There is a malevolent entity in the world, whom many deny exists at all. Yet his presence and influence is felt at virtually every level of society: Our governments, our schools, our entertainment—and even in our religions and our churches. That entity is Satan the devil.
Though he is a familiar figure to many people, even if they believe he is only imaginary, there are also many questions: If he is real, where did he come from? Did God make him? If so, why would He have done so?
Every villain has an origin story, and the devil is no different. Join us right now on Tomorrow’s World as we explain the origin of Satan the Devil.
Welcome to Tomorrow’s World!
Today’s subject fascinates many: the origin of Satan the Devil. Who, or what, is he? Did God create him? If so, why?
Many ponder such questions, but only God’s Word has the answers! We will discuss those answers today.
We’ll also make available a free DVD titled “The Occult and the Spirit World.” It contains three fascinating and helpful episodes on the spirit realm and how to deal with it, and will be sent absolutely free to everyone who contacts us to ask for it. Watch for the information that will show on your screen so you can get your own copy.
So, when I say, “the Devil,” what do you think of? Many cultures and religions have their own ideas of the Devil, or something similar. Ancient pagan religions had panoplies of gods and goddesses, some of whom were evil. Zoroastrianism has Angra Mainu. Buddhism has the concept of Mara.
For many, the Devil is not a being at all—just a metaphor for human evil. For others, he’s a virtual cartoon—horns, a pointy tail, and a pitchfork, ready to cause trouble.
Yet, writer Charles Baudelaire put it well when he said that the greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world that he did not exist!
If anyone understands the truth about the Devil, it is Almighty God. His word, the Bible, is the source of truth.
And that Bible reveals the Devil as very real. I hope you won’t merely take our word for anything, but instead look up in your Bible the things we say—while you are watching or at a later time. These things are important, and you should see them in the Bible for yourselves. Too many preachers want you to see them as having all the answers. We want to show you where you can find the answers yourselves: In God’s word.
And that word gives a powerful warning concerning Satan the Devil.
Speaking of a future war in heaven, the Apostle John writes in the book of Revelation, chapter 12 and verse 9,
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.
We learn several things from this. For one, the devil has angels that choose to serve him. We’ll discuss these fallen angels later.
But we also learn that Satan the Devil has deceived the WHOLE WORLD. My friends, “the whole world” means just that. With RARE EXCEPTION, every human being on every inhabited continent—North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia—is deceived by Satan the Devil! And if there is anyone watching this at a science station in Antarctica, yes, you, too!
You might think that surely the ENTIRE WORLD could not be deceived… But the Devil works subtly. If he DID show up with horns and a pitchfork, we’d spot him! Yet, the Bible explains how his deceptions succeed. Read the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 11 [vv. 13–14], where he explains how the DEVIL, not Jesus Christ, is behind many so-called “Christian” ministries. Speaking of the ministers of these, he says plainly:
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
Yes, NOT a spooky fellow with a pitchfork, but an “angel of light”!
In one of Jesus’ harshest condemnations, recorded in the book of John, chapter 8 and verse 44, He says,
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.
The Devil truly HAS deceived the ENTIRE world! In 2 Corinthians 4:4, the Apostle Paul calls him “the god of this age,” and three times in the book of John, no less an authority than Jesus Christ calls Satan “the ruler of this world.”
In fact, Luke 4:6 reveals that during Christ’s temptation in the wilderness, Satan points out to Jesus that authority over all worldly kingdoms has been given to him, the Devil.
How did Satan come to possess such authority? Why would God allow that? Where did Satan come from?
Well, like fictional villains of movies or comics, this REAL villain has an origin story. We will jump right into it in our program’s next segment. But first, let me give you an opportunity to request today’s free DVD, “The Occult and the Spirit World,” containing three full Tomorrow’s World programs on this fascinating topic:
- Modern Dangers of the Occult
- The World of Angels and Demons
- (and) How to Overcome Satan
The spirit world is VERY real, and many peddle nonsense and fantasy about it. Yet the BIBLE reveals the truth of this realm. You need this information! Call or write for your free copy. It’s paid for and ready to ship—all you have to do is ask.
Then, come right back, as we explain what God’s word says about the CREATION OF THE DEVIL.
Welcome back!
So, just HOW did Satan come to exist? Ephesians 3:9 tells us that God created all things through Jesus Christ. If so, does that mean that God created Satan? Why create such a creature of evil?
The short answer is that God DID create the one who BECAME Satan the Devil, but He did NOT create him as a being of great evil!
First, we have to recognize that God created all the beings we now call “angels.” In the beautiful 104th Psalm, King David speaks of many glorious aspects of God’s creative work, and he names the angels among such works, saying of God in verse 4, “…who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.”
Of those angels, he speaks of some very specifically, such as Michael and Gabriel.
