The Bible portrays the whole world under the influence of an invisible devil, known as Satan. This adversary was not created as a devil by God. Originally, he was Lucifer of Helel, a super archangel, a cherub full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, placed by God on a throne on earth to administer His government over the angels. Helel was at the very throne of God in heaven, experienced in the administration of divine rule, and lived a perfect life from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him. Helel allowed his beauty and perfection to fill him with vanity and self-desire, becoming envious of God's power and resenting authority over him. He plotted with a third of the angels to form an invading army, aiming to ascend into heaven, exalt his throne above the stars of God, and be like the Most High. This rebellion transformed him into Satan, meaning Adversary, and his followers into demons. Their sin brought chaos to the earth, turning a perfect creation into a state of confusion and disorder. Satan, as the leader of these fallen angels, now sways the inhabitants of this present world. He refused to carry out God's will and commands, seeking to substitute his own, thus disqualifying himself from his position. Despite this, God did not create a devil but a perfect being who, through the power of free choice, transformed himself into an enemy by rebelling against the Government of God.

The devil, originally named Helel, was a super archangel, a cherub, placed by God on earth's throne to administer His government over the angels. Created perfect, Helel lived a flawless life until pride and envy of God's power led him to rebel. He marshaled a third of the angels into an army, intent on unseating God, transforming himself into Satan, meaning Adversary, and his followers into demons. This rebellion caused chaos on earth, turning a perfect creation into wreckage from a titanic spiritual battle. Satan's sin reached the heavens, bringing disorder to earth, and after God remade the earth in six days, Adam had the chance to replace satan on the throne but failed, yielding to the adversary. Thus, satan remains the ruler of this world, holding humanity in slavery under his deceptive authority. His power lies in lies, leading the world astray from God's truth, and he is determined to destroy as many as possible, especially the saints, driven by a thirst for power and pride. Jesus Christ came to unseat satan, refusing to obey him during temptations and remaining faithful to God, qualifying Him to rule the earth. Though the appointed time for Christ's return is near, satan knows his judgment is coming and will soon wage war against the true church with vengeance, aware his time is short. His methods have brought global suffering through false teachers, wars, famines, pestilences, diseases, and persecution of God's people. At the close of this age, satan's wrath will bring untold suffering, followed by cataclysmic events and battles so destructive only God can repair the damage. In the final battle, Christ will return to put an end to sin forcibly, destroying the works of the devil. Satan, as the epitome of evil, works against God and humanity, aiming to separate people from God through deception and lies about God's nature and laws, ultimately seeking to ruin God's works and destroy humanity to prevent them from surpassing his power. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Satan, the covering cherub who rebelled against God, operates in secrecy, not wishing to be revealed for what he is or how he functions. As an adversary, his title Satan, derived from the Hebrew meaning opponent, marks him as the enemy of God, believers, and all that is right and good. Though he may appear as an angel of light, this guise is merely a façade to aid his work as the arch-adversary. In Scripture, he is called the devil, a term from the Greek diabolos, meaning slanderer or defamer, highlighting his constant efforts to malign the character of God and His people. Described as a roaring lion and an adversary in a legal sense, he stands as the defamer of God's character, the accuser of believers, and the opponent of all humanity, refusing to accept the divine verdict of guilt and the sentence to the Lake of Fire. Revelation portrays him as a great, fiery red dragon, emphasizing the magnitude of his power, his murderous and bloodthirsty nature, and his beastly, cruel character, especially in the end times when all restraints are removed. Identified as the serpent of old who deceived Adam and Eve, his crafty nature and continuous activity of temptation and deception affect the whole world. Known as the wicked one, his malignant evil is active and destructive, causing pain, injury, and death like a cancer to humanity. As the prince of the power of the air, he heads the demonic hosts, filling the environment with ungodly deceptions, doubts, and temptations, creating an atmosphere of evil influence where every person moves. As the spirit working in the sons of disobedience, he continuously promotes his viewpoint to foster disobedience in mankind. Above all, deception defines his character, causing people to miss the truth of God through lying, denying, counterfeiting, and perverting the truth. Yet, the promise remains that believers are victors through the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ, called to resist the devil by remaining close to the Lord, and that Satan is a defeated foe whose days of creating misery and deception are limited, as the God of peace will crush him underfoot.

