Satan
Illustration #13
Lucifer, Son of the Morning, was the anointed (chosen) angel of God. His home was in heaven. He had been created by God long before Adam and Eve lived upon the earth. Lucifer was more beautiful than anything we can imagine. His clothing was trimmed with precious stones: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and many others, all set in fine gold. How brilliant and colorful he must have been! The Bible says he was perfect in beauty, and full of wisdom. Lucifer lived in the presence of God. There he did what God told him to do.
This beautiful angel had been chosen by God to rule in a very high place above other angels. The Word of God says he was perfect in every way. He thought no wrong. he did no wrong. He worshipped the Almighty God as the One who was higher, more glorious and more powerful than anyone else.
But one day Lucifer, for the very first time, had a bad thought—a very bad thought. He no longer wanted to think how wonderful God is. But he began to think of himself and how beautiful he was. To himself he said something that was very wrong: “I want to be like God who is the highest of all. I want to have His majesty and power.” Lucifer wanted to take the place of Almighty God. Imagine that! He was no longer satisfied simply to rule over other angels. He wanted the angels to worship him as they worshipped God.
As Lucifer thought he began to plan: “I will go into the highest heaven. I will have my throne above the stars of God. I will rule above the clouds.” His desire for power went on and on. He wanted to be as high as God. The desire of Lucifer was sin—the very first sin.
God, who is holy, could not permit sin – not even the sin of pride – in heaven. So Lucifer was punished by having his high position taken from him. No longer was he called Lucifer (meaning Daystar). His name was changed to Satan (the devil).
How Satan hated God! Never again would he obey and serve God. Now he would rule for himself. He hated all the good plans of God, and he decided to spoil those plans with the power that God had let him keep. Satan made his own plans—plans to do evil work against God
Illustration #14
When God made the first man and woman, Satan wanted to be worshipped by them, just as he had wanted the angels to worship him. Everything was beautiful and perfect in the Garden of Eden. There were no wild animals. All were tame and doubtless pretty. There was nothing if which to be afraid in that beautiful place. So Satan, in the form of a serpent, went to Eve. There, in that lovely garden, Satan tempted Eve to disobey God. She listened to him and – would you believe it? – she decided to disobey God! And that was sin. Adam sinned, too. And ever since that day everyone born into this world (except the Lord Jesus Christ) has been a sinner – all because of Satan, the enemy of God
But God did not let Satan have his own way. He upset Satan’s plans. God promised that He would send a Deliverer—a Savior—who would one day destroy Satan.
Satan was very angry and tried to keep the promise of God from coming true. He knew that the Deliverer whom God had promised, would come from the nation Israel. So Satan tried again and again to destroy the Israelites. He hated God’s chosen people. But God would not let His people be completely destroyed.
No matter how hard Satan tried he could not change the plan of God. he could not keep the Deliverer from coming to earth as God had promised. Jesus was the Deliverer, and one night He was born in Bethlehem. But Satan had not given up. Through King Herod, he tried to destroy the baby Jesus. Herod commanded his soldiers to kill all the little boys in Bethlehem, two years old and under. But God protected Jesus by having Mary and Joseph take Him far away from Bethlehem (to Egypt).
Satan tried to get the Lord Jesus to sin. If he could get Jesus to disobey God the Father, Jesus would no longer be perfect. If He was not perfect, He would not be able to save people from their sins. But God is stronger than Satan. And, since Christ Jesus is God the Son, He did not sin.
Did Satan stop fighting God? No! Another time he tried to get rid of Jesus by causing the people of Nazareth to try to push Jesus off a high cliff. But God the Father protected His Son. The people could not kill Jesus for it was not yet the time God had chosen for Him to die. God was proving that He had much more power than Satan, and that His promises always come true.
Illustration #15
The Lord Jesus always did what God the Father wanted Him to do. He lived a perfect life on earth, and one day He gave His life as a perfect sacrifice on the cross. It looked as if Satan had finally won when Jesus died. But he was in for a great surprise!
Illustration #16
After three days the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God. Jesus had overcome Satan by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. He rose again and He lives today. He will always live. The day is coming when Satan will be punished for his sin and disobedience. He will be punished forever in the Lake of Fire, just as God has promised.
What is Satan doing today? Although we cannot see him, he is very busy. He is trying to keep people from receiving the Lord Jesus. We are all sinners. We all have chosen to go our own way instead of God’s way. We cannot get loose from our sin. It is as if all of us were tied tightly with ropes. Our arms, our legs, every part of our body is tied. And because all of us are tightly tied, none can help the other. But there is One who is not tied. He never sinned! He, the sinless Son of God, is the only One who can free us from the sin that binds us. And when we truly believe that He took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross; and when we receive Him as Savior, He forgives our sin. He sets us free! We become members of the family of God.
But even after we belong to the Lord God, Satan does not leave us alone. He tries to cause the children of God to do all kinds of wrong: lie, steal, cheat, hate, fight, be proud, and disobey God in all kinds of ways.
We cannot fight Satan by ourselves. He is more powerful than you or I. How can we overcome him when he is stronger than we are? The Bible tells us to give ourselves to God and obey Him. Then with His help, as we stand up to the devil, he will run away from us. But Satan will return again and again to try to trick us into doing wrong. He is a liar and the “father of lies.” If Satan does get you to do wrong, he goes to God and tells Him how awful you are. He wants to get you into all the trouble he can.
What should a child of God do if he sins? He should confess his sin to God right away. He will forgive those who are really sorry for what they have done.
It seems that more people today are listening to Satan than are listening to God. But someday everyone will bow before God and His Son, Jesus Christ. And Satan and all who have followed him—those who have never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ—will be punished forever in the Lake of Fire.
Are you on the side of God or on the side of Satan? Remember, those who are on the side of God are on the winning side! If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, if you believe He died and rose again for you, and if you want to receive Him as your Savior today, please tell me so right after class. I would like to talk with you about it.
Lessons adapted or copied from The Visualized Bible
