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 who has his own separate existence. The idea of “Satan” as a person developed more in New Testament times, and this 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 (see T. H. Gaster, “Satan,” The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible [New York: Abingdon, 1976], 4:224-8).

I. EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT

If one accepts the Scriptures 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 (Gen., 1 Chron., Job, Ps., Isa., Ezek., Zech.). Every writer of the New Testament affirms 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 which speak 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 ignorances or faulty concepts 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 also is said to possess the traits of personality. He shows intelligence (2 Cor. 11:3); he exhibits emotions (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 Testaments (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. 25:41), 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 (v. 15). This means that he does not possess attributes which 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 opposer (Zech. 3:1; Matt. 4:10; Rev. 12:9; 20:2).

Devil (used about thirty-five times) from the 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; 1 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 (vv. 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 (v. 10). He does this unceasingly—day and night. Of what does he accuse us? Of sins we 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 (1 John 2:1-2). Some, probably unconsciously, make a distinction between sins which could undo our salvation and those which would not do so—“little” sins. But any sin has the ability to cause us to lose our salvation were it not for the constant intercession of our Lord which thwarts the constant accusations of our adversary, Satan.

Satan is also the tempter (Matt. 4:3; 1 Thes. 3:5). This has been his work from his first encounter with human beings (Gen. 3:1). His temptation of Eve was to accept the counterfeit plan he offered which 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 (1 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 which 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 anytime 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 the kosmos, or world of men who are living alienated apart from God” (R.C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament [London: Kegan Paul, 1886], p. 218). That kind of rule over the world and atmosphere in which we live is awesome and fearful. Thankfully, greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

The name Beelzebub designates Satan as the chief of the demons (Luke 11:15). When Jesus’ enemies alleged that He was possessed by Beelzebub, they made themselves guilty of the worst kind of blasphemy.

Paul uses Belial as a name for Satan in 2 Corinthians 6:15. The word means worthlessness 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-faceted 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.

I. HIS CREATION

A. The Time of ItIf Satan were not a created being then he must be eternal or self-existent, a dualism which is incompatible with monotheism. The Scriptures declare that all things were created by God through Christ, and there is nothing that was not made by Him (John 1:3; Col. 1:16-17). The time of his creation is not specified. If Ezekiel 28:13 refers to Satan and to the earthly garden in Eden, then, of course, he had to have been created before God planted the Garden in Eden (Gen. 2:8).

B. The Characteristics of It

Many debate whether or not Ezekiel 28:11-19 has Satan in view, but if it does, then it provides us with a number of descriptive details as to the characteristics of Satan’s original condition at his creation. All agree that the subject of verses 1-19 is judgment on Tyre and its leader. But the question is, do verses 11-19 go beyond the human leader to reveal things about something or someone else? The candidates for that something or someone else called the king of Tyre are: (a) a symbol drawn from pagan mythology; (b) a primal being who lived in the Garden of Eden and was driven out through pride; (c) a mythological, unreal being presented in Phoenician mythology and incorporated and applied in this story to the king of Tyre, (d) an ideal” though unreal, person, (e) the ideal man, the same as the historical first man, Adam, whose histories (initial privileges and subsequent sin) are analogous; (f) the sinister being Satan; (g) Satan’s masterpiece, Antichrist.

Views (a) through (d) are incompatible with the principles of normal interpretation, for there is no justification for introducing such mythology into the text. View (e) though possible, seems to fall short of fulfilling the totality of the sinister nature of the figure behind the king of Tyre. Views (f) and (g) can be combined; i.e., Satan is the one behind it all including being behind Antichrist who will be the climax of all people whom Satan has indwelt throughout history. The king of Tyre was one whom he indwelt in the past, as Antichrist will be the final one he will indwell in the future.

To understand the prophecy as including references to Satan does not mean that Ezekiel did not also have a historical leader of Tyre in mind in his denunciations. The question is, did he only have the historical human leader in view or did he also have a greater being, Satan, in mind? The flowery and highly figurative language can argue for either conclusion. Those who feel that only the human leader is in view understand the language as a typical, exaggerated way an oriental ruler might be referred to. Those who also see Satan in the passage argue that such language includes too many superlatives and figures to be true of only an earthly king no matter how great he was. It would seem difficult to apply verses 14 and 15, for example, to any earthly king (see a full discussion in Charles L. Feinberg, The Prophecy of Ezekiel (Chicago: Moody, 1969], pp. 158-63).

