SATAN THE ADVERSARY

By Dr. David L. Cooper
Biblical Research Monthly
January, February, March 1958

(Installment 1 of a series of three radio messages KXEL, Des Moines, Iowa)

I. A LETHAL SPIRITUAL ANTAGONIST

One of the greatest fears that a person can have is the fear of the unknown. One of the most dangerous enemies that a person can have is an adversary who is unknown. For a person to protect himself against such a deadly foe, he must know the identity, the power, and the abode of his enemy. Then he can prepare an adequate defense and can be on the alert at all times. Thus protected, he need not fear defeat. The unknown has become known. The danger of being overpowered is gone, for one has built up greater strength than his assailant has. Perilous though an unknown physical opponent is, he is as nothing in comparison with a spiritual antagonist. I wish, therefore, to inform you of the most lethal of all spiritual foes, one whose power is made even more virulent because, as I shall show beyond reasonable doubt from the inspired Word of God, this adversary does exist and overlooks not the slightest opportunity to destroy you, or me, or anyone else. He is Satan himself.

1. Possible Destroyer of Earth

Intimation of a powerful adversary appears in the early chapters of Genesis. God created a perfect world, but it became a desolation and waste. Turn with me to Isaiah 45:18:

"For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste, that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.

Now turn to Genesis 1:1,2, and note carefully, for I shall give you the literal translation of the Hebrew: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth became a desolation and a waste." In Isaiah we read that Jehovah created the earth "not a waste." Yet in Genesis we find that it "became a desolation and a waste." What caused this change? Did God destroy what He had made? If so, for what reasons? God is not capricious, creating and destroying as His whim may be. Had wickedness, as in the days of Noah, become so prevalent that He destroyed His own creation? Or did the assault of an enemy leave the earth desolate and waste? In either event, we have intimations of a powerful adversary, and Satan is the number one suspect.

2. Sinister Hand behind Visible Phenomena

We read in the remainder of Genesis, chapter 1, that God repaired the damage and made everything good. Yet we see evidence of a sinister hand behind visible phenomena: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other cataclysms; thorns, briars, poisonous plants; famine, drought, and plagues. At the conclusion of World War I, twenty-three million people died of influenza. Many individuals scoff at any suggestion of an evil power, laughing it off as mere ignorance and superstition.

3. The Anointed Cherub

Unquestionably we have widespread ignorance and superstition today, but we also have Biblical evidence of the existence an downfall of Satan that it behooves every thinking person to examine carefully. Let us turn to Ezekiel 28:11-19:

"11 Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 12 Son of man take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou wast in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire the emerald and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was in thee; in the day that thou was created they were prepared. 14 Thou wast the anointed cherub that covereth: and I set thee, so that thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou has walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till unrighteousness was found in thee. 16 By the abundance of thy traffic they filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou has sinned: therefore have I cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before kings, that they may behold thee. 18 By the multitude of thine iniquities, in the unrighteousness of thy traffic, thou hast profaned thy sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of thee; it hath devoured thee, and I have turned thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou art become a terror, and thou shalt never more have any being."

The first ten verses of this chapter is addressed to an arrogant King of Tyre, an actual historical character. But verses 11-19, which we have just read, are obviously addressed to a powerful shrewd, sinister being. We have, thus in this chapter an illustration of the law of double reference. In such passages, the description of one person or scene blends imperceptibly into that of another, like a stereopticon that throws one picture upon the screen and, as the first one fades, causes the outline of another to appear. By the time that the first picture has vanished, the second is in full view.

Let us now notice carefully this sinister being in verses 11-17. We learn, in verses 12-14, that he was the personification of perfection in wisdom and in beauty. He was the anointed cherub that covereth and was set upon the holy mountain of God. Being the cherub that covereth he held a very high position with respect to the throne of God, similar, perhaps, to that of the cherubim over the mercy seat. The holy mountain of God may refer to an actual mountain, or it may symbolize a government, as it does in Jeremiah 51:25. If the latter be the case, this cherub then occupied a high position in the administration of the Almighty. The various passages of the Scriptures leave no doubt that he was created the most powerful and authoritative being of God's creatures. His covering of every precious stone may refer to his garments glittering with jewels, or it may indicate that he lived in a palace built of precious stones of every kind. In either event, he dwelt in Eden, the garden of God. It is not to be confused with the garden of Eden in which Adam and Eve dwelt (Genesis, chapters 2 and 3). Both, however, were located on earth.

