What is the Devil:
Known by many names: Beelzebub, the adversary, the accuser, the morning star, the devil is perhaps the most intriguing concept within the Christian religion. However, despite its intrigue, most have an inaccurate conception of the devil. For most, their beliefs are the product of Hollywood and medieval theology; hardly an accurate representation of the Biblical devil.
The pervasiveness of these misconceptions are understandable. The devil, as perceived by most, is far more interesting than the devil presented in the Bible. However, these misconceptions obstruct reasonable theology and must be corrected. Before we can determine what the devil is, we should address these misconceptions and clarify what the devil is not.
Misconceptions regarding the devil:
- The devil is not all powerful – He can only function within the permissive will of God.
- The devil is not omnipresent – He can only exist in one place at a time.
- The devil is not all knowing – The devil does not know your thoughts.
- The devil is not the adversary of God – He is the adversary of man.
- The devil is not the Antichrist – The Antichrist was only a man.
- The devil is not the author of sin – Sin exists independently of the devil.
- The devil is not the negative element in a dualistic theology – The nature of evil does not necessitate such a dichotomy.
- The devil will not rule hell – Hell is the devil’s punishment, he fears hell.
- The devil cannot possess a Christian – Christians are possessed by the Holy Spirit. The devil is not permitted by God to possess the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
- Evil does not represent the devil – The devil represents evil, not the other way around.
- The devil is not always the cause of misfortune – Misfortune occurs naturally as a result of our fallen nature. The devil is not concerned with your success or failure.
- The devil is not at war with God – There is no battle for souls between God and the devil. The battle is between man and the devil.
The devil is not all powerful
He can only function within the permissive will of God.
It is important we make a distinction between the Will of God and the Permissive Will of God. The will of God is that which God causes. The permissive will of God is that which God simply allows. The very nature and definition of God is: omnipotent. Meaning, God can do all things. If God can do all things, then he is capable of preventing anyone from doing anything. Therefore, everything and everyone is subjected to the permissive will of God.
According to scripture, the devil is nothing more than a fallen angel, also known as a demon. Angels, according to scripture, while they have some degree of freewill, are still subjected, to the permissive will of God. Meaning, they can only do so much as God allows. When the devil chose to leave heaven (what Christians call “to fall”), he chose to exist outside the limitations set by the laws of heaven; a violation of which we call sin. The devil did not, nor could he, choose to exist outside the permissive will of God. Therefore, the devil is still subjected to the permissive will of God.
The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.Job 1:12
The devil is not omnipresent
He can only exist in one place at a time.
Scripture never suggests the devil is omnipresent. Generally, people believe the devil is omnipresent only because they believe the devil tempts all people at all times. Such an attack would necessitate omnipresent qualities. However, while the devil himself does tempt people, he commands a large army of fallen angels (or demons). Between himself and the demons he commands, it is reasonable to believe he can tempt all people at all times without being omnipresent.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
The devil is not all knowing
The devil does not know your thoughts.
The Bible never calls the devil all knowing. Nor does the Bible ever suggest the devil can read the minds of people. The devil, as a fallen angel, is limited to the abilities of an angel. The Bible consistently depicts angels as being unable to know all things, including the thoughts of man.
The two [angels] said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here-sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you?
Genesis 19:12
“What do you want with us, Son of God?” [the demons] shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
Matthew 8:29
The devil is not the adversary of God
He is the adversary of man.
This issue confuses a lot of people. While the Bible does refer to the devil as “the adversary,” this title does not suggest the devil is the adversary of God. The devil is the adversary of man. This does not mean the devil does not hate God or function in opposition to God. Only that the devil is not nearly powerful enough to function as an adversary of God. The devil is called the adversary because he challenges or inhibits our faith in God through temptation. The devil cannot effectively tempt God and, therefore, is powerless against God.
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
The devil is not the Antichrist
The Antichrist was only a man.
Nothing in scripture identifies the Antichrist as the devil or the devil incarnate. Nor does the Bible suggest the Antichrist is the “son of the devil,” as some have speculated. The Antichrist was Nero Caesar, an emperor of Rome who: demanded people worship him as a god, committed the neronian persecutions against the Christians, led a war against Israel resulting in the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., and killed the apostles Peter and Paul.
Revelation calls the Antichrist the “beast” identified in the book of Daniel (a title Nero accepted), and makes a distinction between the “beast” and the devil, which John calls “the dragon.”
This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.
Revelation 13:18
The devil is not the author of sin
Sin exists independently of the devil.
While the devil is sinful, he is not the author of sin. To sin is to violate the laws which govern heaven. When the devil chose to exist apart from the laws of God, he chose sin. The devil could not have chosen sin if sin, at least as a concept, did not already exist.
How you have fallen from heaven,
O morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.Isaiah 14:12-13
The devil is not the negative element in a dualistic theology
The nature of evil does not necessitate such a dichotomy.
Many elevate the devil to a level almost equal to God. For many, this is necessary to explain the coexistence of a loving God and an evil world. Dualism, the belief in two gods, serves the same function. Typically, one god is good, and the other is evil. However, such a belief is incompatible with the Biblical concept of good and evil. According to the Bible, only the will of God can be called good. Everything else, no matter how innocent, is considered evil. In other words, evil most directly translates to: not God. This includes the nature of Man. Therefore, if Man is naturally evil, there is no reason to create a “god of evil.”
