Rex Banks

The Bible does not provide an answer to every question that we might have concerning the crafty figure who first appears in Scripture as "the serpent," (Gen. 3:1) but from the outset it is evident that he is the implacable enemy of God and man. Repeatedly inspired writers warn of his subtlety, cunning and malice, but while there are several incidents which demonstrate his deep hatred for humanity and unremitting opposition to Jehovah, nowhere in the sacred record do we find a detailed explanation of his origin and history. As in the case of angels (see God's Holy Angels) our picture of this shadowy, hate-filled being is built up from information gleaned from scattered Biblical references, and the task of harmonizing various details and drawing appropriate conclusions is often quite challenging. Scripture does not satisfy our curiosity on every point, and in the absence of specific details we need to avoid those speculative flights of fancy which all too often provide the enemies of the Bible with ammunition to use in their war against truth.

But if some are prone to wild speculation about mankind's deadly foe, others make an equally dangerous mistake by denying that any such adversary exists. In his The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis places these words in the mouth of an older "devil" (Screwtape) who is advising a less experienced colleague about how to deal with the human "patient" placed in his care:

"I do not think you will have much difficulty in keeping the patient in the dark (about our existence). The fact that 'devils' are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that (it is an old textbook method of confusing them) he therefore cannot believe in you."

Screwtape's advice was sound. Increasingly in our secular society, the Biblical references to a non-human, malevolent entity are dismissed as the product of the superstitious, pre-scientific mind, and belief in such a being is often frowned upon as an unhealthy manifestation of irrational thought. What a coup for the enemy! How much easier it is for him to seduce those who deny his very existence, than to subvert those who take Martin Luther's warning to heart:

"For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal."

Let's see what we can learn from Scripture about the dark figure who seeks to work us woe.

Names and Descriptive Terms

A consideration of the various names and descriptive terms applied to our ancient foe throughout Scripture provides a valuable insight into his character and motives, and it also furnishes a useful framework within which to discuss his dealings with God and man. Let's say a word first about the terms Satan and Devil as they are used in Scripture. Under the heading Satan in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia vol 4, Louis Matthews Street tells us that "All other names of Satan save only these two (i.e. Satan, Devil) are descriptive titles." Street point out that "These words are used in the general sense justified by their etymological significance" (ibid), so clearly an understanding of their meaning is helpful in our present discussion.

According to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, (R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr. Bruce K. Waltke) the verb satan "occurs six times in the Old Testament, often in participial forms for one who bears a grudge or cherishes animosity." We are told: "David employed this verb to describe his adversaries (Ps. 38:20; 109:4) who were rendering him evil for good...It also represents in the noun form (Satan, KJV, NASV, NIV) a judicial accusing. (Zech 3:1) Correspondingly the noun sitna describes a written accusation (Ezra 4:6); it had earlier served as a name Sitnah, 'enmity,' for a well over which men quarrelled (Gen. 26:21)...

The nominal form satan identifies Solomon's adversaries. (1 Kings 11:14, 23, 25; cf 5:4; 1 Sam 29:4) David spoke of his vengeful officer Abishai as a satan. (2 Sam. 19: 22 [H 23]) Indeed the pre-incarnate Christ, or Angel of Yahweh might be described or even identify himself as a satan when opposing Balaam. (Num. 22:22,32) Through-out history mankind's pre-eminent opponent has been Satan, 'that old serpent'. (Rev. 12:9)..."

From these and other Biblical references it is clear that in the Old Testament, forms of this word were used to speak of adversaries, opposition, accusation (the laying of charges) and such like.

