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Satan: The Defeated Foe
Kenneth B. Alexander, JD, Minister
Table of Contents
Title Page: Satan: The Defeated Foe
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Satan the Religious Spirit
The Difference Between Satanically Inspired Religion and Spirituality.
The Soul
The Body
The Spirit
Religion According to Satan
The History of Mystery Babylon
Serpent Worship
Preface
Thanks to John Robert Stevens, Pastor and My Mentor, deceased; Pastors Gary and Marilyn Hargrave; The Living Word, a World Wide Fellowship of Churches (thelivingword.org); Logos Bible Study System; Fellow Christian Believers
© Kenneth B. Alexander, JD, Minister,
Scripture references: The New American Standard, 95 ed.; The New American Standard Bible, 1977 ed.; King James Authorized Version; Unless Otherwise Noted
Scripture references in Italics
Bold: Authors Discretion
CAPITALS: SCRIPTURE QUOTATION FROM BIBLE or AUTHOR’S DISCRETION
Scripture Citation Abbreviation: Common Usage (ex. Mt. Matthew; Lk. Luke; Jn. John; Gen. Genesis; Lev. Leviticus; Is. Isaiah; 1 Co. 1 Corinthians; etc. )
Introduction
In subsequent pages we will learn we will learn much about Satan: his ways, how he works deception on the whole world, his role as the accuser, his vicious, murderous nature, his role as God’s servant, his power, his weaknesses, and his drive to survive even after he has been condemned to eternal suffering by God in his own created pit of hell. Although Satan has been limited by God in what he can and cannot do we must not forget that he is very real and very dangerous to both the believer in Christ and to all inhabitants of the earth. After Christ’s resurrection, Satan became a defeated foe and his outcome made certain (see Revelation 20:1-10). However to this day he rages in anger seeking who he may devour. 1 Peter 5:5 says: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”. Satan is not the enemy of God he is the enemy of man
Some think that Satan was inert during the years comprising the Old Testament and only made his appearance fully known at the time of Christ. Nothing could be further from the truth. Satan was at work from the inception of the matters recorded in the Old Testament. He was at work in every nation on the earth from the beginning. Every nation that worshipped pagan gods and was at odds with Israel was ruled/inspired by Satan. This began with the Sumerians (the first civilization) to Babylon, Egypt, Chaldea, Philistines, Persians, Greeks/Macedonians, Rome, The Roman Church, to name just a few. John wrote in the First Century a verse of scripture that could easily be applied throughout history: “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father;” (1 John 2:22-23). Since the entire Old Testament wrote of Christ this scripture applies both to the New and Old Testaments. Christ said to the religious leaders of the day: ““You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life” (John 5:39-40). The entire Old Testament was written about Christ the Savior and Messiah who was to do away with sin and would banish Satan forever.
There are two scriptures in the Bible which clearly define Satan. In Isaiah 14:12-17, which began as a taunt against the King of Babylon, he speaks of Satan showing the close tie between Babylon and Satan. He starts the taunt referring directly to the King of Babylon then mid-way through he changes and begins speaking of Satan directly. By doing this he is not distinguishing one from the other showing that God saw Babylon and Satan as one in the same (a subject that will be discussed in detail below). Isaiah speaks prophetically of Satan: “You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, [Heb Helel; i.e. shining one] son of the dawn!, [Dan 5:22, 23; 8:10; 2 Thess 2:4] And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself LIKE THE MOST HIGH.’ “Nevertheless [says God] you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. “Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?” (Is 14:12-17). In the end Satan is shown to be no more than a man.
The “Mount of Assembly” probably refers to Mt. Sinai where God had all the Israelites assemble as Moses received the Laws of God. It also may be an allusion to a probable Babylonian legend relating to the dwelling of the pagan gods (cf. Jb. 37:22; Ezk. 28:13f.) In pagan mythology the uttermost part of the north was the home of the false gods. What are “the recesses of the north”, mentioned by Isaiah (above)? The Babylonian empire attacked Israel from the north. However, the operative word “north”, as used in Isaiah14, is “saphon”, pronounced “saw-fone’” and indicates generally the direction north. However, the word is derived from “sapan” (Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume 4, page 451) which means a hidden or dark place, gloomy and unknown, to hide, hidden, secretly, secret place, lurk, private, the hidden ones and laid up (Strongs, 6828, 6845) In other words, Isaiah tells us that Satan wanted to set up his own rule and kingdom, in order to receive adoration and worship, like God, and to call the shots, like God. But he wanted to (or had to) do it as far away from God as he could. The “recesses of the north” is the hidden, “dark”, gloomy and secret place, away from the “light” of God. In the light of God everything is laid open and bare, and nothing is hidden from His sight (Hebrews 4:13).
In Ezekiel 28:12-19 the prophet also spoke about Satan while rebuking the King of Tyre, who he considered one and the same as Satan “You had 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 ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. “You were the anointed cherub who covers, [guards] And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. “You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you…You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I