Bible Questions and Answers

Notwithstanding Christian mythology about fallen angels, Lucifer is a name given not to Satan but to the king of Babylon

Isaiah 14: Isaiah 14:4… take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!...12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

In prophetic language Isaiah likens the king of Babylon to a bright star. In context it has nothing to do with the devil and Satan.

The devil and Satan is not a fallen angel. Angels do not rebel, and they cannot sin or die.

God’s will is done perfectly in heaven.

Hence the Lord’s prayer:

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

The faithful are promised equality with the angels at the resurrection.

Luke 20:36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

If angels can sin and die, we will be no better off than we are now, and the promise of eternal life becomes a sham.

There is no record of God creating Satan.

Satan in the Old Testament is a Hebrew word meaning adversary which can be an adversary for good or evil.

Satan is used in the New Testament as a personification of the propensity to sin within man.

We are told that evil comes from within man, it is not external to him.

Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

God created man with free choice.

His purpose is the future glorification of those who choose to obey him.

Exercising free choice, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

This brought about a physiological change within them which is passed on to their progeny.

Given the choice, men and women tend to choose evil rather than good.

This is called sin; and the punishment for each and every sin is death.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;

None can live a sinless life.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

All the evil opposition to God comes not from angels but from within men.

For those men and women who want to be part of God’s purpose and who make a determined effort to obey him God provided a way of escape.

He fathered a son Jesus Christ.

Jesus inherited the propensity to sin from his mother, but strength of character from his Father.

He overcame the devil and Satan in himself.

Though tempted in the same way that we are, he lived a sinless life and gave it in sacrifice for the sins of those who endeavour to obey God in this life.

Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

His sacrifice is efficacious for the faithful of old and for those who believe and obey the gospel that he preached.

God is prepared to count their belief in Jesus Christ (the promised redeemer) for righteousness and to reward them with resurrection to eternal life when Christ returns.

The purpose of God is to fill the earth with his glory in the form of men and women raised to the divine nature in whom and with whom God will live forever.

Numbers 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

We are born ‘in Adam’ subject to death; but by believing and obeying the gospel, we become ‘in Christ’ through baptism, and have the hope of eternal life in the future kingdom of God on earth.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

May I suggest that you read ‘Do You Believe in a Devil?’ here:

https://www.thisisyourbible.com/library/show/162

And ‘Your Share in God's Promises’ here:

https://www.thisisyourbible.com/library/show/181

I hope you find this helpful.

God bless,
Glenn