The Prince of This World
In many ways and degrees, the personal existence of a Spirit of Evil is revealed over and over again to us in Scripture. Every quality, every action, which can indicate personality is attributed to Satan who is the Prince of this world in language which cannot be brushed aside or explained away. The tendency of the human mind in its inquiry as to the origin of evil is generally towards one of two extremes.
The first is to consider evil as a negative imperfection, arising, in some unknown and inexplicable way, from the nature of matter, or from some disturbing influences which limit the action of goodness in man. The second is the Old Persian hypothesis, which traces the existence of evil to a rival Creator, not subordinate to the Creator of that which is good, though inferior to Him in power, and destined to be one day overcome by Him.
The book of Revelation speaks with authority, meeting the truth of this subject head on. It also removes any error in thinking and is essential in both of the above hypotheses as they being false and ridiculous. Scripture asserts in the strongest terms the perfect supremacy of God, so that under His permission alone, and for his inscrutable purposes, evil is allowed to exist. We read in,
Isa.45:7, “I (Jehovah) form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil = (calamity): I the LORD do all these things.”
Compare Amos with Rom.9:22-23,
Amos 3:6, “Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil = (calamity) in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?”
Rom.9:22-23, Jesus is speaking “What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted (prepared for) to destruction: And that he (God) might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he had afore (beforehand) prepared unto glory?”
It regards this evil as an anomaly (a deviation from what is usual or expected) and corruption, and evil to be taken away by a new manifestation of God’s Love in the Incarnation and Atonement. The conquest of evil began virtually in God’s ordinance after the fall itself; was affected actually on the cross, and shall be perfected in its results on the Day of Judgment.
Still Scripture recognizes the existence of evil in the world, not only as felt in outward circumstances, meaning in the world itself; but also as inborn in the soul of man (the flesh,) and proceeding from the influence of an Evil Spirit (the devil) exercising the mysterious power of his free will, which all of God’s rational creatures possess; a free will to rebel against Him, and to draw others into the same rebellion.
God’s revelation of Satan is only gradually revealed to us in Scripture. In his first appearance the temptation is referred only to the serpent himself. Throughout the period of the patriarchal and Jewish dispensation, a vague and imperfect revelation of the Source of Evil is given. The Source of all “Good” is set forth in all Jehovah’s Supreme and unapproachable Majesty; and evil is known negatively as the falling-away from Him.
The book of Job stands alone on the basis of natural religion apart from the gradual and orderly evolution of the Mosaic revelation. In it we find a distinct mention of Satan, the adversary. It is important to comment on the emphatic stress laid on Satan’s subordinate position, on the absence of all but delegated power, of all terror, and all grandeur in his character. It is especially remarkable that no power of spiritual influence was set forth on Job, but only a power over outward circumstances is attributed to Satan, Job 1:14 thru 19, including the outward affliction of boils on his flesh from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
The Jewish captivity brought the Jews face to face with the great dualism of the Persian mythology, — the conflict between Ormuzd with Abriman, the co-ordinate Spirit of Evil. Here is an overview of Ormuzd and Abriman.
The (mythological) omniscient Lord, Ahura Mazda, by a fusion of his two names, became Ormazd and Angra Mainyu â “agonized or negative thought” became Ahriman. These two marked the two poles of existence. The first created life, the second death. The first consisted of light and truth, the second of darkness and falsehood. Both could be defined by their antagonism: the god as anti-demon, the demon as anti-god. This world was claimed to be the result of their hand to hand struggle. You can research the rest for yourself.
In the books written after the Jewish Captivity, we again find the name of Satan:
1 Chro.21:1, “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” And,
Zech.3:1-2, “And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD rebuke thee, O Satan,” but let me note, the name of Satan bears no resemblance to the Persian god Ahriman.
Satan’s subordination and inferiority are strongly marked in the Old and New Testaments. In the apocryphal books of Tobit and Judith, as well as Josephus, no mention of Satan is found. In the ancient Jewish mind, Satan remained in the background; he was felt, but not understood. Many Christian’s have fallen into the same trap; evil is felt, but not understood. For anyone not to know, understand, and acknowledge the enemy of our Lord and of Christian’s can be a spiritual disaster. From the beginning of the gospel, when Satan appears as the personal tempter of Jesus Christ, through all the Gospels, Epistles and the Apocalypse, it is implied over and over again as a familiar and important truth.
Without dwelling on other passages, the following verse in John should be sufficient; for it is plain, sober, and is stated by our Lord Jesus with un-metaphorical words:
John 8:44, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts (desires) of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode (stands) not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it.”
Phil LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com