Satan and the Origin of Evil Spirits

Lucifer’s Beginning

Some years ago word spread around the world that God was dead. There is also the thought among some religious leaders that there is really no such being as a personal Devil. Satan’s personality is being dismissed as an invention of someone’s imagination, to frighten people into being good and force little children to behave. Some of these religious leaders, to justify their non-belief in Satan, even used such scriptures as Matthew 15:19 to show that all evil thoughts, desires and actions originate within ourselves, and thus it is silly and childish to blame Satan for them.

Naturally, both arguments, (1) that God was dead and (2) that Satan does not exist, are wrong and entirely unbiblical. While man can exercise evil thoughts, this does not nullify the existence of Satan and his evil helpers. In Matthew 15:19, Jesus was not denying the existence of Satan, but rather showing how a man’s heart condition can also defile him.

Astrology, occultism, horoscopes, and spiritism have engulfed millions of people around the world. Millions of dollars are spent on these things, and thousands of people will not leave home in the morning or contract any business without first consulting their horoscopes, which are published in magazines and daily newspapers. Astrology, occultism, and spiritism are building a great body of followers who, out of curiosity and desire to see what lies before them, are hoping to discover what the future holds so they can be ready to face what is coming. Who is behind all this? There is only one source from which to receive the true answer. That is the Holy Bible!

It is holy because God’s Spirit inspired the minds of dedicated, godly men to write down accurately what God had given them. The Holy Scriptures are not private writings coming from the minds of mere men, but are the thoughts and words of God, expressed through His Holy Spirit and therefore truthful and right (2 Pet. 1:20, 21).

1 Corinthians 2:11-14 explains that without the help of the Spirit of God, natural man would be unable to understand the “deep things” or secrets of God. Without the Holy Spirit, man would read the Bible much like he would a novel or any other book written by man. One searching after truth, however, needs the Spirit of God to enlighten his path and help him understand the meaning of the various allegories, symbolisms, and parables in the Bible. Where do we go to discover the identity of the being who is responsible for all the misunderstanding, sorrow, suffering, war, sickness sin and death of this world? To the Holy Word of our Creator!

Lucifer

Long ago, even before the creation of angels, archangels, seraphim, cherubim, and other heavenly hosts, God, through His Son, created a mighty cherub and gave him extraordinary wisdom, beauty and power. See Colossians 1:15-17.

The prophet Ezekiel, in Ezek. 28:11-19, was inspired by God to give us a description of this mighty spiritual being, and in Isaiah 14:12 we are told about this mighty spiritual being, perfect in beauty, full of splendor and wisdom. This mighty cherub for the first time is called by his original name: “Lucifer, son of the morning” (KJV). Verses 13 and 14 continue to tell us what then happened: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” What preposterous presumption!

This was Lucifer’s abominable sin! He desired not only to be like his Creator, the Most High, but to be exalted above God’s throne. He wanted to usurp the power and dominion of the Eternal God! He desired to be worshipped and served; but most of all, he planned to take away God’s authority and glory, making himself Supreme!

From Lucifer to Satan

When the first man and woman were created, Lucifer was the guardian cherub over Eden. He realizes that these two persons, in time, would multiply and fill the earth. Sin found entrance in Lucifer’s heart when, desiring to control Adam and Eve, he planned to deceive, seduce and lead that first couple to doubt and disobey their Creator. Thus he thought they would turn to him for protection and worship and become his subjects. Events seemed to work in his favor. It was at this time that Lucifer, meaning light, became Satan, meaning adversary, for he was now an enemy of God.

Did God know what Lucifer was harboring in his heart? Indeed He knew, but God was now giving him the opportunity to show his true colors. God in His wisdom, and knowing the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), also knew that the experience with good and evil would be an everlasting lesson to both men and angels—yes, to the whole creation—a lesson for all eternity.

The Temptation

The day came when Satan, using the serpent as his mouthpiece, said to Eve in Gen. 3:1, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Here was the beginning of his deception, for he knew very well what God had told Adam (Genesis 2:16, 17).

Eve answered by saying that God had given them permission to eat fruit of any tree in the garden, except of the tree that was in the midst of the garden, with the warning that if they did eat the fruit of that tree they would die (Gen. 3:2, 3). Satan answered with the first lie, thus planting the seeds of doubt about the goodness and integrity of God, and with the plan to show himself their true friend, saying, “You shall not die, for God knows that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4,5 - NASB). Eve, being deceived, ate the forbidden fruit, thus committing the first act of disobedience (Gen. 3:6). While Eve was deceived, Adam was not. He chose of his own free will to disobey God, by eating of the fruit offered to him by his wife. Perhaps he ate it because he feared being without his beloved Eve and so chose to die with her. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:14 that Adam was not deceived as Eve was; therefore, his sin was more deserving of blame in God’s sight than was Eve’s. The result of their disobedience was the promised sentence of death for the guilty pair, which began to take effect as they were banished from the Garden. In due time, the promise was given that Satan’s head would be crushed by the seed of the woman, Jesus Christ (Gen. 3:15).

