Our enemy: The origin of Satan
We’ve been focused on Ephesians 6:13 as a guide for becoming Battle Ready -
Ephesians 6:13 | Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Now that we know we are in a very real spiritual battle that belongs to the Lord (and is sure to be won by Him!), you might be wondering about the enemy noted in our memory verse. After all, resisting him is a key part of standing firm through the battle. So who is our enemy?
1st Peter tells us while echoing some of the same instructions we see in Ephesians-
1st Peter 5:8-9a | Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.
The devil, or satan, is referred to as our enemy throughout scripture. We saw last week that the ultimate defeat of our enemy has already been promised (Rev. 20:10), but why does this enemy exist in the first place? Where did he come from and why is God waiting to destroy him?
We see throughout scripture that just like everything else that exists (Col. 1:16), Satan was created by God. But he wasn’t created as our enemy. He was beautiful (Ez. 28:12b-13) and played an important role as an angel (Ez. 28:14). And He wasn’t evil!
Ezekiel 28:15 | “You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you.”
After his creation and some time in Heaven, something changed in Satan’s heart, which is the evil Ezekiel references.
Ezekiel 28:17a | Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor.
This pride led to violence and sin (Ez. 28:16) and blasphemy-
Isaiah 14:13-14 | For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’
Because of his desire to be worshiped like god, Satan was thrown out of Heaven (Ez. 28:17), an act Jesus told us He witnessed Himself-
Luke 10:18 | “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!”
After his expulsion from Heaven, Satan becomes our enemy. 1st Peter shows us that the goal of our enemy is to “devour” us. Jesus refers to Satan as a thief and adds to our understanding of his goal-
John 10:10a | The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.
Rather than striving to “win” the battle against Christ (the battle Satan has already lost- Col. 2:14-15 and will lose for eternity- Rev. 20:10), Satan aims to take as many people down with him as he can (as part of his kingdom of darkness- Col. 1:13). We’ll see over the coming weeks that If he can’t sway a soldier to his army (as an unbeliever), he does all he can to weaken the soldier of Christ (believer) or to distract them from fighting. To do this, he disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), but he is actually the father of lies (Jhn. 8:44).
There will come a time when Satan is no longer permitted to be the ruler of this world (Jhn. 12:31, 14:30, 16:31). But this time will also come alongside the judgment of all evil, including those who have rejected Christ (Rev. 20:7-15). God holds back this day because He longs for all to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
Until Jesus returns and evil is eradicated, living Battle Ready means recognizing who our enemy is, what his goal is, and that his power is limited. He is under the authority of God (Job 1:6-12, Luke 22:31), the One to whom the battle belongs and who holds the victory. Satan is our enemy, but God gives us the tools to stand firm against him in battle.
Ephesians 6:13 | Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
The Bible promises-
James 4:7b | Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Who is our enemy? What are some other names he is given in scripture?
What was our enemy’s beginning and what will be his ultimate end?
Why does God allow Satan to operate as our enemy? Why doesn’t he just eliminate him now?
Who determines the limits of Satan’s power? How does knowing this help you live “Battle Ready?”