Satan and His Gospel E-Book

Arthur Pink

• Herausgeber: Darolt Books
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 65

Beschreibung

Is the Devil a living reality, or is he nothing more than a figment of the imagination? Is the word "Satan" merely a synonym for wickedness, or does it stand for a concrete entity? In cultured circles it has become the custom to return a negative answer to these questions, and to flatly deny the existence of the Tempter. Among such people it is regarded as a mark of intellectual superiority to repudiate the personality of the Devil. By many, Satan is now looked upon as a product of priestcraft, a relic of superstition, the myth of a bygone age. With others, Satan is simply an abstraction, a mere negation, the opposite of good. "All the Devil there is, is the devil within you," is the last word of "modern thought." The words which Goethe puts into the mouth of Mephistopholes"I am the Spirit of Negation"is accepted as a good workable definition of the Devil. He is regarded as a mere abstract principle of evil. As someone has quaintly put it, "They spell Devil without a 'd', as they spell God with two 'o's'. Good and evil is their scheme." Totally based on the scriptures. This book presents biblical answers to that subject.

Leseprobe

Introduction

Is the Devil a living reality, or is he nothing more than a figment of the imagination? Is the word "Satan" merely a synonym for wickedness, or does it stand for a concrete entity? In cultured circles it has become the custom to return a negative answer to these questions, and to flatly deny the existence of the Tempter. Among such people it is regarded as a mark of intellectual superiority to repudiate the personality of the Devil. By many, Satan is now looked upon as a product of priestcraft, a relic of superstition, the myth of a bygone age. With others, Satan is simply an abstraction, a mere negation, the opposite of good. "All the Devil there is, is the devil within you," is the last word of "modern thought." The words which Goethe puts into the mouth of Mephistopholes"I am the Spirit of Negation"is accepted as a good workable definition of the Devil. He is regarded as a mere abstract principle of evil. As someone has quaintly put it, "They spell Devil without a 'd', as they spell God with two 'o's'. Good and evil is their scheme."

But the more general conception of Satan is different from the above. The popular idea, the one that prevails among the masses, may be gathered from the pictorial representations of him which appear on the street posters, which are to be met with in our illustrated magazines, and which are displayed upon the stage where he is pictured as a grotesque monster in human form, having horns, hoofs and forked tail. Such a conception is an insult to intelligent people, and in consequence, the Devil has come to be regarded either as a bogey with which to frighten naughty children, or as a fit subject for jest and joke.

It need hardly be said that both of the above conceptions are far from the truth. The fact that they have gained such wide credence is due largely to ignoranceignorance concerning the teaching of God's Word, ignorance concerning the Satan of Holy Scripture. But it is to Satan's interests to keep people in such ignorance.

An intelligent enemy always keeps in the background and remains hidden out of sight. It is an important consideration with him that his identity should be concealed. Many an evil enterprise owes its success to its perpetrator remaining secreted. The assassin who plunges a knife into the back of his victim is usually hired for the purpose. The one who throws the bomb is merely a tool, the mastermind that planned the deed is unseen and unsuspected. Therefore, it need not surprise us to find that the masses do not believe in the existence of a personal Devil. It serves his purpose well to keep his dupes in ignorance concerning his real existence. The Devil has always worked secretly and sought to hide his true identity. When he beguiled Eve he did so through a serpent. When he appeared before God to accuse Job, he waited until a day when "the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them" (Job 1:6). When he sowed his "tares," he did so secretly, in the night "while men slept" (Matt 13:25). When he betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ into the hands of His enemies, he worked through Judas! Satan is an adept at disguising himself: he comes to us not as a Dragon of Darkness but "is transformed into an Angel of Light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).

I. The PERSONALITY of Satan

1. Personal names are ascribed to him.

Thirty-five times he is denominated "The Devil," which means "The Accuser" or "Slanderer"accusing the saints before God and traducing the character of God before men. Fifty-two times he is called "Satan," which means "Enemy" or "Adversary." He is God's enemy and man's adversary. "Satan" refers to his character: the malignant Adversary of all goodin God or His creatures. "Devil" refers to his mode of carrying out his evil designs: by lying slanders, false accusations, evil traducings. He is termed "The Prince of this world" (John 14:30), which defines his position in relation to our earth. He is named "Beelzebub" (Matt 12:27), which regards him as the head of the demons. He is spoken of as the "Wicked One" (Matt 13:19) which refers to him as the prime-mover of all wickedness. He is styled "Apollyon," that is "Destroyer" (Rev 9:11), which links him with the Bottomless Pit. He is referred to as "The Prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2), which points to his present home and sphere of operationscf. Ephesians 6:12. He is termed "Lucifer" which means "Morning Star" (Isa 14:12), a title which seems to have belonged to him before his apostasy. He is called "The God of this world" (II Cor 4:4) because he is the inspirer and director of all spurious religion. He is termed "Liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44) because he is the inveterate opposer of the truth. These and other titles of Satan are meaningless unless he is a personal being.

2. Personal characteristics are predicated of him.

Intelligence: His temptations are spoken of as "the wiles of the Devil" (Eph 6:11); while in Rev. 2:24 we read of "The depths of Satan" (Greek, "deep things"). Further, in Rev. 12:9 he is termed "That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world." To deceive implies design, and design is the product of intelligence, and intelligence is inseparable from personality.

Memory: In his conflict with our Lord he quoted from the Old Testament Scriptures (Matt 4:6). A mere abstraction could not do this.

Knowledge: In Rev. 12:12 we are told he has "great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time." But that which is impersonal cannot be said to "know".

Will: "...that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil, who are taken captive by him at his will" (II Tim 2:26). "How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation" (Isa 14:12,13). That Satan possesses a will or the power of choice, is further proof that he is a personal being.

Moral character: Satan is spoken of as a "deceiver," "liar," "murderer," "tempter," all of which are terms implying moral characterthat is, that of which duty or obligation, and right and wrong may be predicted.

Speech: He is represented as talking with God (Job 1:9,10), arguing with our Lord, and as "accusing" the brethren. This is a further indication that Satan possesses the same characteristics as ourselves.

Emotions: He desired Peter that he might sift him as wheat (Luke 22:31). Pride is spoken of as "the condemnation of the Devil" (I Tim 3:6). While in Rev. 12:12 we read, "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath ." But pride and anger cannot be predicated of the law of gravitationthey are inseparable from personality.

Executive and organizing ability: "And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels" (Rev 12:7). "Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle" (Rev 20:7,8). Here we find Satan marshaling his legions to engage in warfare. Ephesians 6:12 more than hints that he is the head of graduated and organized forces.

3. Personal acts are attributed to him.