I think we now understand that we are in fact in a spiritual battle. We face it every day. Therefore, it is important to answer these questions like: “Who is our enemy? What power does our enemy have?”
There are different views on where Satan came from and how he got the power he has. Isaiah 14:12 says: “How you fell from heaven, O Star, son of the morning! You were cut to the ground, you who weakened the nations!”
Ezekiel 28:14 says, “Son of man, lift up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: You seal the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.”
These scriptures tell us that God created a beautiful angel Lucifer who had wonderful features, rich stones, ornaments, etc. We are told that he was perfect in all his ways according to Ezekiel 28:15: “You were perfect in all your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity was found in you.” However, he later became proud and rebelled against God.
A doctrine has formed around Revelation 12:4, where it is recorded: “And his tail swept away the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them down to the earth; and the dragon stood before the woman who stood for give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born.” The doctrine is about the devil convincing a third of God’s angels to join him and engage God in a fight. He also claims that in the fight God defeated him and threw him to the ground. However, the rest of the entire Bible makes no mention of such.
Some theories say that Satan ruled the earth before Adam was put in the Garden of Eden. This means that he fell before Adam came into existence. Cataclysm believes that something happened between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. This theory believes that there was a judgment that took place, which resulted in the land becoming a waste, that is, formless and empty. What this theory means is that there was a reenactment. Therefore, this implies that God created Adam and Eve, and then placed them where this beast called Satan was and his demons with his evil and corruption so that man could choose between good and evil. This portrays God in a different light if He put His innocent people where this wild beast was just to tempt them. Would you leave your young son where you knew there was a dangerous wild beast just to tempt him? This would be abuse. God is too loving and caring to do such a thing.
How did the devil fall?
The belief I follow is that God sent Lucifer, who was God’s highest angel, to come down to earth to minister to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. At that time he was not Satan. Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are not all ministering spirits, sent to minister to those who will inherit salvation?” We learn from this portion of Scripture that all angels are sent to minister to us. Lucifer’s divine mission or assignment on earth was to serve, not tempt Adam. However, he transgressed when he was there. We get information about what happened in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. We are told how Lucifer became Satan. God, through the prophet, addressed a physical person; he that is the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14:4 and the King of Tire in Ezekiel 28:12. What was addressed in these scriptures was a demonic power that was behind the physical person.
Force behind a physical person
In Matthew 16:23 we hear Jesus say these words: “But he turned and said to Peter, Get away from me, Satan; you offend me, because you do not like the things that are of God, but those that are of men.” men”. What was happening here? Jesus was speaking to Peter but addressing a demonic power that was operating through Peter. So the same thing was happening in Ezekiel 28:11-12:
Ezekiel 28:13 In Eden, the garden of God you were; every precious stone was your cover, the carnelian, the topaz, the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, the carbuncle and the gold: the workmanship of your drums and your flutes was prepared in you the day you were created.
Ezekiel 28:14 You are the great and protective cherub; and I have set you like this: you were on the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezekiel 28:15 You were perfect in all your ways from the day you were created, until wickedness was found in you.
Scripture gives us a description of Lucifer who was placed in the Garden of Eden and how he was created. Lucifer’s transgression against God occurred in the Garden of Eden. This is described in Genesis 3 when he entered a serpent. He used the serpent to speak and tempt Eve. The serpent managed to convince Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is the moment when Lucifer rebels against God.
Revelation 12:3-4 is not a solid basis for saying that Satan took one third of God’s angels and led a rebellion against God. How could Satan defeat his Creator who had two-thirds of the angels on his side? How could he win if he had all the angels of God on his side? We are talking about the Creator of the entire universe here. How could he confront him directly?
absolute authority to rule
God had given absolute authority, that is, unconditional authority, to Adam and Eve to rule and dominate the earth and everything on it. It is assumed that the angels, including Lucifer, had been given delegated authority, that is, conditional authority. This is the type of authority that could be taken away the moment one violates the conditions that accompany the authority granted.
We learn that Adam and Eve were given unconditional authority. That means there were no restrictions or requirements for God-given power and authority on earth. This is found in Genesis 1:26-28:
Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the heavens, over the beasts, and over all the earth. , and on every animal that creeps on the earth.
Gen 1:27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living creature that moves on the ground. the earth.
God spoke and gave authority, power, and dominion when he created man. As you carefully read these scriptures, you realize that there was no condition or qualification on what God gave to mankind.
God’s integrity
God is always faithful to His Word. What He speaks is established as a law. He doesn’t turn his back on his Word. Look what Psalms 89:34, Hebrews 6:18 and Numbers 23:19 say:
Ps 89:34 I will not break my covenant, nor will I change what has come from my lips.
Hebrews 6:18 so that in two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, those of us who have sought refuge to hold on to the hope set before us may have strong comfort.
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; nor the son of man, that he may repent: he said, and he shall not do? Or has he said he, and he won’t do well?
All of the above scriptures reveal God as a very reliable and true Creator. He can be fully trusted in what he says in his Word. That is what holds the universe in place. He upholds everything by his Word and his integrity. Look what Hebrews 1:3 says.
Heb 1:3 who, being the brightness of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and the upholder of all things by the word of his power, having made purification for our sins through himself, He sat at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
God never violates what he says. Having given Adam and Eve absolute authority, He could not take it back after they had turned it over to Satan. God gave free reign to the earth.
God bound Himself by His Word
It was not God’s purpose for man to turn power and authority over to Satan. Man voluntarily gave up dominance to the devil. God’s integrity did not allow him to stop or reverse what had happened. He couldn’t regain authority. God is not like men who often reverse what they had said or given to others once there is a violation of expectations. So God bound Himself by his Word. The reason is that God magnified his Word above all his names.
“I will adore towards your holy temple, and I will praise your name for your mercy and for your truth; because you have magnified your word above all your name.” (Psalms 138:2)
The name of Jesus is the only name given under heaven by which we must be saved. The Bible tells us that every knee will bow at the name of Jesus and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord according to Philippians 2:9-11. The name of the Lord is a strong tower according to Proverbs 18:10.
Php 2:9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave him a name that is above all names;
Php 2:10 so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth;
Php 2:11 and that every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Pro 18:10 Strong tower is the name of Jehovah; the righteous run into it, and he is saved.
Taking all of the above, we note that God has magnified His Word even above the name of Jesus.
Lucifer knew the integrity of God. So when he heard that God was giving Adam and Eve absolute authority, he wanted to seize the opportunity. Assuming that he had conditional authority to function, he knew that that authority could be taken away instantly once the conditions of his authority were violated. This shows us that he could not directly confront God with delegated authority. Once taken, he would have no power at all.
It is recognized that some things are not clearly stated in the Scriptures. Therefore, they may be beyond human knowledge according to Deuteronomy 29:29, which says: “The secret things belong to Jehovah our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we can do all”. the words of this law.”
With the understanding of God, His nature, His character, and His Word, this is the direction that the Biblical evidence points to. There is no evidence to show that angels have unconditional power and authority like that given to Adam and Eve. However, we learn that angels have free will according to 2 Peter 2:4, which says: “For if God did not spare the angels that sinned, but cast them into hell, he delivered them into prisons of darkness, to be reserved for judgment . ” (2 Peter 2:4).
It can be concluded, then, with everything indicated here, that Satan could not charge directly against God with the third part of the angels. Lucifer simply took advantage of gaining absolute authority to dominate and rule the earth, which originally belonged to humanity.