Who the Devil is Lucifer?

The devil and Lucifer are one and the same; both are names for Satan.

Revelation 12:9 says, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Although the Bible doesn’t go into detail about the devil’s origin, it does indicate that he was an angelic being who rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven as a result.

The Bible suggests that Satan’s pre-fall name was Lucifer (the shining one or the day star). “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (Isaiah 14:12).

Mortal men do not fall from heaven; however, twice we read of Satan falling from (or being thrown out of) heaven – in Luke 10:18 and Revelation 12:9.

Satan was cast out from his position in heaven due to sin and he is now completely opposed to God, doing all in his power to thwart God’s purposes.

Why did he sin and rebel against God? The reason can be summarized in one word: pride.

Pride Goeth Before the Fall.

Satan’s pride was the first sin committed in the universe, and humanity has been on notice ever since that pride goeth before the fall (Proverbs 16:18; 1 Timothy 3:6).

Lucifer apparently became so impressed with his own beauty, intelligence, power, and position that he began to desire for himself the honor and glory that belonged to God alone.

James 1:14 hints that evil comes from one’s own desire. God is not the author of sin; our desires are. God did not make Satan become full of pride. The sin that corrupted Lucifer was self-generated pride. It was by Satan’s own desire that his pride in his own beauty and abilities overtook him.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan’s temptation of Eve made her crave the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God forbade her and Adam to eat. Eve said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13). In other words, “the devil made me do it.”

But that’s no excuse. It was Eve who wanted to eat the forbidden fruit after the serpent pointed it out to her. Satan had not entered into her; she was enticed by her own desire.

“That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:20-23).

Satan is a master of disguise and deceit.

The devil will take on different appearances and prey on your weaknesses to tempt you, just like he appeared to Eve as a serpent in the garden and got her to eat the fruit that was off limits. 2 Corinthians 11:14 even tells us that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light,” which is ironic since he’s also called the prince of darkness.

Speaking of masquerading as something else, every year on October 31, children and adults dress up in bright red devil costumes complete with horns, a speared tail, and a pitchfork prop. It seems like they don’t take Satan seriously.

Early Christians knew that Satan is dangerous. They wanted to stop his interference in their life. The Bible said he is proud, so they considered that pride might be his weak point. Thus they portrayed him as silly looking, with red horns and a pitch fork, thinking that he could not tolerate being ridiculed. But later generations thought that is how their ancestors believed he actually looked!

Belief in the devil may seem outdated. The problem is, if we deny or downplay Satan’s existence, then we run the risk of allowing him to sneak in and trick us.

Sin Comes from the Devil.

The Bible says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Committing sin is an evil act and comes from the devil. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

Satan’s days are numbered, and eventually he will be condemned eternally. Meanwhile, Satan and his evil minions are okay with you believing they exist or not. They adjust their actions accordingly. But if we have the Holy Spirit residing inside of us, then these demons cannot possess us.

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