Since the beginning, Satan has worked at cross purposes with God and humanity at every opportunity he finds. He is the sworn enemy of all humanity, frustrating and deceiving people while leading them into destruction within the parameters established by God. The whole plan of redemption cannot be fully understood without accepting the reality of the Devil, whose influence explains mankind's problems and the state of the world. Satan is always there, trying to punch holes in human resistance, holding total control over the world. Numerous names are given to Satan in the New Testament: the Devil, the tempter, the evil one, the prince of demons, the dragon, the ancient serpent, Beelzebub, the accuser, and the enemy. In every way, he is pictured as the epitome of evil. Long before the creation described in Genesis, the earth was a perfect creation populated by angels, with Helel, a super archangel, placed on a throne to administer God's government over earth's angels. Initially, there was peace and happiness, but Helel, filled with pride and envy of God's power, plotted with his angels to invade heaven and unseat God. After this failed rebellion, Satan was imprisoned on earth, so to speak. Satan spoke to Eve, and by extension to Adam, enticing them to sin, resulting in the fallen state of the world from that moment. This world has become the kingdom of Satan, producing results known as the works of the Devil. The Son of God came into this world because of the kingdom Satan established, to conquer him and his dominion, and to introduce God's Kingdom of salvation and eternal life. The conflict between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the Devil defines much of the biblical narrative. God gave Adam the opportunity to replace Satan on earth's throne and restore God's government, but Adam yielded to Satan, who remains the ruler of this world. Christ, the second Adam, came to unseat Satan, refusing to obey him during temptations and remaining faithful to God, qualifying Him to take over the rule of the earth. At His second coming, Christ will oust the Devil, restore God's laws, and bring order and peace as in the original creation. Satan leads the whole world astray through deception, his power lying in lies that deceive humanity about God's truth and way of life. He pursues the church with vengeance, knowing his time until judgment is short. His methods have brought global problems like false teachers, wars, famines, pestilences, diseases, and persecution of God's people. At the close of this age, Satan's wrath will bring indescribable suffering, followed by God's greater wrath. The Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil, engaging in an all-out war against sin and Satan's influence. Satan's great endeavor is to separate people from God through lies, jealousy of God's sovereignty, and hatred, aiming to ruin God's glorious works. For nearly 6,000 years, he has done this with deceptive subtlety, persuading humanity to believe his lies, a major cause of evil and confusion. Satan's lies include distortions about God's attitude toward humanity, suggesting God does not love or care for them, and portraying God's laws as burdensome. He lies about the consequences of sin, assuring people they can disobey God without repercussions, leading to slavery under his dominion. The world remains in his stronghold, unable to live righteously without his interference. Satan instigates corruption and destruction of God's creation, aiming to murder every human to prevent them from joining God's Family, knowing they will be made higher than angels. His power will establish a coming world government resulting in great tribulation, uniting nations for a final war against the returning Son of God. This war will climax at Christ's second coming, with Satan decisively defeated. By listening to Satan's lies, humanity has fallen under the power of death, the last enemy. Christ came into a world under Satan's dominion, appearing to undo his

Our struggle, as described in Ephesians 6:12, is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, powers, world rulers of darkness, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. We are engaged in a great spiritual battle, and Peter warns in I Peter 5:8 to be sober and alert, for our enemy, the adversary, the devil, prowls like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. To counter this enemy, we must understand his methods and schemes, though satan, the deceiver, hides his true nature. Paul, in II Corinthians 2:11, assures us we are not ignorant of his schemes, yet in II Corinthians 11:3, he fears that as the serpent deceived Eve with craftiness, our minds might be led astray. Originally named helel, this being was the anointed cherub, as revealed in Ezekiel 28:12-15, full of wisdom and beauty, adorned with precious stones, and established by God on the holy mountain. He was perfect until iniquity was found in him. Isaiah 14:12-14 describes his fall, as helel, called lucifer in some translations, sought to ascend above God, exalting his throne and desiring to be like the Most High. Derived from the Hebrew root halal, meaning praise or glory, helel was meant to glorify God but became boastful, seeking praise for himself. Cast back to Earth, God renamed him satan, meaning adversary, reflecting his opposition to God, believers, and all that is good. Satan is known by many titles revealing his nature. In I Peter 5:8, he is the adversary, and as devil, from the Greek diabolos, he is a slanderer and defamer. In Revelation 12:3, he is the great red dragon, symbolizing his vast power, murderous character, and cruel nature. As the serpent of old, he embodies craftiness and constant temptation. In I John 5:19, he is the evil one, a malignant force, and in Galatians 1:4, this age bears his evil character. Ephesians 2:2 names him the prince of the power of the air, leading demonic forces to fill the atmosphere with deception and temptation, energizing disobedience in humanity. In Revelation 12:9, he is the deceiver of the whole world, using lies, denial, counterfeits, and distortions to lead people astray. Yet, we hold two promises: through the victory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the true Light-bearer, we are victors, and we must resist the devil by drawing near to Him, clad in the full armor of God. Additionally, satan is a defeated foe, his days of creating misery and deception numbered, as Romans 16:20 declares that the God of peace will soon crush him under our feet.