4. The Fall Through Pride

When we come to verse 15, we find that this cherub, who was perfect in wisdom and in beauty, was also perfect in his ways until.... There is the turning point. He was perfect until unrighteousness was found in him. In verses 16 and 17, we discover that the beauty of the cherub corrupted him and the abundance of traffic turned him to violence and to sin. We do not know who may be referred to by the pronoun they in the statement "By the abundance of thy traffic they filled the midst of thee with violence and thou hast sinned." It may denote the angels who were working under the cherub, or it may refer to a pre-Adamic race upon the earth. It may, also, indicate both. But the anointed cherub lost his perfection and fell into sin because of his admiration of his own beauty and his exalted egotism arising from the abundance of traffic under his supervision. His pride eventually led him to take such action that he was cast "as profane out of the mountain of God." Since he was God's choicest creation, we can logically assume that his vanity led him to attempt to make himself superior or, at least, equal to God. Thus he profaned himself.

In the remainder of verse 17 and in verses 18 and 19, we have the picture of this cherub fading and the one of the wicked king of Tyre returning. This historic king, by the abundance of trade, so increased his riches that he exalted himself as god. He was simply following the example of the anointed cherub. He was, therefore, utterly destroyed. That this latter portion of the Scriptures refers to the historic king is obvious by his complete destruction, for no celestial being could be thus annihilated.

Another interesting example of the law of double reference applying to the changing from one person or scene to another and then back to the first again is found in Psalm 40. In the first four verses, the picture of David appears; in verses 5-11, it fades away, and we see clearly before us Jehovah, the second Person of the Trinity; then, in the remainder of the psalm, verses 12-17, the picture of David returns. In our initial study of a powerful adversary at work in the universe, we have seen that the anointed cherub that covereth lost his perfection through vanity and was cast "as profane out of the mountain of God." It is generally assumed that this fallen cherub is Satan, who aspired to be equal or superior to God and was, therefore, thrown down. From my studies of the Scriptures, I am convinced that this identification is correct. I would like next, however, to give briefly good evidence that this general assumption and my conviction concerning this identity are well founded.

II. SATAN AS THE FALLEN CHERUB

Conclusive evidence that the anointed cherub is Satan the mighty adversary lies in the consummate vanity that dominates both. As we have seen, the pride of the cherub in his own beauty and his exalted egotism due to his prosperity and to his high position led to his downfall. Now let us turn to Ezekiel 16:49:

"Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."

The evils listed under the iniquity mentioned in this passage may be ultimately reduced to one, namely, pride. For anyone who has great wealth and ease is in imminent peril of developing, as a result, an undue measure of pride that culminates in contempt of the poor and needy. Rare, indeed, is the individual who in no way succumbs to danger.

Sodom, Gomorrah, and the other cities of the plains became so corrupt that God destroyed them with fire and brimstone, as we learn in Genesis, chapters 18 and 19. The vileness of these cities included even sexual perversion of an unspeakably revolting nature; yet we read in Ezekiel that the iniquity of Sodom and, presumably, of Gomorrah and the other cities of the plain was pride and its concomitants. In the light, not of Ezekiel only, but of all the Scriptures, we can truly say that, of all the iniquities which any being, celestial or terrestrial, can commit, the most offensive to God is vanity. Because of the pride of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the other cities of the plains, God destroyed them with fire and brimstone.

Truly it is written in Proverbs 16:18:
Pride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall."

Remembering that the consummate vanity of the cherub is the main clue to his identity, let us turn to Job, chapters 40 and 41. Here we read of behemoth, or a hippopotamus, and of leviathan, or a crocodile. When we examine these two chapters carefully, however, we can see that the references are obviously not to actual animals, beast or reptile. In Job 40:19, behemoth is called "the chief of the ways of God." Behemoth, then, was the chief of the creations of God, as we have seen that the anointed cherub was. Although, in chapter 41, leviathan appears, he symbolizes the same being that behemoth does, for in verses 33 and 34, we read;

"33 Upon earth there is not his like,
      That is made without fear.
 34 He beholdeth everything that is high:
      He is king over all the sons of pride."

This leviathan is so mighty, powerful, and wise that none on earth can compare with him; and he can and does behold everything that is high. What creature can he be, then, if not the behemoth, Or the anointed cherub, the chief of the creations of God? Now note, in verse 34: "He is king over all the sons of pride." Since the anointed cherub, God's choicest creation, the perfection of beauty and wisdom, fell because of his vanity, can we not reasonably believe that, after his fall, he became this ruler over all the vain? Who is more qualified for this sovereignty? Who is better described, who could supersede him, as "the king over all the sons of pride?"

Still keeping in mind the consummate vanity of the cherub as conclusive identification, let us now examine I Timothy 3:6. In setting forth the qualifications of a bishop, or elder, Paul states that the seeker of such an office should not be a novice, "lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation. Now who was condemned because he became "puffed up"? Was it not the anointed cherub? Yet here we see that pride is the condemnation of the devil. In the light of the scriptural passages which we have just examined, as well as of numerous others, is it presumptuous or illogical to believe that the fallen cherub is Satan?

