Satan is a
person. Yes, there is a personal devil. In this study you will see him
appear before God and talk with Him. Only a person can take part in an
intelligent dialogue (Job 1:6 12). He reasoned with Eve in the Garden;
only a personal, intelligent being can reason (Genesis 3:1 7). He quoted
Scripture when he tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1 11). He accuses the
brethren before God (Revelation 12:9, 10). He performs miracles—signs (2
Thessalonians 2:9). He tempts both saved and unsaved to commit sin. He
makes war (Revelation 20:7 9).
He has been given many names and titles in the Scriptures. Some of them are:
1) Satan—“Adversary.” He does not have the capacity to love or to show mercy. He is called Satan fifty times in the Bible.
2) Devil—“Slanderer.” This title is used over a hundred times in the New Testament.
3) Abaddon—“Destruction.”
4) Apollyon—“Destroyer” (Revelation 9:11).
5) Beelzebub—“Lord of Flies.” He is the god of all the demons (Matthew 12:24). The anointed cherub—An angel (Ezekiel 28:14).
6) Lucifer—“Day Star” or “Morning Star” (Isaiah 14:12). He can transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
He is called “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), “the great dragon” (Revelation 12:9), and “that serpent of old” (Revelation 20:2). Jesus called him “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31). He is not the ruler of creation; he is the ruler of this world system. Therefore, God warns us, “Do not love the world [world system] or the things in the world… For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father” (1 John 2:15 17). Satan desires that all be caught up in his system and be lost. God desires that all accept Jesus Christ and be saved.
12-1 Satan: His Origin
(Ezekiel 28:11 19)
“You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created” (v. 15). Like everything God creates, Satan was perfect until iniquity was discovered in him. Verses 11 19 give us a glimpse of Satan’s past (what he was), his present state (what he is), and his future (what he will be). In this portion of Scripture, Ezekiel addresses the king of Tyre, who was a self proclaimed god. By no stretch of the imagination does the king of Tyre fit the description of this created supernatural person.
Thus, if we are to understand verses 11 19, it must be interpreted in the same manner as some of the messianic psalms. Following this method of interpretation, there is only one created supernatural person who fits this Scripture in Ezekiel 28—that person is Satan.
1) He was God’s masterpiece. There are three things said about Satan in his origin. He was
a) “The seal of perfection” (v. 12). He was the sum of God’s creation, one of a kind, without peer in the angelic realm.
b) “Full of wisdom” (v. 12). The Scriptures indicate that God endowed Satan with supernatural wisdom, but not complete wisdom. His wisdom is seen in the fall of Adam and Eve. Satan chose to tempt Eve, perhaps sensing that Adam would not be tricked. Paul suggests that “Adam was not deceived” (1 Timothy 2:14). Satan knew that Eve could be deceived and that Adam would fall because of his great love for her. So Satan, full of cunning, used the serpent to tempt Eve, and Eve to tempt Adam—who would eat the forbidden fruit in disobedience to God, rather than be eternally separated from the one he loved (Genesis 3:1 24).
c) “Perfect in beauty” (v. 12). Satan was the most beautiful creature that God had ever created. His beauty filled him with pride (v. 17). Beauty can be a blessing or a curse. Satan had physical beauty, supernatural wisdom, and the seal of perfection, but he wanted more. He fell when God found him full of iniquity (v. 15).
2) He was God’s “anointed cherub who covers” (v. 14). A cherub is an angel. One of his duties was to cover the throne of God (Exodus 25:20). Satan was not just a cherub, he was “the anointed cherub who covers” (v. 14). God anoints for three offices: prophet, priest, and king. Satan could have been anointed for one or all three offices. He is the only known angel the Lord anointed for any office.
3) He was in “Eden, the garden of God” (v. 13). A careful reading tells us that this Eden was not the same Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. When Satan was in the Eden of Genesis 3, he was already a fallen angel. But, in this Eden, he was the sum of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. And “every precious stone was your covering” (v. 13). This covering is similar to the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:15 20). So perhaps Satan had indeed been anointed as high priest of Eden. The Scriptures also tell us that this covering was prepared for him “on the day you were created” (v. 13). This means that Satan had access into the very presence of God. In the Old Testament we find that only the high priest had this privilege (Leviticus 16:2 4, 17). So in the first Eden, Satan was without sin—he was perfect. He fell when iniquity was found in him. God said, “I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God.” However, he still has access to the throne of God (Job 1:6). “And I destroyed you” (v. 16). God’s future judgments are so certain that they are often written in past tense (Revelation 20:10).
12-2 Satan: His Fall
(Isaiah 14:12 15)
If we are to understand this portion of Scripture, it must be interpreted in the same manner as the messianic psalms (Ezekiel 28:11 19). When the king of Babylon had been snared and taken captive “by him [Satan] to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26). Isaiah prophesied that the enslaved would take up a taunting chant against the king (vv. 3 11). This Babylonian monarch, filled with satanic splendor, power, and pride, was a visible symbol of the invisible “prince of the power of the air,” who controlled and perhaps dwelled in him (Ephesians 2:2).
