Is Satan an actual, living, personal being? Atheists and their near kinsmen, infidel theologians say no. For instance, G.B. Gray, a representative of the liberal persuasion wrote: "If we would fix more exactly on the origin of the Satan, there is much to be said for Marti's suggestion that he is the personification of the self-accusing conscience of Israel" (Encyclopedia Biblica, IV, 4298). To those who have confidence in the integrity of the Scriptures however, there is no doubt about the fact that the devil is a personal being. He is constantly represented in the Bible as a personal entity. Personal names and personal pronouns, as well as personal acts are so frequently attributed to him, that it is impossible to view Satan as the mere personification of evil.
The great enemy of God is most commonly referred to in the Bible as "the devil" or "Satan." He is termed the devil 33 times in the New Testament and called Satan 36 times. But he is also designated by many other titles. He is Abaddon, Apollyon, the great dragoon, the old serpent, the deceiver of the whole world (Revelation 9:11; 12:9), the adversary (I Peter 5:8), the accuser of our brethren (Revelation 12:10), Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24), Belial (II Corinthians 6:15), an enemy (Matthew 13:28), the evil one (Matthew 13:19), the father of lies, a liar, a murderer (John 8:44), the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4), the ruler of this world (John 12:31), the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) and the tempter (Matthew 4:3). By way of definition the devil may be said to be, "A created but superhuman, personal, evil, world power represented in Scripture as the adversary both of God and man" (L.M. Sweet, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, IV, p.2693).
Satan in the Old Testament
The Hebrew term satan etymologically denoted "adversary," being related to a verb suggesting the idea of lying in wait. the word was frequently used in a very general sense of adversary. In Numbers 22:22 it is even applied to the messenger of Jehovah who opposed Balaam. The general usage is usually indicated by the absence of the definite article. When the article is used, e.g., "the adversary," it becomes a proper name and thus denotes the personal devil.
Our first knowledge of Satan is derived from the temptation account in Genesis. Numerous attempts to refute the historicity of this narrative have been attempted. Professor Melancthon Jacobus speaks to this very point:
"That there was a real serpent in this transaction cannot be doubted any more than we can doubt the real history throughout. Here, where the facts speak, further explanations are not necessary nor fitted to the time of the beginning. (1) The real serpent is contrasted with the other animals (verse 1). (2) In the New Testament allusion is made to a real serpent in referring to the history (II Corinthians 11:3, 14; I John 3:8; Revelation 20:2). Yet (3) that there was in the transaction a superior agent, Satan himself, who only made use of the serpent, is plain from his being referred to as 'the Old Serpent, called the Devil and Satan' (Revelation 12:9); 'a murderer from the beginning' (John 8:44). Satan is also spoken of as the arch seducer, who is even transformed into an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14). The reference may be to this event. Almost all the Asiatic nations hold the serpent to be a wicked being that has brought evil into the world. Some have sought to turn this history of the temptation into an allegory. But it wears the same aspect of historical detail as the rest of the narrative" (Critical and Explanatory Notes on Genesis, I, p.112).
The divine record of Chronicles declares: "And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel" (I Chronicles 21:1). Here again Satan is seen in his role as a tempter and enemy of God's people. Some have claimed a contradiction between this passage and II Samuel 24:1 where it is stated that Jehovah moved David to number Israel. There is no discrepancy however, for a combining of the verses simply shows how god employed Satan as the agent to punish His people for their sins.
Satan is given more prominence in the book of Job than in any other Old Testament book. No less than 14 times he is mentioned in the first two chapters. Again, modernism has attempted to explain away these historical incidents. Andrew Zenos of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Chicago alleged that, "The apparent incongruity of a person (i.e., Satan) with such a frame of mind consorting with other 'sons of God' in the courts of Heaven, giving an account of himself to and speaking on familiar terms with God, disappears when the narrative is seen to be constructed not as a picture of realities, but as a vehicle of moral teaching..." (New Standard Bible Dictionary, p. 811). Such a view totally ignores the facts and reads prejudicial opinion into the sacred text.
Satan appears as an adversary of Joshua the high priest in Zechariah 3:1-2. Joshua, clothed in filthy garments which symbolized the sins of the whole nation of which he was the representative, stood before the messenger of Jehovah. Satan was at his right hand to be his adversary. The accuser was not allowed to speak though, rather, "...the Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you Satan.'" The central message of this vision (1-10) was to show that God's people, conditioned upon a true reformation, could again enjoy prosperity. But, "Satan was ready to challenge the Lord's own institution for the forgiveness of sin, to deny the right of God to pardon the sinner. He seeks to overthrown the Throne of Grace, so hateful to him and to turn it into a seat of judgment and condemnation" (Theo. Laetsch, The Minor Prophets, p.422). Certainly the complete story of the devil's horrible character is not presented in the Old Testament. Enough is given though to warrant the conviction that he is truly a malicious being. The New Testament brings into full focus his anti-godly designs.
Satan in the New Testament
The following New Testament references will suffice to underscore our previous affirmations regarding the unscrupulous intent of the adversary of God and man.
1. As the serpent seduced Eve (Genesis 3:6) through the manifold channels of lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and the pride of life (I John 2:16), so he sought to solicit Christ to sin similarly (Matthew 4:1-11). Interestingly, he is denominated "the tempter" in that narrative. The Greek term peirazon, a present tense participle literally expanded, "the always tempting one" which suggests his characteristic activity. Had the devil succeeded in causing Christ to sin, the Lord could not have served as the blemishless sin offering (I Peter 1:19; II Corinthians 5:21) and the entire human race would have been forever lost!
2. Disease, infirmity and death are ultimately the responsibility of Satan, for by his introduction of sin into the world, he brought about such woes and hence, he is really the murderer of the human family (Cf. John 8:44). This is why it is said that a certain Jewish woman, who had been afflicted with an infirmity for 18 years was bound of Satan (Luke 13:16) and Peter declared that Jesus went about doing good, "healing all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10:38).
3. The New Testament represents the devil as a deadly foe of the apostles of Christ, who by their saving message, opposed his work. The Lord informed Peter, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat." (Luke 22:31) Many commentators have overlooked the fact that the pronoun "you" (humas) is plural, revealing that Jesus was issuing a warning regarding all the apostles yet, recognizing the special weakness of Peter, the Master adds, "But I have prayed for you (sou, singular) that your faith should not fail..." Moreover, Paul's thorn in the flesh was a "messenger of Satan" (II Corinthians 12:7) and when the apostle would have visited the Thessalonian brethren, Satan hindered him (I Thessalonians 2:18). It must ever be remembered though, that the devil can only do what he is permitted to do by God. This will be discussed later in more detail.
4. Satan, "put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot" the dastardly notion of betraying the Lord Jesus (John 13:2) and later entered, "into him" (John 13:27) thus causing him to consummate the darkest deed of all history. So captivated by the Deceiver was Judas, that Jesus once plainly called the wayward apostle a devil (John 6:70). Judas however, did not consider himself a mere passive pawn at the disposal of Satan, for he unmistakably acknowledged, "I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood" (Matthew 27:4). Additionally, when Ananias lied and misrepresented the amount of his gift to the early church, Peter inquired, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit..." (Acts 5:3). And yet the apostle further asks, "Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?" Satan cannot overpower is (James 4:7) but he will gladly cooperated in the destruction of our souls!
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