Who is Satan? Did God create him evil? The Bible says Satan is an evil being and a mysterious creature from the underworld. Satan is also known as the devil, the serpent, the tempter, and the accuser of the brethren, God’s chosen people. But who is this evil being and where did he come from? Does Satan really exist, or is he an imaginary mythical creature? Although the Bible mentions the devil tens of times, God does not tell us a lot about him. However, the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel shed some light on Satan’s character. In prophecies to the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre, we get a glimpse of Satan as the spiritual power backing these two kings.
Where Did Satan Come From?
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). But before God created the first day or night, He created the angels. There are different types of angels. Lucifer is a cherub, belonging to the class of angels called cherubim the wisest. He is the wisest of God’s angels. However, God did not create this angel as an evil being.
Before he became the devil his name was Lucifer. Lucifer once held the most prestigious position in all of heaven. Ezekiel described Lucifer’s magnificence and perfection as God originally created him (Ezekiel 28:12-15). He was the model of perfection, full of wisdom, and flawless in beauty. However, God did not create Lucifer as some prime minister of evil. As with all of God’s Creation, Satan was an immaculate being. He was God’s most trusted angel so to speak, that is before pride filled his heart.
Isaiah 28:14 says Lucifer was the anointed cherub that covers. What does that mean? It means God anointed Lucifer to rule over all the angels of heaven. Also, he was to lead the angels in worship to God and be the enforcer of the laws that govern the kingdom of God. This is why he still accuses us of breaking God’s law. But the Bible says pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). This is exactly what happened to Lucifer. His pride led to his destruction, and his fall from the presence of the living God.
How Lucifer Became the Devil
“Then there was war in heaven; Michael and the angels under his command fought the dragon and his hosts of fallen angels. And the Dragon lost the battle and was forced from heaven. This great Dragon-the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-was thrown down onto the earth with all his army” (Revelation 12:7-9 TLB). Isaiah also writes, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12).
Now an outcast, Lucifer would become Satan, the devil, the serpent, the tempter, and the accuser of the brethren (God’s chosen). Ezekiel also says, “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created” (Ezekiel 28:13).
Satan will forevermore be diabolos. However, God did not create Satan; Lucifer created him. He was born out of Lucifer’s pride. The Greek word, diabolos means “slanderer” or “accuser”; the spirit or power of evil. The devil is the malignant enemy of God and man. He accuses man to God, Job 1:6-11; 2:1-5; Revelation 12:9,10, and God to man, Genesis 3. The devil oppresses and afflicts people with physical sufferings, Acts 10:38. Because sin was in him from the beginning (1 John 3:8), he instigated the first man to sin, Genesis 3. He tempts people to do evil, Ephesians 4:27; 6:11, encouraging them by deception, Ephesians 2:2.
The Fall
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:12-14).
Lucifer was animus in his feelings for God. The reason I believe Lucifer began to hate God is that he was jealous of God’s Son, Yahweh, whom we also know as Jesus. Lucifer was jealous of the fact that God made His Son heir of His possessions. Lucifer wanted to be God so he would own everything. It was not enough to be an honored worker in charge of God’s kingdom, he wanted to own the kingdom. He wanted to be God. Therefore, he sought to kill God’s Son to get the kingdom for himself. (Matthew 21:33-40).
Satan’s fall actually began in God’s Garden, when Satan incited God’s beloved Adam to sin. God warned him that the day would come when he would be defeated and removed from the earth and the presence of God and humanity forever. “Because you have done this,” said God, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:14-15).
The Cross
For millennia Satan roamed the earth in stealth mode, deceiving people unaware. But his ability to remain undetected ended when Jesus was born. Jesus exposed the devil by making us aware of his tactics. No one on earth knew who Jesus was, but Satan knew Him. Demons cried out in terror that the Holy One of God had come to torment them (Luke 4:34).
Satan’s reign ended at the cross when he instigated Jesus’ crucifixion. Although Satan was the wisest of God’s creation, his wisdom was no match for God’s wisdom. He thought that if he killed the Son of God, everything would belong to him, including you and me. However, had Satan known the hidden mystery of the cross, he never would have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8).
Many people view the cross as an object that possesses magical powers. However, there is nothing magical about wearing a cross. The cross alone will not protect you from vampires and demons. The significance of the cross lies in what it represents.
The cross symbolizes victory for all humanity. God ripped Satan’s most powerful weapon, his weapon of accusation, from his hand at the cross. He no longer had the right to accuse God’s beloved man of breaking God’s law. Finally, there was a man born who had kept the whole law, thus rendering the devil powerless to God’s chosen. The cross symbolizes the atoning death of Jesus. It is a reminder of what Jesus did for us. It is also a powerful symbol to remind us of the price paid for our redemption.
The Beast and His Armies Defeated
The risen Lord, Jesus Christ, reveals Satan’s end to the Apostle John. John writes:
“And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” (Revelation 19:17-20).
Satan Bound, Believers Reign With Christ
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things, he must be released for a little while. (Revelation 20:1-3).
John adds he saw souls, beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God. These had not worshipped the beast or his image, neither did they receive his mark on their foreheads or in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until after the thousand years had passed. (Revelation 20:4-5).
Satan and His Kingom Annihalated
When the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog (Armageddon), to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. Then the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:7-11)
By Faith, You Can Live Victorious in Christ
The key to maintaining freedom from the oppression of the devil is faith. There is no need to be afraid of, or alarmed by the devil anymore. Because of what Christ did at the cross, you and I are justified before God. And it’s all because of our faith in Christ. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).
The Bible says we overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. The scripture tells us that we were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, but how do we overcome the devil with the word of our testimony? Faith does not just believe, faith also speaks. Because we are like God, we have the same faith that God has. Stop speaking Satan’s negative words of defeat and begin speaking faith-filled life-giving words.
You can have this peace today if you will simply welcome Jesus into your heart. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” If you would like to start living a victorious life in Christ, pray this prayer with me:
Salvation Prayer
Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You gave Your life as a ransom for me by dying on the cross. I believe You rose from the grave, conquering death, and you are seated at the right hand of the Father. Come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Friends, if you prayed this prayer, you are now a new creation in Christ. Old things have passed away and all things have become new.