Apologetics
Where did the Devil come from?
The origin of the devil has drawn much interest over the years. Sometimes it can lead to a lot of speculation, too. Many think that the definitive passage in the Bible is Isaiah 14:12 – “How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer…” Yet, this passage is not about the devil at all; it’s about the king of Babylon (vs. 4). Of course, that also means that Satan’s name is not “Lucifer.”
Where did He come from, then? We are not specifically told in the Bible. However, there are some conclusions we may safely draw from the evidence presented to us.
First, Satan is a created being. Some think he must be co-eternal with God because, if he is not, then God is responsible for the creation of evil. That argument doesn’t follow. If God created Satan (which would not have been his name when created) with free will, then it avoids that problem. How do we know Satan is a created being? We know because 1) God created everything but Himself (Col. 1:15-16) and 2) God is the only one who is eternal (1 Tim. 6:16), meaning He had no beginning and has no end.
Was Satan an angel who fell? We don’t really know. He is never referred to as an angel. We might surmise that possibility, but it also possible that he was another form of created being who had been given particular powers (e.g., an “archangel” or something else).
Basically, then, we have this: Satan was a created being who had both particular power and free will. At some point in the past, he rebelled against God and apparently was able to persuade other created beings to follow him (his “angels,” Matt. 25:41). He has ability to tempt, and he is our adversary (“Satan”). But he can be overcome, and one day he will suffer his own fate in hell. (Far from the picture some have of Satan controlling hell and enjoying it – he will suffer there, and he won’t be happy.)
While it is tempting to speculate, we need to be careful not to say more than what the Bible would allow. It is vital that we know that we are in a battle for the mind; and we can overcome the temptations of the devil by looking to God and His word. Only through Christ can we have the victory over the evil one.
Doy Moyer