Angels, Satan and Demons Oh My! Satan Pt 1

Here are the notes from the sermon this morning. Hope they are helpful. If you have questions or anything, please let me know...

Part 1 – The creation and origin of Satan

The Scriptures declare that all things were created by God through Jesus Christ, and there is nothing that was not made by Him.

John 1:3 (HCSB) All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

Colossians 1:16-17 (HCSB) 16 because by Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.

Ezekiel 28:11-19

This passage, while referring to the King of Tyre, contains too many descriptive characteristics to refer to a man. Many believe, as do I, that it also refers to Satan. The historic king of Tyre was simply a tool of Satan, possibly indwelt by him. And in describing this king, Ezekiel also gives us glimpses of the superhuman creature, Satan, who was using, if not indwelling, him.

This passage gives us a clear description of the mightiest of the angels – most significant indeed is the fact that more is said of this one angel than any other and more than is said of all other angels together.

5 Characteristics of Satan at his creation (Ryrie and others)

1. Satan had unparalleled wisdom and beauty (v. 12) Satan stood at the zenith of God’s creatures, filled with wisdom and perfect in beauty.

2. Satan had an unparalleled habitation (v. 13) This may refer to a heavenly Eden, or to the earthly Eden. In either case, it was, before sin entered, a unique place.

3. Satan had an unparalleled covering (v. 13) The dazzling description of his dress or robe indicates something of the glory bestowed on him. These precious stones are displayed but three times as recorded in the Bible: 1) in the high priest’s breastplate, and were a manifestation of divine grace; 2) in the New Jerusalem, which reflects the glory of God; 3) as the covering of this great angel, which signalizes the highest in creation.

4. Satan had an unparalleled function (v. 14) He belonged to the order of angelic creature designated cherubim. They are associated with guarding the holiness of God (Gen. 3:24), with the throne of God (Ezek. 1:5), and here apparently with the actual presence of God. Satan was on the holy mountain of God and he walked in the midst of the stones of fire, likely references to the presence of God Himself. Apparently Satan was the chief guardian of God’s holiness and majesty.

5. Satan had unparalleled perfection (v. 15) He was perfect in the sense of being completely sound and of having total moral integrity. Here as well as in verse 13 we are reminded that Satan was created, and as a creature, he must someday answer to his Creator.

In every way Satan was the epitome of God’s Creation. “He awoke in the first moment of his existence in the full-orbed beauty and power of his exalted position; surrounded by all the magnificence which God gave him. He saw himself as above all the hosts in power, wisdom, and beauty. Only at the throne of God itself did he see more than he himself possessed, and it is possible that even that was in some sense not fully visible to the eyes of the creature.… Before his fall he may be said to have occupied the role of prime minister for God, ruling possibly over the universe but certainly over this world” (Donald Grey Barnhouse, The Invisible War [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1965], pp. 26-7).

Part 2 – The sin of Satan

Thus, Satan sinned and was driven out in disgrace, expelled from his high position (Ezek. 28:15-17). Sin, then, was found in this perfect creature who was created blameless. Was God the blameworthy cause of sin?
This sin must have been included in the eternal plan of God. Yet God never assumes the responsibility for the commission of any sin, including Satan’s. J.O. Buswell steers a careful course in this matter. “According to the Bible, then, sin originated in an act of free will in which the creature deliberately, responsibly, and with adequate understanding of the issues chose to corrupt the holy character of godliness with which God had endowed His creation.… Satan sinned necessarily. God is rightly angry with all sin.… The denial of free will seems to be purely arbitrary philosophical dogmatism, contrary to the biblical view. If God is rightly angry with sin, then it follows that the sinner is blameworthy—cosmically, ultimately, absolutely.… Sin must be within God’s eternal decrees in some sense in which He is not the author of it.… Within the decrees of God, there are decrees of the permission of those things of which God Himself is not the author. This is not mere permission of the unavoidable” (“The Origin and Nature of Sin,” Basic Christian Doctrines, Carl F.H. Henry, ed. [New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1962], pp. 107-9).
The NT pinpoints Satan’s particular sin as arrogance, conceit, or being puffed up (1 Tim 3:6).

Isaiah 14:12-17

5 “I will” phrases of Satan revealing his arrogance

1. I will ascend to heaven (v. 13). As used in Scripture, there are three different spheres of heaven: (1) the atmospheric heaven around the earth, (2) the stellar heavens, and (3) heaven of heavens, which represents God’s abode, God’s throne or the seat of God’s sovereign authority, the place of God’s rule. As the “anointed cherub” and the guardian of God’s holiness, Satan had access to this third heaven, so his desire here was not simply to be able to visit there like a tourist, but to occupy heaven as one who was equal with God. The creature wanted to expel the Creator. The servant wanted to become the served.

2. I will raise my throne above the stars of God (v. 13). From Job 38:7 we have a clue to the meaning of the phrase, “the stars of God.” While this could refer to the heavenly bodies that illuminate the night, this mostly likely refers to Satan’s desire to exalt himself to rule over the angelic kingdom as God.

3. I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north (v. 13). This describes Satan’s ambition to control all the affairs of the universe as the assembly of Babylonian gods supposedly did. Often in Scripture, mountain and hills refer to authority or the right to rule. Isaiah 2:2 reads, “Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.” This anticipates Messiah’s rule or kingdom, called here “the mountain of the house of the Lord,” and all the other kingdoms, mountains and hills, will be under His kingdom (see also Ps. 48:2). So this third “I will” of Satan expressed his determination to rule over the affairs of the entire created universe.

4. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds (v. 14). According to Exodus 16:10 and Revelation 19:1, clouds are often associated with God’s glory and presence. This “I will” expressed Satan’s desire to usurp the glory that belonged to God. Pentecost writes: When Lucifer said, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,” he was saying, “I will take to myself a greater glory than belongs to God Himself.”

5. I will make myself like the Most High (v. 14). That was to be totally and completely independent of any authority outside of himself. He could be like God only in being responsible to no one but himself. The desire of Satan was to move in and occupy the throne of God, exercise absolute independent authority over the angelic creation, bring the earth and all the universe under his authority, cover himself with the glory that belongs to God alone, and then be responsible to no one but himself.

Satan is called the morning star in Isaiah 14:12. The Latin equivalent is Lucifer, which, on the basis of this passage, became a name for Satan. However, the use of morning star with reference to Satan gives us an indication of the basic character of his plot against God. Since the same title is used in Revelation 22:16 of Christ, we are alerted to the fact that Satan’s plan was to counterfeit the plan of God, and indeed it was and is.

A lesson in contrast emerges from our study of Satan. What Satan is, Jesus Christ is not. What Jesus is, Satan is not. Consider these contrasts:

SATAN
Everyone’s Adversary
Exalted himself, resulting in man’s ruin
Accuses us before God
Followers share in his ruin
Men become like him
A liar and deceiver
Promises freedom, but makes men slaves
Turns men from the Father
Produces death
Resists the will of God
Cruel and sadistic

JESUS CHRIST
The sinner’s Advocate
Humbled Himself, resulting in redemption
Intercedes for us with God
Followers share in His reign
Men become like Christ
He is the truth
Takes slaves and gives them freedom
He is the only way to the Father
Delivers from death
Submits Himself to the will of God
Gracious and compassionate

Mark Twain once said, and it was great wisdom, he said, “It isn’t things I don’t understand that bother me. It’s the things I do understand.” And, if we’ll major on the things we do understand, then we’ll have enough to keep us busy ‘till we do understand what we don’t understand.

Amen and Amen!