Satan the devil

There are two unfortunate trends in today's Western world regarding Satan, the devil, mentioned in the New Testament as the relentless adversary and enemy of God. Most people are unaware of the devil or underestimate his role in causing chaos, suffering and evil. For many people, the idea of a real devil is just a remnant of ancient superstition, or at best a picture of evil in the world.

On the other hand, Christians have embraced superstitious views about the devil known under the guise of "spiritual warfare." They give the devil undue credit and "wage war against him" in a manner that is inconsistent with the counsel we find in Scripture. In this article we will see what information the Bible gives us about Satan. Armed with this understanding, we can avoid the pitfalls of the extremes mentioned above.

References from the Old Testament

Jesaja 14,3-23 and Hesekiel 28,1-9 These passages are sometimes interpreted as descriptions of the devil's origin as an angel who sinned. Some of the details can be understood as references to the devil. However, the context of these passages shows that the main part of the text refers to the vanity and pride of human kings—the kings of Babylon and Tyre. The point in both passages is that kings are manipulated by the devil and are reflections of his evil intentions and hatred of God. To speak of the spiritual leader, Satan, is to speak in the same breath of his human agents, the kings. It is a way of expressing that the devil rules the world.

In the Book of Job, there is a reference to angels, stating that they were present at the creation of the world and were filled with wonder and joy. (Hi 38,7)On the other hand, Satan seems to be from Hiob 1-2 also to be an angelic being, since it is said that he was among the “sons of God.” But he is the adversary of God and his righteousness.

There are some references to "fallen angels" in the Bible. (2Pt 2,4; Jud 6; Hi 4,18), but nothing essential about how and why Satan became God's enemy. Scripture gives us no details about the lives of angels, neither about "good" angels nor about fallen angels (who are also called demons). The Bible, especially the New Testament, is much more interested in showing us Satan as someone who tries to thwart God's plans. He is described as the greatest enemy of God's people, the Church of Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament, Satan or the Devil is not explicitly named. However, the belief that cosmic powers are at war with God is clearly evident in the motifs of its pages. Two Old Testament motifs representing Satan or the Devil are cosmic waters and monsters. These are images that depict satanic evil, which holds the earth in its grip and fights against God. Hiob 26,12-13 We see how Job explains that God “stirred up the sea” and “shattered Rahab.” Rahab is described as a “fleeing serpent” (verse 13).

In the few places where Satan is described as a personal being in the Old Testament, Satan is portrayed as an accuser who seeks to sow discord and bring charges. (Sach 3,1-2)He incites people to sin against God (1 Chronicles 21:1) and uses people and the elements to cause great pain and suffering (Hi 1,6-19; 2,1-8).

In the Book of Job, we see Satan meet with other angels to present himself before God, as if he had been summoned to a heavenly council. There are several other biblical references to a heavenly assembly of angelic beings who influence human affairs. In one of these, a lying spirit beguiles a king into going to war. (1Kön 22,19-22).

God is portrayed as someone who "smashed the heads of Leviathan and gave him to the wild beasts to devour." (Ps 74,14)Who is Leviathan? He is the “sea monster”—the “fleeing serpent” and “winding serpent” whom the Lord will punish “at the time” when God banishes all evil from the earth and establishes his kingdom. (Jes 27,1).

The motif of Leviathan as a serpent originates from the Garden of Eden. Here, the serpent – “more crafty than any of the wild animals” – tempts people to sin against God, which leads to their downfall. (1Mo 3,1-7)This leads to another prophecy of a future war between God himself and the serpent, in which the serpent appears to win a decisive battle (a stab in God's heel), only to then lose the fight (his head will be crushed). In this prophecy, God says to the serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (1Mo 3,15).

References in the New Testament

The cosmic significance of this statement becomes understandable in light of the incarnation of the Son of God as Jesus of Nazareth (Joh 1,1. 14). We see in the Gospels that Satan tried to destroy Jesus in one way or another from the day he was born until he died on the cross. Although Satan succeeds in killing Jesus through his human proxies, the devil loses the war through his death and resurrection.

