Before we discuss some of the devices of Satan, we first
need to know who he is. The name "Satan" comes from a Hebrew
word signifying an adversary, an enemy, and an accuser. In
God's Word, we discover that Satan is God's enemy and is
against all for which God stands. He is the archenemy of
good.
Surprising as it may seem to some, Satan was not always
evil. In the beginning, he was an angel created in
perfection and beauty. Angels were given a will with a free
moral choice, and "Lucifer" (Satan's name before he was cast
out of heaven) chose to do evil and rebelled against God. He
was cast out of heaven to the earth because of his sin. His
present domain is limited to the earth and hell.
Isaiah 14:12-15, "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. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the
sides of the pit."
Satan's sins were pride and covetousness. He desired
God's throne and set his will against God's will. Five times
he said, "I will" in this portion of Scripture.
This is still man's sin today: the refusal to do God's
will, with the same attitude of "I will." Satan chose to
rebel and it brought him down to hell. Men are making the
same choice today and those who rebel will ultimately go
down to the pit (hell) with the devil.
Lucifer had been gifted with beauty and had walked upon
the holy mountain of God. But even with all this, he was not
content with his position and by trying to usurp God's
authority, sin entered into him when he attempted to
overthrow God's kingdom.
Ezekiel 28:12-19, "...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; every precious
stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond,
the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the
emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy
tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day
that thou wast 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. 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. Thou
hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine
iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will
I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour
thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the
sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee
among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be
a terror, and never shalt thou be any more."
From these verses, we see that God did not create Lucifer
evil, but made him perfect. By Satan's own choice, he became
evil and was cast out of heaven.
SATAN CAST OUT OF HEAVEN
The Lord never meant for evil to exist. It was simply the
opposite of good, and since it takes a free will for evil to
come into existence, Lucifer was the first created being to
exercise his will against God. Since that time, others have
followed. Satan caused a third of heaven to fall with him by
influencing other angelic beings to make war against God
(Revelation 12:4a). They too were cast out of heaven. They
have since become evil spirits due to their choice. They now
roam the earth, with Satan as their leader and master. These
invisible supernatural beings still have power, but it is
directed toward evil works of darkness. Satan is still
ruling in the earth today, not only over the evil spirits,
but also over evil men who choose the same path of rebellion
against God. He is the dark prince of this world. We can see
a glimpse of his evil wisdom, strength, glitter, and his
inevitable end by reading the previous passages. We must
remember that he has only limited power, but nevertheless he
does have power, and those who do not know him and his
devices inevitably become his victims.
JESUS DEFEATS SATAN
Those who are "born again" and filled with the Spirit of
God have no need to fear this evil foe as he has been
defeated by our God. Jesus defeated him and stripped him of
his power two thousand years ago. Jesus paid the price of
our sins on the cross and then rose from the dead bringing
life to all who would follow Him. Satan's authority has been
taken away from him. We now have authority over him through
Jesus Christ. "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and,
behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of
hell and of death" (Revelation 1:18).
Revelation 12 records the account of Satan's overthrow by
Christ. We are first given a vision of what takes place in
heaven, then the Bible reveals the earthly scene:
Revelation 12:7-12, "And there was war in heaven: Michael
and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon
fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their
place found any more in heaven. And the 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. And I heard a
loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his
Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which
accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhibiters of the earth and of the sea! for the
devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he
knoweth that he hath but a short time."
(Excerpt from Exposing Satan's Devices)
This excerpt is provided by
www.bible.com
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