An Amazing Fact: The Bible never portrays Satan as wearing red, sporting bat wings, trailing a pointy tails, complete with horns and pitchfork. This notion actually comes from Greek mythology, and this distortion helps the devil. So what is the truth?
Every year, parents allow their kids to participate in the rituals of Halloween, an annual celebration of death and spiritualism. Halloween was designed to promote the belief that death is really a sacred rite of passage, that humans go on in spirit after they die, and that the dead can participate in the living world—even though the Bible teaches the exact opposite.
If that weren’t enough cause for alarm, consider that Halloween encourages giving in to the devil’s temptations—trickery, rebellion, destruction, excess, greed, and gluttony. It’s as if the devil made Halloween in his image!
But who, exactly, is the devil? Is he real or just a Bible myth? He’s often perceived as a comical caricature with a red body, horns, bat wings, a tail, and a pitchfork. Many people believe he’s just a mythical symbol of wrongdoing. However, the Bible says he is real and represents the very essence of evil! And his plans for escalating immorality, sorrow, pain, and destruction are succeeding to an incredible degree.
What more does the Bible have to say about this powerful force in the world? Read on …
Question: What was Satan’s name before he sinned, and where did he come from? The Bible says:
- "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!" (Isaiah 14:12).
- "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (Luke 10:18).
The fact that the Bible mentions him by name (Lucifer) and his first home (heaven) is a very strong indication that he’s not just a fable in a red Halloween costume.
Question: Did God make the devil? The Bible says:
- “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee" (Ezekiel 28:15).
- "Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” (Ezekiel 28: 12).
God did not make a devil—He created a perfect angel (Ephesians 3:9). Lucifer was a "covering" cherub (Ezekiel 28:14; Psalm 99:1). His beauty was flawless and his brightness was awe-inspiring.
Question: What led Lucifer to rebel? The Bible says:
- "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness" (Ezekiel 28:17).
Pride and discontent led Lucifer to become jealous of God’s supreme power. He actually hoped to unseat God and then demand that all worship him (Isaiah 14:13, 14).
Question: Where is Satan's present headquarters? How does he feel about people? The Bible says:
- "The Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it" (Job 2:2).
- "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea, for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Revelation 12:12).
- "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
Contrary to popular opinion, Satan's headquarters is on the earth, not in hell. God gave Adam and Eve dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). When they sinned, they lost it to Satan (Romans 6:16), who then became ruler, or prince, of the earth (John 12:31).
Satan bitterly hates humans, who were created in God's image. He can't touch God, so he directs his venom against God's children. He's a hateful, vicious murderer and liar whose aim is to destroy you and thus hurt God.
Conclusion
The devil is real, and he isn’t someone to take or treat lightly. The Bible teaches that in the very end, you are either for Christ or you are for the devil. Knowing now the Bible truth about the devil and what he really wants, isn’t it time to take your stand with God and deny those things that celebrate him and his lies?
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