After Jesus' ascension, the cosmic battle between the Bride of Christ—the people of God—and the devil and his minions continues. But God's plans prevail and endure. In the end, Jesus will return and destroy the spiritual opposition against him. (1Kor 15,24-28).

Above all, the Book of Revelation illustrates this struggle between the forces of evil in the world, driven by Satan, and the powers of good in the Church, led by God. In this book full of symbols, in the literary genre of Apocalypse, two cities that are larger than life, Babylon and the great, new Jerusalem represent two terrestrial groups that are at war.

When the war is over, the devil or Satan will be chained in the abyss and thus prevented from “deceiving the whole world” as he had done before. (Röm 12,9).

In the end, we see that the Kingdom of God triumphs over all evil. It is symbolically represented by an ideal city—the holy city, the Jerusalem of God—where God and the Lamb dwell together with their people in eternal peace and joy, made possible by the mutual joy they share. (Offb 21,15-27)Satan and all the powers of evil will be destroyed. (Offb 20,10).

Jesus and Satan

In the New Testament, Satan is clearly identified as the adversary of God and humanity. In one way or another, the devil is responsible for the suffering and the evil in our world. In his healing ministry, Jesus even referred to fallen angels and Satan as the cause of illness and infirmity. Of course, we should be careful not to call every problem or illness a direct blow from Satan. Nevertheless, it is instructive to note that the New Testament is not afraid to blame the devil and his evil cohorts for many disasters, including illnesses. Illness is an evil, not something that is ordained by God.

Jesus referred to Satan and the fallen spirits as "the devil and his angels," for whom the "eternal fire" is prepared. (Mt 25,41)In the Gospels we read that demons are the cause of a variety of physical illnesses and afflictions. In some cases, demons possessed people's minds and/or bodies, resulting in weaknesses such as convulsions, muteness, blindness, partial paralysis, and various forms of insanity.

Luke speaks of a woman whom Jesus met in the synagogue, who “had been suffering from a spirit for eighteen years that made her ill.” (Lk 13,11)Jesus freed her from her affliction and was criticized for healing on the Sabbath. Jesus replied, “Should not this woman, Abraham’s daughter, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” (v. 16).

In other cases, he exposed demons as the cause of ailments, as in the case of a boy who suffered from terrible convulsions and had been moonstruck since childhood. (Mt 17,14-19; Mk 9,14-29; Lk 9,37-45)Jesus could simply command these demons to leave the disabled person, and they obeyed. In doing so, Jesus demonstrated that he had complete authority over the world of Satan and the demons. Jesus gave his disciples the same authority over the demons. (Mt 10,1).

The Apostle Peter spoke of Jesus' healing ministry as one that freed people from illnesses and infirmities for which Satan and his evil spirits were either the direct or indirect cause. "You know what happened throughout Judea...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, for God was with him." (Apg 10,37-38)This view of Jesus' healing ministry reflects the belief that Satan is the adversary of God and his creation, especially humanity.

It puts the ultimate blame for suffering and sin on the devil and characterizes him as the
"First sinner." The devil has been sinning from the very beginning. (1Joh 3,8)Jesus calls Satan the "prince of demons"—the ruler of the fallen angels. (Mt 25,41)Through his work of redemption, Jesus broke the devil's influence over the world. Satan is the "strong one" into whose house (the world) Jesus entered. (Mk 3,27)Jesus has “bound” the strong man and “divided the spoils” [carried away his possessions, his kingdom].

That is why Jesus came in the flesh. John writes: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1. Joh 3,8)The Epistle to the Colossians speaks of this destroyed work in cosmic terms: “He stripped the rulers and authorities of their power and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in Christ.” (Kol 2,15).

The Epistle to the Hebrews goes into more detail about how Jesus achieved this: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and redeem those who all their lives were slaves to death because of their fear of it.” (Hebr 2,14-15).