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (v. 12). Jesus said, “I saw Satan [the morning star] fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Verses 12 14 mark the fall of Satan, “the anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14). This could have been the original sin; however, we cannot be certain.
Satan fell from his original exalted office when he desired to put his self will above God’s perfect will. Five times he said, “I will.”
1) “I will ascend into heaven” (v. 13). It is possible that Satan was God’s exalted ruler of this planet before his fall. The planet earth could have been the first Eden (Genesis 1:1). In this verse we see the original creation of the earth: “[God] did not create it in vain” (Isaiah 45: 18). In Genesis 1:1 the earth may not have been “without form, and void” as it clearly was in verse 2. There may have been a gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. The events in verses 1 and 2 may have happened eons apart.
2) “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God” (v. 13). Satan was not satisfied to rule only the angels under his delegated authority; he tried to will himself into authority over all of God’s creatures.
3) “I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north” (v. 13) Satan desired to sit on the mountain of God where the host of heaven assembled to worship God. He tried to will that he would receive worship along with God.
4) “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds” (v. 14). His throne was beneath the clouds. Thus it could have been a spiritual world, or it could have been this planet earth in its original, created state.
5) “I will be like the Most High” (v. 14). Satan did not will to overthrow God and rule the universe; he wanted equality with God.
12-3 Satan: The God of This World
(2 Corinthians 4:3 4)
Many people underestimate the power of Satan, “the God of this age” (v. 4). God, in His sovereign will, has allowed Satan to exercise limited power over this world. We do not know why. This is one of God’s secrets (Deuteronomy 29:29). God has allowed him to roam about on this earth (Job 1:7), seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).
1) Satan has great power, but not all power. Only God is omnipotent (Matthew 28:18). God has all authority over His universe at all times.
2) Satan has access to the presence of God, and he can roam this earth, but he is not omnipresent. He can only be in one place at one time. Only God is present in all places of the universe at all times (Psalm 139:7 10).
3) Satan has great knowledge, but not all knowledge. Only God is omniscient (Psalm 147:5).
4) As “the god of this age” (v. 4), Satan is worshiped. “So they worshiped the dragon” (Revelation 13:4); the Dragon is Satan (Revelation 12:9). Satan offered Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory…if You will fall down and worship me.” And Jesus answered, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matthew 4:8 11). Only God is to be worshiped (Exodus 20:1 5).
5) Satan has limited power to obstruct the gospel:
a) He has power to hide (hinder, obscure) the gospel from “those who are perishing” (v. 3). If you are a child of God and you are not sharing the gospel with the lost, you are hiding it from them. To know the gospel and not tell it is to hide it. To hide the gospel from the lost is to assist Satan.
b) He has power to blind the minds of those “who do not believe.” But “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (v. 4) has the power to illuminate their minds and set them free from spiritual darkness and eternal damnation. We must go with the gospel, and share it in the unlimited power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We must always remember: “He [God the Holy Spirit] who is in you is greater than he [Satan, a supernatural, fallen angel] who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
c) Satan has the power to steal the Word of God from the hearts of those who hear, but do not understand the gospel (Matthew 13:19). Therefore, we must take time to make very clear the Good News of salvation, because we are sharing with the “natural man” who does not have the spiritual capacity to understand the gospel (1 Corinthians 2:14)
6) Satan has limited power over this world system:
a) Three times in the Gospel of John the Lord Jesus Christ called Satan “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
b) Paul tells us that Satan is “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:1, 2). “The air” is the abode of the disembodied evil spirits which are called demons. Believers are not completely immune to the power of Satan or the demons of the air (Acts 5:3).
c) Satan is also “the ruler of the demons” (Matthew 12:24). Satan is the chief devil, and all the disembodied evil spirits do his will.
7) Satan has at least limited access to the presence of God, to accuse believers (Job 1:6 12; 2:1 8). He will be cast out of heaven permanently, however, by Michael the archangel (Revelation 12:7 9).
12-4 Satan: The Original Manslayer and Father of Lies
(John 8:44)
Jesus called Satan “a murderer from the beginning” (v. 44). He is the original manslayer.
God created Adam and Eve and placed them in Eden, in a perfect environment. They were sinless, but untested, until God warned them: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16, 17). But Eve was deceived by Satan and gave the forbidden fruit to Adam, who “was not deceived” (1 Timothy 2:13, 14); he ate knowing that the penalty was death.
At that instant, when Satan instigated the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he murdered the whole human race (Genesis 3:1 19). “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin [both spiritual and physical death], and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). That is, all humanity sinned in the person of Adam, the head of our race. We are all born in sin (Psalm 51:5), corrupted in our natures by Adam’s initial sin; and consequently we live under a sentence of death (Romans 5:12).
Satan knows how much God loves mankind (John 3:16), how He is longsuffering toward us, wanting no one to be lost in sin, longing for us all to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). Satan knows that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). Therefore, he works tirelessly to keep lost souls from believing in Christ as their personal Savior (John 3:36).
