your enemy .the Satan ?
The leader of the evil angels and
highest-ranking of the evil spirit beings is Satan. The Bible calls Satan
the "prince
of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2) as well as the "god of this
world" (II Corinthians 4:4), for he currently has all the
kingdoms of this world in his power (Luke 4:5-7).
The Scriptures reveal that Satan is a real, evil being — not a fictional
character. In this study, we will examine what the Word of God says about Satan
and see how the actions of this evil being affect mankind. We will also piece
together clues about the origin of Satan and learn the truth about his future.
The Bible ascribes the following names to Satan:
·
Accuser of the brethren
(Revelation 12:10)
·
Adversary of mankind (I Peter
5:8)
·
Apollyon (Abaddon), which means
"destroyer," is sometimes attributed to Satan. But in the context of
Revelation 9:11, this creature is not Satan but rather a fallen angel of the
"bottomless pit" who is bound until he is loosed in the end times to
release havoc on the earth.
·
Belial, which means
"worthless" or "wicked" (II Corinthians 6:15)
·
Deceiver (II Corinthians 11:3)
·
Devil, which means
"slanderer"
(Matthew 4:1)
·
Enemy (Matthew 13:39)
·
Great red dragon (Revelation
12:3, 9)
·
Liar and father of lies (John
8:44)
·
Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12, KJV)
·
Murderer from the beginning
(John 8:44)
·
Prince of the devils, or
Beelzebub, which means "lord of the flies"
(Matthew 12:24)
·
Prince of this world (John
12:31, 14:30, 16:11)
·
Satan, which means
"adversary"
(Mark 1:13)
·
Serpent (II Corinthians 11:3;
Revelation 12:9, 20:2)
·
Spirit that works in the
children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2)
·
Strong man (Matthew 12:29)
·
Tempter (Matthew 4:3; I
Thessalonians 3:5)
·
Thief, whose mission is to
"steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10)
·
Wicked one (Matthew 13:19; I
John 5:18)
Satan
is the great dragon who even now prowls around the earth like a roaring
lion, "seeking
whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). Who or what does Satan
devour? His prey is none other than the dust of the earth: or mankind (Genesis
3:14, 19).
Who in the Bible
Encountered Satan?
The Bible tells the stories of people who contended with Satan, the great
accuser:
·
Eve, whom the serpent beguiled
in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-13; II Corinthians 11:3).
·
King David, whom Satan provoked
to number Israel (I Chronicles 21:1).
·
Job, who did not curse God even
through Satan's tests (Job 1-2).
·
Joshua the high priest, whom
Satan opposed (Zechariah 3:1-2).
·
Jesus, who overcame all of
Satan's temptations (Matthew 4:1-11).
·
Peter, whom Satan wanted to sift
as wheat (Matthew 16:23; Luke 22:31).
·
Some who hear the Word, and
Satan snatches the seed from their hearts (Mark 4:15).
·
Israelite woman, whom Satan
bound with a spirit of infirmity for 18 years (Luke 13:16).
·
Judas Iscariot, whom Satan
entered in order to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3; John 13:27).
·
Ananias, whose heart Satan
filled to lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3).
·
Hymenaeus and Alexander, who
were delivered to Satan because their faith was shipwrecked (I Timothy
1:19-20).
·
Paul, who was buffeted by a
messenger of Satan (II Corinthians 12:7) and hindered by Satan (I Thessalonians
2:18).
Satan,
that old serpent, beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden and is still blinding the
eyes of people today (II Corinthians 4:4, 11:3). Satan is the propagator of
sin, the deceiver of the whole world, and the father of lies. Jesus said of the
devil, "He
was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a
liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).
What is Satan's Origin?
There is much that we do not know, for we see through a dark glass dimly (see I
Corinthians 13:12). The Holy Spirit reveals all we need to know for life and
godliness through the Word of God (II Peter 1:3). Regarding the origin of
Satan, the Bible doesn't give us all the details. However, the Bible does give
us some clues to piece it together.
First of all, we know with certainty that God (Elohim) created all things
through His Word. "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis
1:1), and "All
things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was
made" (John 1:3; also see Colossians 1:16). God's creation
certainly would include the whole angelic realm, known as the "host of
heaven"
(Nehemiah 9:6).