From what Scripture says about our ancient foe it is apparent that these terms describe his activities very well, and thus it is not surprising to find the Old Testament writers referring to him as Satan. In fact in the New Testament the Greek word for Satan "is always used of 'Satan,' the adversary..." (Vine). It is interesting to note that the definite article ("the") is sometimes prefixed to this term when speaking of him, Job, Zechariah, Luke and John referring to him as "the Satan". (Job chpts 1, 2 [14 times]; Zech 3:1; Lk 22:31; Rev. 12:9) In these instances the term functions as a title. However in 1 Chronicle 21:1, where there is no definite article, it appears to be used as a proper name ("Then Satan stood up against Israel..."), and so too in the New Testament. (Matt. 4:10 + 35 times)

The New Testament writers also speak of Satan as the devil ("the serpent of old who is the devil [diabolos]) and Satan" [Rev. 12:9]), and this term found its way into the New Testament by way of the Septuagint version. With one exception (or two exceptions if Codex A is followed at Job 2:3) this third century B.C. Greek translation of the Old Testament uniformly renders the Hebrew word for Satan as diabolos. According to Thayer diabolos means "prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely" and in the Bible it is applied "to the one called in Hebr....(the Satan)." In Rev. 12:10 Satan is described as "the accuser of our brethren who accuses them day and night." The relevant term here (kategor) means "to speak against...to accuse" (Thayer) and evidently it speaks of "an open and formal accuser" as opposed to the diabolos who is "a secret and calumnious" accuser (Thayer). Thus by use of the terms Satan and Devil, the inspired writers of Scripture depict this shadowy figure as an adversary who maliciously brings accusations and charges against man with a view to alienating him from his God. Later we will say a word about some specific instances in Scripture which show him attempting to do just this.

Other descriptive terms scattered throughout Scripture provide an insight into the character and motives of the enemy. J.W. Shepherd comments on Ephesians 6:12:

"Probably the is no criminal known to man that has so many aliases as the devil. I subjoin a partial list of names given him by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit: Evil One (Matt. 13:19); Enemy (Matt. 13:39); Beelzebub (Mk 3:22); Prince of devils (3:22); Strong One (Lk 11:21); Murderer (Jn 8:44); Liar (8:44); Father of Lies (8:44); Prince of This World (12:31); Satan (Acts 5:3); God of This World (2 Cor. 4:4); Belial (6:15); Serpent (11:3); Spirit of Evil (Eph. 2:2); Tempter (1 Thess. 3:5); Adversary (1 Pet. 5:8); Angel of the Abyss (Rev. 9:11); Apollyon (9:11); Abaddon (9:11); Great Red Dragon (12:3); The Dragon (12:7); Great Dragon (12:9); The Old Serpent (12:9); Devil and Satan (12:9); Deceiver of the Whole World (12:9); Accuser (12:10). (A Commentary on the New Testament Epistles vol 4, David Lipscomb, additional notes J.W. Shepherd)

Clearly these terms are descriptive of Satan's character and work, and in Part 2 we will say something about the significance of these terms in our discussion of Satan's activity among men.

Satan: His Origin

Street points out that "We are not told in definite terms how Satan became the evil one, but certainly it could be by no other process than a fall, whereby, in the mystery of free personality, an evil will takes the place of a good one". (ibid) In similar vein John Calvin reasons:

"But as the devil was created by God, we must remember that this malice which we attribute to his nature is not from creation, but from depravation. Every thing damnable in him he brought upon himself, by his revolt and fall. Of this Scripture reminds us, lest, by believing that he was so created at first, we should ascribe to God what is most foreign to his nature." (Institutes Bk 1, 14:16)

This is certainly the only possible conclusion to be drawn from certain facts of Scripture. First of all, it is clear that Satan is not deity. Evidence of this is found (among other things) in the fact that he can act only with the permission of God, (Job chpts 1, 2; Lk 22:31) in the fact that he flees from faithful Christians who resist him (Jas. 4:7) and in the fact that he is able to be incarcerated (Rev. 20:10). It follows that Satan is a created being. Moreover since God cannot create ethical evil, we can only conclude that Satan is a creature who misused his free will to become "the evil one" (Matt. 13:19, 38) sometime after his creation. (Passages like Isa. 45:7 which speak of God's creating "evil" [KJV] have to do, not with God's creating ethical evil, but with His bringing "calamity [NASV] upon those whom He is disciplining). Satan was not created evil, since all that God created was "very good" (Gen. 1:31); rather he misused his free will to become evil.