It would, of course, not be unusual for a prophetic passage to refer both to a local personage and also to someone else who fully fulfills it. This is true of many passages that relate both to King David and Jesus Christ. It is also true of the reference to the prince of the kingdom of Persia in Daniel 10:13, a reference that must include a superhuman being related to the kingdom of Persia. So for Ezekiel 28 to refer both to the then-reigning king of Tyre as well as to Satan would not be a unique interpretive conclusion. Indeed, it seems the right conclusion: The historic king of Tyre was simply a tool of Satan, possibly indwelt by him. And in describing this king, Ezekiel also gives us glimpses of the superhuman creature, Satan, who was using, if not indwelling, him.

Assuming, then, that Satan is in the picture in these verses, what do we learn about his original characteristics at his creation? Whatever specifics these verses teach they convey the clear idea that Satan was highly privileged, the epitome of God’s Creation, who had an unparalleled position in the universe.

1. Satan had unparalleled wisdom and beauty (v. 12). Satan stood at the zenith of God’s creatures, filled with wisdom and perfect in beauty.

2. Satan had an unparalleled habitation (v. 13). This may refer to a heavenly Eden, or to the earthly Eden. In either case, it was, before sin entered, a unique place.

3. Satan had an unparalleled covering (v. 13). The dazzling description of his dress or robe indicates something of the glory bestowed on him.

4. Satan had an unparalleled function (v. 14). He belonged to the order of angelic creature designated cherubim. They are associated with guarding the holiness of God (Gen. 3:24), with the throne of God (Ezek. 1:5), and here apparently with the actual presence of God. Satan was on the holy mountain of God and he walked in the midst of the stones of fire, likely references to the presence of God Himself. Apparently Satan was the chief guardian of God’s holiness and majesty.

5. Satan had unparalleled perfection (Ezek. 28:15). He was perfect in the sense of being completely sound and of having total moral integrity. Here as well as in verse 13 we are reminded that Satan was created, and as a creature, he must someday answer to his Creator.

In every way Satan was the epitome of God’s Creation. “He awoke in the first moment of his existence in the full-orbed beauty and power of his exalted position; surrounded by all the magnificence which God gave him. He saw himself as above all the hosts in power, wisdom, and beauty. Only at the throne of God itself did he see more than he himself possessed, and it is possible that even that was in some sense not fully visible to the eyes of the creature. . . Before his fall he may be said to have occupied the role of prime minister for God, ruling possibly over the universe but certainly over this world” (Donald Grey Barnhouse, The Invisible War [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1965], pp. 26-7).

II. HIS SIN

A. The Origin of Satan’s Sin

Sin was found in him (Ezek. 28:15). This is really the only verse in the Bible that states exactly the origin of sin. The details of Satan’s sin are specified elsewhere, but the origin is only expressed here. Barnhouse terms it as “spontaneous generation in the heart of this being in whom such magnificence of power and beauty had been combined and to whom such authority and privilege had been given” (p. 30).

This sin must have been included in the eternal plan of God. Yet God never assumes the responsibility for the commission of any sin, including Satan’s. J.O. Buswell steers a careful course in this matter. “According to the Bible, then, sin originated in an act of free will in which the creature deliberately, responsibly, and with adequate understanding of the issues chose to corrupt the holy character of godliness with which God had endowed His creation. . . . Satan sinned necessarily. God is rightly angry with all sin. . . . The denial of free will seems to be purely arbitrary philosophical dogmatism, contrary to the biblical view. If God is rightly angry with sin, then it follows that the sinner is blameworthy—cosmically, ultimately, absolutely. . . . Sin must be within God’s eternal decrees in some sense in which He is not the author of it. . . . Within the decrees of God, there are decrees of the permission of those things of which God Himself is not the author. This is not mere permission of the unavoidable” (“The Origin and Nature of Sin,” Basic Christian Doctrines, Carl F.H. Henry, ed. [New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1962], pp. 107-9).

Sin was found in Satan; yet he was created perfect. God is not the blameworthy cause of Satan’s sin; yet it was included in His plan.

B. The Nature of Satan’s Sin

The New Testament pinpoints Satan’s particular sin as arrogance, conceit, or being puffed up (1 Tim. 3:6). It is likened to the conceit a new convert may have when he is either pushed forward or asserts himself too quickly and begins to take to himself the glory that belongs to God. Ezekiel 28:16 assigns the cause of Satan’s downfall to the abundance of his trade. In other words, Satan used his position for personal profit—to traffic in his own self-promotion.

