We often hear the 'Savior' characteristics of God stressed – His love, mercy, goodness and so on – but the matter of His lordship is absent. The distortion is particularly clear in evangelism. In modern practice the call to repentance is usually called an 'invitation,' which one can obviously accept or refuse. It is offered politely. Seldom do we hear presented God's sovereign demand to repent or His demand for total submission to the authority of His appointed king, Christ Jesus.
James Montgomery Boice

The Origin Of Satan 4

The Origin Of Satan 4

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John L. Lipscomb, P.O. Box 11884, Memphis, TN 38111

FOUNDATIONAL SURVEY OF THEOLOGY

Section Eight: ANGELOLOGY

Lesson Four: THE ORIGIN OF SATAN

“Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD; ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone (was) your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You (were) the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of the firey stones. You (were) perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in You. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; Therefore I cast you as profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the firey stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty: You have corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid thee before kings, that they might gaze at you. You have defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you.” Ezekiel 28.12-18

The idea of an individual existing who personifies evil and opposes God is scoffed at by the skeptic who prides himself in his intellectualism.

When such a creature is suggested, he is generally ridiculed as the horned, red suited, long tailed creature who inhabits the underworld of fire smoke and brimestone. This characterization, however, in no way resembles the Evil One of the Scriptures who is Satan, the Devil. The Satan of the Bible “transforms himself as the angel of light…”

The Biblical record is that he was created perfect, yet in his iniquity he is pleased to be assailed and ridiculed, in order to further his rebellion against the Lord of glory.

I. The ORIGIN of Satan

Satan’s origin is declared by the prophet Ezekiel in a “lamentation upon the king of Tyrus…”

This king of Tyrus cannot be an earthly monarch because of the prerogatives attributed to him.

No human king as described in this lament has been known upon the earth. Consider these features about this king: “the anointed cherub… been in the Eden, the garden of God… upon the holy mountain of God,” and “created in a day”.

There can be little doubt that this is obviously the ruler behind the earthly king. The god who directs the earthly king of Tyre.

This ruler is the creature who by right of conquest could offer, “all the kingdoms of the world…” to the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 4.8-10). This ruler is Satan himself.

  1. He is a “created” creature

This fact is stated twice in the context of Ezekiel’s lament (28.13, 15). As a creature, created by God, Satan is limited in his operation and ability. 1. Satan is not omniscient He is limited with regard to wisdom. Satan knows what God permits him to learn. 2. Satan is not omnipresent He is limited with regard to location. He can function only in the places where God permits. 3. Satan is not omnipotent He is limited with regard to authority. He has no more power and authority than God allows. 4. Satan is not eternal He is limited with regard to creation. His longevity is God’s provision for His own purposes in grace. 5. Satan is not just Because of his determined self-centeredness, he is limited with regard to fairness. He will never judge fairly. B. He is “perfect in beauty” He is not the foolish character ridiculed today, with humanistic tendencies and weaknesses. C. He was the “anointed” cherub Satan is not human, he is of the created order of angels (cf. “Cherubims” Ezek. 10.1-22, 1.4-25). As a created creature, he is responsible to serve God. D. He was “without iniquity” He was “…perfect in his ways” until he exercised his will contrary to God’s will. He choose iniquity, therefore, he is responsible for the conquences. E. He was set to serve God Satan was appointed by God to a position at His eternal throne, rule and government (Isa. 2.2, 14.13; Joel 3.17). In his rebellion against God, he lost that privilege forever. Concerning Satan’s origin, remember, “all things (including Satan) were created by Him (The Lord Jesus Christ) and for Him…” (Col. 1.16).

II. The EXISTENCE of Satan

Why would God, Who is omniscient create such a creature?

He knew that Satan would rebel and lead a multitude of the heavenly host away from Himself. God knew this rebel would incite rebellion in the human race as well. Yet He made him in a state of angelic perfection with responsibility to Himself, with a will capable of contrary choice.

The All-knowing God knew it all, the entire extent of Satan’s rebellion and all the resulting consequences. Certaintly, the creation and utilization of this rebel is in accord to the purpose of Him, Who has “created all things according to the counsel of His will.”