On occasion, the devil is called the “god of this age.” However, this title is not meant to elevate the devil to a god. This title is derisive and meant to identify the veneration the devil is given by non-Christians. The devil is only the “god of this age” because he is worshiped like a god by false religions.
If you, then, though you are evil,, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:11
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:4
The devil will not rule hell
Hell is the devil’s punishment, he fears hell.
Generally this opinion is maintained by those who submit to a dualistic system (those who elevate the devil to a deity). Believing the devil is a second, equal and opposite god leads some to believe the devil imitates God in every way. Hell, therefore, would be an imitation of heaven.
While the devil does imitate God in an attempt to deceive, it is important to remember the devil is not a deity and cannot imitate God in every way. This fact is demonstrated when Nebuchadnezzar needed a dream interpreted:
In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”
Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”
The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”
[...]The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”
Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.
Daniel 2:1-6, 26-27
Were the devil able, he would have allowed Nebuchadnezzar’s astrologers to interpret the dream without being told what the dream was. However, because the devil is not a deity, he lacks the all knowing and omnipotent qualities necessary to interpret the dream.
While the devil may imitate salvation, he cannot imitate heaven. To the devil, hell is not his imitation of heaven, nor is it his kingdom. Hell is his inevitable punishment; his eternal separation from God. According to the Bible, the devil will not rule hell, the devil fears hell:
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:10
The devil cannot possess a Christian
Christians are possessed by the Holy Spirit. The devil is not permitted by God to possess the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
This is a point of debate within the Christian Church. While some Christians believe the devil can possess a Christian, most believe the devil can only possess a non-believer. While the Bible does not explicitly address this issue, the Bible never identifies a “possessed Christian” and does not warn Christians of the threat of possession. Further, many believe the devil is unable to possess a Christian because a Christian is already possessed by the Holy Spirit. Most believe the Holy Spirit would not allow the devil to occupy the same space.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
Evil does not represent the devil
The devil represents the evil, not the other way around.
While this may sound petty, it is important to understand the difference. Saying evil represents the devil suggest: that which is evil is the product of the devil. Such a conclusion can result in a misunderstanding of the nature of evil. Evil is not only and always “the product of the devil,” strictly speaking, evil is simply anything “not of God.” While this includes the devil, it is not exclusive to the devil and must include Man. This is an important inclusion, as it condemns man as evil, even without the influence of the devil.
For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
Mark 7:21
While evil does not represent the devil, the devil does represent evil. That is, while not all evil comes from the devil, everything from the devil is evil.
The devil is not always the cause of misfortune
Misfortune occurs naturally as a result of our fallen nature. The devil is not concerned with your success or failure.
Many, when faced with misfortune, attempt to identify the cause of their misfortune. Believing God would never inflict misfortune, these people conclude a counter-god force, or the devil, is the cause. While, according to the Bible, the devil can and does cause misfortune, this is not the norm.
Misfortune has two secular causes: (1) Natural causes: Events such as earthquakes and hurricanes occur naturally and are not necessarily the direct result of God or the devil. (2) Manmade causes: Man has freewill. Being free, we have the ability to harmfully effect ourselves and others with our freewill decisions.
If we chose to invest in a doomed company, we will likely suffer financially. This suffering is not necessarily the result of God or the devil, it is very likely the result of your poor investing skills. If people suffer from famine because their government hoards food, their suffering is caused by the evil deeds of man, not necessarily God or the devil.
God is primarily concerned with your salvation. The devil is primarily concerned with withholding salvation. Neither are primarily concerned with your fortune or misfortune.
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:31-33
The devil is not at war with God
There is no battle for souls between God and the devil. The battle is between Man and the devil.
While there is a battle for souls, many mistakenly believe the battle is between God and the devil. However, according to scripture, the battle is between Man and the devil. This is not to say God will not involve himself, only that Man is the devil’s adversary, not God.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12
Conclusion: What is the devil
Very simply, the devil is the highest ranked among the fallen angels. As an angel, the devil has conscious thoughts, emotions, and freewill. Like an angel, the devil has some supernatural abilities. However, these abilities are not well understood. The devil is finite, limited in power and understanding. In this way, the devil is a lot like a human.
Prior to the fall of Man, angels were given the same choice man is given. Angels were allowed to choose to submit to the laws of God, or follow their own laws. The devil chose to follow his own laws. This, and this alone, is what defines the devil as “evil.”
Because the devil has chosen to not follow the laws of God, he is incapable of existing within heaven. Therefore, God has created a place for those incapable of existing within heaven. This is what we call hell. It is unclear if the devil knew the consequence of his decision. What is clear, is the devil fears hell and hates both Man and God because of his final destination.
The devil’s decision to follow his own laws has come to symbolize evil. For this reason, that which is “not of God” is often called “devil.” Those who commit the same offence as the devil (choosing to not follow God) are said to be “of the devil.” Strictly meaning: They are like the devil in both mindset and destination.