The Bible tells us that there is an evil spirit named Satan. He is the archenemy of God and His people. He is a personal spirit who he sees, hears, and speaks. He is also called the devil (Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 5:15-16; Luke 4:2-35; John 8:44; Acts 10:38; Eph. 4:27; 1 Tim. 3:6-7; Heb. 2:14; Jam. 4:7; 1 John 3:8-10; Jude 9; Rev. 12:9-12), the evil one (Matt. 13:19 & 38; Eph. 6:16; 1 John 2:13-14; 3:12; 5:18), the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2), and the thief (John 10:10). He is at work in the earth's atmosphere, causing chaos, deceiving, tempting, and harming people (Job 1:6; Eph. 6:12; 1 Pet. 5:8-9).
Among Christians there is some disagreement over Satan's origin. Basically there are two different schools of thought: (1) He was an angel who rebelled against God, then was banished from Heaven. (2) He was a pre-Adamic, human-like creature on earth. He was judged for his rebellion and disembodied before the creation of Adam and Eve. Some Christians may combine both views: He was a fallen angel banished from Heaven then confined to a mortal human-like carcass on the earth (that eventually died) before Adam and Eve were created.
None of these views are heretical, but I lean towards the first one. Jesus implied that Satan originated in Heaven: "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (Luke 10:18 KJV). The Lord's words in Matthew 25:41 are also worth considering: "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Italics added). Satan can masquerade as an angel of light (2 Cor.11:14); to me that seems to suggest that he once was an angel of light.
In Isaiah 14:12-20, the prophet (Isaiah) refers to the evil, proud king of Babylonia (and his failed attempt to complete the tower of Babel), but his terminology is perfectly fitting for Satan as well. The passage begins with "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer" (v. 14a, Italics added). I believe the king of Babylonia was demonized (or "possessed" by Satan). Isaiah's prophetic condemnation was aimed at the king and the devil controlling him. Regarding the king of Tyrus in Ezekiel 28:11-19, I come to that same conclusion.
If Satan was a pre-Adamic earth creature who sinned and faced judgment, then sin and death actually entered the world before Adam. But Scripture tells us that sin and death entered the world by Adam (Rom. 5:12-14).
There are other Christians who may hold to the other views of Satan's origin. With them I agree to disagree because this is a peripheral Christian debate. However, anybody who suggests that Satan was either a "mistake" that God made, or merely a general personification of the evil in our world is preaching heresy.
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