Biblical evidence suggests that the angels were created sometime during the
first few days of creation, before man was formed. In the book of Job, God
asked Job, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, if thou hast understanding ... who laid the corner stone thereof; when
the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of
God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7). Elsewhere in
Scripture, "morning stars" and "sons of God" are references
to angels, so we see here that angels had the privilege of seeing and rejoicing
in the handiwork of God. It is possible that the angels were created on the
fourth day of creation along with the stars. Note the amazing parallel between
angels and stars: "And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to
divide the light from the darkness"
(Genesis 1:17-18). Regardless of what day angels were created, the fact remains
that within six days, "the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of
them" (Genesis 2:1).
The devil, that old serpent, was there in the beginning with the angels. It was
he who tempted Eve to sin in the Garden of Eden (compare Genesis 3:1 and
Revelation 20:2). The Bible tells us that God "created the waster to
destroy" (Isaiah 54:16) and both "the deceived and the deceiver are
his" (Job 12:16). We also read that it was God who created the
devil: "By
his [God's] spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed
the crooked serpent" (Job 26:13).
Now the question arises: did God create the devil as a perfect and holy
creature who later fell from his heavenly state? Or, was the devil created
already evil? Well, when God's creation was complete, "God saw
every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis
1:31). Most would agree that although the devil is necessary for the time being,
he is not good.
Therefore, Satan must have fallen from a holy state sometime after God declared
that all was "very good."
Ezekiel 28 supports this observation. The passage is a prophetic utterance
against the King of Tyre, but it quickly becomes evident that the message is
not about a mere man. It reads, in part, "Because your heart is lifted up and you
have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the seas';
yet you are a man and not God ... you had the seal of perfection, full of
wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone was your covering ... you were the anointed cherub
who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God;
you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless
in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was
found in you. By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled
with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profanefrom
the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the
midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because
of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast
you to the ground ..." (Ezekiel 28:2, 12-17).
Satan is not mentioned in this passage by name; however, the references to the
Garden of Eden, the mountain of God, the stones of fire, a covering cherub, and
a heart lifted up in pride are major clues revealing a dark power which
controlled the human king of Tyre. We know that Satan presently rules behind
the scenes of all the kingdoms of the earth (see Matthew 4:8-9; Luke 4:5-7).
Satan also delegates principalities, powers, and earthly kingdoms to fallen angels and
whoever else will worship him. Thus, the prophet Ezekiel was ultimately
speaking about the satanic entity behind the attitudes of pride and arrogance
in the human king.
Another passage which gives clues about the satanic powers behind earthly
kingdoms is Isaiah 14:1-23, a prophecy about the king of Babylon. We
read, "How
art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut
down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thing
heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God
... I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most
High." The prophet Isaiah used the Hebrew word "day
star" (translated Lucifer,
meaning "light bearer" in Latin) to personify the king of Babylon.
However, the meaning here could also just as easily refer to an angelic
"star of the morning" whose heart was lifted up in pride.
A third and final prophecy to consider is found in Ezekiel 31. This passage is
a parable about Pharaoh King of Egypt. "The cedars in the garden of God could
not hide him ... nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his
beauty. I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the
trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him. Therefore thus saith
the Lord God; 'Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height ... I have driven
him out for his wickedness'" (Ezekiel 31:8-11). Notice once
again the references to the Garden of God, extraordinary beauty, and pride.
In these Old Testament prophecies, we have a glimpse into the supernatural
realm behind the scenes of certain empires. All three of these world leaders
were deceived into thinking they were gods and should be worshiped as gods.
Such an attitude no doubt originated from the devil. "Not a
novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation
of the devil"
(I Timothy 3:6).
Now, back to the Garden of Eden: the serpent was the most cunningly shrewd of
all the beasts (literally, living
creatures) that God had created (Genesis 3:1). He was endowed with
extraordinary beauty and wisdom. Along with the other angelic beings, the seraphim (also
known as "fiery serpents"), and cherubim,
the serpent most likely would have worshipped in the highest heaven, closest to
the throne of God, with wings to cover him.