In the prophetic writings of Ezekiel 28, God inspires the prophet to record words for the king of Tyre, and, in doing so, uses the king as a type of a particular angelic being God had created. The king of Tyre is the type, and the angelic being is the antitype. Let’s read those words, beginning in v. 12:
Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ’You were 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 sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. 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. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.’”
The angelic being God is addressing in this portion of his prophecy against the King of Tyre was clearly a REMARKABLE creation!
God says he was full of wisdom and beauty. His clothing and apparel was resplendent. He was created an artist, skilled in music. He was the anointed cherub who covers and, according to God, was PERFECT IN HIS WAYS until iniquity was found in him. But that is getting a little ahead of our story.
Isaiah 14:12 names this being. Most English translations bear the name used in the Vulgate translation, calling him “Lucifer.” And it is in the angelic being Lucifer that we see the one who became Satan the Devil.
This is a vital point to note. Some heathen cultures have traditions that Good and Evil are somehow “balanced” in the universe, and that somehow, Good can’t exist without Evil. They will paint a picture of the Devil as some sort of “equal” to God or “counterpart” to God. Or if not an equal, some heathen religions and philosophies claim that God’s nature is a combination of both Good and Evil, and in such cases, the Devil its just sort of a manifestation of the evil side of God.
But all such ideas are hogwash!
God did not create an “evil Satan”! He created a GOOD and PERFECT angelic being who BECAME Satan the Devil!
In Revelation 15 and verse 3, we read of a song sung by the resurrected saints at Christ’s return, and notice the words:
They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!”
Yes, great and marvelous are God’s works! And the creation of Lucifer was no exception! We are told he was resplendent and beautiful, wise and talented. Indeed, he was created to be something good.
Yet, the future Satan’s perfect condition did not last. Ezekiel is clear that, eventually, iniquity was found in him, and the results are tragic—not only for the angel Lucifer, but also for all of the angels that were under his influence and authority, for the planet earth (as we shall see), and for those of us who live and toil here on earth, under his influence.
What iniquity was found in Lucifer that could bring him so low? What was able to cause a beautiful, perfect being of such wisdom and majesty—as this angelic being was—to become the bitter, demonic Satan the Devil, utterly corrupt and wholeheartedly intent on destroying, if he could, the plan of God and the people of God?
It is a cautionary tale, and the cause of the tragedy boils down to just one word. We’ll piece together the Bible’s explanation in our next segment.
But first, let’s take a very small break to give you another opportunity to request today’s free DVD, “The Occult and the Spirit World.” If you want the real truth about the dangers of the occult, the spirit realm, and how to OVERCOME the devil, then this is the DVD you’ve been waiting for. Call now, and I’ll be right back in just 15 seconds to explain the one fault that transformed Lucifer into Satan. Don’t miss it!
Welcome back.
When the Bible first introduces the Devil, he is the serpent in Genesis 3, who tempts our first parents to sin. We are told in Genesis 3:1, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made…” Personally, I prefer the old King James Translation for this, which says the serpent was more subtle than the rest of God’s creatures. As we’ll see, the Devil is a creature of subtlety.
For our purpose, I simply want to highlight that, the first time we meet the Devil, at the Bible’s beginning, he’s already the villain! How did he become that way? We read in the previous segment that God made him good and perfect. What transformed that perfect angelic creation into Eden’s serpentine tempter?
One word: Pride.
In the first century, the Apostle Paul advised Timothy concerning men the younger minister should consider ordaining in the Church. He recommended that Timothy choose “not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil” [1 Timothy 3:6].
As mighty, powerful, and beautiful as Lucifer was, he was subject to pride. This is explained in Ezekiel 28 and verse 17, where, speaking to the Devil, God says, “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor…”
Today’s free DVD, “The Occult and the Spirit World” goes into much more detail concerning angels and demons. Again, you can order this free DVD using the information on your screen. For now, I will simply refer you to that DVD and point out that God created the angels as free moral agents—with the ability to choose right or wrong. Various scriptures indicate that many angels defiantly left the assignment God gave them. One place we read of that is Jude 6:
And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.
We learn more about this “proper domain” in another passage we will read in a moment. First, notice that the Apostle Peter refers to these angels, noting,
…God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell [or, in the Greek, Tartarus, a place of restraint] and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment… [2 Peter 2:4]
In Lucifer’s case, his pride brought him to sin—opposition to His own Creator. He chose to leave his assigned responsibility, and mounted an angelic rebellion against God Himself!
Let’s read of Lucifer’s rebellion in Isaiah 14, beginning in verse 12. Again peeking into the realm of angels, God inspires Isaiah to write,
How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened 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 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.” Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
So proud of his own intelligence and capabilities, Lucifer sought to take God’s own throne, as if he could overthrow his Creator!