III. SATAN AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT

At this point, it is well to consider another identification commonly made of Satan, not only as the fallen cherub, but also as an angel of light. The linking of this name with Satan has at least three origins. The first is literary tradition; the second is the rendering of the Hebrew term Helel ben Shahar as "lucifer" in Isaiah 14:12; and the third is an unfortunate interpretation of Luke 10:18 as a reference to this passage in Isaiah.

The identification of Lucifer as Satan before his fall dates back to the third century and has been especially prevalent among poets. Milton so uses the name in Paradise Lost and thereby has contributed in large measure to this identification. This monumental work is not only the greatest epic in English literature, but also one of the greatest poems of its kind in all literature. It is of tremendous power and a mighty influence morally, although some persons erroneously believe that Satan is the hero instead of the vanquished villain in the epic. But, in addition to the false conceptions already mentioned, the poem has given wide currency to the idea that Satan plunged from heaven to hell and there abides. As we shall see, Satan is indeed doomed to be cast into the pit of the abyss, but he is not there now, and will not be there until the end of the Tribulation. Then, at the end of the Millennium, he will be cast into the lake of fire.

Another contributing factor in the identification of Lucifer as Satan is the translation in some editions of the Bible of the Hebrew term Helel ben Shahar, in Isaiah 14:12-15 which I shall now quote from the American Standard Version, 1901 edition:

"12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! 13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit."

The Hebrew term Helel ben Shahar in Isaiah 14:12 means "the brilliant one, son of the morning." It is the name of the morning star, which ushers in the day. It is, therefore, correctly rendered in the American Standard Version, 1901 edition, as "day-star." In the pre-Christian Greek translation of the Bible called the Septuagint, the term is translated as phosphorus, or "light bringer." This, in turn, has been rendered in other versions of the Bible as Lucifer, a word of Latin origin, also meaning "light bringer," or the morning star. I might add that literary tradition also enters here, as there are ancient myths concerning the morning star which have undoubtedly given credence to the association of the term Lucifer with Satan, the fallen cherub.

The third contributing factor in this identification is all the more unfortunate because of its great prevalence. As far back as the early church fathers, this passage in Isaiah has been linked with Luke 10:18 in which Jesus tells His disciples: "I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven," and thus Lucifer has come to be regarded as the name of Satan, the anointed cherub, before his fall.

The day-star in Isaiah 14:12 does not symbolize Satan, but the King of Babylon, who is the Antichrist, empowered by Satan. Verses 12 to 15 are specifically a prophecy of the sudden overthrow of the King of Babylon—the new Babylon—in one day at the end of the Tribulation. Furthermore it is highly improbable that Luke 10:18 refers to Satan's fall through pride. It may refer to the war in heaven, which will occur in the middle of the Tribulation period, as mentioned in Rev. 12:7,8 but, more likely, it has reference to Satan's final overthrow at the end of the Tribulation.

In regard to the name Lucifer, therefore, while we should recognize that it is commonly applied to Satan, we should, also, remember how the association of it with him arose. May I point out, however, the ability of Satan to transform himself into an angel of light. Paul tells us in II Corinthians 11:14b ". . . for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light."

With Satan identified as the anointed cherub fallen through pride, we shall next in this series of studies consider some of his many activities. We should remember always that the Hebrew word Satan means "adversary." We shall see that his transformation into an angel of light and into various other guises is only a part of his evil machinations that make him the most dangerous of all adversaries.

SATAN THE ADVERSARY
(Installment 2 of a series of three radio messages KXEL, Des Moines, Iowa)

I. SATAN, THE MOST LETHAL OF ALL SPIRITUAL FOES

An unknown enemy is more dangerous than one who is known, and a spiritual antagonist is far more deadly than a physical opponent, for he attacks the soul. "And be not afraid," Jesus tells us, "of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28).

The inspired word of God makes known to us the most lethal of all of all spiritual foes. We have found strong evidence of this powerful adversary in the universe, and we have learned his identity. He is the fallen cherub, Satan himself, whose very name means "adversary."

After an enemy has been identified, he must be kept under constant surveillance. His every move must be watched and, if possible, forestalled. His every approach must be opposed. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," James tells us, chapter 4, verse 7. To recognize the wiles of Satan, let us examine carefully some of his former activities.