Satan is not only the original manslayer, he is also the father of lies. He is the great deceiver (Revelation 12:9), aiming high to bring God’s people down to his low, fallen level. Therefore, believers must always be on guard against his enticing power, for he has caused
1) Angels to fall in heaven. They will be cast out of heaven with him in the Great Tribulation (Revelation 12:9);
2) Adam and Eve to fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1 7);
3) King David to fall into sin, even though he was God’s anointed king of Israel (2 Samuel 12:1 15);
4) Peter to fall into sin, even though he was an apostle (Matthew 26:69 75);
5) Judas to fall from the ministry and apostleship (Acts 1:25);
6) Ananias and Sapphira to fall from the fellowship of the church. They dropped dead in the assembly, because the early church was so pure and strong that their lie could not live within its fellowship (Acts 5:1 11).
Remember that Satan, the original manslayer and father of lies, is powerful. Temptation is real, sin is attractive, and the flesh is weak; “therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Satan is thus the exact opposite of Jesus Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
12-5 Satan: The Tempter
(Matthew 4:1 11)
The word tempt has a dual meaning: (1) to test, to search out, to try, to put to the proof, (2) to entice to commit evil. If God is the tempter, as He was when He tempted Abraham (Genesis 22:1), or if He Himself is tempted, as He was in the wilderness by the children of Israel (Exodus 17:2), then in such cases the word means to test, or to put to the proof. God never entices people or angels to commit evil, nor can He be enticed to sin, not by man or Satan or demons. “Let no one say when he is tempted [enticed to commit evil], ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” to commit evil (James 1:12 15). But Satan, demons, and fallen humanity can entice others to commit evil, because they are evil within. Before we examine the encounter between the God Man and Satan, “the god of this age (2 Corinthians. 4:4), we must keep in mind certain biblical facts:
1) Jesus is God. God can be tested (Malachi 3;10), but He cannot be enticed to commit evil (James 1:13).
2) Jesus is more than mere man; He is not God and man separately, He is the God Man. His God nature and His human nature were joined together, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, in such a way that the two natures were manifested in one person.
3) “In Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Because He was not born of the seed of fallen Adam, His conception was a biological miracle (Luke 1:35). Hence He is free of every sin.
4) “Who committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22). He never sinned in thought, word, or deed. “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:15 17) were never a part of His humanity. He did only the will of His Father. God sent His only begotten Son “in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3).
5) “Who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He never experienced sin; He never desired to sin. He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
6) “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (v. 1). Satan did not plan this encounter with Jesus; it was according to the will of God and the work of the Holy Spirit (John 6:38). Satan sought to corrupt the first Adam, tempting him through Eve. Adam fell. The last Adam, Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:45) sought Satan. In His humanity, in the wilderness, Jesus defeated the Devil. Satan is a defeated foe, and we know that “He [Jesus] who is in you [every believer] is greater than he [Satan] who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
7) The purpose of His coming into the world was “that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). However, the judgment of Satan and his works will be final only at the end of the kingdom age (Revelation 20:7 10). Then all of creation will be eternally free of Satan, his demons, and his evil works.
The three points on which Jesus was tempted were:
1) “The lust of the flesh” (1 John 2:16). Satan said to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (v. 3). He tempted Jesus to act independently of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, to satisfy a natural hunger in an unnatural way. Though Satan wanted Jesus to do the right thing in the wrong way, Jesus had no desire or inclination to obey the tempter and turn stones into bread.
2) Armed with the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17), Jesus met Satan and defeated him. Let this great lesson edify you: when tempted by Satan, demons, or man, don’t be afraid to use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” to resist the Devil (James 4:7)! The Scripture that Jesus quoted in resisting the Devil is Deuteronomy 8:3.
3) “The pride of life” (1 John 2:16). The Devil took Jesus up into Jerusalem, placing Him on the pinnacle of the temple and saying, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down” (v. 6). Then Satan quoted from a prophetic psalm. In effect, he was saying:
a) “Cast Yourself down and the people will know that You are the Messiah”;
b) “Prove to me that You trust the Father to deliver You. After all, ‘in their hands they [the angels] shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone’ (cf. Psalm 91:11, 12).
4) Again, Jesus used the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17): “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6:16).
5) “The lust of the eyes” (1 John 2:16) the desire for what can be seen. The Devil took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him “the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (v. 8). Satan was offering a shortcut to the kingdom apart from the Cross. Jesus would not have to wait; it would be His now, “if You will fall down and worship me” (v. 9). But Jesus said, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (v. 10). The Scripture Jesus quoted to resist the Devil is Deuteronomy 6:13. This sums up God’s program for the believer: Come and worship God, then go and serve Him.
12-6 Satan: His Work
(1 Peter 5:8)
Satan is an untiring cruel, and crafty worker, and he is a powerful adversary of the human race. He began his work on earth against God and man in the Garden of Eden, and will continue “seeking whom he may devour” (v. 8) until he is cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). So, to withstand the “wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11), you must put on the whole armor of God:
1) The girdle of truth (John 14:6)
2) The breastplate of righteousness (Romans 10: 1 4)
3) The gospel sandals (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4)
4) The shield of faith (Hebrews 11:5, 6)
5) The helmet of salvation (Hebrews 5:9)
6) The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12)
7) Praying always (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
This armor is found in Ephesians 6:10 18, and without it you will live a defeated Christian life.