When Satan revealed himself to be the enemy of God, he lost his standing in the heavenly courts, the spiritual realm. But he did not fall into sin alone. He drew with him legions of angels, who followed him into rebellion against their Creator. Our Lord Jesus called Satan a liar and a murderer, for he was responsible for the death of our first parents and through them, all who have ever lived. (Heb. 2:14).

Evil Spirits at Work

As mankind began to multiply on the earth, Satan’s desire to be worshipped by man increased. Undoubtedly, he proposed to those angels that followed him into sin that they materialize as human beings and marry the most beautiful women on the earth, fathering children by them. This they did, as we read in Genesis 6:1-4. The offspring of these angels and women was permitted but never approved by God. These were a hybrid race, men of giant stature, strong and intelligent, but very wicked. They were called the Nephilim. These hybrid offspring, with their fathers (the fallen angels), ruled the prediluvian world and filled it with violence. The situation grew so terrible that God made the decision to destroy all of mankind -- to wipe the earth clean with a universal flood and start all over again with only Noah and his family (Gen. 6:7).

God then instructed Noah—a just man who walked with God—to build an ark and fill it with animals and enough food for them all (Gen. 6 & 7). Seven days before the flood began, when Noah and his family were in the ark, the Lord shut the door to the ark. The rain burst forth, drowning all those outside the ark. It rained for 40 days and nights (Gen. 7:16).

What happened to the fallen angels, or evil spirits? They were punished by God, for He placed them in chains of darkness, limiting them to the earth’s atmosphere until the judgment of the great day (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4, 5). It was not long before people again forgot God and began to practice immorality and idolatry, which the Apostle Paul called “demon worship” (1 Cor. 10:19, 20). This idolatry expanded into Samaria, Canaan, Egypt, and Mesopotamia where Abraham was born, in Ur of the Chaldea’s. However, Abraham preferred to worship the true God of his ancestor Noah, so God called him out of Ur and led him to Canaan. He left behind his country and people and all their idol worship rituals. (Gen. 12:1).

The Law

In giving His law to the children of Israel, God told them in the Ten Commandments that they should worship no other gods, but Him only, and that they should not make any images, statues or idols, nor worship them (Exod. 20:1-6). Thus, Satan and the evil spirits would be denied the worship they hungered for. But these evil spirits worked through wizards, and witches, in the land of Canaan, and through these mediums they expanded their influence over the people. So God gave a law concerning them. (See Lev. 19:31 and Deut. 18:9-14.) The children of Israel were forbidden to have any dealings with them. Those who had familiar spirits and wizards were put out of the land (1 Sam. 28:3 & 9).

Nevertheless, the evil spirits’ influence gradually spread to the whole world. Satan, their leader, became “the god of this (present evil) world” (2 Cor. 4:4; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Paul calls him “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). And John says, so that “.... the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).

Source of All Evil

All throughout this Gospel Age, Satan and his evil spirits have battled hard against true Christians and have been the cause of great persecution, suffering, imprisonment, false teachings, confusion, etc. Now that we are reaching the end of the Gospel Age, these evil spirits are becoming more active than ever, causing crimes, chaos, wars and confusion on a world-wide scale as never before. Some Christians, it is prophesied, will even fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1). How can we protect ourselves and our families from these evil spirits?

Need For Protection

The Scriptures furnish us with much information on this matter. In Eph. 6:12 the Apostle Paul discloses what we are up against: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Can we battle and overcome such powers in our own strength? Absolutely not! The Apostle Peter describes Satan as a “roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

What, then, can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones? Here is Divine advice: First of all, have complete confidence and trust in God’s love, care, and protection. Then put on the full armor of God, which is described in Eph. 6:10-18. Once you have it on, don’t stop to argue with Satan. He is too clever and experienced for us. Do what Jesus did and say aloud, “It is written!” If he is attacking you in definite areas such as lust, say out loud, “Depart from me, you demon of lust. I command you in the name of Jesus, depart from me.” We do not have to wage a war against Satan. Our Lord Jesus Christ has already done that and won! But we do need to resist him. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Be careful to stay far away from wizards, necromancers, astrologers, fortune tellers, mediums, séances, and anything that deals with spiritism and occultism. Always remember that Satan often transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). He makes it seem that what is said appears to agree with the Word of God and he is able to do “signs and wonders”(2 Thess. 2:9).

The End of Satan and Evil Angels

What will be God’s retribution and punishment for all the evil, sorrow, and death Satan and these evil spirits have caused in the world? Though they are no longer in heaven, having been cast down into the lower part of the atmospheric condition of earth, as described in Rev. 12:7-9, Satan is filled with great wrath, knowing his time is short (vs. 12).

