So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)

Satan, The Serpent Of Old

The great nemesis of all things righteous is the adversary, the Devil. He first appears in scripture as the serpent who deceived Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. It is not until the end of the Bible that he is positively identified as the “serpent of old” and that he deceives the whole world. The Bible is the story of Jesus Christ and the scheme of salvation. Everything in the revelation of God points to the need to save man from the wrath of God. There is much that is omitted from the pages of holy writ because it does not pertain to the plan and revelation of God.

Everything known about Satan is found in the Bible. What is known about the Devil is limited because the Bible is not about his story. He is a central figure in the scheme of redemption because Jesus came to destroy his works. There are two things certain that can be known about Satan: his origin is unclear, and his future is certain. He is certainly real and a formidable force to reckon with. He is not to be underestimated. Through his influence, he brought the world to its knees, bringing about the nearly total destruction of humanity in the days of Noah. Only eight souls were saved.

Satan has limited power. He cannot force anyone to do anything. When he tempted Eve, he deceived her into believing a lie, but Eve was the one who took the fruit. She and Adam were punished because they made that decision. Sin is always a choice. Satan is an influence that tempts the heart of man, but he has no power to make someone do something they do not want to do. Jesus demonstrated His power over Satan when He cast out the demons possessing mortals during His ministry. No demon disobeyed the word of the Son of God. All were under the authority of the word of God.

Nothing is known about the origin of Satan, and it is a fool’s errand to make any supposition about where he came from. The Bible is the only source of information about the deceiver, and if it is not in the Bible, it is not truth. God did not reveal the nature of the Devil, thereby shutting the door on any speculation. The story about Satan is not about his origins but his future. Jesus came to destroy Satan, and when the Son of God rose from the dead, He accomplished the divine will of the Father. Satan tried to destroy Jesus throughout His life and thought he had gained the upper hand when he saw the world kill God’s Son. What he did not realize is the death of Jesus would be nothing more than an injury to the heel of the foot; while the resurrection of Jesus would strike a blow to the head of Satan. God prophesied this in the Garden of Eden when he pronounced a sentence upon the woman.

Through the resurrection of Jesus, the future of the Devil is sealed. Jesus spoke a great deal about Hell in His ministry. He told the disciples that Hell was prepared for the Devil and his angels. God never intended to condemn men to an eternal fire. It was set to be the punishment of Satan and his angels. But rebellious men will join the Devil in eternal torment because of their obedience to the wiles of the Devil. Satan knows what is coming. He fully understands his existence is set to burn in the lake of fire and brimstone. His future is sealed by the hand of God. There is nothing that will change that pronouncement.

Where Satan comes from does not matter. What will happen to Satan does not matter. The only thing that should concern anyone is to answer the question: where will I be in eternity? Most people (according to Jesus) will be with Satan and his angels. The majority of people that have existed do exist, and will exist on the planet will go to an eternal place of horror, darkness, weeping, gnashing of teeth, and everlasting punishment. The few who serve God in righteousness will find the blessings of Abraham’s bosom and an eternal home with God in Heaven. The only person that matters is you. It is your decision to be saved or lost. If you are lost, you cannot blame Satan. You both will be spending eternity in Hell. You can choose to follow Jesus Christ. If you love Jesus, you will obey His word. The blessing of obedience is eternal life. Don’t let Satan take away eternal life. You will have to decide.