You need to be aware of some of Satan’s works:
1) He snares the unbeliever and takes him captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26; cf. Ephesians 2:1 3).
2) He entices men to commit evil (1 Thessalonians 3:5)
3) He has the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). He is the slayer of men (John 8:44).
4) He motivates professing believers to betray Christ (John 13:2).
5) He inspires believers to lie to God in the church (Acts 5:1 11).
6) He enters into people and causes them to do his will (John 13:21 27).
7) He has the power to steal the Word of God from the hearts of those who hear the Word of God, but do not understand it (Matthew 13:19).
8) He blinds the minds of unbelievers to keep them from being saved (2 Corinthians 4:4).
9) He has access to the throne of God and accuses the brethren before God (Revelation 12:10).
10) He sifts the believer to bring out the chaff in his life (Luke 22:31, 32).
11) He will work through the Antichrist in the Great Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:8 12).
For thousands of years Satan did everything in his power to block the first coming of Christ and to keep Him from fulfilling the Old Testament types and prophecies of His atoning death on Calvary (Isaiah 53:1 12).
12-7 Satan: His Present and Eternal Abodes
(Job 1:6 12)
The Scriptures clearly teach that Satan, in his original creation, was “the anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14), a perfect angel; but he sinned, and God said, “I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God” (Ezekiel 28:16). Again, God spoke to Satan, saying, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground” (Isaiah 14:12). Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). These three Scriptures speak of Satan’s spiritual fall. However, God, in His sovereign will, still allows this fallen angel some type of access, in person, into the very presence of God.
1) His present abode is in the heavenly realm or on this earth (vv. 6 12). Satan seems to have the privilege and power to be on earth or in the heavens at will. He is not omnipresent, however—he cannot be in two places at the same time.
2) He will reach his future, eternal abode in three stages:
a) In the Great Tribulation, Satan and his angels (disembodied evil spirits) will be cast out of heaven and grounded upon the earth until the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:7 12).
b) At the end of the Great Tribulation and the beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Satan will be bound and cast into “the bottomless pit” for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1 3).
c) At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from the pit. He will go out to the nations and deceive those who have lived under the reign of Jesus and are not saved. The deceived will be as the sand of the sea and they will follow Satan to the “beloved city” (Revelation 20:9). This is Satan’s last great effort to conquer the holy city, and seat himself upon the kingdom throne as King of kings and Lord of lords. The fire of God will come down from heaven and consume his army, and he himself will be “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they [the beast, the false prophet, and Satan] will be tormented day and night forever and ever”—time without end. This is hell (Revelation 20:7 10).
12-8 Satan and the Death of Christ
(John 12:3 1)
Referring to His impending crucifixion, Jesus said, “Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” This is the believer’s Magna Carta of release: By His death Jesus, having defeated Satan, the believer’s ancient foe, has released the believer from the bondage Satan had exercised since the time of Adam. Satan tempts and tries God’s people, often discouraging them, just as he tormented Job (Job 1:11), but the “wicked one does not touch him [the believer]” (1 John 5:18). At Calvary all the chains that might have bound the believer were shattered, and the accusations of “the slanderer [the Devil]” were exposed as the lies they really are (1 John 3:8).
Master Outline 12 – Satan
[1] Is Satan a real person? YES or NO. Explain.
[2] What does the word “SATAN” mean? How many times is it used?
[3] What does the word “DEVIL” mean? How many times is it used?
[4] What god is Satan called?
[5] Why did God warn us to love the world?
[6] What three (3) things can be said about Satan in his origin?
1.
2.
3.
[7] What separates Satan from the other cherubs?
[8] What three (3) satanic attributes did the Babylonian monarch possess?
1.
2.
3.
[9] What caused Satan to fall?
[10] What two (2) words did Satan use 5 times in Isaiah 14:12-15?
[11] Why did God give Satan his limited power?
[12] Does Satan have access to God’s presence? YES or NO. Explain.
[13] Is Satan Omnipresent? Explain.
[14] Is Satan Omniscient? Explain.
[15] What three (3) aspects of limited power does Satan possess?
1.
2.
3.
[16] What three (3) Biblical statements illustrate Satan’s limited power over this world system?
1.
2.
3.
[17] What did Jesus call Satan in John 8:44?
[18] Why is Satan called the “original Manslayer?”
[19] Satan is also called the father of _____________________________________.
[20] Temptation is real, ______________________ is attractive and the
_______________________ is weak.
[21] Explain the dual meaning of “TEMPTED?”
1.
2.
[22] Can God tempt man? YES or NO. Explain.
[23] What were the three (3) points on which Jesus was tempted?
1.
2.
3.
[24] Satan is an untiring, cruel and ____________________________ worker, and he is a
______________________________ adversary of the human race.
[25] What weaponry have we been provided to withstand the wiles of the devil?