Satan assumed for himself the title “god of this world.” It became his by right of conquest from the first Adam (2 Cor. 4.4; John 13.3, 16.11; Matt. 4.8-9).

Today, this title holder serves God as the representation of evil. He serves Him in the sense that he is subject to God (Job 1.12, 2.6; Matt. 4.10; Jude 9) and cannot go beyond God’s permissive will.

God is pleased to utilize Satan, therefore he is not confined today. A day is coming when he will be sealed up, in the future (Rev. 20.1- 3).

Satan’s present service includes the “disciplining of believers” (1 Cor. 5.5; 2 Cor. 2.5-11); and testing, “buffetting,” believers (2 Cor. 12.7).

While we do not comprehend this fact with all its ramifications, the believer must remember:

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” Rev. 4.11

Satan was created to be:

  1. An Agent of the Glory of God
    1. For Development of the Saints

Satan serves to develop faith and maturity in the believer (James 1.12; 1 Pet. 1.7-13, 5.8-9; 2 Pet. 1.4- 9; Jude 20-24). 2. For Provision for the Saints Satan provides an opportunity for the saints to trust God for deliverance in any adversity – to “overcome” (1 John 2.13, 4.1-6; Rev. 2.7, 11, 3.5.12). 3. For Demonstration to the Saints Satan exists to demonstrate the power of God over any opposition (1 Cor. 4.9; Eph. 2.7, 3.9-10). B. An Assurance of the Gospel of God 1. Glorious Countenance Satan was created “perfect in countence” and “perfect in beauty”, yet with nothing lacking, he spurned the goodness of his God and opposed his Creator. 2. Glorious Covering He had a covering provided by God Himself, “every precious stone.” Nothing was missing in his provision, yet, the creature rejected his Creator, Who provided his covering. 3. Glorious Capability He was musically capable “timbrels and pipes”, yet, rather than glorify God with his creative gifts, he turned upon the Giver seeking to glorify himself. 4. Glorious Calling He was given the most desirable of ministries “Eden, the garden of God…the holy mountain of God…in the midst of the stones of fire…” apparently serving in the very presence of God Himself, yet, he turned against God seeking to exalt his throne above God’s throne. C. An Answer Showing the Grace of God 1. All Provision Satan had all provision available to Him. He was “perfect in beauty,” Strong’s # 3632, cf. “wholly” (1 Sam. 7.9; Psa. 51.19); “utterly” (Isa. 2.18); “perfection” (Lament. 2.15). He was “in all his ways” Strong’s # 8549, cf. “without blemish” (Ex. 12.5; Lev. 9.2, refer 2 Sam. 22.31, 33; Psa. 18.30-31, 19.7; Pvbs. 11.5). 2. All Possibilities Satan had all possibilities attainable, yet he chose sin against holy his God, Who created him.

III. The Extend of Satanology

In summarizing Satan’s sitation and role the following facts are applicable.

  1. For Satan and His Demons
    1. Satan’s Creation

Satan was perfectly conceived and created by the hand of the Personal God. 2. Satan’s Choice He chose to sin against this God by a deliberate act of his will. 3. Satan’s Consequences The consequences for his act are present condemnation and future consignment to the lake of fire for eternity. B. For Adam and His Descendents 1. Adam’s Creation Adam, Satan’s human counterpart, was also the direct creation of the Eternal God. 2. Adam’s Choice Adam, like Satan, chose to disobey God through the deliberate exercise of his will. 3. Adam’s Consequences Like Satan, when Adam sinned, he was immediately judged. Unlike Satan and Adam, mankind are all born physically as “children of Adam.” Physical birth includes the judgment of God’s sentence upon Adam and his descendents. Every man since Adam is not the product of God’s direct creation. All are born with fallen Adamic natures. Man, “born of flesh” does not have the choices originally available to Satan and Adam. God has provided the remedy for our plight. It is the cross of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our responsibility is to believe in the Lord Jesus, to trust Him to deliver us from our enslavement to sin and Satan’s bondage. Christ is God’s sole provision for salvation.