Category Archives: Satan

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April 15, 2025

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Satan, Spirits

What is the difference between Satan and demons?

After last week’s article a reader asked about the difference between Satan and the demons. Satan and demons are created beings. They belong to the same class of creature, but Satan is superior to the demons.

Satan is an angel. In Ezekiel 28:14 Lucifer, or Satan, is called the “anointed cherub.” A cherub is most likely a type of angel. Satan is also connected with the “sons of God” in Job 1:6. The sons of God in the book of Job are most likely angels. Angels are the only ones, aside from God, who saw the creation of the world. (Job 38:4-7) Second Corinthians 11:14 says Satan is able to transform “himself into an angel of light.” Though the Bible does not directly identify Satan as an angel, the evidence strongly suggests he is an angel who rebelled against God.

When Satan rebelled against God a large number of other angels sinned with him. (Revelation 12:4) The other angels which fell with Satan are referred to as “his angels.” (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:7, 9) The Bible also says Satan is the ruler of the demons. (Matthew 12:24) Therefore, the best conclusion from the Biblical evidence is demons are angels who sinned with Satan and are now under his authority.

Satan also wields authority over this earth. He is the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and “the prince of the power of the air.” (Ephesians 2:2) The Bible says little about the nature of Satan’s rule, except that it is genuine, malicious, and destructive. (1 Peter 5:8) Demons appear to possess some level authority over people (Mark 5:2-5) and nations. (Daniel 10:13)

Little is said in the Old Testament about Satan’s activity in the world. He tempted Eve to sin (Genesis 3:1-6; Revelation 12:9), made false accusations against Job (Job 1:9-10, 2:4-5), and opposed the high priest of Israel. (Zechariah 3:1) In the New Testament Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), filled Judas so that he betrayed Jesus (John 13:27), and filled Ananias’ heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. (Acts 5:3) Satan’s primary activities today are making accusations against believers (Revelation 12:10) and roaming the earth seeking the destruction of men. (1 Peter 5:8)

People today have no way to distinguish between the direct working of Satan and the working of his demons. Satan is a creature possessed of great ability and intellect. However, he is not all knowing or able to be in multiple places at once. He is furiously active, but is always limited in his activity. Satan has many demons who do his will. His power and malice are felt in the world through the working of his subject demons.

Satan is powerful and has great authority, but he is a defeated enemy. His power is restrained (Matthew 12:28-29). He has been judged by Jesus at the cross. (John 12:31; 16:31) As Martin Luther wrote, “His doom is sure.” Consequently, Christians have no need to fear Satan. They can resist the Devil and he will flee from them. (James 4:7) Believers have been given full armor to stand victorious against all the attacks of Satan. (Ephesians 6:13-17)

Satan is a powerful angel who rebelled against God. When he rebelled, other angels followed him. Those fallen angels are demons under Satan’s rule. Satan is the chief enemy of God and of God’s people. He continually rages against God and man. Despite Satan’s vicious assaults, the Christian has been given by God all that is needed to stand firm against the Devil.

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April 7, 2025

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angels, Christian living, Satan

Can a person condemn or command Satan?

Recent conversations have raised an intriguing question. Can a person rebuke or damn Satan? Satan is a real being (Ephesians 6:11). He is a mighty angel who rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:13-14), was cast out of his position in Heaven (Ezekiel 28:16), rules an army of fallen angels (Matthew 12:24), exercises authority over the earth and humanity (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2), and is bent on the destruction of mankind (1 Peter 5:8).

Because Satan is an angel, he is inherently greater in might and glory than any human (Psalm 8:5). As the prince of this world, Satan has genuine authority over the entire earth. Satan’s defeat has been assured by the death of Jesus on the cross (Matthew 12:28-29; Luke 10:18; John 12:31; 16:12). However, he still possesses substantial power over the earth. The might, power, and authority of Satan should make any person think carefully about how they address the Devil.

