OceanSide church of Christ

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SATAN

Victor M. Eskew

 

            Satan is an evil being.  Jesus describes him well in John 8:44.  “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do:  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.”  The evil one is our enemy according to Peter.  He writes:  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet. 5:8).  In this article, let’s look at what the Bible has to say about the origin of this adversary of mankind.

            The Bible does not address this topic specifically.  There are passages, however, that give us an indication as to Satan’s origin.  The only being that is eternal is God (Deut. 33:27).  This God is found in three persons:  the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  All other beings are created.  Thus, Satan must be a created being.  He is not an animal.  He is not a human being.  Therefore, he must be an angel.

            Two verses teach us that some of the angels fell from their first estate.  One of them is II Peter 2:4.  “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.”  The other is a companion passage to the one found in II Peter.  It was written by Jude.  “And the angels which kept not their first habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6).  All angels initially resided in the realm known as heaven.  Some of them sinned according to Peter.  This transgression caused them to be cast out.  Peter says they were cast “down to hell.”  The Greek word for “hell” is “tartaroo.”  It is only used this one time in the New Testament.  It is usually defined as “the deep abyss of hades.”  This writer believes that it refers to this earth.  This world is Satan’s present domain.  He is “the god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4).  He is also called “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2).  He is reserved in chains.  This means that his power and authority has been limited by God.  He will continue to rule the earth until the final judgment.

            Another verse that sheds some light upon Satan is found in I Timothy 3:7.  Paul is discussing the qualifications of bishops or elders.  “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.”  An elder should not be a new Christian.  If a new Christian were to become a leader in the church, he might be lifted up with pride.  This is the very sin that brought Satan to his condemnation.  Pride is the lifting up of one’s self.  It involves an individual’s boasting of his power, his talents, his accomplishments, and his greatness.  In some way, Satan lifted himself up.  His pride swelled.  His pride led to rebellion against God.  This caused him and other angels to lose their habitation.

            There are two Old Testament texts that may be a commentary on I Timothy 3:7.  One of them is found in Isaiah 14.  We have to tread lightly here.  We cannot be dogmatic about the things we will say.  The immediate context does not refer to Satan.  The context is dealing with the king of Babylon.  Listen to Isaiah 14:4.  “That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon…”  The words of the prophet that are applied to the king are sublime.  It is as if the writer takes an event prior to this one and makes it applicable to the Babylonian king.  In verses 12-14, 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 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.”  Several words and phrases stand out in the passage:  fallen from heaven, Lucifer, ascend into heaven, above the starts of God, and I will be like the most High.  These things are applied to the king of Babylon, but seem to be indicative of another event of the past.  There was an angel, a beautiful angel, who desired to be lifted up.  He was not satisfied with his position among the angels.  He wanted to exalt his throne.  He wanted to be like the most High.  This could involve the arrogance of the devil.  That same type of arrogance and pride was also in the heart of the king of Babylon and was applied to him.

            Another Old Testament text does the same thing, but this time the prophecy is against the king of Tyre.  Let’s listen to the words of Ezekiel.  “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.  Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God…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 was created, till iniquity was found in thee.  By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned:  therefore I will 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.  Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness:  I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee” (Ezek. 28:12-17).  Again, there are some interesting terms found in this description of the king of Tyre:  full of wisdom, perfect in beauty, thou hast been in Eden the garden of God, thou art the anointed cherub, thou was perfect in thy ways, and thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty.  The writer seems to be drawing on an event that happened prior to this point in time.  He, too, draws on the fall of Satan and applies aspects of it to the king of Tyre.  Satan’s beauty, wisdom and brightness lifted him up with pride.  Because of his transgress, he was cast down.  The king of Tyre was like Satan.  He, too, would be cast down by God just as Satan had been.

            A brief summary is in order.  Satan began as an angel created by God who dwelled in the heavenly realm.  He transgressed the will of God.  His sin began with pride.  He was too beautiful.  He was too wise.  He was too brilliant.  He thought himself to be better than others.  He longed to be like unto God.  Instead of being God’s equal, he was cast down.  Presently, he and the other angels who rebelled against God are in chains of darkness.  They are awaiting the Day of Judgment.  There is a place that has been prepared especially for them.  “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).  At this time, he seeks to take as many with him as he possibly can.  We must resist him! (James 4:7; I Pet. 5:9).