[26] List seven (7) of Satan’s works.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
[27] What statement is Jesus referred to as the “Believer’s Magna Carta of Release?”
[28] What two (2) things can Satan not do to a believer?
1.
2.
He has been given many names and titles in the Scriptures. Some of them are:
1) Satan—“Adversary.” He does not have the capacity to love or to show mercy. He is called Satan fifty times in the Bible.
2) Devil—“Slanderer.” This title is used over a hundred times in the New Testament.
3) Abaddon—“Destruction.”
4) Apollyon—“Destroyer” (Revelation 9:11).
5) Beelzebub—“Lord of Flies.” He is the god of all the demons (Matthew 12:24). The anointed cherub—An angel (Ezekiel 28:14).
6) Lucifer—“Day Star” or “Morning Star” (Isaiah 14:12). He can transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
He is called “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), “the great dragon” (Revelation 12:9), and “that serpent of old” (Revelation 20:2). Jesus called him “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31). He is not the ruler of creation; he is the ruler of this world system. Therefore, God warns us, “Do not love the world [world system] or the things in the world… For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father” (1 John 2:15 17). Satan desires that all be caught up in his system and be lost. God desires that all accept Jesus Christ and be saved.
12-1 Satan: His Origin
(Ezekiel 28:11 19)
“You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created” (v. 15). Like everything God creates, Satan was perfect until iniquity was discovered in him. Verses 11 19 give us a glimpse of Satan’s past (what he was), his present state (what he is), and his future (what he will be). In this portion of Scripture, Ezekiel addresses the king of Tyre, who was a self proclaimed god. By no stretch of the imagination does the king of Tyre fit the description of this created supernatural person.
Thus, if we are to understand verses 11 19, it must be interpreted in the same manner as some of the messianic psalms. Following this method of interpretation, there is only one created supernatural person who fits this Scripture in Ezekiel 28—that person is Satan.
1) He was God’s masterpiece. There are three things said about Satan in his origin. He was
a) “The seal of perfection” (v. 12). He was the sum of God’s creation, one of a kind, without peer in the angelic realm.
b) “Full of wisdom” (v. 12). The Scriptures indicate that God endowed Satan with supernatural wisdom, but not complete wisdom. His wisdom is seen in the fall of Adam and Eve. Satan chose to tempt Eve, perhaps sensing that Adam would not be tricked. Paul suggests that “Adam was not deceived” (1 Timothy 2:14). Satan knew that Eve could be deceived and that Adam would fall because of his great love for her. So Satan, full of cunning, used the serpent to tempt Eve, and Eve to tempt Adam—who would eat the forbidden fruit in disobedience to God, rather than be eternally separated from the one he loved (Genesis 3:1 24).
c) “Perfect in beauty” (v. 12). Satan was the most beautiful creature that God had ever created. His beauty filled him with pride (v. 17). Beauty can be a blessing or a curse. Satan had physical beauty, supernatural wisdom, and the seal of perfection, but he wanted more. He fell when God found him full of iniquity (v. 15).
2) He was God’s “anointed cherub who covers” (v. 14). A cherub is an angel. One of his duties was to cover the throne of God (Exodus 25:20). Satan was not just a cherub, he was “the anointed cherub who covers” (v. 14). God anoints for three offices: prophet, priest, and king. Satan could have been anointed for one or all three offices. He is the only known angel the Lord anointed for any office.
3) He was in “Eden, the garden of God” (v. 13). A careful reading tells us that this Eden was not the same Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. When Satan was in the Eden of Genesis 3, he was already a fallen angel. But, in this Eden, he was the sum of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. And “every precious stone was your covering” (v. 13). This covering is similar to the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:15 20). So perhaps Satan had indeed been anointed as high priest of Eden. The Scriptures also tell us that this covering was prepared for him “on the day you were created” (v. 13). This means that Satan had access into the very presence of God. In the Old Testament we find that only the high priest had this privilege (Leviticus 16:2 4, 17). So in the first Eden, Satan was without sin—he was perfect. He fell when iniquity was found in him. God said, “I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God.” However, he still has access to the throne of God (Job 1:6). “And I destroyed you” (v. 16). God’s future judgments are so certain that they are often written in past tense (Revelation 20:10).
12-2 Satan: His Fall
(Isaiah 14:12 15)
If we are to understand this portion of Scripture, it must be interpreted in the same manner as the messianic psalms (Ezekiel 28:11 19). When the king of Babylon had been snared and taken captive “by him [Satan] to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26). Isaiah prophesied that the enslaved would take up a taunting chant against the king (vv. 3 11). This Babylonian monarch, filled with satanic splendor, power, and pride, was a visible symbol of the invisible “prince of the power of the air,” who controlled and perhaps dwelled in him (Ephesians 2:2).
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (v. 12). Jesus said, “I saw Satan [the morning star] fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Verses 12 14 mark the fall of Satan, “the anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14). This could have been the original sin; however, we cannot be certain.
