Satan's History

Satan’s History

            What do you know about Satan? Only what you’ve read, I hope. He is not someone you want to know personally or hang out with. He gets full coverage in the Bible, but he isn’t the good guy. From the very start he causes trouble. That trouble has expanded by people’s irrational belief in a power apart from God; and escalated into the world we live in today with wars, murders, suffering and ending in death.

            Satan’s is first mentioned in the Bible as a serpent who talked Eve into disobeying God. Where did he come from? How did he get into that perfect garden? We know the serpent that God cursed and forced to crawl on his belly and eat dirt, but what did Eve see? It must have been charming because Eve spent time with it. She listened to it’s reasoning. She took his advice. “Go ahead. Eat the fruit. It will make you smart. You are God’s children, He won’t harm you!” We will never know what Eve saw or talked to. It doesn’t matter the damage is done. Evil, to all people is real.

            The next production, in which Satan is the star, is the story of Job. God and Satan have a conversation. Satan, who is no longer a serpent, but again a walking, talking being (I wonder how he overcame the curse of God?) Anyway, Satan informs God that Job only loves God because God gives Job everything. So God tells Satan to go ahead, test Job however he pleases, “Just don’t hurt Job.” Satan destroys Job’s home, kills his 7 children, His livestock and still Job praises God. Satan returns to argue with God. You have to give Satan credit for being aggressive. “Job will curse you once he is hurt.” God caved, “Do your worst, just don’t kill Job.” Satan tormented Job-gave him boils all over his body. Job was in great pain; he couldn’t eat because of boils in his mouth and throat and sleep was out of the question. Job remained faithful to God and finally God said, “Enough” and restored Job’s health, gave him 7 more children and more livestock, and twice the money and power.

            Jesus taught in parables. I think both the Eden and Job story are parables or allegories. Neither story is a history or true. Just tales to make you think. Like the pearl of great price isn’t really a jewel; it is knowing our Father’s love for us.  

            As for Jesus in the wilderness; I believe it really happened. I can imagine Jesus alone, thinking about His future. Knowing that the people He came to help will turn on Him in hate and kill Him. He was human, He had to wonder if it was worth it. Maybe He should just be a king and rule; or be their hero when they see Him fall from a great height and not be hurt; and He was pretty hungry.  As a human Jesus must have felt like the weight of the world was on His shoulders. Was He man enough for the mission ahead? Could He convince anyone that God is our Father and we are all brothers and sisters? What if He failed to heal? His own family thought that He was ‘beside Himself’; His doubts and fears took over: until realized: “The son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do” and my Father is with me always. He had made His decision. He was becoming the Christ. Satan had to go.

            Now you are wondering what Jesus saw? How did Satan find Jesus? What did Satan look like? Why did Satan give up so easily? All Jesus said was, “Get behind me Satan!” In my considered opinion Satan is nothing but a figment of your imagination and has no more power than you give to him.

            You have traded your childhood fear of the menacing shadow on the wall; the evil witch riding her broomstick past your window; the ugly bogy-man in the closet; the threating monster under the bed; the ghosts floating over the bed; the goblins jumping on the bed whispering scary, nasty things in your ear; and don’t forget the zombies waiting just outside the door to grab you if you should leave your room to use the bathroom. You traded these childish fears for the more sophisticated adult form of apprehension. Jesus was arguing with Himself. Once He made the decision to just put God first in every way and teach the Truth; He put Satan out of His mind. Satan disappeared along with the doubt and fear. This is what Jesus means by “Know the Truth and the Truth will make you free.”

            You say that the Bible tells us Jesus cast out devils, so doesn’t that mean they are real? No! He also said, “Your faith has made you whole.” What is faith? A belief. What is belief? A thought that you think until you convince yourself that you believe. Thoughts can be true or false. Before you believe in your thought test it thoroughly for Good.

            Believe only in God as the only power; only mind; only Truth and Reality; and nothing evil can touch you. All that exists God created. Evil, sickness, sin and death are not among the Good created. They are all man created lies that are man’s nightmare. Wake up! Satan has no history.

            909 words     Loretta Ellen Edwards