Now in light of this it comes as no surprise to find that Scripture does indeed allude to the fall of some spiritual entity who rebelled against God. For example, both Peter and Jude emphasize the inevitability of divine punishment upon false teachers by appealing to the example of God's dealings with certain angels who "sinned". (2 Pet. 2:4) We read:

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment..." (2 Pet. 2:4)

"And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day." (Jude 6)

Peter says that the angels "sinned" which means that they transgressed God' law (1 Jn 3:4) and Jude says that they "did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode..." The word translated domain in the NASV is archen. NIV has "positions of authority," KJV has "first estate" (marg. "principalities"), NKJV has "proper domain", and RSV has "own position." Evidently then archen here can mean either beginning (e.g. "first estate") or authority (e.g. "positions of authority") but most commentators that I have read favour the latter. Thus for example A.T. Robertson has "first place of power as in 1 Cor. 15:24" (Word Pictures vol 6); S.D.F. Salmond has "lordship rather than beginning" (The Pulpit Commentary vol 22); Edward A. Blum takes arche here to mean "rule..dominion...or sphere" (The Expositors Bible Commentary vol 12) and Richard J. Bauckham understands it to mean "a position of heavenly power or sphere of dominion which the angels exercised over the world in the service of God". (Word Biblical Commentary vol 50) Elsewhere the word is used as a title for angels (e.g. Col. 1:16; Eph. 1:21; 3:10). All this suggests that these angels sinned by (in some way which is not clear) abandoning their God-given position of heavenly power or their proper sphere of dominion. It is reasonable to suppose that Peter and Jude are referring here to the fall of Satan.

Demons: Their Nature and Origin

Both Peter and Jude speak of the angels (plural) who fell, so it is no surprise to find that Satan possesses evil sub-ordinates who are associated with him in his wicked work. We read of "the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41), of unclean and evil spirits, (Matt. 12:43; Lk 7:21) and we are told that Satan is ruler of the demons, (Matt. 9:34 [KJV "prince of the devils"]; cf 12:22-30). Victory over demons (KJV "devils") is victory over Satan himself. (Lk 10:17, 18) Again the Bible does not provide a detailed, systematic explanation of the origin of these agents of Satan, but like their ruler they must be creatures possessing free will who chose to rebel against God. It is reasonable to identify them with the angels spoken of by Peter and Jude who "did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode."

Not everyone agrees with this position. Some have suggested that demons are the offspring of an unnatural union of angels and men. For example Justin Martyr, one of the early "church fathers" wrote:

"But the angels transgressed this appointment, and were captivated by love of women, and begat children who are those that are called demons; and besides, they afterwards subdued the human race to themselves, partly by magical writings, and partly by fears and the punishments they occasioned, and partly by teaching them to offer sacrifices, and incense, and libations, of which things they stood in need after they were enslaved by lustful passions; and among men they sowed murders, wars, adulteries, intemperate deeds, and all wickedness." (Apology 2:5)

When we turn to Rabbinic demonology we find various weird and gruesome traditions and legends concerning the origin of evil spirits. Merrill Unger explains in his Biblical Demonology:

"The fall of Satan and his angels, in rabbinic demonology, is strangely imagined as subsequent to the creation of men, and was occasioned by their jealousy of him. And various gross ideas are entertained as to the origin of demons, ranging from their creation on the eve of the first Sabbath, before their bodies could be finished (this is supposed to account for their being spirits), to generation of multitudes of them as the offspring of Eve and male spirits, and of Adam and female spirits, or with Lilith, the Queen of female spirits. Still grosser ideas linked them to trans-formations from vipers, or as springing from the backbone of him who did not bow in worship. Fully sexed, they multiplied rapidly, and are innumerable."