What was it, then, that caused this beautiful "covering cherub" to
fill his heart with pride? Well, perhaps the serpent thought he could rule the
universe better than God could. Or, perhaps he envied Adam, who was made in the
image of God (no other creature received that special honor — see Genesis
1:26-28). The serpent could have envied Adam, an inferior being to himself,
because Adam was given rulership over the earth. Psalm 8:4-8 says, "What is man,
that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For
thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with
glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all things under his feet." Whatever the reason,
the serpent had spite against Adam and sought to destroy him.
The Bible tells us that Adam and Eve walked with God in the beautiful paradise
called Eden (Genesis 3:8). They probably also enjoyed the company of angelic
beings. God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil so Adam could
freely choose to obey Him or not. God already knew the outcome, but gave Adam
fair warning not to eat of it, lest they die (see Ezekiel 3:20). The cunning
serpent took advantage of this opportunity. Paul said in Romans 7:11, "For sin,
taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me."
Satan went to Eve first to question God's word and deceive her (see I Timothy
2:14). Did the serpent appear to Eve as a talking snake? Probably not, for it
seems that Eve would have been more familiar with angelic beings than with
talking animals. Remember that Satan can appear as a "shining one" or
"angel of light." "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light" (II Corinthians 11:14). He deceived Eve the same way he
deceives mankind today: by appealing to the "lust of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life" (I John 2:16).
With this action, Satan fell from his holy state and became the traitor of
mankind. Just as Jesus' disciple Judas became a traitor so that the Scriptures would
be fulfilled, Satan became the adversary of mankind so that God's sovereign
plan could be accomplished. Adam delivered up his rights to rule when he
submitted to sin, and Satan became the "god of this world" (see
II Corinthians 4:4).
Adam and Eve faced consequences for their disobedience. They lost the covering
of God's presence and were ashamed of their nakedness; their bodies started to
age and die; they were taken out of and kept from the Garden and the Tree of
Life (lest they eat of it and live forever in this sinful state); their
fellowship with God was cut off; and they experienced a cursed ground and
painful childbirth. Yet, God gave Adam and Eve the promise of an Heir who would
crush the head of the serpent (the traitor) under His feet (see Genesis 3:15).
Although the serpent apparently believed that deceiving mankind would benefit
him, the curse he received turned out to be his undoing. He would from then on
crawl on his belly (perhaps a reference to the removal of his wings or covering
of glory), and he would feast on the dust of the earth (a reference to his
ongoing enmity with mankind). Thus, Satan became the crooked serpent. In the
absence of God's light, Satan became the epitome of darkness itself.
When Did Satan
Lead Other Angels to Fall?
From what we have read so far, the Bible indicates that Satan was the first
angelic being to fall. It was Satan himself who crouched at the door of Cain's
heart to plant thoughts of murder (Genesis 4:7). Other fallen angels aren't
mentioned until Genesis 6. It is plausible that groups of angels have fallen
from heaven throughout earth's history at various times, never to return to
their holy state. Most likely, those angels were enticed by Satan to be the
rulers (gods) behind earthly kingdoms, powers, and principalities as more and
more people filled the earth.
The book of Revelation mentions the fall of one-third of the angels. Revelation
12:4 says that the tail of the great red dragon drew a third of the stars from
heaven and cast them to earth. When did this happen? Many people believe this
happened at the beginning of time; however, in context with the surrounding
verses, this event happened sometime around Christ's birth. Notice in the
account that Israel was already a nation and the woman (Mary, also symbolic of
Israel) was about to give birth to a son (Jesus), "who is to rule all the nations with a
rod of iron" (12:5). So, sometime around Christ's
manifestation on earth, one-third of the heavenly angels were recruited by
Satan to become fallen angels, perhaps with the goal of joining up to prevent
Jesus from completing His mission (the dragon sought to "devour her
child").
Satan filled the heart of king Herod to kill all the baby boys of Bethlehem in
a rage to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:16). Satan also tempted Jesus in the wilderness
to see if he could get Jesus to sin. If he succeeded, Satan would thwart God's
plan and remain ruler of the world. But Jesus overcame the temptations of Satan
and gained the right to rule the world. Satan came against Jesus in other ways
throughout His ministry, ultimately stirring up hatred in the hearts of men to
put Jesus to death. But God raised His Son Jesus from the dead, so Jesus
emerged victorious over the evil one.
