resist Satan", but that you were allowed to follow that path, for a while, so as to be a blessing to others who also find themselves on that path.
But each of us comes to God in a different way and has a different path to faith - and it's not necessary to experience all of them before we can find the truth. Otherwise, a person would have to become a Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, JW, Moonie, Mormon etc etc so that they could then KNOW to reject these things.
Practically speaking, no one would then become a Christian before the age of 40, or so - after they had experienced everything else. Some do indeed spend much time searching and are reluctant to believe the Bible. But that doesn't mean we all have to. I'm not going to smoke/drink/eat arsenic in order to be able to resist these things.
So all those years I was a follower of Satan instead of God were NECESSARY in order to KNOW the Devil.
I don't know you, but I don't believe so.
Somewhere along the line, you probably made a choice to get involved with this. Maybe God allowed it, for whatever reason, but I don't think you HAD to go down that route. Thousands of people become Christians without first sampling the occult so that they can effectively recognise, and resist, the devil.
Remember Christ in the desert? All indications throughout the entire Gospel are that Christ KNEW Satan. Didn't merely know his name, but KNEW him as an associate or fellow entity. That this was necessary for Christ to 'recognize' the enemy.
Jesus was with God before the world was created, as the divine Word; the second person of the Trinity. He was there when Satan was created as an angel of light, he was there when Satan rebelled and was thrown out of heaven, he was there when Adam and Eve were tempted. Of course Jesus knew about Satan.
May it not be the same with us? For how do we resist that which we do not recognize?
I don't recognise, or have experienced, drinking poison; but I can resist trying it to find out what it's like.
If Satan is 'pretending' to BE God, how would one KNOW the difference if they were unable to recognize the Devil? If he is 'acting' like God and offering us 'feelings' that we are able to associate with God, how could we resist if we didn't KNOW it was Satan 'pretending' to be God?
Satan can't pretend to be God.
God IS love, and light; Satan is darkness.
But if Satan is going to lead the 'world astray', obviously he is only able to DO IT by convincing those he deceives that he is GOD. Most of the world is going to accept the deception. Not intentionally, but through ignorance.
If a person doesn't know God and the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, they will likely believe any one/thing that says "I am God"; they won't know any different.
The answer is NOT to know Satan, but to get to know God and his word - thoroughly.
But what if? What if the first encounter we experience is Satan pretending to be God and he adds to the illusion a FEELING that leads us to BELIEVE he is God? How would we KNOW the difference?
Jesus says that
his sheep recognise his voice and do not respond to the voice of the hired hand, John 10.
For it is my firm belief that this is exactly what has happened to most of the world around us. They have accepted Satan as God.
If they have never been taught about God, then no doubt.
In Scripture, those who follow God and are in God, and those who follow the world and worship the things of the world; are completely different.
We are told not to love the world, 1 John 2:15-17, and not to conform to the world, Romans 12:1-2. We are also told to put God first, seek his kingdom, Matthew 6:33, and that we cannot serve God and money/material possessions. Anyone who doesn't know this, or chooses not to live that way, will not KNOW God. And if someone doesn't KNOW God, they will be led astray by anyone who claims to be him.
That leads back to the beginning of what I have offered: Wouldn't it be NECESSARY to KNOW Satan in order to resist him?
No, you just need to know Jesus and believe him when he warns against the evil one.