"The Devil."

by CECIL BELTON | Category: The World, The Flesh, And The Devil. | Jul 1936

In "the flesh" and "the world " we have been viewing the two great instruments that the evil one knows so well how to use for Man's destruction; now we look at what God says about the mighty operator himself. It is a solemn and serious subject: not one to be treated flippantly, as is

so very often done in these days. He is a dread and powerful reality, whose strength should not be under estimated or disdained by us who are the especial objects of his malignity, and against whom his subtle strategy and cruel assaults are directed. Not that it is altogether ourselves that he hates so bitterly; but the great and good God who takes such deep interest in us. Undervaluing the strength and resources of the foe has often led to disastrous results in earthly warfare, as we know, and this is a truism also in spiritual conflict.

In turning to the Holy Scriptures to learn what they have to say about the Arch-enemy of God and man, I do not propose to attempt to trace out his original, pre-adamic state and history. I believe scripture is very reticent in regard to this. Endeavours to probe into aught that the divine wisdom has concealed often lead to unlawful conclusions; and history built up on inference and deductions from merest hints, and supported by arbitrary, and often fantastic interpretations of certain passages, may be very far from the actual truth and therefore be erroneous and misleading (though the result may be very interesting, and appeal to us as a clear and complete account). Better to leave things where God has left them. When the disabilities of our present state are abolished-when "we know as we are known," that same divine Wisdom may see fit to make these matters clear to us. Although it is the writer's belief that almost the whole, if not the whole, of Satan's pre-adamic history, has been hidden from mortal ken, yet his character, activities, and future destiny have been very plainly revealed to us by God in the Scriptures of truth. Therefrom we learn that he is possessed of immense power to work ill, although, if the words "bring to nought" in Hebrews 2. 14, apply to the present time, it would mean that his powers have been limited since the Cross. Hebrews 2. 14 reads, "That through death He (our Lord Jesus Christ) might bring to nought him that had the power (kratos, strength) of death, that is, the devil." During the coming thousand years when the Lord shall reign in righteousness, this earth will be happy in being freed from his baneful presence; but it will not be until after this period that he will receive his final and eternal doom, when "the devil that deceived them" is "cast into the lake of fire ... and ... shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Revelation 20. 10).

It may be scarcely necessary to say here that the medieval idea of the devil, which lingers still in the popular mind, is not in agreement with the Divine Revelation. He is not the Custodian of hell : neither is that place yet his habitation: nor is he the Tormentor-in-chief of those consigned thereto. Matthew 25. 41 tells us that the eternal -fire is prepared for the devil's final doom; though, alas, myriads that he has seduced from their allegiance to God will share its terrors with him. Although he appears to have power to deceive men up to the point of death, he has no authority over them after that dread event has taken place.

First of all we will look at the names and titles under which the Holy Spirit brings the evil one before us. These are all descriptive of his character, his methods of working, and his attitude towards God and man.

SATAN :-Zechariah 3. 1. "Satan standing at his right hand to be an adversary." This is one of the divinely-given names. It is practically the same word in Hebrew, Greek, and English, and means "Adversary." It describes him as the bitter antagonist of God, and of God's particularly gifted and favoured creature, Man. Professing to be the friend and enlightener of Man, he has enveloped him in the present darkness, and exerts himself to keep him enshrouded in it until that time when it shall merge into " the blackness of darkness for ever" the eternal night of Gehenna. In Matthew 13.39, he is called "the enemy," a designation that is consistent with this name.

BELIAL -2 Corinthians 6. 15. "What concord hath Christ with Belial ? " This word we take to apply to Satan, and it signifies " worthlessness." Here he and - his service, are contrasted with Christ and His easy yoke; with Christ the Anointed of God, whose worth is far above any powers of ours to estimate. What a contrast! "Worth" and "worthlessness! " To be yoked in the service of Christ, or "otherwise - yoked " (the literal rendering of "unequally yoked ") in worthless service to Belial.

THE DEVIL :--In Revelation 12. 10, he is called "the accuser," and that is the meaning of this name or title. Literally, "Diabolos " means " one who casts through," or "strikes through" (as with a dart), and depicts Satan as the untiring accuser, or slanderer of man to God, and of God to man. Genesis 2. gives us an example of his slandering God to man, and in the case of Job, an instance of slandering man to God.

