Black Rock Seventh-day Adventist Church

Where did sin begin or originate?

With the devil. It’s in the Bible, 1 John 3:8, NKJV. “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Satan has been a murderer and a liar from the beginning. It’s in the Bible, John 8:44, NKJV. “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Where did Satan come from? Satan was once an angel in heaven. It’s in the Bible, Revelation 12:7-9, NKJV. “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Why did God create Satan? Satan was not created sinful. He was created perfect and chosen to be closest to God out of all the angels. It’s in the Bible, Ezekiel 28:14, NKJV. “You were the anointed cherub who covers;  I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.”

Why did Satan rebel?

Pride led to Satan’s fall. It’s in the Bible, Ezekiel 28:17, NIV. “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.”

Satan, known as Lucifer before he sinned, wanted to be equal with God. It’s in the Bible, Isaiah 14:12-14, NKJV. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! . . . . For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’”

Satan wants to be worshiped as the ruler of this earth. It’s in the Bible, NKJV. Matthew 4:8-9. “Again, the devil took Him [Jesus] up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ ”

In contrast to Satan’s pride and self-exaltation, what spirit did Jesus have? It’s in the Bible, Philippians 2:5-8, NIV. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

Satan’s supernatural forces are waging a war against God and His people. It’s in the Bible, Ephesians 6:11-12, NKJV. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Is the devil in charge of hell? No, hell was made to destroy the devil. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 25:41, NIV. “Then he [the Lord] will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ ”

Is the devil in hell? Satan lives on earth—not underground in hell. It’s in the Bible, Job 1: 6- 7, NKJV. “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

What does satan look like?

Satan can appear as a beautiful angel of light. He is not a grotesque figure with horns. It’s in the Bible, 2 Corinthians 11:14, NKJV. “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”

Satan spends his time inflicting his anger against the human race. It’s in the Bible, Revelation 12:12, NKJV. “…Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

The devil is our enemy. It’s in the Bible, 1 Peter 5:8, NIV. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

How can I overcome the devil? It’s in the Bible, Revelation 12:11, NKJV. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Satan is a defeated enemy. It’s in the Bible, 1 John 4:4, NKJV. “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Original article located on Bibleinfo.com: Satan: Who is he?