II. SATAN'S CAUSING THE FALL OF MAN

One of his earliest, best known deeds, perhaps the farthest reaching of all in its effects, is his bringing about the fall of man. Having been cast from heaven himself, as we have seen in Ezekiel, chapter 28, he determined that man, too, should fall. In retaliation against God, he resorted to one of the most merciless of all revenges, the striking at the offender by harming someone dearly beloved. He struck at God through Adam and at Adam through Eve. We must remember throughout our study, however, the freedom of the will. Satan could have remained God's choicest creation; but, through pride and undue ambition, he sought to equal or surpass God, and of his own free will, pitted himself against the Almighty and thereby brought about his own downfall. Adam and Eve could have remained in the Garden of Eden if they had not willfully partaken of the forbidden fruit. Once they had disobeyed, God sent them from the Garden and placed a flaming sword to guard the tree of life. This tree of life had not been forbidden heretofore. It evidently was for the health and vigor of man. When denied access to this tree, man became subject to death. Had Adam and Eve continued to partake of its fruit, they would have had eternal existence in an eternally lost condition.

In a way, the cause of stumbling to Satan was the same that he used to entice Eve. Notice Genesis 3:4,5:

"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil."

"Ye shall be as God," Satan said, even as he had attempted to become. From his deception of Eve, we can learn that pride and self-exaltation are two of his mightiest weapons. The lust for power is another. We can see, also, that he can assume a convenient disguise. In this instance, he entered into or, in some manner, took possession of the serpent, and addressed Eve through it. In Genesis 3:1, we learn that the serpent was the most subtle of all beasts, of the field. Here again the cleverness of Satan is revealed. He chose to use a beast noted for its wisdom and not for its stupidity. Wisdom is as powerful a force for evil as it is for good. Which it will be depends upon the user of it. Because the serpent permitted itself to be the dupe of Satan, God cursed above all beasts of the fields the one that He had created the most subtle. We can realize, therefore that Satan uses other creatures as dupes and that any intelligent being who permits himself to be so used is held responsible for the consequences. Since the deception of Eve, the serpent has been doomed to grovel, to eat of the dust, and to be the enemy of woman. It has become a symbol not of wisdom only, but of Satan as well. Furthermore, it will never have the curse fully lifted from it even in the Millennium. It will be harmless, but it will still eat of the dust, as we read in Isaiah 65:25:

"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith Jehovah."

Let us turn now to the Book of Job, which is very probably the oldest book of the Bible. It concerns an ancient patriarch whose historical existence we have every reason to accept. In Ezekiel 14:14,20, for example, Jehovah, speaking through the inspired prophet, names Job along with Noah and Daniel.

III. SATAN'S REVOLT IN HEAVEN

But before we examine Job's experience with Satan, let us note in this book a passage that can very logically be interpreted as a reference to the war that Satan caused in heaven by his attempt to make himself equal or superior to God. In our initial study in this series, we have seen that Satan is the number one suspect in the wrecking of the perfectly created earth. It is reasonable to believe that this devastation, which was so great that God had to repair the earth, occurred at the time of Satan's revolt. In Job 25:1-3 we read:

"1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
 2 Dominion and fear are with him;
    He maketh peace in his high places.
 3 Is there any number of his armies?
    And upon whom doth his light arise?"

Obviously there would be no need to make peace if there had been no disturbance. Since the numberless armies of God are mentioned, we can assume that the peace which was made terminated a war. Since from other passages of the Scriptures we know that the term "his high places' refers to heaven, we can logically conclude that the peace followed a war in heaven.

"Dominion and fear are with him; He maketh peace in his high places." God is the one who has dominion and whose wrath is to be feared. He is the victor, for it is the victor who determines the peace. Let us notice the rest of this chapter:

4 How then can man be just with God?
   Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
5 Behold, even the moon hath no brightness,
   And the stars are not pure in his sight:
6 How much less man, that is a worm!

The contamination of the whole universe is reflected in this fifth verse:

"Behold, even the moon hath no brightness,
And the stars are not pure in his sight."

If even the anointed cherub could not justify himself, but was hurled from heaven, causing havoc throughout the universe, what chance has insignificant man to appear just before the Almighty? He cannot, of course, except through the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

IV. SATAN'S APPEARANCE IN HEAVEN TO ACCUSE MAN

When Satan fell from his high estate, he was not denied further access to heaven. In Job, chapters 1 and 2, we find that, when the sons of God, or celestial beings, presented themselves before Jehovah, Satan also came. The events which follow show that he is not a member of God's cabinet, so to speak, but appears as an accuser of men, seeing only evil and seeking only to bring iniquity upon them. Yet Satan can exercise power only by permission of God. He had to have this permission to afflict Job. Likewise, as we shall see, he is never able to go beyond the limitations that God sets upon him.