Isaiah gives more detail of Satan’s sin (14:12-17). Like the Ezekiel 28:11-19 passage there is a question as to whether or not this refers at all to Satan. (1) Some regard the Isaiah passage as referring only to the fall of the king of Babylon mentioned in verse 4. (2) Others understand the passage to relate only to the fall of Satan. (3) Those who hold views (1) or (2) may also see the king of Babylon or Satan as prefiguring the fall of the coming Antichrist. (4) Likely the truth includes all of these references; i.e., the fall of the king of Babylon is an antitype of the previous fall of Satan and a type of the future fall of Antichrist. Delitzsch says it concisely: “A retrospective glance is now cast at the self-deification of the king of Babylon, in which he was the antitype of the devil and the type of Antichrist . . .” (Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah [Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1875], 1:312). The passage transcends anything that can be said of an earthly king and has been understood from earliest times to also refer to Satan’s fall as described in Luke 10:18.

Satan is called the morning star in Isaiah 14:12. The Latin equivalent is Lucifer which, on the basis of this passage, became a name for Satan. However, the use of morning star with reference to Satan gives us an indication of the basic character of his plot against God. Since the same title is used in Revelation 22:16 of Christ, we are alerted to the fact that Satan’s plan was to counterfeit the plan of God, and indeed it was and is. How he initiated that plan is detailed in the five “I will” phrases in Isaiah 14:13-14).

1. I will ascend to heaven. As guardian of God’s holiness Satan had access to heaven, but this expresses his desire to occupy and settle in heaven on an equality with God.

2. I will raise my throne above the stars of God. The meaning of this depends on the understanding of “stars.” If they refer to angels (Job 38:7; Jude 13; Rev. 12:3-4; 22:16), then Satan wished to rule over all the angels. If they refer to the luminous heavenly bodies, then he wished to rule in the heavens.

3. I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the recesses of the north. This bespeaks Satan’s ambition to govern the universe as the assembly of Babylonian gods supposedly did.

4. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. He wanted the glory that belonged to God (clouds are often associated with God’s presence, see Ex. 16:10; Rev. 19:1).

5. I will make myself like the Most High. Here his counterfeit is crystal clear. Satan wanted to be like, not unlike, God. The name Elyon for God stresses God’s strength and sovereignty (Gen. 14:18). Satan wanted to be as powerful as God. He wanted to exercise the authority and control in this world that rightfully belongs only to God. His sin was a direct challenge to the power and authority of God.

Satan’s sin was all the more heinous because of the great privileges, intelligence, and position he had. His sin was also more damaging because of the widespread effects of it. It affected other angels (Rev. 12:7); it affects all people (Eph. 2:2); it positioned him as the ruler of this world (John 16:11); it affects all the nations of the world, for he works to deceive them (Rev. 20:3).

All sin is serious and all sin affects others. But sin in high places is more serious and its ramifications more widespread. The sin of Satan should serve as a constant reminder and warning to us.

I. IN RELATION TO CHRIST

The animosity between Satan and Christ was first predicted after the sin of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:15). The enmity between spiritual descendants of Satan and the family of God was predicted here. Also an individual (Christ) from among the woman’s seed would deal a fatal blow to Satan’s head, while Satan would bruise Christ’s heel (a nonfatal blow, but one that caused Him great suffering). This exchange of blows took place at the cross.

When our Lord did actually appear on this earth, Satan made concerted attempts to thwart His mission to die for the sins of the world. Undoubtedly Herod’s killing of the children under two was Satan-inspired (Matt. 2:16). Christ clearly said that Peter aligned himself with Satan’s plan when Peter wanted to dismiss the idea that Christ would have to die in Jerusalem (16:21-23). The sharpness of Christ’s rebuke underscores the fact that His central purpose in coming to earth was to die. When Judas was about to betray the Lord Satan entered into him (John 13:27).

But the principal and most direct attack of Satan on our Lord was at His temptation (Matt. 4:1-11). The word “test” or “tempt” includes two ideas: proving and soliciting to evil. Satan’s testing of Christ involved both facets. In the process of Satan’s soliciting Him to commit evil, God would prove through the test that Christ was sinless. God and Satan were both involved in His test. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness place in order that He might be tempted by the devil. For forty days Satan tempted Him with many temptations (Luke 4:2), and during that period our Lord fasted. This served to sensitize Him against all the tests, but especially against the three attacks which came at the end of those forty days. These three were the epitome of the areas in which a person can be tested: the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:16).