It is therefore not surprising that Satan would try to destroy God's purpose in his Son, Jesus Christ. Satan's goal was to kill the incarnate Word, Jesus, when he was a baby. (Offb 12,3; Mt 2,1-18), to try him during his lifetime (Lk 4,1-13), and to imprison and kill him (v. 13; Lk 22,3-6).

Satan "succeeded" in the final attempt on Jesus' life, but Jesus' death and subsequent resurrection exposed and condemned the devil. Jesus had made a "public spectacle" of the ways of the world and the evil presented by the devil and his followers. It became clear to all who would listen that only God's way of love is right.

Through the person of Jesus and his work of redemption, the devil's plans were reversed and he was defeated. Thus, Christ has already defeated Satan through his life, death, and resurrection, exposing the shame of evil. Jesus said to his disciples on the night of his betrayal: “That I am going to the Father…the prince of this world is now judged.” (Joh 16,11).

After Christ's return, the devil's influence in the world will cease, and his complete defeat will be evident. This victory will occur in a final and lasting transformation at the end of this age. (Mt 13,37-42).

The mighty prince

During his earthly ministry, Jesus declared that "the ruler of this world will be cast out." (Joh 12,31), and said that this prince has "no power" over him (Joh 14,30)Jesus defeated Satan because the devil could not control him. No temptation Satan hurled at Jesus was strong enough to lure him away from his love for and faith in God. (Mt 4,1-11)He defeated the devil and stole the possessions of the "strong one"—the world he held captive. (Mt 12,24-29)As Christians, we can rest in faith in Jesus' victory over all of God's enemies (and our enemies), including the devil.

Yet the Church exists in the tension of "already there, but not yet fully," in which God continues to allow Satan to tempt the world and spread destruction and death. Christians live between the "It is finished" of Jesus' death. (Joh 19,30)...and "It has happened"—the ultimate destruction of evil and the future coming of the Kingdom of God to Earth. (Offb 21,6)Satan is still allowed to zeal against the power of the gospel. The devil is still the invisible prince of darkness, and with God's permission, he has the power to fulfill God's purposes.

The New Testament tells us that Satan is the controlling power of the present evil world, and that people unconsciously follow him in his opposition to God. (In Greek, the word "prince" or "ruler" [as in Joh 12,31 used] a translation of the Greek word archon, which referred to the highest government official of a political district or city).

The Apostle Paul explains that Satan is "the god of this world" who "blinds the minds of unbelievers". (2Kor 4,4)Paul understood that Satan could even hinder the work of the church (1 Thessalonians 2:17-19).

Today, much of the western world pays little heed to a reality that fundamentally affects their lives and future—the fact that the devil is a real spirit who seeks to harm them at every turn and seeks to thwart God's loving purpose. Christians are exhorted to be aware of Satan's machinations so that they may resist them through the guidance and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, some Christians have gone to a misguided extreme in a "hunt" for Satan, and have unwittingly given additional fodder to those who scoff at the idea that the devil is a real and evil being.

The church is warned to be on its guard against Satan's tools. Christian leaders, says Paul, must live lives worthy of God's calling, so that they "do not fall into the devil's snare." (1Tim 3,7)Christians must be on their guard against Satan's machinations and they must put on the armor of God "against the evil spirits under heaven". (Eph 6,10-12)They should put this on. They should do this so that “they are not taken advantage of by Satan.” (2Kor 2,11).

The evil work of the devil

The devil creates spiritual blindness to the truth of God in Christ in various ways. False doctrines and diverse ideas "taught by demons" lead people to "follow deceptive spirits," even though they are unaware of the ultimate source of this deception. (1Tim 4,1-5)Once blinded, people are unable to understand the light of the Gospel, which is the good news that Christ redeems us from sin and death. (1Joh 4,1-2; 2Joh 7)Satan is the main enemy of the gospel, "the evil one," who tries to seduce people into rejecting the good news. (Mt 13,18-23).

