THE REALITY OF SATAN
The denial of Satan’s reality usually takes
the form of considering the idea of a Satan as the personification of evil but
not actually a being that has his own separate existence. The idea of “Satan”
as a person developed more in New Testament times, and his necessitated, we are
told, reinterpretations of the “legends” of the Old Testament, since it is
claimed, they do not contain the idea of a distinctive demonic figure. In
addition, Iranian dualism, it is said, contributed to the Jewish idea of a
personal Satan during the Greco-Roman period.
I. EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT
If one accepts the Scripture as revelation
from God, rather than merely a record of man’s thoughts about God, then the
reality of Satan cannot be denied. Satan did not evolve as a personal being: he
existed and acted from the earliest to the last books of God’s revelation.
Seven books of the Old Testament teach his reality (Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Job,
Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah). Every writer of the New Testament affirmed
his reality and activity. Christ’s teaching also assumes and affirms Satan’s
existence and activity. In twenty five of the twenty nine passages in the
Gospels that speck of Satan, our Lord is speaking. In some of those passages
there can be no question of Christ’s accommodating His teaching to the crowd’s
supposed ignorance or faulty concept of Satan due to Persian dualism. Notice
especially passages like Matthew (13:39; Luke 10:18; and 11:18).
II. EVIDENCE OF PERSONALITY
A. The Traits of Personality
Like the angels, Satan is said to posses the
traits of personality. He shows intelligence (2 Cor. 11:3); he exhibits emotion
(Rev. 12:17, anger; Luke 22:31 desire); he demonstrates that he has a will
(Isa. 14:12-14; 2 Tim. 2:26).
B. The Pronouns of Personality
Satan is referred to as a person in both Old
and New Testament (Job 1; Matt. 4:1-12). Notice that the information in this
latter passage (the temptation of Christ) had to come from the Lord; thus He,
by using personal pronouns, attributes personality to Satan.
C. The Moral Responsibility of Personality
If Satan were merely a personification that
people have devised to express their ideas of evil, then such a personification
could scarcely be held morally responsible for his actions, since, in reality,
there is no being who can be held accountable. But Satan is held accountable by
the Lord (Matt. 25:4), and this passage reminds us that to deny the reality of
Satan requires denying the veracity of Christ’s words.
III. HIS NATURE
A. He is a Creature
Assuming that Ezekiel 28:11-19 refers to
Satan (to be discussed later), that passage clearly states that Satan was
created 9v. 15). This means that he does not possess attributes that belong to
God alone, like omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience. Though a mighty
being, he has creaturely limitations. And as a creature he must be accountable
to his Creator.
B. He is a Spirit Being
Satan belongs to the order of angels called
cherubim (Ezek. 28:14). Apparently he was the highest created angel (v. 12).
Evidently this was the reason Michael, the archangel, did not dispute with
Satan about the body of Moses (Jude 9). Satan may be called the archangel of
all the evil angels. Even in his present, fallen state, he retains a great deal
of power (though under the permission of God). Thus he is called the God of
this world and the prince of the power of the air (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2).
IV. HIS NAMES
The number and variety of names given to
Satan further support the reality of his existence.
Satan (used about fifty-two times) from the
Hebrew, Satan, means adversary or oppose (Zech. 3:1; Matt. 4:10; Rev. 12:9;
20:2). Devil (used about thirty-five times) from eh Greek, diabolos, means
slanderer (Matt. 4:1; Eph. 4:27; Rev. 12:9; 20:2).
John records him as the evil one (John 17:15;
I John 5:18-19). His evil character, indicated in this title, pervades the
entire world, which is under his control. Yet the believer cannot ultimately be
possessed by Satan.
A serpent was the way Satan first appeared to
mankind (Gen. 3:1). This characterization sticks with Satan in the New
Testament as well (2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9) and indicates his guile and
craftiness.
Satan is also depicted as a great red dragon
(Rev. 12:3; 7,9). This emphasizes his fierce nature, especially in conflict.
Note that the dragon has a tail; thus our Halloween caricatures of Satan are
not far off! An illustration; an older student, when asked by a younger student
what kind of a teacher so-and-so is, might reply, “OH, he’s a bear!” the
meaning is clear; that teacher is hard. Satan is a dragon. The meaning is
clear; he is ferocious in his attacks against believers.
One of Satan’s activities is to be the
accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). He does this unceasingly – day and night.
Of what does he accuse us? Of sins w commit. And, of course, he has an airtight
case, for believers do sin, and any sin could undo our salvation. However, our
Lord, our Advocate, defends us on the sole basis that all our sins were paid
for by His death (I John 2:1-2). Some, probably unconsciously, make a
distinction between sins that could our salvation and those that would not do
so – “little” sins. But any sin is enough to cause us to lose our salvation
were it not for the constant intercession of our Lord that thwarts the constant
accusations of our adversary, Satan.
One of my teachers years ago was H.A.
Ironside. He always addressed us as “young gentlemen”. When he came to this
verse he would inevitably say, “young gentlemen, Satan is the accuser of the
brethren. Let’s leave the dirty work to him”.
Satan is also the tempter (Matt. 4:3; I
Thess. 3:5). This has been his work from his first encounter with human beings
(Gen. 3:1). His temptation to Eve was to accept the counterfeit plan he offered
that did not involve the restriction of not eating the fruit of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. His temptation of Christ was to have the glory that
was due Him without the suffering of the Cross. He tempted Ananias to lie in
not disclosing the full amount of money his sale of land had brought (Acts
5:3). He tempts believers with immorality (I Cor. 7:5).
Satan’s position over
this world is seen in several titles given to him. He is the “ruler of this
world” (John 12:31). He is the ‘god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). He is the
‘prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2) and “the spirit that is now working
in the sons of disobedience (v.2). He also deceives the whole world Rev. 12:9;
20:3)> he resides in the air (equivalent to “the heavenly places” in Eph.
6:12) and rules this cosmos as well as this age. The cosmos is that organized
framework of things in which mankind lives and moves and that opposes God by eliminating
and counterfeiting Him.
The age (of which Satan is god) means “all that
floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses,
aims, aspirations, at any time current in the world, which it may be impossible
to seize and accurately define, but which constitute a most real and effective
power, being the moral or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives
we inhale, again inevitable to exhale – all this is included in the aion, which
is ….the subtle informing spirit of kosmos, or world of men who are living
alienated apart from God” that kind of rule over the world and atmosphere in
which we live is awesome and fearful.
Thankfully, greater is He who is in me
than in the world (I John 4:4). The name Beelzebul designates Satan as the
Chief of the demons (Luke 11:15). When Jesus’ enemies alleged that He was
possessed by beelzebul, they made themselves guilty of the worst kind of
blasphemy. Paul uses Belial as a name for Satan in (2 Cor. 6:15). The word
means worthless or wickedness and aptly describes Satan’s character.
The
various names and designations for Satan not only affirm the reality of his
existence but also reveal his many-facted character and aspects of his work. A
name often reveals something about the person’s background (“Scotty”) or looks
(“Red”) or characteristics (“Lover”) or activities (“Gopher”). So with Satan:
his background (adversary, accuser tempter), looks (dragon, serpent),
characteristics (liar, murderer, ruler), and activities (accuser, tempter). He is
a powerful, intelligent, clever creature, and we must never forget or
underestimate the reality of our enemy.
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