"Draw nigh to God," James tells us (chapter 4, verse 8), "and He will draw nigh to you." If we hold fast to God, Satan can never overpower us. But we must be ever on guard against his subtle approaches that will lure us into his hands. In fact, on numerous occasions recorded in the Scriptures, when man has persisted in his willful disobedience, God has turned him over to Satan.

V. EVIL SPIRITS

1. Appearance of Evil Spirits in Heaven

Satan is not the only evil being that can come into the presence of God and can entice man. Let us notice carefully I Kings 22:19-23: "And Micaiah said, Therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. 20 And Jehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner; and another said on that manner. 21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him. 22 And Jehovah said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also: go forth, and do so. 23 Now therefore, behold, Jehovah hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets; and Jehovah hath spoken evil concerning thee."

Here Micaiah the prophet has seen God on His throne, flanked by the hosts of heaven. Through willful persistence in evil, Ahab has written his own doom. God, therefore, permits him to be deceived, so that he will be slain and can no longer continue with his wickedness. An evil spirit volunteers to entice Ahab through lies. This spirit is also in the presence of God, along with the hosts of heaven. I do not believe that he is Satan himself, for, if he were, he would most likely be called Satan, as he is in the book of Job and elsewhere in the Scriptures. But he uses a device of Satan—deception through lies, even as Satan deceived Eve.

But if this spirit is not Satan, who is he? I believe he is one of the band of angels who joined Satan in the revolt and brought everlasting damnation upon themselves thereby. Since we must be on guard against these evil spirits, as well as against their leader, Satan, I would like now to show from the Word of God, as I did in regard to Satan's identity, that my assumption concerning this spirit who enticed Ahab is well founded.

2. Identity of Evil Spirits

In the identification of evil spirits as fallen angels, the question arises "Are fallen angels mentioned in the Scriptures?" I answer immediately "Yes." Next comes the question "Are these fallen angels associated with Satan?" Again I answer, "Yes." Then the crucial question appears: "Are these fallen angels identical with the evil spirits mentioned in the Scriptures?" And once more I answer, "Yes."

Let us turn to Revelation 12:1-9:

"And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered. 3 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems. 4 And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child. 5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; 8 and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him."

As I shall point out later, three widely separated events are described in this passage; but, at present, let us center our attention upon the identification of certain characters. In verses 3 and 4, we have a dragon whose tail draws the third part of the stars of heaven and casts them to the earth. In verse 9, we discover that the great dragon is "the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world." The dragon, then, is Satan. Now who are the stars that are drawn down by the dragon's tail? To consider them as actual stars is foolish. We must therefore interpret them as symbols. But of what? Let us turn to verse 9 again. "He," that is, Satan, "was cast down to the earth and his angels were cast down with him." The stars that were drawn down by the dragon, then, are the angels cast down with Satan. Here we have fallen angels associated with Satan. Notice that they are called his angels. Did Satan create them? No. Only God can create life, celestial or terrestrial. These God-created beings can become angels of Satan in only one way-by associating themselves with him. Angels, like men, have freedom of the will. They remain faithful to the Creator of their own free choice; they turn from Him to Satan in the same way—of their own free choice. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Himself tells how, at the judgment of the nations, He will bid those who have mistreated His brethren to depart from Him "into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels." Yes, the devil has angels, who were drawn down through their alliance with him. They are not in the eternal fire now; but they will be, as Jesus here indicates, and as we shall see from other scriptural passages.

Let us now get the time element straight in the passage quoted from Revelation, chapter 12. The drawing down of one third of the angels occurred at the time of the original revolt in heaven. As mentioned in verse 5, Satan, the dragon, stands ready to devour the man child, Christ. Prior to this event, as we have seen, the avenging adversary seduced Eve. He struck at his offender by harming someone dearly beloved. He struck at God through Adam and at Adam through Eve. Since the stars, or angels, were drawn down at the time of his fall, then they too, fell at the time of the original revolt in heaven through pride and greed for power. The logical conclusion is that they allied themselves with him against God. When God the Son became the God-man, Satan resorted to the same tactics. He struck at God, first by seeking to destroy the young Jesus through Herod's decree, but God sent an angel to bid Joseph flee with Mary and the child to Egypt. Satan struck once again by having the Lord Jesus crucified, but the God-man arose victor over death; and, as Revelation 12:5 and other scriptural passages reveal, He was "caught up unto God, and unto his throne." When will the war in heaven mentioned in verses 7-9 occur? It is not the original revolt in heaven, for Christ, as we have just pointed out, has become God-man, and been crucified, and has returned to heaven. The remainder of chapter 12 and other scriptural passages reveal that this war will occur in the middle of the Tribulation, for the "woman that brought forth the man child, who represents Israel, Christ having been born into the nation, flees to the wilderness for yet "a time, and times, and half a time," that is, three and one-half years, or a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Now comes the crucial question, "Are these fallen angels identical with the evil spirits mentioned in the Scriptures?" Let us look at their leader, Satan. From his actions, we already know that he is evil. Through his pride and greed for power, he has transformed himself from the anointed cherub into the avenging adversary, Satan, a conniver of evil. We have seen the fallen angels as his allies. Those who willfully and knowingly follow evil leadership to accomplish evil purposes are themselves evil. They can not be otherwise. There is no middle position for men or for angels. They must be either for God, and thus good, or against Him, and thus evil. These angels rebelled against Him. They are, therefore, evil angels. Since Satan became an evil spirit to enter the serpent and seduce Eve, and, as various scriptural passages indicate, on other occasions entered into human beings, such as Judas, is it unreasonable to believe that the evil angels are evil spirits? We have seen Satan as their leader in the original revolt and in the mid-Tribulation revolt. Since he was and will be their leader, is it illogical to believe that he has been, is, and will be their leader in between these two revolts?