The book of Jude mentions a conflict between Satan and Michael, one of the chief angels of Heaven. Jude says false teachers “speak evil of dignitaries.” (Jude 1:8) He then contrasts the temerity of false teachers with the wisdom of the archangel Michael. He “dared not bring against (Satan) a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” Jude connects the false teacher’s slander of dignitaries with the dispute between Michael and Satan. This connection indicates the maligned dignitaries include angels, demons, and Satan. Jude’s point is clear. Those who teach Christians to speak evil of angelic creatures, including Satan, are false teachers. Since one of the greatest angels in Heaven dared not rebuke or condemn Satan, then no Christian should dare to revile the Devil.

In Matthew 16 Jesus granted Peter the authority to bind and loose. Some have interpreted that promise to include the authority to bind Satan. However, Jesus does not speak of Satan in that conversation. Jesus nowhere teaches that Christians have the power to bind Satan. The focus of Matthew 16:13-20 is the deity of Jesus and the establishment of the church. Jesus promises the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church, but He is not promising the power to bind Satan. He gives assurance the church will continue and will not be cut off by the assault of any power. This promise is defensive, not offensive. Christ will secure His church and it will stand. Jesus does not enable the church to storm Hell or equip Christians to engage Satan in hand to hand combat.

Matthew 18:18 also speaks of binding and loosing. Both Matthew 16 and Matthew 18 speak of binding and loosing as a function of the church. The authority to bind and loose was first granted to Peter (Matthew 16:19) and then to the church (Matthew 18:18). Matthew 18:18 is the only place in the New Testament which gives particulars about the function of binding and loosing. The authority to bind and loose is directly related to the church’s discipline of a sinning believer (Matthew 18:15-17). Binding and loosing is never spoken of in relation to Satan but in relation to others in the church. Jesus gave the church the authority to determine who is and is not a part of the congregation. He did not give anyone the authority to tell Satan to “hit the bricks.”

The New Testament gives believers clear instructions about the right response to Satan. The Bible does not instruct a Christian to rebuke Satan. Scripture does not include a single example of a Christian rebuking Satan. The Christian is not to command Satan, but to resist him (James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8-9). The Christian is not to condemn Satan, but to stand firm against his attacks. (Ephesians 6:11-14). God promises the believer if he will resist the Devil, then Satan will flee. The Christian has no need for dramatic denunciations of the Devil. The believer who relies upon the power of God and remains steadfast in faithful obedience to God’s Word will be victorious over Satan because, “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

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March 19, 2024

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Christianity, Satan, Sin

Where did evil come from?

Evil exists in the world. A survey of any the news on any given day should be enough to convince a reasonable person evil is real. The question many struggle to answer concerns the origin of evil. Christians have been discussing and debating that question for over 1,500 years. This article offers one explanation for the origin of evil.

The Bible teaches that catastrophe, suffering and death is the result of sin. Man chose to disobey God and his disobedience brought the world under a curse. The curse of sin subjected creation to the many pains of life, from disease to disaster. Sin brought suffering into the world, but what brought about sin?

First, God is not responsible for the existence of sin. He is supremely holy (Isaiah 6:2) and does not approve of sin (Habakkuk 2:13). Every work of God is perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4). Second, God alone is the Creator of all things. Nothing which exists, exists independently of God. (John 1:3) These two statements sound like a contradiction. Many have attempted to resolve the apparent contradiction by concluding God must have created evil.

God could not have created evil. When God finished the work of creation He declared everything was very good. (Genesis 1:31) God is perfectly holy. He does not declare anything good which contains evil. Immediately after the creation week God stopped creating (Genesis 2:2). God has created no new thing since He ended His creative work.

The God who is morally holy cannot create evil. God did not create evil during the week of creation. God declared His work of creation was perfect. He has created no new thing since creation was finished. Therefore, God did not create evil.