Clearly this is an area in which imagination can run riot, and even today many popular movies and books reflect this fascination with things demonic. Clearly too we need to be guided by Scripture in this matter, and although the Bible does not provide a detailed account of the origin of the demons, references to the angels who sinned provide the best clues as to the identity of these malevolent beings.

The Fall: When and Why?

The question of when Satan and his angels chose to rebel against God is not addressed in Scripture, and predictably there has been much futile speculation on this point throughout history. What we do know from Scripture is that angels were present when God "laid the foundation of the earth" (Job 38:1-7) early in the creation week, and we know that Satan's fall antedated his attempt to seduce Eve in the garden of Eden (Gen 3:1 ff). In an excellent, easy-to-read book dealing with Genesis 1:1-2:4 creationist Douglas F. Kelly makes the following sensible suggestion:

"Perhaps the angels were brought into being on the very first day of creation. In Job 38:4-7 we are told that the angels were present when the foundations of the earth were laid, and were rejoicing over it all. Psalm 104:2-5 speaks of the shining of God's light during the original creative process, and mentions the angels just before reference to "laying the foundations of the earth." Thus they appear after the creation of all things and before the earth is made a solid body (possibly referring to either the energizing work of the Holy Spirit on Day One, and/or the separation of the waters from the land on day Three). These passages from Job and Psalms are certainly poetic, and are presumably not meant to be interpreted in the same precise, chronological sense required by Genesis 1 and 2. Poetic though its literary form is, it must mean something, and bear reference to a true state of affairs. Such passages may take us as far as we can go safely in consideration of the question: when were the angels first created? (Creation and Change)

Anyway we can be sure that by the time Satan tempts Eve in the Garden very soon after creation Satan and his minions had chosen to abandon their God-given sphere.

Likely Scripture also tells us why these angels abandoned their divinely-assigned positions. In 1 Tim. 3:6 Paul warns against the danger of conceit, and in this context refers to the "condemnation of the devil". (KJV) Reinecker and Rogers comment on this verse:

"The genitive could be objective genitive; i.e. condemnation reserved for the devil; the judgment meted out for the sin of pride, or the genitive could be subjective genitive; i.e. condemnation wrought by the devil; the condemnation brought about by the further intrigue of the devil when a man is once lured into his grasp through pride." (Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament)

The objective genitive seems to be the most natural meaning here, and thus it is likely that in connection with the sin of pride Paul is speaking of the "condemnation incurred by the devil". (NASV) NIV speaks of the conceited man's falling "under the same judgment as the devil." If this is the case and if the Peter/Jude passages do include a reference to Satan, we can conclude that it was pride which caused this once-glorious being to abandon his God-given position. In his Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis affirms that "it was through Pride that the devil became the devil," adding that pride is "the complete anti-God state of mind."

Related Passages?

Some claim to find allusions to the fall of the angels in various Biblical passages which are not universally accepted as references to this event. For example in the Catholic Encyclopedia we read that "the older commentators" generally related the words of Jesus in Luke 18:10 ("I saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven") to this event. We are also told that it is better to regard these words as a reference "not to the original fall of Satan, but his overthrow by the faith of the disciples, who cast out devils in the name of their Master." This does seem correct in light of context. We are also told that "In the Old Testament we have a brief reference to the Fall in Job 4:18: 'In his angels he found wickedness'." (ibid) I am not sure that this is the best way to understand this verse. NASV and NIV have "charges" rather than "charged" and in light of v.17 I think that the point being made here is that even faithful angels who serve God are frail and fallible. Eliphaz appears to be saying that "even the holiness of the good spirits is never equal to the holiness of God". (Old Testament Commentaries vol 3, Keil and Delitzsch)

The Catholic Encyclopedia also refers to "the two classic texts in the prophets" which are understood by some to refer to the fall of Satan, namely Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezek. 28:12-15. Concerning the first passage we are told: "This parable of the prophet is expressly directed against the King of Babylon, but both the early Fathers and later Catholic commentators agree in understanding it as applying with deeper significance to the fall of the rebel angel." Isaiah 14:12-15 reads:

"How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! ('Lucifer' [KJV]) You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit."