In due time, the Lord will put a stop to all of his evil deeds. A mighty angel will come down from heaven and imprison Satan in a bottomless pit for 1000 years “so that he cannot deceive the nations any more” (Rev. 20:1-3). At the end of the 1000-year reign of Christ, Satan will be loosed again for a little season and go forth one final time to deceive the nations and turn them against God. But fire will come down from heaven and destroy all those who are in league with him (Rev. 20:7-9). Revelation 20:10 tells us Satan will be destroyed. For further confirmation of his destruction, read Isaiah 14:4-11 & 15-20, as well as Ezekiel 28:16-19. This will be the Grand Finale of the universal struggle between good and evil—of Satan against God. The universe will be purified of all evil spirits and evil doers. Then peace, holiness and everlasting joy will forever rule in both heaven and earth. Thus will our Lord’s Prayer be fulfilled when “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven” (Mt. 6:10).

God’s Holy Angels

We feel this booklet would not be complete without a word about God’s holy angels, those spirit beings who have remained faithful to God, freely serving Him in various ways, and in particular serving His family on this earth. Angels belong to a different order of creation than man. They have been given higher intelligence, knowledge, understanding, power, and mobility than has been given us. These are God’s messengers (angelos means messenger) whose chief duty is to carry out His orders in the universe. Angels, in times past, were given power to speak for God as His ambassadors and perform works of righteousness. Their activities assisted their Creator in His rule and control of the universe. Even today, the true children of God have “guardian angels” for their protection (Psa. 91:11).

What does the Bible say about angels? It clearly states that angels were created by the will of God. There was a time when no angels existed and God was alone. Then God brought forth His only begotten Son, called the Word (Logos). Today we know him as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the Only Begotten Son of God, and “... by him (the Logos) were all things created, that are in heaven, and in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities or powers: all things were created by him, and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Col. 1:16,17).

Angels are invisible created beings who have the ability to materialize, going back and forth between heaven and earth. Even though angels have materialized on occasion, they are not made of flesh and blood. Hebrews 1:14 calls them “ministering spirits.” Furthermore, God did not give them the ability to reproduce after their kind. “They neither marry nor are given in marriage” (Mark 12:25).

The holy angels’ empire is as vast as God’s creation. They can go wherever God commands them and do whatever He orders. Their power is from God, and no man or evil spirit can force them to retreat from their appointed tasks.

How Many Angels?

Both the Old and New Testaments mention angels, directly or indirectly, nearly 300 times, but how many are there? Rev. 5:11 describes a scene where there are “thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand” angels. Myriad of angels came down on Mt. Sinai to confirm the holy presence of God as He gave His laws to Moses (Deut. 33:2).

In Revelation chapter 19, we read of armies of angels who will be with Jesus in that great and terrible battle of the Lord God Almighty when His foes will be gathered together on earth for their last stand against God and the Lamb. When Adam and Eve were sent forth from the Garden of Eden, a cherub was commanded to stand guard at the entrance of Eden to bar man’s return to the Garden. He had a flaming sword with which he guarded the way to the tree of life, lest Adam, by eating of its fruit, should live forever (Gen. 3:24).

Angels Today

Even some scientists admit the probability of the existence of invisible intelligence, and many people are aware of occult and demonic powers.

A world-wide interest in spiritual forces have brought forth thousands of books dealing with spiritism, such as “Gods From Outer Space,” and “World In Collision,” and movies such as “Rosemary’s Baby,” and “The Exorcist,” which have become very popular, bringing in millions of dollars. But, until recently, very little interest has been manifested in the holy angels of God who are immensely more numerous than fallen angels. Quotations in the Bible about holy angels far outnumber references to Satan and his demons, the fallen angels.

Today, the activities of Satan and his legions of fallen angels are often in the news and publicized through books, magazines, movies, radio, and television according to prophecy. Heinous murders and things too evil to mention here are influenced by these demons. Nevertheless, the activities of God’s holy angels for the direction and protection of His people are indelibly impressed in the minds of those who walk by faith. When we exercise our eyes of faith, we can see many evidences of the supernatural display of God’s power and glory. (See Ps. 91:11 and Heb. 1:14.) Our God does not sleep! (See Psalm 121.)

Christians should be aware of Satan’s power, but they should take notice even more of the greater power and activities of God’s holy angels. If you are a believer, be assured powerful angels stay close by you all the days of your Christian life. God’s angels are very real! They don’t draw attention to themselves and don’t seek worship (Rev. 22:8, 9). They do their ministering invisibly and unnoticed by men, carrying out their assigned tasks with faithfulness.

Are we told to worship angels? No! In Colossians 2:18, we are warned of being beguiled (deprived) of our reward if we worship them. Are the holy angels jealous of those finding repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ? No, again! For Luke 15:10 tells us of their joy over even one sinner who repents.

In Matthew 13:41 we learn the angels will be used of God to gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity. In conclusion, we exhort you to believe God and His Holy Word, the Bible, and you will not have to fear Satan or the evil spirits, for God’s holy angels are nearer than you think. Only if you choose to become entangled in the world of occultism, spiritism, or witchcraft can you be harmed by leaving the center of His will. Those abiding in Christ are assured safety. Our God has given the hosts of holy angels the command to “take charge of you, to guard you in all your ways” (Ps. 91:11). They will bear you up above the angry waves to final victory. So fear not! Only trust and obey!

When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise,
not a cloud in the skies
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear,
Not a sigh nor a tear,
can abide while we trust and obey.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5, 6