Last week, I came across an introduction to what I think was to be a series on the book of Revelation, from a gospel preacher in England that started talking about the kingdom of Satan being the kingdom of this world, and then there was the kingdom of God, wherever that might be? There was far more said about the ‘kingdom’ of the devil, being in his thoughts the one who reigns in this world as sort of a sub-contractor or surrogate of God, than “the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.” Revelation 12:10.
Unless satisfied with that which has been traditioned down to us by the ‘church’ have not some of us mused in profound wonder over the exact question that GOD directed to Satan when he appeared on that day among the sons of God, “and the LORD said unto Satan, whence comest thou?” Job. 1:7. Where indeed did Satan come from? Or perhaps, thinking more comprehensively, and in the ‘language’ of the serpent, “why hast thou made me thus?” Romans 9:20. Why did the LORD who “made all things,” Proverbs 16:4, and “created all things” for his own pleasure and glory, (“for of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory forever,” Romans 11:36, “thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created,” Revelation 4:11,) form this one, Job 26:13, whom the scripture refers to as Satan, meaning, “adversary” or “accuser”? Why did “the LORD that created the heavens; GOD himself that formed the earth,” Isaiah 45:18, to be inhabited in the precise manner in which it is, formed and fashioned in accordance within his exact perimeters, and conducted in perfect conformity to his will in all things, Psalms 135:6, create the serpent? Genesis 3:1. “Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:9-10.
Debilitated by my own inability to discern truth from error, fact from fiction, myth from folklore, &c., on this subject matter of the serpent, satan, lucifer, &c., or under whatever designation is given him in the scriptures, or in the annals of religious mythology, I’m reluctant to say much, (believing this to be one of the greatest spiritual mysteries of all,) but as there seems to exist in many of our thoughts this dualistic mindset that the devil exists independently as some sort of a cosmic agent intent on destroying humanity, whilst thwarting the plans of the Most High GOD, I think it might be helpful to “gird up the loins” of our mind, I Peter 1:13, and think soberly, or in proportion to that “measure of faith,” Romans 12:3, and grace as given to us in Christ, Ephesians 4:7, as we turn the few thoughts that we have to this one that is figuratively depicted as making the earth tremble and shaking its very foundations. Isaiah 14:16. This one who “was given” the script to speak blasphemies “against GOD,” to profane “his name,” &c., and “given” the power to continue “for a time, and times, and half a time,” Revelation 12:14, in a perpetual warfare “with the saints,” being those that have “the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17. “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them, and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues, and nations.” Revelation 13:5-7.
‘Satan’ is almost universally regarded as the source of all that is perceived as evil or harmful in the world, whilst GOD is seen as the source of all that is good and beneficial. In this distorted and dualistic view ‘Satan’ is depicted as some sort of a rival opponent of GOD, who is engaged in a type of perpetual mutiny whereby he and GOD are locked up in a sort of a life and death struggle with the outcome seemingly teetering in the balance and on the verge of unraveling the ‘powers’ that be. II Chronicles 20:6. This is the essence of dualism, a heretical framework shared not only by many pagan religions but tragically embraced, in some measure, by most professing “Christians” today, who somehow assert that the devil acts autonomously or independently of the LORD.
According to the traditional theological framework constructed by such early “church fathers” like Augustine, Tertullian, Origen, and Jerome, &c., (and later moralized according to puritan ideals in Milton’s Paradise Lost, where it is whitewashed in calvinistic rhetoric by saying it was all part of God’s plan,) who all blended human reason with divine revelation, especially in their interpretation of Isaiah chapter 14, which to them needed to be read like a cosmic comic book, not merely about the king of Babylon, (possibly Nebuchadnezzar II, who conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the First Temple, and exiled much of Judah to Babylon,) but as an allegorical reference to some fairy-tale-like fall of Satan, whom they believe was some sort of a high-ranking member amongst the angelical clergy, (renowned for his unmatched beauty and extraordinary wisdom,) whose pride one fateful day finally got the ‘best of him’ as he rebelled against GOD and fell from his lofty position as the “heavenly choir director” to that of a groveling serpent intent on causing as much havoc and destruction as possible, whose arrogance, pride and rebellion serve as a sobering warning to any that would follow in his footsteps.
This, with some variation, represents the prevailing notion held by most who identify as Protestants, Romanists, or otherwise, &c., as there seems to be a general consensus concerning this luciferian fable whereby for the last 2000 years of so-called church history this “fallen angel” and “cosmic adversary” has kept “mankind at bay,” as a god in his own right, II Thessalonians 2:4, ruling in the affairs of men, as some sort of a supreme despot, responsible for all that has gone ‘array’ in this ‘broken’ world, as all humanity is suspended in a ‘divine’ standoff between the forces of good and evil.