In Ephesians 2:2, we read of "the prince of the powers of the air"; and, in Ephesians 6:10ff., we learn of a real spiritual kingdom opposed to the people of God. Paul warns us that the believers wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Are not these spiritual hosts the fallen angels who chose to follow him instead of God?

3. Old Testament Accounts of Evil Spirits

The Old Testament also bears testimony of these evil hosts. In II Kings, chapter 6, Elisha prayed that his terrified young attendant might see the angels who were with the Israelites. The vision was granted. Elisha then informed the young man that those who were with the Israelites were more than those who were with the Syrians. We have, therefore, the spiritual hosts of God opposing the evil powers of darkness. Also in Daniel, chapter 10, we have an instance of the resistance of the evil powers. In answer to the prayer of Daniel, God dispatched an angel to make a further revelation to him. But the angel was hindered for twenty-one days by the prince of the kingdom of Persia. Not until Michael came to his rescue could he resume his journey. The angel stated that on his return he would have to fight again with the Prince of Persia. Did the prince himself go out into space and impede the angel? Obviously not. The prince was a pawn of Satan, and Satan sent one or more of his evil spirits to contend with God's messenger.

VI. A WARNING AGAINST FORTUNETELLING AND NECROMANCY

Subsequently in this series of messages we shall learn of many more activities of Satan and his cohorts, but I would like to conclude here with this warning note concerning fortunetelling, necromancy, and similar practices, all of which are the result of Satan and his kingdom of darkness. Many people make bogus claims, concerning their ability to foretell the future. They prey upon the gullibility of the unsuspecting public. At the same time, some people actually are in touch with satanic powers and can, in a limited way reveal the future. But God condemns man's resorting to such people. In Isaiah 8:19-22, we find that when the Israelites, terrified by the Assyrian incursions, resorted to such persons, the inspired prophet told them to turn rather to the law and the testimony of God.

Yes, let us take on the armor of God and resist the Devil and all his hosts, as, through God's grace, we can.

SATAN THE ADVERSARY
(Installment 3 of a series of three radio messages KXEL, Des Moines, Iowa)

I. ACCESS OF SATAN AND EVIL SPIRITS TO HEAVEN

In the study of Satan, the most dangerous adversary that a person can have, we have found that he and a third of the angels of heaven, who allied themselves with him against God, were cast down to earth. But we have also seen that neither Satan nor his cohorts, when they fell from their high estate, were denied further access to heaven. In the Book of Job, we found Satan as an accuser of mankind appearing among the sons of God, or celestial beings, when they presented themselves before Jehovah. Then we found in I Kings 22:19-23 that the fallen angels, or evil spirits, can also come into the presence of God and, like Satan, can entice mankind. Let us now turn to Zechariah 3:1-5, where we find Satan again appearing as an accuser before God:

"And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. 2 And Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; yea, Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel. 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take the filthy garments from off him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with rich apparel. 5 And I said, Let them set a clean mitre upon his head. So they set a clean mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah was standing by."

Before we analyze this important passage, let us recall one of the main tricks of Satan. It is to strike at his opponent by harming someone dearly beloved. He struck at Adam through Eve, and at God through Adam, the first of God's choicest creation, mankind. Then he struck repeatedly at God by seeking to destroy the Lord Jesus, who became the God-man in order that all who will believe may be saved. In the passage in Zechariah, Satan is resorting to the same tactics. He is striking at God by attacking Israel, God's Chosen People. With this fact in mind, let us now identify the characters in the five verses that we have just read. Joshua was the high priest at the time of Israel's restoration from the Babylonian captivity. Here he represents the Jewish nation. The angel of Jehovah is Christ in His pre-incarnate state, before He became the God-man. Satan, the adversary, is especially hostile to Israel, as we have seen, and is here accusing the nation before the Lord.

