20 - Satan
Satan
Basic Christian Doctrines 20.
1. Demons are Fallen Angels.
Demons are real. They are not the product of superstition or fanciful imaginations. They are not goblins, ghouls, ogres or banshees. Nor are they the ghosts of dead people come back to haunt us. They are angels who sinned and were expelled from Heaven. Revelation 12:4 indicates that about a third of the angels fell. Some are roaming around Earth invisibly, others are kept in chains in a part of Hades called Tartarus to await their final judgment (2 Peter 2:4
2. Demons are Evil.
They are frequently called “unclean spirits” (Matthew 10:1), in contrast to the unfallen angels who are called “holy angels”. They are “deceiving spirits” (1 Timothy 4:1). They are far more evil than humans, for they fell from a higher estate and have had more time to accumulate sins and stew in their evil. They know that God exists (James 2:19), but they refuse to obey Him. But they submit to God when He stretches forth His authority. Demons are involved in all areas of evil in the world. For example, they are the true identity of the false gods of pagan religions (1 Corinthians 10:20).
3. Demons Sometimes Inhabit People. The word usually translated “demon-possessed” is literally “demonized.” Though all sinners are born as slaves to Satan, there is a sense in which demons indwell only some of them. Demon-possession is relatively rare. It is not the same thing as disease, epilepsy, mental illness, or other afflictions, though sometimes demons are involved in these. The most evil and influential people in history (Hitler, Mohammad, mass murderers, etc) were probably demon-possessed. In demonization 2 spirits indwell one body - a human and a demon. It probably begins with deep involvement in the occult. The only cure is exorcism by the authority of Jesus Christ.
4. Satan is Real.
Satan is also very real. He was not invented to scare little children. Nor is he the projection or personification of our nightmares and evil ideas. He is not a myth. He has several names and titles: the Devil (Matthew 4:1), the Serpent (Genesis 3:1), Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24), Belial (2 Corinthians 6:15), the Dragon (Revelation 20:2), Abaddon and Apollyon (Revelation 20:2), and many others. Like the other angels, he was created before Man. He is called the god of this world because he has been allowed to exercise a degree of control over mankind through sin. He has a kingdom, inhabited by the whole world until a person escapes his clutches through salvation (1 John 5:19).
5. Satan was Once a Good Archangel. The original creation and fall of Satan is recorded somewhat mysteriously in Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:12-19. The preceding verses rebuke men, but the following verses could not refer to mere men but to Satan behind them. Satan was an archangel, evidently named Lucifer, or light-bearer. He was the first created being to sin and led others into sin (Revelation 12:3-4). He wanted to become God, perhaps to stage a revolution. He was filled with pride (1 Timothy 3:6). Jesus saw him fall from Heaven like lightning (Luke 10:18). He is called the Prince of Demons (Matthew 12:24), for he led them into revolt and is still their leader.
6. Satan is Evil.
One of the names for Satan is “the Evil One” (Matthew 6:13). He is also “the Wicked One” (1 John 5:19). He is the Prince of Darkness. He was the first one to sin and is the worst sinner in history. He is behind every evil thought, word and deed. He has sinned longer and deeper than anyone else. The extent of his evil is almost inconceivable to us. Humans are totally depraved, that is, sin fills their entire beings. But Satan has a larger capacity to sin. Yet he is not infinitely evil, for only God is infinite in any way. Satan is not the equal opposite of God. The universe is a battlefield, but not between equals. Satan is vastly smaller than God. It would seem that his equal counterpart is Michael the Archangel.
7. Satan Tempts People to Sin.
Just as he led other angels into sin, so he leads people into sin. In a way, he already has them, since they are born in sin. Still, he wants to keep them. He does not relinquish any without a fight. He wants to multiply sin in the universe. He is called “The Tempter” (1 Thessalonians 3:5). He tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, and tempted Jesus in the wilderness. He tempts us anywhere and everywhere. He advertises sin, makes it look desirable, entices us to commit sin. One of the major means he uses is the sin that is already inside us (James 1:14). God Himself tempts no one, but allows Satan to tempt us (James 1:13). That is how God tests us.
8. Satan Disguises Himself.
Satan rarely, if ever, reveals his evil designs and real motives. He disguised himself as a snake in the Garden of Eden. He pretends to offer good things to us. He is a deceiver. Jesus called him “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). He cheats people in all sorts of ways. He lulls people into a sense of security, trapping them into ignoring their fate after death. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says that he disguises himself as an “angel of light”, and sends false prophets as spies in disguise to masquerade as ambassadors of truth. We need to beware of Satan’s methods.
9. Satan Accuses Believers.
After he leads people into sin, he accuses them. Some of the accusation is true - they did sin. He uses this as an opportunity to kick fallen Christians and try to keep them from getting up. He also accuses us falsely. Satan is “the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night” (Revelation 12:10). He accused Job before God (Job 1:1-22), accused God before Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:24), and accused the God-Man to His face (Matthew 4:1-25). Zechariah 3:1-5 is a good example of how Satan accuses people, but the righteousness of Christ excuses them from all accusation. Christ is our Advocate to defend us from Satan’s accusations (Romans 8:33-34).
10. Satan and Demons Will Be Punished in Hell.
Christ defeated Satan and the demons at the Cross. His death took away the power of Satan, who had the keys of death. See Colossians 2:15 and Hebrews 2:1-18. Christ overthrew the Prince of Darkness, and is bringing in the Kingdom of Light. One day Christ will return and will finish the job. Satan will be vanquished. He will be thrown into the Pit of Hell for 1000 years, let out briefly, then thrown into the Lake of Fire forever (Revelation 20:1-3, Revelation 20:6-10). Hell was originally prepared as the final place of punishment for Satan and the demons (Matthew 25:41). There is no hope for Satan. He knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12). Neither Satan nor the demons were elect. Christ did not die for them, nor is the Gospel preached to them. Christ Himself will preside at their execution.