Notice, too, a glimpse of the “proper domain” to which Jude referred. When Lucifer decided to attack God’s throne, where was he at the time? Read verse 13 carefully: “For you have said in your heart, ‘I will ascend into heaven…” And in verse 14, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds…”
If you ascend above the clouds to leave your responsibility, then that responsibility is below them, here on earth! Before human beings, this world was Lucifer’s!
That explains why he told Jesus Christ in Luke 4 and verse 6 that earth’s kingdoms were given to him by God. This was his assigned place, and it is the Devil whom Jesus will replace when He returns !
It also explains why Genesis 1 and verse 2 describes a world in disorder and chaos. Lucifer’s rebellion was devastating, and, as a result, he was no longer Lucifer, the light bringer, but Satan, the Adversary.
Is God going to allow evil to last forever? What will He do about the Devil—and what should we do?
We’ll answer that question in our last segment. First, let me take one more short break to recommend today’s free DVD, “The Occult and the Spirit World.”
You need the truth only revealed by the Bible. There is no charge for this DVD, and we will not sell your contact information to anyone. Jesus Christ said, “Freely you have received, freely give,” and unlike most religious television programs, Tomorrow’s World obeys that command. Just call, write, or click for your copy. It’s already paid for—we just need to know how to get it to you.
Welcome back!
We’ve explained how God created a remarkable angelic being named Lucifer, who was resplendent, glorious, and powerful. But we also explained how this being became overcome with pride, vanity, and ambition, and sought to overthrow God Himself and take the throne of heaven for himself. Some scriptures may indicate that one-third of the angels of God may have gotten caught up with him in his rebellion [Rev. 12:3–4], and now, he and those fallen angels are what we know as demons and evil spirits.
With the world under his spell, what is God going to do about it?
The Bible reveals God’s plan! At the return of Jesus Christ, the Devil will be removed from mankind for the duration of Jesus’ 1,000-year rule on earth, unable to influence mankind for evil purposes any longer! We read of this in Revelation 20, beginning in verse 1:
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
During this time, the world will be turned into a paradise! As Isaiah describes this marvelous time,
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. [11:9]
Though, as Revelation 20 says, he must be released for a short time at the Millennium’s end, his ultimate fate is the Lake of Fire, never to influence another individual ever again. God will ultimately solve the problem of Satan the Devil.
So, if that is what God is going to do, what should YOU do?
Well, first, you should request today’s free DVD, “The Occult and the Spirit World”! One of our greatest weapons against the Devil’s deceptions is a firm understanding of the truth, and this DVD reveals to you the truth about the spirit realm and how to defeat the devil!
Jesus Christ said in John 8:32, speaking of His own teachings, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Yes, the truth can make you free, but you need to do more than KNOW it—you must put the truth to work in your life! The DEVIL understands the truth, TOO, but you must do the OPPOSITE of what He did and OBEY IT! To know the truth but to choose to ignore it and do what we want instead is the very PICTURE of what the DEVIL HIMSELF did in his rebellion!
You can also be on the lookout for his ministers—the ones that the Apostle Paul said were “false apostles and deceitful workers,” transforming themselves into “ministers of righteousness.”
How can you discern them? They are often very sincere and deceived, themselves! The Apostle Paul tells Timothy of such men, saying that they not only deceive others, but also that they are often deceived, as well. [2 Timothy 3:13]
Such false preachers can be discerned from the doctrines they teach and how those teachings compare to God’s word. Speaking of the great false teacher to come, the end-time False Prophet, the Apostle John noted how this individual appeared in prophecy. Let’s read it together in Revelation 13 and verse 11:
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
Notice that, in vision, the future False Prophet looked like a lamb. That is, just like these false preachers who claim to be ministers of Christ but who are ministers of the devil, he APPEARS like Christ, the Lamb of God! But the Bible says he SPEAKS like the dragon—the Devil! His teachings are those of Satan.
Ministers of the devil can be discerned in the same way. In many ways, they may look like Jesus Christ in their actions and attitudes! They may care for the homeless and give to the poor. They may quote Scripture, just as the Devil did in Matthew 4 and Luke 4 when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. But when you carefully compare the teachings of these preachers and ministers with the teachings of your Bible, they will show themselves to be false! And you must do so carefully and prayerfully! As we’ve already discussed, the Devil is a master of subtlety!
Still, when dealing with the father of lies, one of the greatest tools we have at our disposal is a passionate devotion to live according to the TRUTH.
Please don’t forget to request today’s free DVD, “The Occult and the Spirit World,” so you can begin diving deeper into that truth.
And please don’t forget to come back next week. I and my fellow presenters—Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, and guest presenter Rod McNair—will be here waiting, ready to share with you the good news of God’s coming Kingdom, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and awesome prophecies of your Bible. We’ll see you right here, next week!