These were tests particularly suited to the God-Man. Only He (not we) could turn stones to bread. Only He (not we) could jump off the pinnacle of the temple and land unharmed in the area below. Only He (not we) could expect to have all the kingdoms of this world.

The whole goal of Satan’s temptation of Christ was to eliminate the suffering and death of the Cross. He offered the Lord glory without the Cross. This, then, would have made His substitutionary death unnecessary. Specifically, Satan tempted Christ to independence (Matt. 4:3-4), to indulgence (vv. 5-7) and idolatry (vv. 8-10).

There was no doubt in Satan’s mind that Christ was the promised Deliverer. But he wanted the Lord to assert His independence from the Father by turning the stones to bread. Just as the manna given to Israel in the wilderness came from God, so Christ’s food should come in the Father’s time and way. To turn stones to bread would be to assert His independence of the will of the Father. “Though He was hungry, and it was right to eat, yet He would not eat independently of the Father’s will. Satan had tempted Him not away from spiritual bread but away from the Father and toward literal bread, gained independently of the Father’s will” (S. Craig Glickman, Knowing Christ [Chicago Moody, 1980], p. 41). Satan still tempts Christ’s followers to take things into their own hands rather than yielding to the Father’s will.

To have cast Himself off the pinnacle or wing or projection of the temple to the valley 450-600 feet below and to have landed unharmed would certainly have been a spectacular sign of the Messiah. But to have done so would have been to take a shortcut and show a lack of faith. Rashness, signs, or presumption never substitute for the constancy of faith though Satan still tempts us to indulge in these.

Satan has temporarily been given authority over this world (cosmos), but ultimately Christ will rule it. Thus Satan had the right to offer the Lord the kingdoms of this world, but had Christ taken them He would have shortcut the plan of God and bypassed the atoning work of His death. Satan still tempts us with the immediate and visible.

Since Satan was unsuccessful in preventing the Cross, he attacks the Gospel, the followers of Christ, and what yet remains of the plan of God for this world.

II. IN RELATION TO GOD

The principal tactic Satan uses to attack God and His program in general is to offer a counterfeit kingdom and program. This was evident when he originally sinned by wanting to be like, not unlike, God. The counterfeit was first attempted on mankind when Satan offered Eve the chance to be like God, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:5).

The temptation of Christ was also an attempt at counterfeit. A counterfeit is as like the genuine as possible, only without some vital feature. Satan’s offer to our Lord was to have the glory due Him without the essential feature of His death.

Today Satan promotes a form of godliness while denying its power (2 Tim. 3:5). To do this, Satan disguises his servants as servants of righteousness (2 Cor 11:15). He promotes a doctrinal system through the demons who in turn use people who advocate both a false asceticism or unbridled license (1 Tim. 4:1-3; Rev. 2:24). The ultimate counterfeit will be the coming Antichrist whose activities will be in accord with Satan and who will pawn off on mankind “the lie” (2 Thes. 2:9, 11, NIV).

III. IN RELATION TO NATIONS

His principal activity in this arena is to deceive the nations (Rev. 20:3). Deceive them how? Apparently into thinking they can govern righteously and bring peace in the world apart from the presence and rule of Christ. Again, his tactic is to counterfeit.

He apparently employs demons in carrying out his deception (Dan. 10:13, 20), and he uses governments to hinder the progress of the Gospel (1 Thes. 2:18).

During the coming days of Great Tribulation Satan will deceive the nations into receiving the Antichrist as their savior. Satan, the dragon, will give Antichrist his power, and the world will give allegiance to him (Rev. 13:2-4). At the conclusion of the Tribulation Satan and his demons will influence the armies of the nations to march to their doom at the war of Armageddon (16:13-16, NIV).

During the millennial kingdom Satan will be bound, but at the close of that period he will be released and will attempt to lead the world in a final revolt against Christ’s kingdom. After this unsuccessful attempt, Satan will be cast forever into the lake of fire (20:7-10).

IV. IN RELATION TO UNBELIEVERS

In relation to unbelievers Satan blinds their minds so that they will not accept the Gospel (2 Cor. 4:4). He often does this by making them think that any way to heaven is as acceptable as the only way. Again, a counterfeit. This blindness attacks the minds of people, and while unbelievers may think and reason, a power greater than Satan must remove that blindness. Human reasoning and convincing arguments have a ministry, but only the power of God can remove satanic blindness. Sometimes the devil comes and takes away the Word that people have heard in order to prevent their believing (Luke 8:12).