Satan fell from his original exalted office when he desired to put his self will above God’s perfect will. Five times he said, “I will.”
1) “I will ascend into heaven” (v. 13). It is possible that Satan was God’s exalted ruler of this planet before his fall. The planet earth could have been the first Eden (Genesis 1:1). In this verse we see the original creation of the earth: “[God] did not create it in vain” (Isaiah 45: 18). In Genesis 1:1 the earth may not have been “without form, and void” as it clearly was in verse 2. There may have been a gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. The events in verses 1 and 2 may have happened eons apart.
2) “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God” (v. 13). Satan was not satisfied to rule only the angels under his delegated authority; he tried to will himself into authority over all of God’s creatures.
3) “I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north” (v. 13) Satan desired to sit on the mountain of God where the host of heaven assembled to worship God. He tried to will that he would receive worship along with God.
4) “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds” (v. 14). His throne was beneath the clouds. Thus it could have been a spiritual world, or it could have been this planet earth in its original, created state.
5) “I will be like the Most High” (v. 14). Satan did not will to overthrow God and rule the universe; he wanted equality with God.
12-3 Satan: The God of This World
(2 Corinthians 4:3 4)
Many people underestimate the power of Satan, “the God of this age” (v. 4). God, in His sovereign will, has allowed Satan to exercise limited power over this world. We do not know why. This is one of God’s secrets (Deuteronomy 29:29). God has allowed him to roam about on this earth (Job 1:7), seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).
1) Satan has great power, but not all power. Only God is omnipotent (Matthew 28:18). God has all authority over His universe at all times.
2) Satan has access to the presence of God, and he can roam this earth, but he is not omnipresent. He can only be in one place at one time. Only God is present in all places of the universe at all times (Psalm 139:7 10).
3) Satan has great knowledge, but not all knowledge. Only God is omniscient (Psalm 147:5).
4) As “the god of this age” (v. 4), Satan is worshiped. “So they worshiped the dragon” (Revelation 13:4); the Dragon is Satan (Revelation 12:9). Satan offered Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory…if You will fall down and worship me.” And Jesus answered, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matthew 4:8 11). Only God is to be worshiped (Exodus 20:1 5).
5) Satan has limited power to obstruct the gospel:
a) He has power to hide (hinder, obscure) the gospel from “those who are perishing” (v. 3). If you are a child of God and you are not sharing the gospel with the lost, you are hiding it from them. To know the gospel and not tell it is to hide it. To hide the gospel from the lost is to assist Satan.
b) He has power to blind the minds of those “who do not believe.” But “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (v. 4) has the power to illuminate their minds and set them free from spiritual darkness and eternal damnation. We must go with the gospel, and share it in the unlimited power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We must always remember: “He [God the Holy Spirit] who is in you is greater than he [Satan, a supernatural, fallen angel] who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
c) Satan has the power to steal the Word of God from the hearts of those who hear, but do not understand the gospel (Matthew 13:19). Therefore, we must take time to make very clear the Good News of salvation, because we are sharing with the “natural man” who does not have the spiritual capacity to understand the gospel (1 Corinthians 2:14)
6) Satan has limited power over this world system:
a) Three times in the Gospel of John the Lord Jesus Christ called Satan “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
b) Paul tells us that Satan is “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:1, 2). “The air” is the abode of the disembodied evil spirits which are called demons. Believers are not completely immune to the power of Satan or the demons of the air (Acts 5:3).
c) Satan is also “the ruler of the demons” (Matthew 12:24). Satan is the chief devil, and all the disembodied evil spirits do his will.
7) Satan has at least limited access to the presence of God, to accuse believers (Job 1:6 12; 2:1 8). He will be cast out of heaven permanently, however, by Michael the archangel (Revelation 12:7 9).
12-4 Satan: The Original Manslayer and Father of Lies
(John 8:44)
Jesus called Satan “a murderer from the beginning” (v. 44). He is the original manslayer.
God created Adam and Eve and placed them in Eden, in a perfect environment. They were sinless, but untested, until God warned them: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16, 17). But Eve was deceived by Satan and gave the forbidden fruit to Adam, who “was not deceived” (1 Timothy 2:13, 14); he ate knowing that the penalty was death.
At that instant, when Satan instigated the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he murdered the whole human race (Genesis 3:1 19). “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin [both spiritual and physical death], and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). That is, all humanity sinned in the person of Adam, the head of our race. We are all born in sin (Psalm 51:5), corrupted in our natures by Adam’s initial sin; and consequently we live under a sentence of death (Romans 5:12).
Satan knows how much God loves mankind (John 3:16), how He is longsuffering toward us, wanting no one to be lost in sin, longing for us all to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). Satan knows that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). Therefore, he works tirelessly to keep lost souls from believing in Christ as their personal Savior (John 3:36).