Joshua is clothed in filthy garments, and Satan is hurling his accusations against him. But God has never and will never cast off His Chosen People. He has, rather, laid them aside because of their iniquities. They have forsaken Him; He has not and will not forsake them. Here Joshua, who is Israel, is clothed in filthy garments, symbolic of the iniquities of the nation. But here the angel of Jehovah, who is Christ, heedless of Satan's accusations, instructs the angelic hosts to remove the filthy garments from Joshua and to robe him in clean, holy garments of rich apparel. This act symbolizes the removal of the iniquity of the nation of Israel at the set time. This purification and restoration to fellowship with God will come at the end of the great Tribulation, when the Lord Jesus will return to earth, after Israel, repenting of the national sin of rejecting Him, will have pleaded for His return. Notice in this passage, verse 4, that the angel of Jehovah says to Joshua, "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with rich apparel." Israel is forgiven and becomes a kingly, priestly nation.

II. EFFECTS OF SATAN ON MANKIND

Having seen that Satan is ever ready to attack mankind as individuals or as nations, we must be always on guard against him. Let us, then, notice some of the main effects that he has had and continues to have upon the human family.

1. Hindering Prayer

In Daniel 10:1-21, we have found that Satan can delay answers to prayers. In this instance, through one or more of his evil spirits, he hindered an angel from reaching Daniel with the message for which he had prayed. For twenty-one days the angel messenger attempted to overcome the resistance, but not until Michael came to his aid was he able to get through to Daniel. In this case, God answered prayer by sending an angel with the desired information. Satan hindered the messenger. He can and does also delay answers to prayers that, to our knowledge, involve no angel messenger. He can rouse disbelief in us which prevents our prayers from being answered. He can cause us to misinterpret God's delaying an answer until the proper time for its fulfilment or until certain necessary conditions have been met. In these instances, and there are many of them, Satan can lead us to believe that God has not heard us or does not intend to grant our requests. He can influence us to ask for the wrong things, as well as in the wrong way and from wrong motives. It behooves every devout Christian to examine his prayers. He will be shocked to find how ridiculous some of them are. A pocketbook disappears. The owner prays that it may not have been stolen! Or a person is missing. His loved ones pray God to return him safely, whereas he may already be dead. Such petitions are like asking that it will not rain yesterday. Most of all, I believe, Satan delays answers to our prayers by causing us to seek our own wills instead of the holy directive will of God-nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.

Another great hinderance to which Satan frequently resorts is his causing us to forget or, still worse, to refuse to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, as all believers are instructed to pray. Certainly Daniel Defoe made a true, but very sad, commentary on mankind when he said:

Wherever God erects a house of prayer,
The Devil always builds a chapel there;
And 'twill be found, upon examination,
The latter had the largest congregation.

2. Leading into idolatry

Besides hindering prayer, Satan can blind us to the truth and thus lead us into idolatry and the pursuance of false doctrines. In Isaiah 44:9-20, we read of a deceived heart and blinded eyes causing idol worship. Then in Psalm 106:34-42, we find that in rebellion against God, which is always induced by Satan, the people of Israel mingled themselves with heathen nations and served their idols with disastrous results. In Matthew 16:12, the Lord Jesus warns against the leaven, that is, the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Let us notice also Hebrews 13:9: "Be not carried away by divers and strange teachings: for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by meats, wherein they that occupied themselves were not profited."

In Colossians 2:8, Paul warns: "Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

In 2 Peter 2:1, the Apostle declares: "But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that brought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction."

Lastly, I Timothy 4:1, 2: "But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron."

From these and other passages of Scriptures, we know that Satan is tireless in his efforts to harm us. His great desire is to snatch us from salvation. He hinders unbelievers from accepting the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Once a person has been saved, he cannot be deprived of his salvation, but Satan can hamper his spiritual growth and can impede the good that he seeks to do.

3. Administering Death

The spiritual harm of Satan is by far the most devastating of all and is to be guarded against the most. But Satan also assails us physically, for he is the administrator of death. Since many of us are either heedless or unaware of this fact, we shall next take up that phase of his activity.

a. Origin of Death

In studying the role of Satan as the angel of death, let us first examine death itself. In Romans 5:12, we read: "Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned: ...."

Likewise in Romans 6:23a, we find: "For the wages of sin is death. . . ."

In James 1:15, we notice: "Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death."

Also in Ezekiel 18:4c, we learn, "the soul that sinneth, it shall die."