God did not create evil, but He did create perfect beings able to freely love, serve and worship Him. In giving those creatures freedom to serve Him they also had the ability to refuse to serve Him. Chief among these perfect beings was an angel named Lucifer. Lucifer was beautiful and powerful (Ezekiel 28:13-14). He became filled with pride and thought in his own 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 14:13-14) Lucifer’s desire for self-exaltation is the origin of sin.

Lucifer, who we know as Satan, did not create evil in the sense of causing some new thing to come into existence. Evil is not the creation of a new way of being, but a perversion of the way made by God. Evil is the corruption of the good which already existed. God created the angels to worship Him. Satan distorted that created purpose and turned it inwards towards himself. Ezekiel 28:17 says of Satan, “You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.” Satan did not act with understanding originating with himself. He had wisdom given to him. Instead of using that wisdom as it was designed to be used, he corrupted wisdom by the promotion of himself. Instead of exalting God as he was created to do, Satan exalted self. Instead of worshiping God, Satan worshiped self. Instead of serving God, Satan served his own selfish desires. The good things God created were rejected and perverted and perverted by Satan.

Evil exists because God’s creatures rejected the good of God and His creation. Evil began with Satan, the Father of lies (John 8:44) who continues to corrupt and counterfeit the good of God. Satan deceived Eve into rejecting the good God had given her. When Adam and Eve rejected God’s goodness to follow Satanic lies, they sinned. The sin of Adam and Eve corrupted their righteous hearts, polluted the hearts of all their descendants and brought a calamitous curse upon the world. Evil originated in the perverse heart of Satan, was spread to the heart of men through his lies and continues to bring sorrow to all the world.

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March 21, 2023

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angels, Satan

Can a Christian Be Demon Possessed?

Demon possession is the name given to describe when a fallen angel takes control of a person by taking up residence in the individual’s heart. The Bible does not use the phrases “demon possession” or “demon possessed.” However, the phenomenon is clearly described in Scripture and evidence suggests demon possessions still occur today. Many questions can be asked about this phenomenon. One question in particular troubles many believers. Can a demon make his home in the heart of a Christian and control the believer’s life?

Christians can fall into sin and come back under bondage to sins which take over their lives. Christians can become addicted. Christians can fall so greatly under the power of sin that it seems as if they have no control over their lives. Christians may find themselves attacked by demons or by demon controlled people. None of these things are demon possession. Demon possession is when a demon moves into the spiritual heart of a person to become a controlling inhabitant of the individual. The subject is not directly addressed in Scripture, but several related passages work together to lead to the conclusion that demons cannot possess Christians.

In Matthew 12:43-45 Jesus tells a parable about a demon who goes out of a man but later returns. When the demon finds the man’s heart empty he gathers additional demons and they all take up residence in the heart of that unfortunate man. Caution needs to be exercised when interpreting and applying parables, but Jesus’ words hint that demons seek out empty hearts to take over.

The Christian does not have an empty heart. Romans 8 clearly declares that the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of the Christian. First Corinthians 6:19 says the Christian is “the temple of the Holy Ghost.” At the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the believer’s heart. From that time until the person enters heaven the Holy Spirit never departs from the Christian’s heart. (Ephesians 1:13-14) If demons require an empty heart to inhabit they will not find one in the child of God.

Second Corinthians 6:15 asks the question, “What accord has Christ with Belial?” That rhetorical question is one of a series of questions which declare God has no fellowship or camaraderie with any evil thing. Psalm 5:4 says of God, “Nor shall evil dwell with you.” God the Holy Spirit will not share a dwelling with demons.

Demons cannot force their way into the heart where the Holy Spirit dwells. Demons are created beings. They are angels who rebelled against God. As creatures all demons are under the complete control of God. If God the Spirit refuses a demon access to the heart of a person then the demon has no choice but to submit. Consider the ease with which Jesus cast out demons. Jesus is God the Son who operated in the power of God the Spirit. When Jesus commanded demons obeyed. No demon has the ability to force his way into the Holy Spirit’s residence or to drive the Holy Spirit out of a Christian’s heart.

