Who is Satan, anyway?

Satan is not God. He was not from the beginning. He is a created being, even as all the angels and cherubim and all the host of heaven and earth. Looking at Revelation 7:11 we find that the angels, as created beings “fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God.” No, not even the angels are in any wise exempt from worshipping their Creator. Such would have been the case of Lucifer. Yes, even he must have fell before the throne on his face in worship. Only his “worship” became one of pretentiousness: his heart was not in it. A heart once filled with love is found belching forth Hatred against his Creator. But then we find in I John 3:8: “the devil sinneth from the beginning.” In light of that, may be, just may be, he never loved the Lord, not even at the “beginning.” But how could this have happened? God, what did you do to Lucifer that would cause him to turn from you in rebellion? And of course, the answer is: nothing.

“They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully. . .” Psalm 69:4. And it all began with Satan.

What is true today about the subject of sin is true in eternity past ( if there could be said to exist such!) Where and how did (does) sin originate? Let us look in James chapter one: “Let no man [be he angel or otherwise] say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed“ vs.13,14. Drawn away? From what? From Truth; from Right; from the Creator, the God of heaven and earth; drawn away unto self; unto self-ish desires and lusts. Such a separation destroys a goodly relationship.

It is said that the heart is the seat of the emotions; as such it may be persuaded, enticed, or beguiled. This was well portrayed in Eden: “And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat” Genesis 3:13. Though she was affected by an outside influence, the decision was hers. She did what she did of her own volition. She was responsible. Remember, “every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” This has to be true. In the case of Lucifer we are not to find any outside influence to beguile him! His sin has its origin from within himself. Again, his temptation was self-inflicted. But then, so it must be with man. What we say in the remainder of this article applies to Satan and sinner alike. Sin is sin; be it from the poorest of mortals to the Anointed Cherub.

“Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin:” vs .15. Herein is something of a metaphor. Let’s look at it. It is a picture of spiritual harlotry against a Holy God. The “child” born is Sin. He is “conceived” when there is a consummation of self desire and lust with one’s own will. The conception of “lust” (who we may loosely regard as the parent) yields or “brings forth” the fruit of an unholy birth; that of Sin. In direct contrast, one is “born again,” when Faith is conceived of the Holy Spirit: he bringeth forth Righteousness, and Righteousness is never “finished”; it bringeth forth eternal life!

“and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” vs.15. The word “finished” here is apoteleo, consummate. Remember the warning that the Lord God gave man in the garden:

“for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” Gen. 2:17. That is the Law of Sin and Death. Man is become “dead in trespasses and sins” Eph. 2:1. He follows “that man of sin. . .the son of perdition” II Thes. 2:3. He walks “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” Eph. 2:2. There’s more. In verse 3: “. . .lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. . .” O.K. Lust conceives, bringing forth Sin. Sin busies himself fulfilling the desires of Lust, his “begetting parent.”

“And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” We have that age old argument: a God of love would not condemn a person to death; surely He would not send him to such a horrible place as hell! May we say to this, that it is one’s own heart that condemns him. Sin brings the judgment of God upon him: that is, he “bringeth forth death” upon himself.

Sin is a Self Inflicted Nail, whereby one is held captive by his own will:

he is made of himself a willing and obedient slave.

The net into which one finds himself drawn was cast forth of his own hand.

As the caterpillar from within forms a cocoon around himself,

even so does sin from within form its own prison without.

The shackles that bind are those forged in the foundry of pride and self will.

In the Old Testament we find not a few scriptures wherein Our Lord lays before us the very mind, the thoughts, the intents of that wicked prince of darkness. May we consider some of them.

”Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus. Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God:” Ezek. 28:2. (Though the scriptures speak of a man, yet the ultimate target is Satan himself, as will become more evident as we continue.)

Let us plant this thought firmly within our minds: Lucifer did not turn his affections from the Lord unto some other. He did not find another god to worship. No, he became his own god, a worshiper of self. Did he not attempt to inflict Eve with his poison? “. . .your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods” Gen. 3:5. Humanism today continues to preach the same message: Let your spirits soar! You shall ascend upward! You are a god!

Actually man is a thief. He stole from God in partaking of the forbidden fruit. But he stole far more than that. He robbed the Lord of a most precious treasure; he stole himself away from his Creator. But then, don’t forget: we’re likewise speaking of Lucifer.

“Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches. . .thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:“ Ezek.28:4,5. “Thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches”? “No man [or angel or anointed cherub] can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” Matt. 6:24. And Satan offers us more than ample evidence of this fact.

“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering. . the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou was created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Ezek. 28:13,14,15. There can be no doubt now that these scriptures reveal the Wicked One. In these verses we find a brief biography of the life and times of Satan: of his creation, where he’s been, of his being an anointed servant of God, of the high position given him - and of his fall.

“. . .thou hast sinned: therefore will I cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire” Ezek.28:16. It is said that Lucifer was perhaps above the throne of God; the protector, if you please. (As though the throne needed protecting!) But it was apparently at any rate, the highest position afforded any of God’s created beings.

“Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick;” Ezek.28:18. Sin is as a contagious disease. (It is evident as a third part of the angels followed Satan’s folly.)

“Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness” Ezek. 28:17. [he is called “Lucifer, son of the morning” in Isaiah 14:12. Vanity, vanity. Instead of fixing his eyes upon the throne of the Holy One, of acknowledging His beauty, of giving Him honor and glory - Lucifer looked upon himself. He “corrupted his wisdom.” “I AM more beautiful than The Lord. It is I who should be honored and worshiped.” And his passion grew.