This is the name by which the Holy Spirit most frequently refers to him for it seems to cover the whole purpose of his operations here, to defame God in the eyes of all His intelligent beings; to challenge the might, the wisdom, and the goodness of God in bringing into being such a fallible creature as Man for allowing such an ingrate to exist, and then punishing him for sins that he cannot, in consequence, help committing.

Thanks be to God that, although there is one that "accuseth ... before our God, day and night," we have "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous," who has already entered into grips with the Devil and has overcome him.

"Devil" is not used in the plural. The word translated so often" devils," is, as the R .V. margin shows, quite another word, i.e., "demons." These form the immense host of evil spirits by which he works in and among the "sons of disobedience." He is not omnipresent as God is, but operates in multitudinous ways, places, and persons, by means of these his subordinates.

"The DECEIVER" :-Revelation 12. 9. "The deceiver of the whole earth."

"The TEMPTER" :-Matthew 4. 3. "He afterward hungered, and the tempter came."

These refer to his methods of working with man. He tempted and deceived man at the first and brought about his fall, and the ages of successful practice he has had since then have not decreased his ability to delude. We suggest that "The FOWLER." Psalm 91. 3, "He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler " also refers to Satan.

"The EVIL ONE" :-l John 3. 12. "Cain was of the evil one." This occurs in several passages, and reveals hint as the source of all that is bad, and whose untiring energies are always directed towards the working of evil.

"The PRINCE OF THIS WORLD" :-John 16. 11. "The prince of this world hath been judged."

"The PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR":

Ephesians 2. 1. The word power here means authority.

"The GOD OF THIS WORLD (age)" :-2 Corinthians 4. 4. He has not only usurped in this world the authority that belongs to God and, in a lesser degree, to man; but also diverted to himself the worship that is due to the Most High alone. At the same time he contrives to keep his subjects in darkness as to the real controlling power among the children of this world.

"The OLD SERPENT" :-Revelation 12. 9, and 20 2, typifies him as cunning, crafty, and wily in his wisdom; whilst The DRAGON," sets him forth in his ferocity and cruelty.

Now as to Man's relationship to the evil one. The Scriptures show unmistakably that Man, by his disobedience to his Creator, became subject body and soul, to the service of Satan. The words of the Lord in John 8. 13, show that the Devil is the father of fallen human nature (morally, of course). The desires and deeds of mankind declare the kinship to him who was "a murderer from the beginning" and "the father of lies." He is the spirit that has instilled into the human mind all those instincts for evil that, fanned and encouraged by him through his innumerable emissaries, continually flame out in deeds of wickedness. He appears to have power also to inflict suffering and disease on occasions, as :- - This woman whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years" (Luke 13. 16). "Healing all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10. 38). We also find many instances of his demons indwelling persons in days gone by, and who can say that there are not some such cases in the world to-day? There are some, indeed, whose continued revelry in wickedness seems only to be accounted for by demon-possession.

Ephesians 2. shows us our old state, "even as the rest," yet it shows us something else, that "God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, quickened us together with Christ." We were saved by His grace. Colossians 2. tells us that we were delivered "out of the power (authority) of darkness," and translated into "the kingdom of the Son of His love." Marvellous! is it not? Now, having been delivered from our old bondage to Satan, and having become

God's special care and treasure, the malignity of the Enemy is intensified against us, and his efforts are more assiduously and insidiously plied with the purpose of again ensnaring us in his toils. As "the fowler" of Psalm 91. 3, he does not lay his net in the sight of the bird, but knows well how to disguise his gins so as to give them an appearance of the divine. The spiritually minded perceive these hidden snares, "for we are not ignorant of his devices," but the unwary and careless are, alas, often taken captive by him. Often the camouflage takes its most subtle and attractive form when it hides his snare beneath a fair show of religion; for even "Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light," and his ministers as ministers of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11. 14, 15). He cannot touch our life that is "hid with Christ in God"; but he may very effectually destroy our present life for God down here. How grateful should we be to God for His Word, that it is possible for us to say with the Apostle, "that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Corinthians 2. 11).

CECIL BELTON | Jul 1936
The World, The Flesh, And The Devil.