Many people think of Satan as only a legendary person, but according to the Bible, he is quite real and is out to trick you and ruin your life. This cunning but vicious genius is, in fact, much more than you have been led to believe. He is entrapping human beings, churches, and even entire countries for the sake of escalating suffering and anguish in this world.
Evil touches everyone equally. Either we struggle with the consequences of evil or witness how it affects our loved ones, friends, and the larger community. Some doubt God’s goodness because of sin, and others contest God’s existence. According to the Bible, Satan is the root of all evil.
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Who Is Satan?
Satan, often known as the adversary or the devil, is the antagonist of everyone who seeks to live righteously and follow God. Originally an angel “with authority in the presence of God,” Satan is a spirit son of God who revolted against his father during the premortal council in heaven. He has since tried to oppress and destroy God’s children on earth.
In the Book of Job, Satan is described as God’s companion who tests the righteous person on God’s behalf. Only in postbiblical Judaism does the devil emerge as God’s enemy, the prince of angels, who tempts some angels to rebel against God after being created by God and placed at the head of the heavenly legions. He is expelled from heaven and his mutinous posse, changed into demons, as retribution for his rebellion.
Whispering Snake
The Bible’s narrative began with creation when God proclaimed the universe to exist. The first two chapters may find a stunning scene of order, fullness, and blooming. It makes sense why the Maker thinks everything he has created is “perfect” (Genesis 1:31).
Then all of a sudden, a snake. However, this snake speaks, so it’s not like other snakes. It talks a lot. Before we know it, the slithering thing has engaged Eve in conversation, persuading her and her quiet husband—as well as you and I—to rebel against God. It becomes evident as the narrative progresses that this ancient snake is a scaly representation of Satan himself.
Did God Create Satan?
Everything in the universe that He made was flawless. Each creature had a choice, even though they were all perfect when they were born. One animal disobeyed God by attempting to impose his own will rather than do as God instructed. As a result, this angel was transformed into Satan, the Enemy[1].
God Created Lucifer
The Bible declares that everything was made by God and for God. So it seems to sense that even the devil is included in this broad category of “all things.” The question is, “Who, after all, was ‘behind’ Satan’s creation, if not God?” If true, that being would be in charge—at least in one area of existence. There would be a space where God wouldn’t have complete authority.
The Lord God Created Satan Good
God only makes things consistent with his nature because he is the source of all goodness, beauty, and truth. Paul states, “Everything made by God is good,” indicating that every aspect of creation, whether in heaven or on earth, was initially “perfect” (1 Timothy 4:4). He is sincere; there isn’t the slightest hint of deceit or evil in him. And to serve and honor this magnificent God, Satan was made in the image of an angel.
Satan Was The Source Of His Evil
Satan was neither tempted nor seduced by anyone; his evil came from inside. Therefore, it is not unexpected that Jesus referred to him as “the father of lies” and “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44), using terminology that dates back to the beginning of history.
What Was Satan’s Name Before He Sinned?
Lucifer was the name of Satan, and he resided in heaven. The “king of Babylon” in Isaiah 14 and the “prince of Tyre” in Ezekiel 28 are other representations of Lucifer. Due to his immoral arrogance, Lucifer was denied entry to paradise. Despite being blessed with intelligence, attractiveness, and the privilege of serving in God’s heavenly army, Lucifer wasn’t humbled by his many advantages.
Lucifer’s History
Like all the other angels, Lucifer was made by God (Ephesians 3:9). Lucifer was an angel or “covering” cherub. Standing on either side of God’s throne, one covering angel faces the left and the other the right (Psalm 99:1). However, some created angels rebelled against God’s plans and supported demonic forces instead.
One of these holiest angels and a leader was Lucifer. The perfection of Lucifer’s beauty was astounding. His insight was impeccable. His brilliance was terrific. He has been explicitly made to be a great musician, according to Ezekiel 28:13. Some academics think he directed the chorus of angels.
Satan’s Free Will Led To His Rebellion Against God
Even though God created Satan, God neither did nor could have done the evil Satan had in his heart and decided to act upon. God allows us to choose how we conduct our lives because He loves His creatures. Angels were similarly created higher than humans.
What Happened To Satan’s Life That Led Him To Commit Sin?
On the other hand, Lucifer was overcome with pride over his magnificence. Because of his increasing arrogance, Lucifer’s thinking was so twisted that he started to prefer ruling over God over remaining in His service. Later, Lucifer took on the name Satan, the enemy and accuser of humanity who prowls the earth looking to avenge God by sowing strife and division among His offspring.
Satan convinced a third of the heavenly hosts to reject the Father (Doctrine and Covenants 29:36). Satan and his followers rebelled against God. As a result, they were expelled from His presence and barred from the blessing of being given a physical form.
Why Did God Create Satan Knowing He Would Cause Evil?
Even in his fallen state, Satan is under the sovereign control of God. God can eventually use Satan’s wicked deeds to carry out His divine plan. God’s omniscience has already been demonstrated to us and this is enough reason to still glorify God. Therefore, God created Satan despite knowing he would rebel and fall from heaven, so it must have been part of God’s sovereign plan all along.
As part of our experience in mortality, Heavenly Father permits Satan and Satan’s minions to entice us and attempt to lead us away from righteousness. He focuses his fiercest opposition on the most crucial elements of Heavenly Father’s scheme for pleasure.
For instance, he tries to denigrate the Savior and the priesthood, question the atonement’s efficacy, falsify revelation, divert our attention from reality, and contradict personal accountability. By mixing up the genders, pushing extramarital affairs, mocking marriage, and deterring married people who would otherwise raise children in righteousness from having children, he tries to destroy the family.
The reason God created Satan, knowing he would resist, is ultimately unknown to us. It’s alluring to declare that God should have acted differently or that things would have been “better” if Satan had never been formed.
Where Is Satan Today?
Where would you locate Satan today if you were to look for him? Although the Bible explicitly describes him as a genuinely created angel who fell alongside other angels, some people don’t believe he exists and would instead state that he is “in your head.” He first appears at the beginning of Genesis and continues throughout the Bible until the end of Revelation.
Satan is not incarcerated in hell. Satan, on the other hand, prowls the planet looking for people to seduce into sin and drive them away from God. 1 Peter 5:8 states, “Be on guard and in sober spirits. The devil, your enemy, prowls around like a roaring lion searching for prey.”
In Ephesians 2:2, the apostle Paul referred to Satan as the “ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is already at work in people who are disobedient,” and Jesus named him the “prince of this world” (John 14:30). Satan does not live in hell; he works on the earth and the heavens circling it.
This should serve as a reminder that our universe is still flawed. Some of the issues we experience can be caused by Satan working against us, just as he did to Job. It should prompt us to read the Bible, pray, and become aware of the spiritual conflicts that his demons (fallen angels) command to be fought on this planet.
Conclusion
As God’s creation, the ability to choose suitable over evil is a personal decision, and Jesus Christ has vowed to assist anyone who seeks Him in faithful prayer and fidelity. Jesus established the certainty of the eradication of sin by His person, death, and resurrection.
This is significant because soon, Jesus will return to earth and gather what belongs to Him. “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister” (1 John 3:10). He will overthrow Satan’s evil supporters and seize His chosen for Himself.
