Christian Israelites believe that Satan (also known as the Devil, Lucifer and by several other names), exists and is a direct enemy to God and mankind. The Bible explains that he originally dwelt in heaven in the presence of God and was one of God’s archangels. He was said to be beautiful, but he became vain and wanted to be more powerful than God, which led to his downfall:
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.’ Isaiah 14:12-15.
“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, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.’ Ezekiel 28:17.
He rose up against God with the view of overthrowing him. Michael (another archangel) fought against him, and cast him to the earth:
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’ Revelation 12:7-9.
He is first mentioned on earth as the serpent who beguiled Eve (and through her, Adam) into disobeying God by causing them to question what God had said:
“Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ Genesis 3:1.
This led to the fall of mankind and the entry of sin and corruption into the world. Before this, man and woman were pure and unashamed, and dwelt in the presence of God (in the Garden of Eden). Following their disobedience, they were banished from the garden and God’s presence. God cursed Satan for what he did and promised that he would later be defeated. As mentioned in About the Trinity, Christian Israelites believe it is Jesus who is meant in this promise and who was predestined to overcome Satan:
“And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed [Jesus]; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.’ Genesis 3:14-15 (emphasised word added).
The Bible describes many characteristics of Satan, stating that he is an ‘accuser’ (Revelation 12:10), a murderer, and a liar:
“He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.’ John 8:44.
He is also described as actively seeking ways to attack and torment God’s children:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ 1 Peter 5:8.
He is considered to be the prince of death, in contrast to God and Jesus, who are all about life:
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ John 10:10.
We have a choice between life and death:
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ Deuteronomy 30:19.
Satan’s ultimate goal is to drive God’s children to death, as it is death that he draws power from. As mentioned above, part of God’s curse against Satan was, ‘dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life’. The Bible explains that it was from dust that mankind was made (Genesis 2:7) and that when we die, our spirits return to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7), but our bodies return to dust – Satan’s domain:
“All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.’ Ecclesiastes 3:20.
God, however, has no part in death:
“He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.’ Mark 12:27.
Satan has an army of demons or evil spirits (fallen angels) that fell with him from heaven (Revelation 12:4) and which he employs to help him achieve his goal of driving us to sin and then to death:
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ Romans 6:23.
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.’ 1 John 3:8.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’ Ephesians 6:12.
The primary way Satan attacks us is through our minds, i.e., by causing us to believe lies (ideas that go against God’s Word), think on evil, and to question the validity of God:
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.’ 2 Corinthians 11:3.
“In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.’ 2 Corinthians 4:4 (emphasised word added).
It is therefore through casting down the dark and evil thoughts that Satan places in our minds and replacing them with truth (God’s Word) that we are able to conquer him and the evil within us that he draws upon:
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ 2 Corinthians 10:5.
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ Romans 8:5-6.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ Isaiah 26:3.
Jesus demonstrated this principle when he was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness. Satan tempted Jesus in the same way he had Adam and Eve – by trying to make him question God’s Word. He said things to Jesus that sounded like truth, but which were deceitful and misleading. Jesus responded to this and overcame Satan by quoting the truth (the Word of God):
“And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ Matthew 4:3-4.
Satan spreads his lies and tries to mislead God’s children through many ideas and actions that seem spiritual and are, but which draw on the power of evil spirits rather than God’s Spirit, and which make lies seem like truth. This includes all aspects of the occult: fortune telling, astrology, witchcraft, clairvoyance, divination, voodoo, etc, which Christian Israelites view as ways that Satan can gain entry into our lives and which we are therefore strictly against. The Bible outlines further sins that draw us out of God’s kingdom and into Satan’s:
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’ Galatians 5:19-21.
It is through Jesus Christ that we can have authority and victory over the Devil:
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.’ Mark 16:17-18 (see also Luke 10:19).
“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.’ 1 John 3:8.
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ 1 Corinthians 15:57.
Jesus Christ gained victory over the Devil when he rose again, that is, when he overcame death:
“That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life … Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.’ Romans 6:4, 9.
However, Satan is ever-present in our world and continues in his desire to be more powerful than God. He is focused on his goal of drawing us away from God, tormenting us, causing us to sin, and ultimately driving us to death through sin and disease.
Christian Israelites believe that Satan will be fully defeated upon Jesus Christ’s second coming:
“And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve … Yet thou [Satan] shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?’ Isaiah 14:3, 15-17 (emphasised word added).
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.’ Revelation 20:14
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet.’ 1 Corinthians 15: 26-27.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ Revelation 21:4
Until then, God has given us tools to stand against the Devil:
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil … Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ Ephesians 6:11, 13-18.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ James 4:7.
Christian Israelites believe that by following the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments, we are gradually able to defeat the evil within us, develop the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), and thereby ensure that Satan no longer has power over us, just as Jesus Christ and the prophets promised:
“The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.’ Zephaniah 3:15.”