Satan
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
Satan (Hebrew: שטן, Śāṭān; Aramaic: סטנא, Saṭänä; Greek: Σατανάς, Satanás; Arabic: شيطان, Šayṭān; Ge'ez: ሳይጣን, Sāyṭān; "accuser, adversary") is the name of the spirit who is also called the Devil. The name, Satan, means the accuser and the word devil (Greek: διάβολος, diabolos) means slanderer. Jesus calls him a liar and the father (that is, originator) of lies and a murderer from the beginning.
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Character
Satan is described as "the accuser of the brethren", "a murderer from the beginning" and as "a liar and the father of lies". He is said to "blind men's eyes" and he "prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour". He desires to be worshipped as God and he attempts to draw men away from the true God.
As a deceiver and blinder of men's eyes he may be seen as the ultimate source of worldwide movements of ideas, such as long ages and evolution and also of false doctrines within the church. Such ideas are used to discredit the message of the gospel and draw men away from the truth. Their worldwide scope and the devotion with which they are held in the face of the evidence testify to a spiritual power behind them.
Origin of Satan
Satan was created by God as one of the cherubim (Ezekiel 28:14) and was of very high if not the highest rank among the angels. However, he became proud and rebelled against God. In his rebellion he corrupted about a third of the angels.
Current Status
Jesus refers to Satan as the Prince of This World and other parts of the New Testament refer to him as the Prince of the Power of the Air. In Job 1:7 and again in Job 2:2 Satan is asked by God during a gathering where he had come from, and his answer is that he had been "roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." He appears to have access to heaven (Job 1:6), where he is able to make accusations to God about men. He has control over other evil spirits. However, any power he has is only by permission of God; the dualistic idea that good and evil are balanced is quite false.
Satan is also referred to as the tempter, a role exemplified in the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus shows the best way to resist temptation, by using the word of God.
Satan and his angels are able, within the limits of God's permission, to oppress Christians [1], particularly by using unredeemed men against them. However, they have no power to affect a Christian internally or spiritually, except insofar as he allows them. A believer can give them opportunity by turning his eyes aside from Jesus and by entertaining sin.
Future Fate
At the end of this age, Satan will be cast down to earth (Isaiah 14:12) and then imprisoned in the bottomless pit during the millenium. After he is released for the final battle, he will be cast for ever into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). Hell is therefore the place of his final punishment, not something that he controls or rules.
Related References
See Also
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