From these and other passages of the Scriptures, we know that the origin of death was sin. We also know that sin entered the world when Adam and Eve transgressed the only prohibition that God had placed upon them. Then God drove them from the Garden of Eden and placed a flaming sword to keep them from the tree of life: for, if they had partaken of the tree of life that would sustain them eternally, they would have had a never-ending existence in their lost condition. In other words, they would have been eternally lost. As a result of this disobedience, in that all of us sinned through Adam, we became subject to physical, spiritual and eternal death.

Satan pitted his will against God and thereby corrupted his own nature. He could no longer be entrusted with the duties which he had performed prior to his rebellion. But he could still be used negatively. In this respect, let us turn to Hebrews 2:14: "Since then the children [that is, humanity] are sharers in flesh and blood, he [that is, Christ] also in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might bring to nought him that has the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

You will notice, that I read in verse 14 "him that has," not had, "the power of death," for in the original Greek the verb is in the present tense. Thus after Satan fell from his high estate, he became the administrator of death. He cannot determine the time of death, for our days were numbered before we were born:

"Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance:
And in thy book they were all written,
Even the days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was none of them" (Ps. 139:16).

From this verse we know that God, not Satan, determines the length of our lives. Death was not in the original plan; but, foreknowing what would transpire, God made gracious provision for each of us and also preordained our length of days. Through Adam, all mankind sinned and thus made death necessary; God has decreed when it will occur; Satan administers the decree. Had we, through Adam, not sinned; we would not have to die; for, as we have seen, it is sin that produces death.

b. Termination of Satan's Power of Death

Having determined the origin of death and of Satan as its administrator, let us now see how long he will have this power. Being subject, through sin, to physical, spiritual, and eternal death, are we forever doomed? No, praise the Lord, we are not. Through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, all of us who believe on Him are saved. Nominally, when He arose victor over death and thus became the first-born of the dead, He vanquished Satan and removed from all believers the curse placed upon mankind in the Garden of Eden. Satan still has the power of physical death; but he cannot bring spiritual, eternal death upon those who have come under the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Saviour.

Will Satan always have this power of physical death? No, again praise the Lord, he will not. Death was not in the original plan. God never trespasses upon man's freedom of the will; yet He carries out His eternal plan. Man chose to disobey and, thereby, made death necessary. Foreknowing what would transpire, God made provision for the atonement whereby spiritual life replaces spiritual death. "... He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

At the end of the Tribulation period, when the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth, Satan will oppose Him in the war of the great day of God the Almighty, mentioned in Revelation 16:14, and commonly referred to as the battle of Armageddon. Revelation 20:1-3 reveals that Satan will be defeated, bound, and cast into the abyss, there to remain for a thousand years.

c. Death During the Millennium

The return of the Lord will usher in the great Millennial Age, during which Satan will execute no death decrees. He will be chained and powerless. During the Millennium, there will be no death at all with two very important exceptions. The first is clearly set forth in Isaiah 65:20: "there shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed."

We see, then, that those who are born during the Millennium will be given opportunities to accept Christ; yet some will not receive Him. They will be allowed to live a hundred years. If they still do not accept Christ, God will place upon them the curse of sin, which is death.

The second exception concerns an event at the end of the Millennium, as described in Revelation 20:7-10:

"And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, God and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

This uprising can not be a war in the ordinary sense of the term, for we know from Isaiah 2:4 that in the Millennium the nations will not learn or engage in war any more. What will occur, I believe, is a rebellion similar to a march of protest against God. During the last century of the Millennium, many people will be born. At the close of it, many of them will still be holding out against Christ. Satan will be loosed. He will gather together these unregenerated youths and, by his deception, cause them to rise up in rebellion, to march in protest against God. These youths will have had an opportunity to accept Christ; but, of their own free will, they will follow Satan. Then death will come. Fire will come down from heaven and devour them. Satan will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, there to remain forever. The Millennium will end; and the eternal order, mentioned in Revelation, chapters 21 and 22, will be ushered in. Death will be no more; for Christ, the first fruits of the dead, will have abolished it, as we read in I Corinthians 15:20-26: "20 But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the first fruits of them that are asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; then they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be abolished is death."

III. A WARNING CONCERNING TEMPTATION

In concluding this study of Satan, the mighty adversary, I wish to leave with you two great truths, one of them a warning, the other a great consolation.

In I Peter 5:8, we are admonished: "Be sober, be watchful, your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

IV. A CONSOLATION TO BELIEVERS CONCERING TEMPTAION

But in I Corinthians 10:13, if we are believers, we are assured, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also a way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it." That you may believe on Christ and thereby have this blessed assurance is my prayer.

The End.