Satan is not only the original manslayer, he is also the father of lies. He is the great deceiver (Revelation 12:9), aiming high to bring God’s people down to his low, fallen level. Therefore, believers must always be on guard against his enticing power, for he has caused
1) Angels to fall in heaven. They will be cast out of heaven with him in the Great Tribulation (Revelation 12:9);
2) Adam and Eve to fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1 7);
3) King David to fall into sin, even though he was God’s anointed king of Israel (2 Samuel 12:1 15);
4) Peter to fall into sin, even though he was an apostle (Matthew 26:69 75);
5) Judas to fall from the ministry and apostleship (Acts 1:25);
6) Ananias and Sapphira to fall from the fellowship of the church. They dropped dead in the assembly, because the early church was so pure and strong that their lie could not live within its fellowship (Acts 5:1 11).
Remember that Satan, the original manslayer and father of lies, is powerful. Temptation is real, sin is attractive, and the flesh is weak; “therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Satan is thus the exact opposite of Jesus Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
12-5 Satan: The Tempter
(Matthew 4:1 11)
The word tempt has a dual meaning: (1) to test, to search out, to try, to put to the proof, (2) to entice to commit evil. If God is the tempter, as He was when He tempted Abraham (Genesis 22:1), or if He Himself is tempted, as He was in the wilderness by the children of Israel (Exodus 17:2), then in such cases the word means to test, or to put to the proof. God never entices people or angels to commit evil, nor can He be enticed to sin, not by man or Satan or demons. “Let no one say when he is tempted [enticed to commit evil], ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” to commit evil (James 1:12 15). But Satan, demons, and fallen humanity can entice others to commit evil, because they are evil within. Before we examine the encounter between the God Man and Satan, “the god of this age (2 Corinthians. 4:4), we must keep in mind certain biblical facts:
1) Jesus is God. God can be tested (Malachi 3;10), but He cannot be enticed to commit evil (James 1:13).
2) Jesus is more than mere man; He is not God and man separately, He is the God Man. His God nature and His human nature were joined together, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, in such a way that the two natures were manifested in one person.
3) “In Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Because He was not born of the seed of fallen Adam, His conception was a biological miracle (Luke 1:35). Hence He is free of every sin.
4) “Who committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22). He never sinned in thought, word, or deed. “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:15 17) were never a part of His humanity. He did only the will of His Father. God sent His only begotten Son “in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3).
5) “Who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He never experienced sin; He never desired to sin. He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
6) “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (v. 1). Satan did not plan this encounter with Jesus; it was according to the will of God and the work of the Holy Spirit (John 6:38). Satan sought to corrupt the first Adam, tempting him through Eve. Adam fell. The last Adam, Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:45) sought Satan. In His humanity, in the wilderness, Jesus defeated the Devil. Satan is a defeated foe, and we know that “He [Jesus] who is in you [every believer] is greater than he [Satan] who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
7) The purpose of His coming into the world was “that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). However, the judgment of Satan and his works will be final only at the end of the kingdom age (Revelation 20:7 10). Then all of creation will be eternally free of Satan, his demons, and his evil works.
The three points on which Jesus was tempted were:
1) “The lust of the flesh” (1 John 2:16). Satan said to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (v. 3). He tempted Jesus to act independently of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, to satisfy a natural hunger in an unnatural way. Though Satan wanted Jesus to do the right thing in the wrong way, Jesus had no desire or inclination to obey the tempter and turn stones into bread.
2) Armed with the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17), Jesus met Satan and defeated him. Let this great lesson edify you: when tempted by Satan, demons, or man, don’t be afraid to use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” to resist the Devil (James 4:7)! The Scripture that Jesus quoted in resisting the Devil is Deuteronomy 8:3.
3) “The pride of life” (1 John 2:16). The Devil took Jesus up into Jerusalem, placing Him on the pinnacle of the temple and saying, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down” (v. 6). Then Satan quoted from a prophetic psalm. In effect, he was saying:
a) “Cast Yourself down and the people will know that You are the Messiah”;
b) “Prove to me that You trust the Father to deliver You. After all, ‘in their hands they [the angels] shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone’ (cf. Psalm 91:11, 12).
4) Again, Jesus used the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17): “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6:16).
5) “The lust of the eyes” (1 John 2:16) the desire for what can be seen. The Devil took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him “the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (v. 8). Satan was offering a shortcut to the kingdom apart from the Cross. Jesus would not have to wait; it would be His now, “if You will fall down and worship me” (v. 9). But Jesus said, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (v. 10). The Scripture Jesus quoted to resist the Devil is Deuteronomy 6:13. This sums up God’s program for the believer: Come and worship God, then go and serve Him.
12-6 Satan: His Work
(1 Peter 5:8)
Satan is an untiring cruel, and crafty worker, and he is a powerful adversary of the human race. He began his work on earth against God and man in the Garden of Eden, and will continue “seeking whom he may devour” (v. 8) until he is cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). So, to withstand the “wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11), you must put on the whole armor of God:
1) The girdle of truth (John 14:6)
2) The breastplate of righteousness (Romans 10: 1 4)
3) The gospel sandals (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4)
4) The shield of faith (Hebrews 11:5, 6)
5) The helmet of salvation (Hebrews 5:9)
6) The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12)
7) Praying always (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
This armor is found in Ephesians 6:10 18, and without it you will live a defeated Christian life.