We said earlier that Lucifer had no outside influence to entice him to sin. We discover now the he was taken with his beauty; that he desired the riches which he beheld. May we say that these in themselves posed no temptation. Again, temptation, lust and sin had but one source: it came from within.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning. . .For thou hast said in thine heart, I WILL ascend into heaven, I WILL exalt my throne above the stars of God: I WILL sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I WILL ascend above the heights of the clouds; I WILL be like the most High” Isaiah 14:12-14.

Transgressing the law of God.

“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” Deut. 6:4,5.

What is true for Israel must be true for all of creation. Are we so narrow as to think that the Law of God pertains only to man? Are not the angelic beings likewise to be found “falling before the throne on their faces, and worshipping God”? Is not all of heaven and earth under His jurisdiction; subject to His law? But Lucifer would put himself above the law; indeed, above God Himself.

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. . .” Exodus 20:3-5.

In his hatred for the Almighty dare we suppose Satan to do anything that is not totally contrary to the laws of God? Don’t make any graven images; don’t bow down to them; don’t serve them? What then, is high on Lucifer’s agenda? Why, having an image erected of himself. This is to be seen in the account of the three Hebrew children who would not bow down and worship the image; who dared to continue to worship only the Lord their God! In the book of the Revelation there is prophesied yet a final “image.”

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea. . .upon his heads the name of blasphemy. . . and the dragon gave him power, and his seat, and great authority. . .and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” Rev.13:1-6.

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth. . .he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast. . .saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast. . .and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” Rev. 13:11,12,14a,15a. Satan, it seems, would establish his own “ten commandments; and his “subjects” must “keep” his law or be executed.

“. . . and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning . . .For thou hast said in thine heart, I WILL ascend into heaven, I WILL exalt MY throne above the stars of God: I WILL sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I WILL ascend above the heights of the clouds; I WILL be like the most High”

You WILL? What saith the scriptures?

“And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. . .the accuser of our brethren is cast down . . .“ Rev. 12:9,10b.

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him. . .” Rev. 20:1,2,3a.

“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. I will ascend. . .? No, you’re going down, down, down. Cast out of heaven; cast down to the earth; cast down into the pit; cast down into the lake of fire!

I thought to conclude the article at this point, but some how it just did not seem to be complete. Most of what we have seen has been basically negative. There are a few positive thoughts that may prove helpful to the reader (and the writer!)

A question that is asked on occasion: “Could Jesus have sinned?” Of course He didn’t; but was it possible? Could He be tempted with sin - and to the point to where He might pray to the Father; that He was afraid He might give in to a temptation? Emphatically, NO! Remember our reference in James 1:13: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”

Who is Jesus? Is He Very God? “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,

(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” John 1:1, 14. Jesus is the Word; the Word is God; the Word dwelt among us; his glory was no less than the glory of the Father! Is Jesus God? O.K. “. . .God cannot be tempted with evil” “Yes, but didn’t he have a human body?” In Philippians chapter two we find listed these things concerning our Lord: 1. Being in the form of God. 2. Equal with God. 3. Took upon him the form of a servant. 4. Was made in the likeness of man. 5. Being found in fashion as a man. (Fashion: figure; by implication, the external condition)

God cannot be tempted with sin. Jesus is God. Next issue. “Every man is drawn away of his own lusts, and enticed.” In order for Jesus to have done this, his will must necessarily become a self will. He must turn from the Father’s will to his own - a will separate from that of the Father. But what does he declare to us in the scriptures?

“Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he . . .said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do . . .I can of mine own self do nothing: . . .because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me“ John 5:18,19,30.

Might he declare as Lucifer, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will be like the most High? That’s ludicrous! It is His throne! He is God! Why would God leave the throne to become as man just to desire to become God?

There is one other area of thought I would like for us to consider. I’ll present the scriptures and then attempt to explain them.

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” I John 1:9,10. Next verse: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” I John 2:9. Same writer, same book, found in chapters one and two. This is one of the worse contradictions in all the Bible. Right? “. . .doth not commit sin . . .cannot sin - because: His seed remaineth in him. . .he is born of God.” The key to understanding this passage seems to center in the Greek word poieo, “commit.” Despite the strength and clarity of the wording of this scripture there are many who argue that the KJV is in error; that “commit” should rather have been rendered “practice.” Young’s Analytical Concordance distinguishes two words; prasso, to “practice” and poieo, to do, giving several examples of their uses in the scriptures. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance likewise deems poieo to make or do, and prasso to “practice” i.e., perform repeatedly or habitually thus differing from poieo which prop. refers to a single act.” Matthew Henry had this to say: “Religion, in the spring of it, is not an art, an acquired dexterity and skill, but a new nature. And thereby the consequence is the regenerate person cannot sin.” (Emphasis his!) Continuing he says: ”He that is born of God cannot sin. Here we may call to mind the usual distinction of natural and moral impotency. The unregenerate person is morally unable for what is religiously good. The regenerate person is happily disabled for sin.”

Mark the distinction. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” John 3:6. In Galatians 5:16 and following: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” The next six verses go on to list the “works” of the flesh, and then the “fruit” of the Spirit.

May we quote again from Matthew Henry: “There is a restraint, an embargo (as we may say), laid upon his sinning powers. It goes against him sedately and deliberately to sin.” How can I commit this great wickedness, and sin against God! Gen. 39:9. (Speaking of Joseph when seduced [unsuccessfully] by Potiphar’s wife.)

Let’s do a quick scan of I John 3:1-10. In verse one we are called the sons of God; in verse two we are now the sons of God; we shall be like Him. In verse three: ”And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

The remainder of these verses form a comparison:

The summation: “In this the children of God are manifest [evident, clear, marked], and the children of the devil.”

May the reader be encouraged to study further upon the topics in this article, as we have done no more than sow a few seed thoughts.

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