The prospect of the Holy Spirit sharing a heart with a demon is incredibly implausible. The presence of God the Spirit will keep the Christian safe from any demons making his heart their home.

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August 16, 2022

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Satan, Sin

Why Does God Allow Satan So Much Power?

Satan is called the Prince of the Power of the Air (Ephesians 2:2), the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the prince of the world (John 12:31, 14:30). He is also identified in the Bible as the deceiver of the world (Revelation 12:9) and the spirit working in the unsaved (Ephesians 2:1). Satan is shown in Scripture to wield great power in this world and to have great influence in the world.

Satan is a mighty creature and a beautiful angel who rebelled against God. Satan’s first recorded interaction with humanity was to deceive mankind and lead them into sin. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, Satan has held sway over the hearts of men and has had great authority over the course of this world. Satan’s angelic followers, the demons, are able to take over the lives of people. Demons can possess people and cause them to harm themselves and others. (Mark 5:2-5; 9:17-22) Demons apparently exercise great authority over the governments of this world. (Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12) At the end of this age Satan will control a powerful world leader who will wreak havoc on the world and persecute thousands of people. (Revelation 13:1-2)

Despite Satan’s great power, his power is not limitless. He is the god of the world, but he is not God. Satan is a creature always under the control of God. God limits Satan’s activities, and accomplishes His good purposes in all things despite Satan’s malice. The greatest example of this is Satan’s control of Judas Iscariot. The Gospel of John says that Satan filled Judas’ heart to betray Jesus. Judas’ betrayal was evil and according to the wicked will of Satan. Satan sought to hinder the plan of God, but Judas’ betrayal directly resulted in Jesus’ death on the cross. God allowed Satan to control Judas and He allowed Judas to reject Jesus so the greatest good in the world- the salvation of men- could be accomplished on the cross.

Why does God allow the Satan so much power and control? The Bible does not give a clear or simple answer. However, some of what the Bible teaches about God’s allowing evil also answers why God allows Satan such power. God allows Satan to work so His name will be glorified. Just like God used Pharaoh’s hard heart to bring Himself glory (Exodus 14:4), so God is using Satan to glorify His name. God also allows Satan power to show the world the terribleness of sin. If men experience the pain of sin in this life and repent of their sin, they will be saved from eternal destruction (1 Corinthians 5:5) God also allows Satan power to test Christians to make them more like Christ. God used Satan’s affliction of Job to reveal to Job his own pride and wrong view of God, and God is doing the same in Christian’s lives today.

Though a complete answer cannot be given to this question everyone can be certain of three things. First, God permits Satan to trouble this world as part of the righteous punishment of sin. Sin always brings forth death and God uses Satan as one instrument of accomplishing this judgment. Second, God is allowing Satan the temporary power to afflict the world to bring about a far greater, eternal good. (Genesis 50:20) Part of this good is the salvation of mankind (Acts 17:26-27) Last, God allows Satan the power to trouble men to shape Christians into Christlikeness and bring eternal good to them. (Romans 8:28-29)

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March 22, 2022

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God, Satan, Sin

Why did God allow Satan to tempt man?

The Bible says in the book Revelation that God will imprison Satan for one thousand years and will then throw Satan into the Lake of Fire forever. Since God has the power to restrain Satan why didn’t He do so as soon as Satan rebelled? Why didn’t God keep Satan out of the Garden of Eden and away from Adam and Eve? Why did God allow Satan to tempt men to sin?

The Bible does not give a direct answer to this question. Despite that, what the Bible reveals about the character and purposes of God helps in the formulation of an answer. Romans 9:21-23 speaks of the Sovereignty of God in His dealings with men. God allowed some, like Pharaoh, to persist in sin to show all mankind His wrath, power, patience and glory. God in His grace and wisdom allowed Satan to tempt Adam and Eve so that through their sin His wrath, patience, mercy and glory would be known to all people. Because man sinned we learned first hand that God is Holy and always punishes sin. We also learned that God is an overwhelmingly gracious God who gave His Son to die for our sin. Through sin we learn about God what we could never have known any other way. The sin of Satan and the fall of man allowed God to show that His grace is far greater than our sin.

