Part 4
In the seventies, a comedian named Flip Wilson got his big break on the Dean Martin Variety Show. He became successful by dressing up in a wig, and donning on make-up, and provocative women’s clothing, assuming the pseudonym "Geraldine".At a point during short comedy sketches in which he portrayed the character Geraldine, she (he) would be questioned concerning the reasoning for her (his) outlandish actions.
In a line he made famous, and that made him famous you may recall; as he would smile and give a flip of his wig, and proclaim his innocence was: "The devil made me do it!"
Soon those words were on the lips of many who would feign their own innocence of accusation by the same excuse. "It’s not my fault! The devil made me do it!"
Nothing is ever our fault. Something, or somebody else is always to blame. And who better to blame than the devil? That purveyor of evil in red tights, with horns and a pitchfork, and a pointy tail.
We laugh at the absurdity of it all, however the sad truth of the matter is; that kind of thinking is not limited to those outside of ‘religious circles’. In fact I would venture to say that it is said with greater frequency, and with all seriousness, more so within the Church, than without.
Now, we may have gotten past the idea of the cartoon image of the devil, but for most he still holds a highly exalted position in their minds. The frequency with which he is discussed behind the pulpits on a Sunday morning, and the attention he is given in conversation amongst believers is alarming.
One might think that the purpose for their gathering is to learn more about what the devil has done, instead of what our Lord has done. Think about it. The devil has become the scapegoat for all the problems, and the trouble in world, and in our lives. For a moment, one might think that the issue at hand is not whether God is Sovereign, but whether the devil is.
Rarely is it proclaimed with any emphasis of fact that Jesus defeated the enemy once and for all. Rarely is it proclaimed that Jesus conquered sin, and defeated all the works of the devil. Rarely is the truth recog-nized that: "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses against them." (II Cor. 5:19) Even more rare, is the Sovereignty of our God over the works of His hands taught with the conviction of truth His Word declares.
For the most part we are taught, and believe in an impotent God, not an omnipotent God. O, sure, we may talk of victory, but we walk in defeat. We may talk of being overcomers but we are overcome. We may talk of being more than conquerors, but we live a subjugated life. Always one step behind a devil, who is one step ahead of God.
The reason? We know not the Scriptures, nor the power, the plan and the purpose of God. It is thought there is a battle ensuing between the forces of good and evil, with man caught in the middle. It is believed the devil tricked Adam and Eve in the garden behind God’s back. Therefore if he tricked God once, he can do it again. In our feeble attempts to defend or release God from the responsibility of evil, we have invented doctrines that make God appear to be weak, powerless, and blind.
However the Word of God is emphatically clear, "I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil; I the Lord do all these things." (Isa. 45:7) Shocking indeed to most Christians, is the plain truth that God "makes peace, and creates evil".
I have always thought, because I have been taught; (along with the ma-jority of believers) that God is not responsible for evil, the devil is. That the devil was created a beautiful and powerful Angel named Lucifer, who took up rebellion against God, and was cast out of Heaven to unleash his terror on mankind.
In a previous essay this topic was covered at some length, to show that Lucifer and the devil are not one in the same as had been supposed, so I will not be extending this writing to repeat the proof. However, even if this were true, there is no way to absolve God of His responsibility.
If God, all wise, all knowing, all loving, created a being, and de-signed within this being, not only the inherent ability and potential to become evil, but also knew that he would, then is God any less responsible?
If on the other hand, we say that God did not know.... then God is not God! Is it any less thinkable that God would create an evil being, than to create a being with the ability to become evil?
Isaiah 54:16 states: "Behold I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work, and I have created the waster to destroy." The Amplified Bible puts it this way: "...who produces a weapon for its purpose, and I have created the devastator to destroy." The devil is a created being, created by God for the singular purpose of being a devil; A smith to blow coals in the fire; A devastator to destroy. Surely the "Lord hath made all for Himself; yea even the wicked for the day of evil." (Prov. 16:4).
It has been said, "If God does not prevent evil, He is not good; and if He cannot prevent evil He is not God." How shortsighted, and carnally minded that we are! If God does not prevent evil, it is because He intends to use it to work out His purpose in the earth, and in us. God is the first cause of all causes.
"We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] purpose." (Rom. 8:28 AMP.)
The reasoning for evil can be a complicated and complex one. The mag-nitude of man’s inhumanity to man, clearly extends itself far beyond the scope of my own experience. (For which I am grateful to our God for His restraining mercy). However, do we need to know the why when we know Who? How could the answers to these painful, personal influences of evil be satisfied if we reject the very Sovereign One who does mete it with His completed end in view and control? It is not that God need to prevent evil, for His purpose prevents evil from happening arbitrarily and without design. If the devil was in control of evil, then surely evil is out of control.
If then (we) are to say, Lucifer is not the devil, then it remains; who is he? The Hebrew word for Lucifer is: HEYLEL, #1966 in the Strongs, and it comes from #1984 (in the sense of brightness); the morning star. HALAL is the prim. root #1984, and the Strongs presents an interesting definition. It says: to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color);to shine; hence to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamerously) foolish; to rave; causat. to celebrate; also to stultify.
Most times in Scripture, (if not all) a name is indicative of a per-sons nature, or character. Isaiah 14, starting at verse 12 is where we find Lucifer’s description. Ezekiel 28 gives us another, more informed descrip-tion of Lucifer referred to in type as the prince of Tyrus, and from what we are told, it matches with the meaning of his name. To make a show. To boast, and thus to be foolish. This helps to better understand his fall.
Pride. Proud of who he was, not in Who made him who he was. Boasting in his greatness not in the One who made him great. Foolishly making a show of his wisdom and beauty.
An argument is made that says, because Lucifer is not the devil the devil is the one who tempted him. I do not see that in this case. It seems to me, the Scriptures bear witness; the cause of his fall was inherent in his nature from the time of his creation. "For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, con-demned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it." (Rom. 8:20 AMP.)
"Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." (Ezek. 28:15) "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground..." (vs. 17)
Could God not have created Lucifer so that this iniquity was not a part of his nature to become manifested and cause his falling? Of course He could have, but in doing so would have defeated His purpose. What then could possibly be God’s purpose in doing so? To have a crea-tion made in His image and likeness; and to do so would require His creation to know experientially good and evil.
There is teaching that indicates Lucifer is man in his pre-Adamic state. I lean toward this thinking, but not with revelation, only by way of consideration. Look at Ezekiel 28:18 where is says, "I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth..." I do not know if there is any other indication of Lucifer’s outcome after this. It may be these very ashes, (dust) is that from which Adam was formed. This would be consistent with God, Who will reconcile all to Himself. God does not annihilate His enemies.
The New Creation Man holds a position higher than Lucifer strived to attain. Adam is part of the process to reconcile creation (including Lucifer) back to Himself, to be made into God’s image and likeness.
END.