In promoting blindness Satan uses counterfeit religion as detailed in the preceding section. This may include everything from asceticism to license, from theism (for being a theist does not necessarily mean being saved) to occultism. In other words, Satan will use any aspect of the world system which he heads in order to keep people from thinking about or doing that which will bring them into the kingdom of God (Col. 1:13; 1 John 2:15-17).

V. IN RELATION TO BELIEVERS

A. Satan, the Tempter

Just as Satan tried the Lord, he also tries believers. His aim is to get us to commit evil. God may sometimes use Satan in testing us to prove us in resisting his tests. Tests can have three beneficial purposes in the life of the believer: (a) to prove us (1 Peter 1:6-7); (b) to teach us (4:12-13: see also Heb. 5:8); and (c) to increase our love for God (James 1:12). But Satan’s only purpose is to tempt the believer to commit evil.

There are at least three areas in which Satan tempts believers. The first is in the area of conforming to the pressures and structures of society (1 Thes. 3:5). Paul, you remember, had been forced to leave Thessalonica after probably only one month’s ministry in that city (Acts 17:5-10). Further, Satan had used some governmental ban to keep him from returning (1 Thes. 2:18). So he sent Timothy, who was not under that ban, back to Thessalonica to see if they had succumbed to Satan’s temptations. What temptations? It is too early in the first century for Paul to be referring to official persecution from the Roman Empire. These temptations must have been more of an unofficial, societal, personal nature. For instance, we know that women enjoyed more freedom in Macedonia than anywhere in the empire at that time, and we also know that a number of leading women in Thessalonica were converted under Paul’s ministry. Perhaps Satan tempted them to continue to conform to the lifestyles they experienced before they were saved. It was a temptation to put status before sanctification. Also many of the converts were Gentiles, and Satan may have tempted them with the pride of intellect.

Second, Satan tempts believers to cover up selfishness. The story of Ananias and Sapphira serves as the classic illustration. This couple wanted to retain some of the money they received from the sale of their property, while at the same time receiving praise for their contribution. Peter discerned that it was Satan who had filled their hearts to lie (Acts 5:1-11). They had the right to own and sell property. They had no necessary obligation to give all the proceeds to the church. But they were obliged not to feign generosity and at the same time cater to their selfishness by keeping part of the money received.

Third, Satan tempts believers to immorality (1 Cor. 7:5). God provided marriage for proper expression of physical needs and relationships and He expects husbands and wives to assume their respective and mutual responsibilities. When this is not done, Satan has opportunity to tempt believers to illicit or perverted sexual sins.

B. Satan, the Adversary

As adversary, Satan accuses and opposes believers in various areas of their lives. First, he opposes our witness to the Gospel. He does this by confusing us when he plants tares among the wheat (Matt. 13:38-39), by snatching away the Word that has been sown (Mark 4:15), by aligning governmental authorities against believers (1 Thes. 2:18), or by imprisoning believers, believing this will keep their testimony from spreading or make them fearful of witnessing (Rev. 2:10).

Second, Satan spotlights our sins (12:10). He accuses us before God when we sin, thinking he can cause us to lose our salvation. But Christ, our Advocate, takes our case and reminds the Father again and again that He paid for all our sins when He died on the cross (1 John 2:1-2).

Third, Satan opposes the believer by bringing pressure on him which he may not be able to bear. There are two examples of this in the New Testament. One concerned the man disciplined in 1 Corinthians 5 Apparently the discipline had had its desired effect, and he had confessed his sin of incest. Now the church should have received him back into fellowship. Seemingly, some wanted to do this and some did not. So Paul urged them to do so, not only to heal any division that might develop but also lest the brother involved be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. He needed to know the forgiveness of his brothers and sisters (2 Cor. 2:5-11). Not to restore him would give Satan an advantage.

The second example concerns women who are widowed at a young age (1 Tim. 5:14-15). Paul urged them to marry again and bear children and lead useful lives. Some, idle and gossiping, were following Satan.

In general we may say that Satan the adversary wants passionately to squelch the believer’s testimony. To accomplish this he prowls the earth like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The word “devour” is the same word used to describe the way the Red Sea swallowed up the Egyptians when they were pursuing the Hebrews (Heb. 11:29). It paints a vivid picture of Satan’s ultimate goal—to completely drown the believer’s testimony and usefulness.

As I mentioned earlier, Satan may prefer to do some things over others. But he will do whatever he has to in order to promote his plans and programs successfully. Remember too that he is powerful, he is experienced, and he has a host of demons to help him. Therefore, the believer can successfully fight him in the strength and power of God who dwells within him. Other aspects of the believer’s defense will be discussed in another chapter.

