The History of Satan....
Who is Satan Anyway?

So, what is the history of Satan? Where did he come from and how did he originate? Who is Satan anyway?

I recently had a dialogue online with a girl named Debby about this topic and thought it would be good to write an article about the history of satan from our conversations.

It All Started With a Question From a Hurting Girl

Debby had been sexually abused in her past and had many questions. Like many of us do. It's okay to ask questions and search for the truth. Unfortunately, many of us just keep our questions to ourselves. However, Debby was brave enough to verbalize the thoughts and the questions going around in her mind.

Here are her initial questions,

"With every GOOD there is EVIL or with every GOD there is a DEVIL. I was good and my devil was my abuser, why would such a man so great allow such evil? He created man and women, He was the first thing ever so why create a devil? Why allow such sick people or spirits to exist? Maybe I lack education or understanding of this but surely I should question this. Why should a person love such a powerful and creating God if He stepped back one day and allowed children to be hurt?"

And here's my reply...

That's a Very Valid Question and Not an Easy One to Answer

I won't just try to give you a pat answer or try to explain away your hurt. Someone did something to you that was wrong. And it hurt.

I believe God grieves when we hurt. So, why does He allow it? I think I won't fully know the answer to that question until I reach heaven.

But, in the meantime, one thing I do know is that the Bible says all evil originates from sin, and that all sin is caused by Satan

So, if Satan causes all sin, who should we blame when evil things like this happen to us? God or Satan? We should be blaming Satan and not God.

Why Does God Allow It?

Like I said, I have wrestled with this question. Between the sexual abuse that happened to me and my grandma's murder, believe me, I have wrestled with this question.

This is one thing to consider. God decided that He would give us free will. The ability to choose.

I believe He did this because He wants to have a relationship with us where we choose to love Him... so we're not just robots in service to Him.

However, with free will comes the ability to choose to do good or evil. And the evil we see around the world is because people choose not to love God and obey Him. If he forced them to obey Him, then He would be taking away free will and also taking away our ability to choose to love Him and have that kind of relationship with Him.

For instance, would you rather have your partner say she loves you because she chooses to or because you are forcing her to say it? I think we all want to know someone is choosing us over everyone else in the world to love. Not just because they have to.

In John 10:10 the Bible tells us what Satan's mission statement is for our lives, "The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Therefore, I believe anything that has stolen something from me (my innocence), killed my joy or destroyed something precious within me... is the work of Satan and not God.

She Had More Questions About the History of Satan...

"I love the fact that you're replying to me and helping me no matter what I question, let me just take a moment to say thank you very much for this, I very much so appreciate it.

God is the creator or so I understand, why create Satan in the first place?

I mean no harm or offense with the questions I pose, I guess I'm like everyone, we all strive for answers to things that are not easily answered and i suppose that having faith is not something you can easily pick up and put down. I like things set in stone and if not I like to debate them to fine a theory that is logical."

Why Did God Create Satan in the First Place?

Here's my response...

I'm glad to listen and discuss, so I'm glad that you are here and asking your questions!!

I pray that you continue to get a little more clarity each day. Sometimes I say that something seems "clear as mud." Have you ever seen a glass of muddy water that you can't even see through become clear after the glass sits a while and the mud settles to the bottom? That's the picture I get for you. Right now everything is stirred up and confusing to understand, but over time and seeking God, the "mud" will settle and give you a clearer picture.

I want to answer your question about Satan. You asked, "God is the creator or so I understand, so why create Satan in the first place?"

That is a good question and makes sense to ask.

Here is a Little More History of Satan...

Actually, the Bible says that Satan was created originally as an angel and was created "blameless." However, like I mentioned before, God gives us free will to choose to love Him. This was the same for the angels.

God gave Satan the choice of whether he wanted to choose God or choose evil. And he ended up choosing evil and was banished from heaven.

Ezekial 29:12-19 describes what happened to Satan, referring to him as the King of Tyre.

"Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.

You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.

You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.

Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.' "

Revelation 12:1-9 also describes what happened to Satan. Satan is the dragon and the son is Jesus. It talks about a "war in heaven" and how Satan and his angels lost their place in heaven and was "hurled to the earth" where he now leads the "whole world astray."

"A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. And there was war in heaven.

Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down?that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him."

Therefore, God created Satan to be good and blameless...not evil. It was by Satan's own choice to do evil and therefore be cast out of heaven.

He is now at war and Revelations 12:12b says, "He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

Therefore, I believe he does everything he can in the time he has before Jesus returns to "kill, steal and destroy."

Does That Make Sense To You?

Let me know if you still have questions about this.

Here is Debby's response:

Okay that makes very good sense, it would be the same for every person, they choose a life of good or bad, and satan as well as others choose the wrong the way to live. This is good I like it, however, does God not commit sin the second he throws satan to earth and burn him? Satan may be evil but killing him isn't really a good way to deal with him. As a person who knows very little about 'the beginning' and the reason behind the way God does things, what kind of bible would you suggest me reading because I hear there is many bibles to be read?"

More On The History Of Satan...

Here's my answer:

Basically satan was trying to take God's place and become God himself. He was trying to take over. And ultimately there is only room for one God.

God didn't kill him, but satan did lose his position in heaven. The Bible says that about 1/3 of the angels went with Satan...and he started his own "kingdom" so to speak here on earth in the spiritual realm. Now he has demons that are under him and help him.

But, ultimately, satan's kingdom will not last forever. Only God's will.

As far a Bibles, I use the New International Version (NIV) but there are other good versions out there. They have been translated from the original Hebrew and Greek language into English.

You can read the Bible online in many different versions at www.BibleGateway.com.

~Shelley

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