You need to be aware of some of Satan’s works:
1) He snares the unbeliever and takes him captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26; cf. Ephesians 2:1 3).
2) He entices men to commit evil (1 Thessalonians 3:5)
3) He has the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). He is the slayer of men (John 8:44).
4) He motivates professing believers to betray Christ (John 13:2).
5) He inspires believers to lie to God in the church (Acts 5:1 11).
6) He enters into people and causes them to do his will (John 13:21 27).
7) He has the power to steal the Word of God from the hearts of those who hear the Word of God, but do not understand it (Matthew 13:19).
8) He blinds the minds of unbelievers to keep them from being saved (2 Corinthians 4:4).
9) He has access to the throne of God and accuses the brethren before God (Revelation 12:10).
10) He sifts the believer to bring out the chaff in his life (Luke 22:31, 32).
11) He will work through the Antichrist in the Great Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:8 12).
For thousands of years Satan did everything in his power to block the first coming of Christ and to keep Him from fulfilling the Old Testament types and prophecies of His atoning death on Calvary (Isaiah 53:1 12).
12-7 Satan: His Present and Eternal Abodes
(Job 1:6 12)
The Scriptures clearly teach that Satan, in his original creation, was “the anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14), a perfect angel; but he sinned, and God said, “I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God” (Ezekiel 28:16). Again, God spoke to Satan, saying, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground” (Isaiah 14:12). Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). These three Scriptures speak of Satan’s spiritual fall. However, God, in His sovereign will, still allows this fallen angel some type of access, in person, into the very presence of God.
1) His present abode is in the heavenly realm or on this earth (vv. 6 12). Satan seems to have the privilege and power to be on earth or in the heavens at will. He is not omnipresent, however—he cannot be in two places at the same time.
2) He will reach his future, eternal abode in three stages:
a) In the Great Tribulation, Satan and his angels (disembodied evil spirits) will be cast out of heaven and grounded upon the earth until the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:7 12).
b) At the end of the Great Tribulation and the beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Satan will be bound and cast into “the bottomless pit” for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1 3).
c) At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from the pit. He will go out to the nations and deceive those who have lived under the reign of Jesus and are not saved. The deceived will be as the sand of the sea and they will follow Satan to the “beloved city” (Revelation 20:9). This is Satan’s last great effort to conquer the holy city, and seat himself upon the kingdom throne as King of kings and Lord of lords. The fire of God will come down from heaven and consume his army, and he himself will be “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they [the beast, the false prophet, and Satan] will be tormented day and night forever and ever”—time without end. This is hell (Revelation 20:7 10).
12-8 Satan and the Death of Christ
(John 12:3 1)
Referring to His impending crucifixion, Jesus said, “Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” This is the believer’s Magna Carta of release: By His death Jesus, having defeated Satan, the believer’s ancient foe, has released the believer from the bondage Satan had exercised since the time of Adam. Satan tempts and tries God’s people, often discouraging them, just as he tormented Job (Job 1:11), but the “wicked one does not touch him [the believer]” (1 John 5:18). At Calvary all the chains that might have bound the believer were shattered, and the accusations of “the slanderer [the Devil]” were exposed as the lies they really are (1 John 3:8).
Master Outline 12 – Satan
[1] Is Satan a real person? YES or NO. Explain.
[2] What does the word “SATAN” mean? How many times is it used?
[3] What does the word “DEVIL” mean? How many times is it used?
[4] What god is Satan called?
[5] Why did God warn us to love the world?
[6] What three (3) things can be said about Satan in his origin?
1.
2.
3.
[7] What separates Satan from the other cherubs?
[8] What three (3) satanic attributes did the Babylonian monarch possess?
1.
2.
3.
[9] What caused Satan to fall?
[10] What two (2) words did Satan use 5 times in Isaiah 14:12-15?
[11] Why did God give Satan his limited power?
[12] Does Satan have access to God’s presence? YES or NO. Explain.
[13] Is Satan Omnipresent? Explain.
[14] Is Satan Omniscient? Explain.
[15] What three (3) aspects of limited power does Satan possess?
1.
2.
3.
[16] What three (3) Biblical statements illustrate Satan’s limited power over this world system?
1.
2.
3.
[17] What did Jesus call Satan in John 8:44?
[18] Why is Satan called the “original Manslayer?”
[19] Satan is also called the father of _____________________________________.
[20] Temptation is real, ______________________ is attractive and the
_______________________ is weak.
[21] Explain the dual meaning of “TEMPTED?”
1.
2.
[22] Can God tempt man? YES or NO. Explain.
[23] What were the three (3) points on which Jesus was tempted?
1.
2.
3.
[24] Satan is an untiring, cruel and ____________________________ worker, and he is a
______________________________ adversary of the human race.
[25] What weaponry have we been provided to withstand the wiles of the devil?
[26] List seven (7) of Satan’s works.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
[27] What statement is Jesus referred to as the “Believer’s Magna Carta of Release?”
[28] What two (2) things can Satan not do to a believer?
1.
2.
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