The righteous angels study the gospel looking from the outside into something mysterious to them. (1 Peter 1:12) The angels do not understand the mercy and grace of God in the same way men do because the angels are not recipients of His grace. In the end, the plan of God that allowed sin will result in incredible, eternal praise to Him. “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10) All the redeemed will praise God for His righteous judgment of the wicked. (Revelation 19:1-2) The plan of God which allowed sin also allows people the opportunity to truly and personally know “the grace of God that brings salvation.” (Titus 2:11)

The words at the end of Genesis apply to this question. “You thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good.” (Genesis 50:20) Satan was bent on the destruction of man, and God allowed Satan to work great evil. All the evil Satan desired also accomplishes the eternal good that God ordained. God allowed Satan to tempt man for our eternal good and His eternal praise. Though a full answer cannot be given to this question we can rest in the character of God. God is perfect, wise and good. The Judge of the whole earth will do right. (Genesis 18:25) You can trust Him.

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January 28, 2022

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Creation, Satan, Sin

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When Did Satan Sin?

The Biblical account of Adam and Eve’s sin describes a serpent tempting Eve to disobey God. This serpent is understood to be Satan. (Revelation 12:9; 20:2) Satan is the originator of sin, but he was not created sinful. (Ezekiel 28:15) Satan was created perfect by God, and sometime after his creation he sinned. When did this happen?

The Bible does not give a definitive answer to this question, but Scripture does give a few indicators that help identify the time period in which Satan sinned. Ezekiel 28 says that Satan was in the Garden of Eden, was beautiful, was one of the cherubim surrounding God’s throne and was perfect until the day he sinned. Isaiah says Satan’s first sin was an arrogant desire to become greater than God. (Isaiah 14:12-14)

Satan’s sin must have taken place sometime after the sixth day of creation. Satan could not have fallen before the events described in Genesis 1 because the Bible says that God created all things in six days. (Exodus 20:11) The angels were most likely created on the first day of creation when God created Heaven and Earth, since the angels watched the creation of the earth from the beginning. (Job 38:7) Satan is an angel and must have been created at the same time as the rest of the angelic creatures.

Satan must have sinned after the six days of creation because Genesis 1:31 says that at the end of the sixth day, “God saw everything that He had made and behold it was very good.” Nothing in the context of Genesis 1 limits Genesis 1:31 to only the things God had made on the earth, or only the things in the garden of Eden. Genesis 1 starts with, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” and continues with an unbroken sequence of Divine creative acts in which God made all things. Therefore, everything in heaven and earth must be included in the evaluation, “very good.” A sinful, rebellious angel would not be considered by the Holy God to be “very good.”

Satan sinned sometime after the creation week and before the sin of Adam and Eve. The Bible does not tell how much time elapsed between creation and the fall. Some scholars think Adam may not have sinned until nearly 100 years after creation, because he fathered Seth at the age of 130 years. Cain and Abel were born after Adam and Eve sinned and then grew to adulthood before Cain killed Abel. After Abel’s murder and Cain’s exile Eve gave birth to Seth. Therefore, Adam could have been as old as 100 when they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. The Bible does not tell how much time elapsed between Satan’s fall and the temptation of Adam and Eve. Satan’s rebellion against God could have been as late as 100 years after creation.

The fact that Lucifer ministered around the throne of God suggests that some time elapsed after creation before Satan sinned. He probably did not rebel on the 8th day of the world’s existence. Satan sinned sometime after the creation was completed but before Adam and Eve sinned. Satan was not created sinful, but in his pride he rebelled against his Creator.