The belief in the existence of Satan the Devil is firmly held, supported by clear biblical references. Jesus Christ Himself provides a direct eyewitness statement in Luke 10, declaring, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning," affirming that this powerful being exists and fell from heaven. This event is corroborated in Isaiah 14, where the imagery describes Satan being cut down to the ground and brought down to Sheol, a place of exile or restraint, indicating a fall from a high position due to sin. The angels, including Satan, are shown to have sinned, leading to their casting down to a place of darkness and judgment. Originally named Helel, meaning brightness or shining one, he was an angel of great glory before his fall. The name Lucifer, a Latin term meaning light bringer, is considered less appropriate and potentially misleading due to its pagan connotations; Helel is preferred for accuracy. Post-fall, he is no longer an angel of light but of darkness, as emphasized in Ephesians 6 and Colossians 1, where believers are said to be transferred from his kingdom of darkness to light. Yet, in II Corinthians 11, it is noted that he can disguise himself as an angel of light to deceive, though his true nature remains that of darkness. His current names, Satan and Devil, mean adversary and accuser or slanderer, respectively, encapsulating his role as an enemy who accuses and slanders before God. Isaiah 14 reveals his inner thoughts of rebellion, expressing a desire to ascend to heaven, sit on God's throne, and be like or even equal to the Most High, showcasing immense vanity and presumption. This rebellion led to a swift downfall, as God cast him down to the pit with ease, despite the catastrophic impact of the conflict on the universe. Ezekiel 28 further describes him as he was before rebellion—a being of perfection, wisdom, and beauty, an anointed cherub who covered God's throne, positioned at the very center of divine governance. His pride and vanity corrupted his wisdom, leading to violence against God and his eventual casting out as a profane entity. His role as a covering cherub highlights his intimate knowledge of God's power, making his rebellion inexcusable. Jesus Christ repeatedly identifies him as the ruler of this world, a position acknowledged during the temptations in Matthew 4 and Luke 4, where he claims authority over the kingdoms of the earth, unchallenged by Jesus. Despite being defeated by Christ's sacrifice and destined to be cast out forever as stated in John 12:31, John 14:30, and John 16:11, he retains significant power and influence over the earth, ruling nations and wielding spiritual authority. Revelation 9 and 12 add titles like Abaddon and Apollyon, meaning destruction and destroyer, and depict him as a fiery red dragon, the serpent of old from the Garden of Eden, deceiving the whole world. As the accuser of the brethren, he constantly slanders believers before God, seeking to trip them up and lead them to sin, as seen in the example of Job. His hatred stems from their potential to become sons of God, a status he forfeited. Overcoming him involves a three-part approach: the blood of the Lamb, which forgives sins and opens a relationship with the Father; the word of their testimony, living out God's truth through conduct; and not loving their lives unto death, resisting compromise even in daily temptations. Believers are urged to be humble, trust in God, remain self-controlled, watchful for his presence, resist him with spiritual strength, and endure suffering, with the assurance that God will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle them in this battle.