A scenario
My friend Anna called me over the weekend telling me she had just finished watching a documentary on TV called “God vs. Satan.” She asked me what was wrong with the common understanding of dualism and the idea that God and Satan were two eternal and equal forces that struggle for eternity. She argued that if this was not true, God created evil since we know that Satan is evil and God created Satan.
I told Anna this was dangerous ground that she was treading on, and that dualism meant there were two equal divine powers, one good and one evil. I proceeded to tell her that God and Satan were not equal they never have been and never will be. God is the ultimate power and Satan only has as much power as God allows him to have. Satan used this power to try and exalt himself above God, he wanted to be equal with God, and he wanted to be God. Just as man was created with a free will, so were the angels, which Satan was at one time. Satan at one time was a god fearing angel that obeyed God’s every command, and then he chose corruption over wisdom and God through him and his angels out of Heaven because of it.
As you can see in Isaiah 14:12-15, it shows quite a different few of Satan being equal with God, “12 how you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 3 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne
above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 but you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Though this is really talking about Nebuchadnezzar, God is comparing the king to Satan; it is quite evident that Satan at one time was a great and powerful angel. But since he was given free will and chose evil instead, he was thrown down to earth as the prince of earth (See John 7:7).
Ezekiel 28:11-19 is actually talking about the King (Prince) of Tyre along with pride and arrogance which caused his kingdom to fall. Most commentaries on this subject have the same conclusion here that the prophet is talking about the King of Tyre, but is also using the description of Satan to show the wickedness of the King.
The common objections to the interpretation of these two passages are:
· Is Satan really a person?
· Has he ever existed?
· Creation of Satan, good or evil
· When did Lucifer fall (Time Frame)
· Is he really as wicked as the Bible says?
· How could God create such evil?
The answer to all of these questions, are found in many books of the bible, here are just a few: I could list a lot more, but as I told Anna, these will get her started. I asked her to study the Bible and study each word and meaning.
· Revelations 12
· Isaiah 14:13-15
· Ezekiel 28:12-17
· Job 1:6-12
The biblical limitations of Satan:
· He cannot read our minds – Isaiah 40:28
· He cannot predict the future – Isaiah 46: 9-10
· He will resist you – James 4:7
· He cannot force a believer to do anything – Acts 26:18
· He cannot mention our names unless he is told to do so – Job 2:3
· He cannot touch us without God’s permission – Job 1:10
So just how powerful is Satan? Obviously not to powerful, he couldn’t and still cannot get out of the demise that God has waiting for him. We must remember Christ has already defeated Satan by the cross, all we need to do is believe that and not let Satan get a foot hold on us.
No one can blame Satan when he/she sins, that’s why it’s called temptation. We have a free will that was given to us by God, and if we choose to take the low road, it has nothing to do with God or Satan. It was our choice to commit the sin no spiritual being has put it in front of faces, dangling it for us to see.
My friend Anna called me over the weekend telling me she had just finished watching a documentary on TV called “God vs. Satan.” She asked me what was wrong with the common understanding of dualism and the idea that God and Satan were two eternal and equal forces that struggle for eternity. She argued that if this was not true, God created evil since we know that Satan is evil and God created Satan.
I told Anna this was dangerous ground that she was treading on, and that dualism meant there were two equal divine powers, one good and one evil. I proceeded to tell her that God and Satan were not equal they never have been and never will be. God is the ultimate power and Satan only has as much power as God allows him to have. Satan used this power to try and exalt himself above God, he wanted to be equal with God, and he wanted to be God. Just as man was created with a free will, so were the angels, which Satan was at one time. Satan at one time was a god fearing angel that obeyed God’s every command, and then he chose corruption over wisdom and God through him and his angels out of Heaven because of it.
As you can see in Isaiah 14:12-15, it shows quite a different few of Satan being equal with God, “12 how you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 3 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne
above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 but you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Though this is really talking about Nebuchadnezzar, God is comparing the king to Satan; it is quite evident that Satan at one time was a great and powerful angel. But since he was given free will and chose evil instead, he was thrown down to earth as the prince of earth (See John 7:7).
Ezekiel 28:11-19 is actually talking about the King (Prince) of Tyre along with pride and arrogance which caused his kingdom to fall. Most commentaries on this subject have the same conclusion here that the prophet is talking about the King of Tyre, but is also using the description of Satan to show the wickedness of the King.
The common objections to the interpretation of these two passages are:
· Is Satan really a person?
· Has he ever existed?
· Creation of Satan, good or evil
· When did Lucifer fall (Time Frame)
· Is he really as wicked as the Bible says?
· How could God create such evil?
The answer to all of these questions, are found in many books of the bible, here are just a few: I could list a lot more, but as I told Anna, these will get her started. I asked her to study the Bible and study each word and meaning.
· Revelations 12
· Isaiah 14:13-15
· Ezekiel 28:12-17
· Job 1:6-12
The biblical limitations of Satan:
· He cannot read our minds – Isaiah 40:28
· He cannot predict the future – Isaiah 46: 9-10
· He will resist you – James 4:7
· He cannot force a believer to do anything – Acts 26:18
· He cannot mention our names unless he is told to do so – Job 2:3
· He cannot touch us without God’s permission – Job 1:10
So just how powerful is Satan? Obviously not to powerful, he couldn’t and still cannot get out of the demise that God has waiting for him. We must remember Christ has already defeated Satan by the cross, all we need to do is believe that and not let Satan get a foot hold on us.
No one can blame Satan when he/she sins, that’s why it’s called temptation. We have a free will that was given to us by God, and if we choose to take the low road, it has nothing to do with God or Satan. It was our choice to commit the sin no spiritual being has put it in front of faces, dangling it for us to see.