The Devil: His Existence, Nature, Position and Character
Devil and Demons. This distinction is quite overlooked in the Authorized Version, and even in the Revised Version, though the Revised Version notes it in the margin. The Devil and Demons are two entirely distinct orders of beings. The Bible doctrine regarding Satan is a very practical doctrine. There are certainly few doctrines that will go further than this in teaching us our utter dependence upon God and in driving us to prayer.
I. The Existence of the Devil, or Satan.
Matt. 13: 19, 39 — “When any one heareth the word of the king dom, and unclerstandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he that receiveth seed by the way-side.... The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” (Is this a mere figure of speech? In parables the figures always occur in the parables themselves. In the interpretation of the parables the figures are explained, and we have the realities which the figures represent. The verses above are not taken from the parable but from Christ’s own interpretation of it.)
Jno. 13: 2 — “And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.”
Acts 5: 3 — “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?”
i Pet. 5:8 — “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Eph. 6: n, 12 — “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Also many other passages.)
PROPOSITION: There is a personal devil.
5 H What the Bible Teaches
His personality will come out more clearly as we study his nature.
11. The Position and Nature of Satan.
(1) Jude: 8,9, R.V. — “Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at naught dominion and rail at dignities. But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing
judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”
FIRST PROPOSITION: The position of the Devil was so exalted that even Michael, the archangel, did not dare to bring a railing judgment against him.
The context might seem to imply that the position of the Devil was more exalted than that of Michael himself. Further on other passages will be considered that seem to confirm this idea. Light, contemptuous speech about the Devil is entirely unwarranted.
(2) Eph. 2: 2 — “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”
SE COND PR 0 POSITION: The Devil is the Prince of the Power of the Air.
(3) Jno. 12: 31 — “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world “be, cast out.”
Jno. 14: 30 — “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”
Jno. 16: ii — “Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Devil is the Prince of this World. QUESTION: When did he become so? Did he become so through Adam and Eve listening to him in Eden, or was this world a department assigned to him of God as separate kingdoms have been assigned to different celestial potentates? (Dan. 10:
12, 13.) And did he drag his dominion down with him in his own fall? These are questions which the Bible does not seem to answer very clearly, and we ought not to try to be wise above what is written. (Deut. 29: 29.) But this much is clear: he is now “the Prince of this World.” This is clear also from a study of the social and commercial life of the day.
(4) 2 Cor. 4: 4 — “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Devil is the god of this Age.
(The word translated “world” in this passage, both A.V. and R.V., is not the same word translated “world” in passages under the preceding proposition. It should be translated “age,” as in Marg. R.V.)
III. The Devil’s Power.
(1) Eph. 6: n, 12, R.V. — “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Devil has far greater power than men — flesh and blood.
He has under him beings so great in power and dignity as to be spoken of as “the Principalities, the Powers, the World-rulers, Spiritual Hosts (spiritual beings) of wickedness in the heavenly places.” The conflict we have on hand is terrific. Let us not underestimate it.
(2) Luke ii: 14-18 — “And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say, that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.”
SECOND PROPOSITION: Satan is king over the realm of
demons.
(3) Dan. 10: 5, 6, 12, 13 — “Then I lifted up mine eyes, and lookeu, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.... Then said he unto me, fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Devil, or one of his subordi nates, has power to resist and retard a glorious angel many days.
(4) Acts 26: 18 — “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The whole mass of unsaved men
are in Satan’s power.
(5) i Jno. 5: 19, R.V. — “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one.’*
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The whole world — i. e., the entire mass of men, except those who have been called out, the Church — lieth in the Evil One. They rest supinely in his embrace.
(6) Job. i: 10-12 — “Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.”
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Satan can exert his vast power only so far as Jehovah suffers him to do so.
IV, The Devil’s Cunning.
(1) 2 Cor. 2: ii — “Lest Satan, should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Devil has many and subtle devices.
(2) Eph. 6: n, 12, R.V. — “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Devil has so many and such Gunning wiles that we need to put on the whole armor of God to stand against them.
The Devil doubtless gets the mastery of many, through his wiles and devices, that he could not overcome by an open exercise of his power. We have an illustration of his wiles in the temptation of Eve and of Christ. The “old serpent” is more dangerous than the “roaring lion.”
(3) 2 Thess. 2: 9, 10, R.V. — “Even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that are perishing: be cause they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
THIRD PROPOSITION; Satan displays such power and signs and wonders of falsehood as utterly deceive those who receive not tfie love of the truth.
(Comp. Matt. 24: 24 — “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”)
Some have said, The Devil is God’s Ape” — i. e., he imitates God’s work.
(4) 2 Cor. n: 14 — “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Satan fashioneth himself into an
angel of light.
The Devil is never more dangerous than when he does this. When Satan gets into the pulpit, or the theological chair, and pretends to teach Christianity, when in reality he is corrupting it; pretends to be teaching Christian evidences when in reality he is undermining the very foundations of faith; pretends to be teaching Biblical Introduction, when in reality he is making the Bible out to be a book that is not worthy of being introduced — . then look out for him; he is at his most dangerous work. There was never a science more really godless and subversive of true Christian faith than that which Satan is now exploiting under the pseudonym, “Christian Science.” Happy is the man in these days who is not ignorant of the devices of the Devil, and realizes that he frequently masquerades as an angel of light.
T. The Devil’s Wickedness.
(i) i Jno. 5: 19, R.V. — “We know that we are of God, and the whole word lieth in the evil one.”
Matt. 5: 37, R.V. — “But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.”
6: 13, R.V. — “And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Devil is the Evil One. He is the impersonation of evil and the source of it in others.
(2) i Jno. 3: 8 — “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Devil sinneth from the beginning.
QUESTION: What beginning is here referred to? Does this mean that the Devil sinned from the very origin of all things, and that he was created sinful? We shall see later that Ezek. 28 :15 refers to Satan, and that the Devil was created upright. The verse means, then, that Satan is the original sinner. The expression “from the beginning” is characteristic of this epistle, and does not necessarily mean from the origin of things. (See e. g., the llth verse.)
(3) Jno. 8:44 — “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do: he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar and the father of it.”
THIRD PROPOSITION; The Devil was a murderer from the beginning. He is a liar and the father of it. There is absolutely no truth in him.
VI. The Malignity of the Devil.
(1) Jno. 8:44 — “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do: he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Demi toas a murderer from the
beginning.
(2) 2 Cor. 4:4, R.V. — “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.”
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Devil blinds the minds of men to the end that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, may not dawn upon them.
What marvelous, incredible malignity is that!
(3) Luke 8: 12 — “Those by the wayside are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Devil comes and takes away the saving Word of God out of the hearts of men where it has been sown, in order to keep them from believing and being saved.
We will have further evidence and illustration of his malignity under his work.
VII. His Cowardice.
Jas. 4: 7 — “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
PROPOSITION: - When the Devil is resisted he flees.