Satan doesn't need to try to tempt you personally. He can work through people who spread false philosophical and theological ideas. People can also be enslaved by the structure of evil and deception embedded in our human society. The devil can also use our fallen human nature against us, so that people believe they have "the truth" when in reality they have abandoned what is of God for what is of the world and of the devil. Such people believe that their misguided belief system will save them (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10), but what they have actually done is "pervert God's truth into a lie." (Röm 1,25)“The lie” seems good and true because Satan presents himself and his belief system in such a way that his teachings appear as a truth from an “angel of light.” (2Kor 11,14)It works.

Generally speaking, Satan is behind the temptation and desire of our fallen nature to sin, and therefore he is called the “tempter” (1 Thessalonians 3:5). 1Kor 6,5; Apg 5,3) called. Paul leads the church back in Corinth 1. Mose 3 and the story in the Garden of Eden, to admonish them not to be turned away from Christ, something the devil tries to do. “But I am afraid that, just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be led astray from simplicity and purity toward Christ.” (2Kor 11,3).

This does not mean that Paul believed Satan personally tempted and directly seduced everyone. People who, every time they sin, think that “the devil made me do it” fail to recognize that Satan uses the system of evil he created in the world and our fallen nature against us. In the case of the aforementioned Christians in Thessalonica, this deception could have been achieved by teachers who sowed the seeds of hatred against Paul, leading people to believe that he [Paul] was deceiving them or covering up greed or some other impure motive (1 Thessalonians 2:3-12). Nevertheless, since the devil sows discord and manipulates the world, ultimately, behind all those who sow discord and hatred, is the tempter himself.

According to Paul, Christians who have been separated from the fellowship of the church because of sin are in fact “delivered over to Satan.” (1Kor 5,5; 1Tim 1,20), or have “turned away and followed Satan” (1Tim 5,15)Peter admonishes his flock: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1Pt 5,8)The way to defeat Satan, says Peter, is to “resist him” (v. 9).

How do people resist Satan? James explains: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (Jak 4,7-8)We are close to God when our heart has a devout attitude of joy, peace, and gratitude towards him, nourished by his indwelling spirit of love and faith.

People who do not know Christ and are not led by his Spirit (Röm 8,5-17) “They live according to the flesh” (v. 5). They are in harmony with the world and follow “the spirit that is at work in the disobedient children at this time.” (Eph 2,2)This spirit, identified elsewhere as the devil or Satan, manipulates people to indulge “the desires of the flesh and the senses” (v. 3). But by God’s grace, we can see the light of truth that is in Christ and follow it through the Spirit of God, instead of unknowingly falling under the influence of the devil, the fallen world, and our spiritually weak and sinful human nature.

Satan's warfare and his final defeat

“The whole world is in a bad way” [is under the control of the devil] writes John (1Joh 5,19)But those who are children of God and followers of Christ were given understanding “to know the true one” (v. 20).

In this regard, Offenbarung 12,7-9 Very dramatic. In the warfare motif of Revelation, the book depicts a cosmic battle between Michael and his angels and the dragon (Satan) and his fallen angels. The devil and his minions were defeated, and “their place was found no more in heaven” (v. 8). The result? “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent called the devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels with him” (v. 9). The idea is that Satan continues his war against God by persecuting God’s people on earth.

The battlefield between evil (manipulated by Satan) and good (led by God) results in war between Babylon the Great (the world under the control of the Devil) and the new Jerusalem (the people of God that God and the Lamb Jesus Christ follows). It is a war destined to be won by God because nothing can defeat its purpose.

In the end, all of God's enemies, including Satan, will be defeated. The Kingdom of God—a new world order—will come to earth, symbolized by the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation. The devil will be removed from God's presence, and his kingdom will be destroyed with him. (Offb 20,10)...and replaced by God's eternal reign of love.

We read these encouraging words about “the end” of all things: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making all things new!’ And he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Offb 21,3-5).

Paul Kroll