Michael Demory
We seldom spend much time studying about our arch-nemesis the Devil, but it is a subject that we should remind ourselves of occasionally. There are those in the world who do not believe in the existence of Satan, nor do they believe that hell exists. Which is a convenient doctrine for them, thinking that no matter how one may live their lives on earth, in the end, everyone will either just die and that’s it, or they will receive a heavenly home. Common sense, however, should cause such thinking to be questioned, as it means there was never any purpose for us being here in the first place.
If it is true that no matter how wicked, or how good everyone is, everyone gets to live in heaven eternally; then why does the Bible encourage us to live holy lives? Why are there warnings to turn away from sin? Of course, they would say those things were just made-up stories That still doesn’t make sense—if there is no hell or Satan and everyone received the same reward in the end Why would anyone make-up the Bible? Why not just drink and be merry for tomorrow we die and receive heaven?
Who is Satan?
There are a multitude of misconceptions concerning the devil. Most of them are inventions of men without any Bible support. While others are because passages have been twisted to make it appear to teach falsely about Satan. The History channel in its series “Real origins and legends” says that the idea of the devil who governs hell came from a poem by Dante in the early 14th century. Most people have been taught that the devil’s name is Lucifer, a twisting of Isaiah 14:12. Critics of the Bible and Post Modernists contend that the devil and hell are myths made up by men to scare people into submission. The Catholic Church teaches that the devil was once one of God’s highest angels, who directed the angelic choir, yet Scripture says no such thing. Despite all men say about the devil, we can only know as much truth about him as God has chosen to reveal to us through His word (Deut. 29:29).
God has given several designations beyond the words, “devil” and “Satan.” He is referred to as…
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Prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2)
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Prince of this world (John 16:11)
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Prince of demons (Mark 3:22)
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Beelzebub (Matt. 12:24)
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The Dragon (Rev. 20:2)
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Old Serpent (Rev. 20:2)
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The Devil & Satan (Rev. 20:2)
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Great Red Dragon (Rev. 12:3)
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Abaddon (Rev. 9:11)
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The Accuser (Rev. 12:10)
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Adversary (1 Pet. 5:8)
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Angel of the bottomless pit (Rev. 9:11)
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Apollyon (Rev. 9:11)
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The Enemy (Matt. 13:39)
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Father of lies (John 8:44)
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Ruler of the darkness of this world (Eph. 6:11)
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Tempter (Matt. 12:43)
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Wicked one (Matt. 13:38)
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Murderer (John 8:44)
Each of these designations describe the type of individual the devil is. However, Isaiah 14:12 is not a reference to Satan, and the Hebrew word used in that passage Means “day star” not Lucifer. The context is talking about the king of Tyrus, not about created beings in heaven. From the limited portion of information God has provided us about him there are some things we must infer. Such as, the fact that he is a created being, who has been given the ability to choose, like all created beings. It is implied that the devil and his demons were once angels in heaven who God cast out due to sin (2 Pet. 2:4). It was the devil who brought sin into this world with the temptation of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1-6, 13). We also know it was Satan who tempted David to sin by numbering Israel (1 Chron. 21:1) and who challenged God in heaven to allow him to test Job (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7). In the book of Zechariah, we learn that Satan stood at God’s right hand to oppose God (Zech. 3:1-2). It was Satan who tempted Jesus before His ministry began (Mark 1:13). We also learn that those who follow the path of error are members of the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9).
The church at Thyatira had a few things against it in the eyes of the Lord, because they allowed the woman Jezebel (most likely not by name, but by her example) to teach the brethren to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols. The fornication referred to is in a figurative sense—leaving God to follow Satan. As John continues that rather than seeking the deep things of God, this Jezebel taught them to seek the deep things of Satan (Rev. 2:24). Peter had warned of such teachers when he wrote, “for, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error” (2 Pet. 2:18).
God warns us of the devil, that we are not to give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). He walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8), because he is our adversary (1 Pet. 5:8); and our oppressor (Acts 10:38). We are to stand against his wiles (Eph. 6:11) because he is a liar, and there is no truth in him (John 8:44). He attempts to snare us to follow his will (2 Timothy 2:26). This is all God has told us about the devil.
Who is God?
Satan is the antithesis of God. Where Satan is a created being, God is eternal (Psa. 90:1-2). God is the Creator of all things (Exo. 20:11; Acts 17:29), including Satan and all the angels of heaven. Since God transcends the universe as a whole and everything within it, He is the only true source of all that exists. In Exodus 3:14 God said, “I am that I am,” meaning, He has always existed. However, if it is true that God does not exist, as some contend, then it would be impossible for us to exist. It would be impossible for truth, love, justice, and law to exist. He is therefore unlimited in all His attributes, because God is perfect in every aspect of His being, as every attribute of His character works harmoniously together at the same time.
Because He is a God of goodness and love, He will never act contrary to His character, such as dealing out justice in a partial way. Out of God’s holiness, He deals with men and angels in a just and righteous manner. When punishment is demanded because of His justice, it is simply His holiness being exhibited, “For all His ways are justice…just and right is He” (Deut. 32:4), “Jehovah is a God of justice” (Isa. 30:18), Zephaniah said, “Jehovah…will not do iniquity; every morning He does bring His justice to light” (Zeph. 3:5). God’s justice determines our duty and then binds upon us the performance of that duty. He rewards us for obeying our duty and punishes us for disobedience.
