If someone were to ask you if you
believe in Satan and to explain what you believe what would you say to them?
The spiritual being known as Satan is real, he's not the figment of someone’s
imagination. Neither is he just a myth. Regardless of what the media or
skeptics say, there is a real individual being known as Satan and the devil. He
is the enemy of God and the enemy of anyone that belongs to God. In fact, Satan
hates God with hatred that, really we can never understand.
Satan is the epitome of evil and
sinfulness, more than one could ever imagine and then more. What God is in
purity and holiness he is in evilness and sinfulness. The depth of depravity
and darkness that Satan has fallen to is beyond any human comprehension. Do you
get the picture, he is not just bad, he is in reality off the chart.
There are two
main Old Testament passages that suggest the existence of a created spiritual
being before and after his fall from heaven. One is Ez 28:12-19 (esp. vv14,16) where he was called the anointed
cherub. The other is, Is 14:12-14 where he was called Lucifer, i.e. light
bearer, or Son of the morning. After his fall he was no longer called by these names but was then known by the following.
These reflect an aspect of his character or actions. This is not an exhaustive
list, but it should give some insight into this evil being,
·
Satan: Adversary or oppressor: Zech 3:1; 1 Thess
2:18; 1 Pet 5:8
·
Devil: Meaning diabolical slanderer and accuser,
used 35 times: Lk 4:2; Rev 12:9
·
Serpent: Indicating deceitfulness, treachery and
cunning: Rev 12:3,7,9; 20:2
·
Dragon: Vicious and powerful: Rev 12:3,7,9; 20:2
·
Evil, wicked, or lawless one: Matt 13:38; Jn
17:15; 1Jn 5:18.
·
Prince/Ruler of this world: Jn 12:31; 16:11
·
Prince of the Power of the Air: Eph 2:2
·
God of this world or age: Who controls the
world’s philosophies: 2 Cor 4:4
· Beelzebub/Beelzebub: The prince of the
devils/demons, or lord of the flies or lord of filth or lord of dwellings: Matt
12:24; Lk 11:15 cf. also 2 Kings 1:3,6,16
·
Angel of Light: Positioning himself as a false spiritual
helper: 2 Cor 11:14,15
·
Tempter: Matt 4:3; 1 Thess 3:5.
·
Murderer: Initiator of sin and death and father
of lies: Jn 8:44
·
Abaddon from the Hebrew, and Apollyon from the
Greek: Meaning, destroyer: Rev 9:11
·
A roaring lion: 1 Pet 5: 8
One of his greatest lies to the
21st century west is that he
does not exist. But as we have seen from the Bible,
he does in fact exist. Here are some things to ponder on the subject of Satan.
He is a defeated enemy. Jesus Christ defeated Satan on the cross and through
His resurrection once and for all time. As Christ followers, we are never told
to fight the devil, because that has already been done, 1 Jn 3:8.
Pause in His presence for a
moment and think this over…
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