One of Light and One of Darkness

The Bible reveals God as pure, loving, kind, and merciful and Satan as evil, hateful, merciless, and cruel. God loves you; the devil hates you.

Many people deny the existence of a devil but serve him nevertheless, some knowingly, some unawares, and millions are enslaved by him. There is plenty of evidence for him all around us. You may not know it, but you are in a war with him, and he is your archenemy and will do everything possible to destroy you. God is your Creator and has done everything to save you. Satan is against you; God is for you.

The Bible says there is one God – the Almighty, self-sufficient, all-wise, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, infinite, loving God. He existed before the world was made and is the Creator who made all things. (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-18). The devil is a counterfeit and is called the “god of this age”, and throughout history has deceived mankind. (2 Corinthians 4:4).

The Two Kingdoms at War

Jesus taught that there are two kingdoms: one is the Kingdom of God and His angels; the other is the kingdom of Satan and his demons. These two kingdoms are at war and influence this world and everyone in it.

The Bible tells us that Satan has deceived both men and angels. He is a malevolent being who, disguised in the form of a serpent, misled people to disobey the Lord. He destroyed the harmony in the Garden of Eden and by sin and death robbed us of life. (Genesis 3:1-8).

The Origins of Satan

The origins of Satan are shrouded in mystery. Long ago, Satan rebelled against God and was subsequently cast out of heaven. There are ancient texts that tell of a rebellion among heavenly beings, and in the Old Testament, there are two references to it.

The first is given by the Biblical prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 14:12-15). He linked it with the ancient king of Babylon, who was filled with pride. Evidently, this man was only a pawn in the power of Satan who sought to overthrow God and said he would dethrone God and exalt himself above Him and take His place. Note that Satan said in his heart that he would ascend above the heights of the clouds, the cloud of God’s glory, exalt his throne above the stars of God, and sit where God sits on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north (this is figurative of where God dwelt in His temple). Satan wanted to be like the “Most High” and attempted to overthrow and replace the Almighty God of heaven. This attempted coup-d’état failed, for God cast him out of heaven.

The second reference is given by the Biblical prophet Ezekiel, who described an imposing being known as a “cherub” who empowered the proud Phoenician king of Tyre. (Ezekiel 28:12-17). This king was an earthly man, but the narrative describes a spiritual power behind his throne, the “anointed overshadowing Cherub,” a unique and beautiful being who was the “sum of perfection, wisdom, and beauty,” one of the most powerful beings that has ever existed. He was originally very close to God, with the responsibility of ministering personally to Him.

Both Isaiah and Ezekiel described the same being. His great wealth and power filled him with ambition and pride, and he rebelled against God. He was originally blameless and perfect in all his ways until sin was found in him. God never made anything imperfect or sinful. Nevertheless, every living being has a free will, and this Cherub sinned. Satan is the originator and source of all sin.

Satan’s Fall and Destruction

Sin cannot remain in the presence of a Holy God, and this cherub was cast out of heaven. Although God did not immediately destroy him, sin is self-destructive and is like a “fire” from within that eventually destroys all who sin. (Ezekiel 28:18-19). God, in His foreknowledge, knew this and foreordained, from the foundation of the world, that His own Son, Jesus Christ, would overthrow Satan and destroy his work. (John 16:11, 1 Peter 1:20, Acts 2:23).

God did not make press-button robots when He made humans. God is a God of love, and He made beings who, like Him, were capable of loving. He made them in His own image and capable of choosing. This required they have free will, for without it one cannot love; only beings with freedom to choose can love. When God gave the power of choice to His creation, to great and powerful beings as well as man, it allowed the possibility of rebellion and for sin to enter.

Satan is called the “god of this age,” and he will be judged, bound, and destroyed, never again to exist in the eternal realms of God. That was why Jesus came: to destroy the power of Satan. (1 John 3:8). Sin, death, rebellion, pain, fear, and every other evil thing will never enter the Kingdom of God. Those who live in Heaven will never again experience any of these things because sin and Satan will be destroyed forever. “There will be no more death or tears…for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4).

Jesus’ Victory Over Satan

Jesus called Satan the “prince of this world,” and in the New Testament, he is called “the adversary.” (John 12:31, 14:30, 1 Timothy 5:14, 1 Peter 5:8).

When Jesus hung on the cross, Satan attacked Him with every possible onslaught. Alone and without using His divine powers, Christ withstood all the evil that Satan threw at Him. The Lord, as a man, was beaten beyond recognition and mentally tormented beyond all others, but He withstood the full force of evil and defeated it.

At the cross, Satan was defeated and is now doomed for utter destruction. Jesus destroyed him by shedding His own blood and laying down His own life. (Hebrews 2:14-15, 9:11-14, 13:12, 20, Acts 20:28).

Join us in our next blog in this series, “A Life of Faith”

Two Kingdoms – Seven Judgements on Satan