I. THE MEANING OF THE COSMOS

The word “cosmos” is used 185 times in the New Testament, 105 of which occur in the writings of John. Basically the word denotes an ornament or order, the word “cosmos” being the opposite of chaos. That concept is found in its use in 1 Peter 3:3 and in our modern word “cosmetic.” The universe (that is, heaven and earth) is called the cosmos because it is an ornament of harmonious relationships (Acts 17:24). The inhabited earth is also designated by the word “cosmos” (Rom. 1:8), as are the people who live on the earth (John 3:16; 12:19). It is the people of the world whom God loves and for whom Christ died (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2).

But usually the New Testament views the cosmos as an orderly system that functions apart from God. This concept of the world as opposed to Christ is a new use that the word acquires in the New Testament in contrast to its usual use in Greek writings as referring to something attractive. B.F. Westcott sums it up this way: “It is easy to see how the thought of an ordered whole relative to man and considered apart from man passes into that of the ordered whole separated from God. Man fallen impresses his character on the order which is the sphere of his activity. . . The world, instead of remaining the true expression of God’s will under the conditions of its creation, becomes His rival” (The Gospel according to St. John [London: John Murray, 1908], 1:64-5). The only feature missing from Westcott’s statement is the position of Satan as the head of the world system. Thus there must be three facets to any definition of the world: the idea of an ordered system, the relation of Satan to it, and the concept of its hostility to God. Here is a suggested definition: the cosmos world is that system organized by Satan, headed by Satan, and run by Satan, which leaves God out and is a rival to Him.

II. SATAN AND THE COSMOS

A. His Authority over the Cosmos

Clearly the Scriptures teach that Satan does have supreme authority over the cosmos. Of course, this is within the sovereign purpose of God and with His permission. Nevertheless, Satan’s usurped authority over the cosmos is supreme. Our Lord recognized this when He called him the ruler of the world (John 12:31; 16:11) and when He did not dispute Satan’s prerogative in offering Him the kingdoms of the world in the temptation (Matt. 4:8-9). The Apostle John acknowledged the same truth when he wrote that the whole cosmos lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19).

B. His Aim In the Cosmos

Satan’s aim is to create a system that rivals God’s kingdom but which leaves Him out. It is to promote a counterfeit order. Basically, the cosmos is evil because it is independent of God. It may contain good aspects as well as overtly evil aspects, but its inherent evil lies in its being independent of God and a rival to Him. This sharp rivalry surfaces in such verses as James 1:27 where the believer is told to keep himself unstained from the world; in 4:4 where friendship with the world is said to be hostility toward God; and in 1 John 2:16 where John declares that all that is in the world is not from the Father.

To achieve his aim, Satan must try to make the values of his godless system seem attractive. Thus he works to make people give top priority to self as number one and to the here and now as most important. When John wrote that all that is in the world is not of the Father he explained what he meant by “all” by three epexegetical statements that follow in 1 John 2:16. All of them emphasize self as number one. Satisfy the lusts of the flesh, Satan counsels. Try to get what the inordinate desires of the eyes make you covet. And build a self-sufficient, arrogant attitude that arises from boasting about the possessions one has in life. This selfishness is, of course, the prevailing philosophy of the world, and it comes from Satan who promoted himself from the beginning.

Satan also seeks to focus people’s attention on the present rather than on eternity. That is why John reminds us in verse 17 that the world passes away but the one that does the will of God abides forever. Thus Satan seeks to achieve his purposes by trying to change our priorities (self first) and our perspective (here and now more important). In reality the truth is that God is first and eternity most important.

III. GOD AND THE COSMOS

A. Planned Termination

God has already announced that the cosmos will be judged and terminated. Satan’s rebellious system will come to an end. Nebuchadnezzar saw it in the dream Daniel interpreted when the stone (Christ’s kingdom) struck the statue and filled the whole earth (Dan. 2:34-35, 44). That event is described in Revelation 17-19 and summarized in 1 John 2:17.

When our Lord returns the cosmos kingdom of Satan will be replaced by the kingdom of Christ who will rule on this earth. It is important to observe that the arena of Christ’s victory will be the same as that of Satan’s kingdom, the earth. In the same arena where Satan has reigned Christ will be victorious.

B. Permissive Toleration

In the meantime God permits the rebellion to continue and the cosmos to flourish. His plan permits evil to run its course, and His long-suffering permits many to come to the truth (Rom. 2:4).