Many tend to believe that God’s punishment of sinners is “vindictive.” But that is not the case at all, because vindictiveness carries with it the idea of a desire to get even. God’s punishment is more “vindicative,” meaning “to defend, to maintain a cause against opposition.” Basically, it serves to justify God’s holiness. God commands all men and angels to act a certain way. When men and angels choose to disobey His commands, the penalty for disobedience is punishment. But someone will say, what about verses like Romans 12:19—“Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay saith the Lord?” Both elements are seen in God’s punishment for disobeying His will. Vengeance will be used as a course to vindicate His holiness.
Is Satan Under Law?
What about Satan? How does he fit into all of this? The question we asked at the beginning was—Is Satan Under Law? We understand that Adam and Eve were under law as God instructed them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17). We know that mankind has been under law ever since (1) Patriarchal law, (2) Mosaical Law, (3) And the Law of Christ, a law that every person on earth is accountable to. Without law there can be no sin, no transgression, no iniquity. 1 John 3:8 tells us “He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning.” Did God create the devil as the devil, as His adversary? There are those who believe so, but we know that would violate God’s character.
Moses said in Genesis 1:31, “God saw that everything He had made was very good.” Everything was perfect, as was mankind and the heavenly host. God’s holiness would not allow Him to create anything imperfect, evil, or wicked. So, no, God did not create Satan as Satan in the beginning he made his own choice to turn against God and serve his own selfish desires. Satan was so good at it, that apparently, he convinced other angels to follow him (2 Pet. 2:4). Maybe that’s why God choose him to become our tempter for eternity. Sin did not exist on earth, until Satan used the serpent to tempt Eve. She chose to accept his temptation and transgress God’s law 1 John 3:4 says, “whosever commits sin transgresses the law, for sin is transgression of the law.”
Paul says of the law, “what shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law said, “thou shalt not covet” (Rom. 7:7). The purpose of law is to expose unholy actions. Actions, that God is unable to have anything to do with, because of His holiness. The people of Noah’s day had given place to the devil (Eph. 4:27). For every imagination of their hearts was only evil continually, and God saw that man had corrupted His ways, had violated His law, day after day without any remorse. Which required God’s holiness to exhibit His righteous justice by destroying them from off the face of the earth (Gen. 6:12-13). The same occurred with Sodom as their sin was very grievous and to vindicate Himself, God rained down fire and brimstone upon the cities, because they had followed the deep things of Satan, not of God (Rev. 2:24). Most people believe the lie that Satan wears a red jumpsuit, carrying a pitchfork and reigns as the king of hell. But nothing could be further from the truth. He doesn’t have a forked tail or horns. God has given him power on earth to tempt.
The word “Devil” comes from the Greek word Diabolos, which means “an accuser, a slanderer, to malign.” Demons serve the devil, and act as his agents to tempt, and inflict disease, pain, and suffering. Where some translations say “devils” the proper word should be demons or even evil spirits, since there is only one Devil. The designation Satan comes from a Greek form of an Aramaic word Satanas, which means “adversary.” The prince of darkness, which is found 15 times in the Old Testament and 34 times in the New Testament is so averse to truth, righteousness, and justice he represents error, evil, treachery. Yet he is powerful in his deception, and cunning. Because of his lies, mankind finds itself in a spiritual warfare “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual (hosts) of wickedness in the heavenly (places)” (Eph. 6:12).
Our spiritual war increased at the birth of Jesus, and a great war between the power of Satan and the power of God ensued at Jesus’ death on the cross. God’s power being far greater than Satan could image. No longer would mankind have to die a two-fold death. However, God did not remove all of Satan’s powers. He is still able to tempt, to inflict the world with pain, suffering, sickness, and physical death. Yes, Satan has been a liar since the beginning (John 8:44). AIDS, homosexual marriage, transgenderism, gender identity, are all manifestations of Satan’s lies.
Is Satan under law? You bet he is and always has been. John said he has been a liar since the beginning, and all liars will have their part in the lake of fire (Rev. 16:21). If it were not for Satan breaking God’s law, we would not find the words of God telling us “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). Hell has been prepared for the devil and his angels Jesus said (Matt. 25:41). If he and his angels were not under law, then God is unjust in judging him guilty, and punishing in hell forever.
But we know that God is just, He is holy, and righteous, that all His ways are perfect, for He has no respect of persons (Rom. 2:11). All who violate God’s law and refuse to repent will be punished in the fires of Hell for eternity. Romans 5:13 clearly tells us that sin cannot exist if there is no law. 1 John 3:4 also says “whosoever” meaning this is universal “Whosoever commits sin transgresses the law: for sin is the transgression of law.” Romans 4:13 says, “But sin is not imputed when there is no law.”
Could Satan and his demons repent and be saved? Absolutely, anyone can be saved who will turn away from their wicked ways. But God, who knows the hearts of everyone He has created, has seen in eternities past, before he created the worlds, that Satan would never repent, nor would his angels. Therefore, He was able to record for us the doom Satan faces in the end, and that God will be vindicated, because of it.
Jesus attacked sin by His life. He called us all away from Satan’s grip to moral excellence when He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” He defeated Satan, sin, and spiritual death. Jesus said, “I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Not a literal falling from heaven, but figurative speech for Satan having lost his power. Yes, Satan is under law, he has always been under law, as are the angels who follow him. For without law, there can be no sin.