We read of a group of religious folks in Romans chapter 1, who held the “truth in unrighteousness,” Romans 1:18, and subsequently exchanged the truth of the glory of the incorruptible GOD for a lie, by worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator,” Romans 1:25, which sounds a bit like what Christianity has done with their dazzling and fallen cherub, now extolled and universally recognized as the triumphant captor of nearly the entire human race, whose divine powers and attributes are second only to GOD, Revelation 13:4, and as now hailed and “transformed into an angel of light,” II Corinthians 11:14, universally lauded as the grand adversary of the ALMIGHTY, whom God must unceasingly outwit lest all of creation is derailed by this creature of His own making.
This entire concept of GOD creating a perfect angelic being with a “free will” to defy HIM or deliberately plant within His own creation an inherent capacity and potential ability to rebel, sounds all too familiar? This is the very scaffolding upon which the entire Arminian system is built, a system saturated with the same flawed reasoning that elevates human autonomy above the sovereign and unassailable decree of the “MOST HIGH GOD,” Genesis 14:19, as it’s retrofitted to match the ‘fall’ of Satan, so as to exuberate God from all evil and sin in the world, being all aware of the universal law of the church world whose code of ethics absolutely forbids GOD from bringing about sin, evil and destruction in the execution of His eternal purpose, who seem to keep forgetting the simple fact that if there exists anything beyond God’s absolute control, then God is not God. (Is there any power other than the Almighty? A more terrifying thought I can scarcely conceive of!)
If we are suggesting that GOD created a good being but did not foresee his descent into evil, then we are saying the devil outmaneuvered God! If the devil acted in a way that caught God off guard, or deviated from a path God had not ordained, what assurance do we have he won’t do so again? Such fleshly logic is not simply flawed, as it is blasphemous, striking at the very heart of God’s absoluteness and sovereignty! Is it somehow more palatable to say God gave a creature the capacity to become ‘evil’ than to say HE ordained the existence of this evil?
Satan is our adversary, not God’s, which I believe is no minor point, but a vital distinction which must be kept in mind. Additionally, he was created a murderer, (not an angel,) and a liar from the beginning. John 8:44. His very nature from the beginning, was that of a liar, a deceiver. His domain is not the heights of heaven, but the soil of man’s fallen nature, Job 2:2, as he slithers about the carnal and corrupt appetites of men, seeking whom he may devour. I Peter 5:8.
Sin, death, and the devil exist as divinely ordained instruments, created by GOD for the sole purpose of exalting His glory through the triumph of CHRIST over them. Philippians 2:11. GOD, in His sovereign and unsearchable wisdom appoints both life and death, light and darkness, good and evil, truth and falsehood, &c., as necessary ingredients in his eternal design to display and magnify his power and glory. How would ‘good’ even be recognized if there was no evil? Something derives its meaning only in contrast to its opposite. How could any speak meaningfully of light, or how could light be distinguished from darkness if there was no darkness? What value would health hold if sickness had never afflicted us? How about life and death? Without the dark contrast of sin and corruption, the sheer radiance of righteousness and holiness would be veiled and unvalued. For it is against the backdrop of man’s depravity that the purity of God’s character shines most illustriously. Just as light is most glorious when it pierces the deepest darkness, so too the majesty of divine holiness is most deeply revered when seen in stark contrast to its counterpart, especially in relationship to the gospel of Christ, Romans 5:20-21, and our valuation of “him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,” Revelation 1:5, as our eyes are measurably opened to the profound nature of sin from which we are redeemed in Christ. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.’ Ephesians 2:5.
What, then, is Satan’s work? In a real and sobering sense, it is the very work of GOD, executed under divine compulsion in complete subjection to Christ, Matthew 28:18, and confined by eternal parameters “according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” Ephesians 1:11. If Satan has the ability to act autonomously, that is, independently of God’s purpose and decree, then the entire framework of divine sovereignty collapses and we are left with two opposing and rival deities, each with their own sphere of power. It goes without saying that such a notion is not only untenable but is a direct assault on the absolute supremacy of the MOST HIGH. “For thou shalt worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:14.
However vague and undefined our conception of God’s serpent may be, we can with some absolute certainty reverberate the words spoken by God to Pharaoh, as unquestionably applicable to Satan himself, “and in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.” Exodus 9:16.
Just rereading this to check for spelling mistakes, and I can clearly see that I’ve opened more questions than given answers, but I’m ready to move on, and perhaps use these preliminary thoughts for my own personal starting point in exploring more of what the scriptures say on this matter. May it please the LORD to grant us a measure of discernment in these things and not be as those who have succumbed to a theological conclusion that elevates to a god-like status, this one whom the LORD cursed. Genesis 3:14. “To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” Romans 16:27. MPJ