While all agree that the passage refers primarily to the King of Babylon, some believe that it has a secondary application to Satan himself, and that Satan is to be identified with Lucifer. After quoting Isaiah 14 Origen wrote: "Most evidently by these words is he shown to have fallen from heaven, who formerly was Lucifer, and who used to arise in the morning" (De Principiis Book 1.5.5)

Similarly some find a picture of Satan in the words addressed to the King of Tyre by the prophet Ezekiel:

"Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' 'You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you.' "

Roy C. Deaver expresses the view of many when he says that "so many of the things said could not apply to ...(the King of Tyre) personally. It is thought by many that the prophet herein gives a picture of Satan, as represented by the King of Tyre" (Romans, God's Plan For Man's Righteousness). This is the view set forth in the Catholic Encylopaedia which says "There is much in the context that can only be understood literally of an earthly king concerning whom the words are professedly spoken, but it is clear that in any case the king is likened to an angel in Paradise who is ruined by his own iniquity." This understanding of Ezekiel 28 is certainly no new. For example in his Adversus Marcionem Tertullian wrote:

"(The words of the prophecy) properly apply to the castigation not of that particular prince but of an angel, because no one of mankind has ever been born in the paradise of God, not even Adam himself, for he was translated thither: nor had any man been set with the cherub in God's holy mountain, that is, in the height of heaven, from which our Lord testifies that Satan also fell: [Luke 10:18] nor has any man dwelt amid the stones of fire, among the gleaming rays of the burning constellations, from whence also Satan like lightning was cast down."

On the other hand many students of Scripture are equally certain that in the poetic language of Isaiah and Ezekiel there is reference only to the Kings of Babylon and Tyre. In my view it is just not clear that these "two classic texts in the prophets" deal with more than Divine judgment upon earthly rulers.

The Term "Demon"

The English word "demon" is derived from the Greek daimon, daimonion, and the translators of the Septuagint used this term to translate various Old Testament Hebrew words which appear to denote objects of misdirected worship: idols, "goat spirits" (or "he goats"), "gods." (Check out these references in A Concordance of the Septuagint, compiled by George Morrish). In the KJV, two of these Hebrew words are translated "devils" and the word "demon" does not occur. This failure to make a distinction between diabolos and daimon carries over to the New Testament where the KJV translates the Greek word for demon/demons as "devil/devils." However most modern translations observe the distinction between the Devil (Satan) and demons.

It is worth pointing out that "the modern definition of a demon as a devil, or malign spirit, is the result only of a long development...In the original sense a demon may be defined broadly as an anonymous God - In Homer for example 'demon' (daimon) and 'god' (theos) are virtually interchangeable....demons can be beneficent as well as harmful" (P.L. Hammer, The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible vol 1 . [emphasis mine]) Thus Plato can say, "The poets speak excellently who affirm that when the good men die, they attain great honour and dignity, and become demons". (Cratylus 1.398 [emphasis mine]) However it is evident that over time demons came to be regarded as evil entities in Greek thought, and certainly the inspired writers of the New Testament consistently employ the term to speak of malignant spirits intent upon bringing men to grief.

Demonic Hierarchy?

Jewish speculation about the order, ranking and arrangement of evil spirits graphically illustrates the human tendency to indulge in fanciful speculation in the absence of real evidence. In his discussion of demonology, Alfred Edersheim says the following about the demons of Jewish imagination:

"Generally, they may be arranged into male and female spirits, the former under their king Ashmedai, the latter under their queen Lilith probably the same as Agrath bath Machlath - only that the latter may more fully present hurtful aspect of the demoness. The hurtful spirits are specially designated as Ruchin, Mazziqin (harmers), Malakhey Chabbalath (angels of damage), &c. From another aspect they are arranged into four classes (Targ. Pseudo-Jon. Numb. vi. 24): the Tsaphriré, or morning spirits (Targ. on Ps. cxxi. 6; Targ. Cant. iv. 6); the Tiharé, or midday spirits (Targ. Pseudo-Jon. Deut. xxxii 24; Targ. Cant. iv. 6); the Telané, or evening spirits (Targ. Cant. iii. 8; iv. 6; Targ. Eccles. ii. 5); and the Lilin, or night spirits (Targ. Pseudo-Jon. on Deut. xxxii. 34; Targ. Is. xxxiv. 14)." (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Appendix 13)

Clearly none of this comes from inspiration, and such flights of fancy illustrate the folly of going beyond the Biblical data. References to "the devil and his angels" and to the fact that Satan is ruler of the demons (Matt. 9:34 [KJV "prince of the devils"]; cf. 12:22-30) permit us to conclude that a spiritual entity usually called Satan or the Devil holds a place of preeminence among the hellish hordes, but beyond this very little is clear. The name "Legion" (Mk 5:9, 15; Lk 8:30) associated with the Gedarene demoniac is clearly not a personal designation, and nowhere else in the New Testament is a name associated with an evil spirit. The "prince of the kingdom of Persia" who withstood the heavenly messenger to Daniel, and the entity referred to as "the Prince of Greece" appear to have been agents of Satan with particular roles assigned to them, but it is just not clear that some kind of hierarchy is involved.

Another passage which is often used to show that the demons occupy various ranks and positions is Eph. 6:12 which says: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." In his comments on Daniel 10:20-21, Gleason L. Archer cites Eph. 6:12 and says:

"But the Bible tells us that (heavenly and hellish spirits)...are organized into various provinces or domains, which are referred to in the NT as archai ("governments" "rulers") exousia ("authorities") , and enjoy the status of kosmokratores ("world rules" "powers of this world"). Without flesh and blood, they are evil spirit beings who occupy assigned superterrestrial regions." (The Expositors Bible Commentary vol 7)

Albert Barnes takes Ephesians 6:12 to mean that the evil spirits "were regarded as divided into ranks and orders" and adds: "It is probable that the allusion here is to the ranks and orders which they sustained before their fall, something like which they may still retain." Commenting upon this same verse Matthew Henry speaks of "the several ranks of devils, who have a government which they exercise in this world." However not everyone agrees that this verse proves that different demons occupy different ranks and positions, and since Scripture provides so little information on the subject it would be unwise to be dogmatic about details.

Destiny of The Satan and His Demons

In his More Than Conquerors, William Hendriksen tells us that "(the) Book of Revelation seeks to impart comfort to...(persecuted believers)." He explains: "That is its main purpose; to comfort the militant church in its struggle against the forces of evil...The theme of this book is: the victory of Christ, and of His church over the Dragon (Satan) and his helpers." In Revelation we are told that Satan's puppets "wage war against the Lamb," and we are also told the outcome: "the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful". (Rev. 17:14) Jesus tells us that "the eternal fire" was prepared for "the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41) and as Revelation draws to its close John sees a vision in which "the devil...was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone," where along with his evil minions he is "tormented day and night forever and ever". (Rev. 20:10) The Hebrew writer tells us that while Christ is deliverer of Abraham's descendants (i.e. Christians [Gal. 3:29), He does not (lit) "take hold of angels" i.e. help and deliver angels (Heb. 2:16). For some reason redemption is not available to fallen angels."

According to Revelation the bottom line is this: those aligned with "the Lamb," who are "the called and chosen and faithful" are overcomers while Satan and his dupes share his dreadful fate. But Scripture also tells that man's vindictive adversary does not go gracefully. Again and again the Bible warns us that the Devil employs all of his cunning, subtlety and power against those created in the image of God so as to take as many as possible with him into eternal ruin. In Part 2 we will say something about Satan's present activity among men.
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