Satan (Adversary)

Traits

False Accusation of the Woman and her Offspring

In Matthew 4:5, the being tempting Christ is called ὁ διάβολος, literally “he who casts by”, used of a person who makes generally false accusations. In Revelation chapter 12 we saw equated “the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.” All those who oppose God do such things, and therefore the idea of a false accuser is associated with the Adversary, or Satan, that entire race of the serpent's offspring which is called at Revelation “the accuser of our brethren”, an example of which is that devil which made false accusations concerning Job.

Key Scriptural References

Job

KJV Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. 4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth [land], and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

According to Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4, the “Satan” which accused Job, and the “Satan” which tempted Christ, could not have been that original author of the rebellion, the spirit-being cast out of heaven, since those angels who sinned and left their first estate are bound and awaiting judgement. Therefore, it only follows that these must be from among the number of the satanic entity which we may call the “seed of the serpent”, which are collectively Satan, or the Adversary, just as the children of Israel are collectively called the Anointed.

Jude 6: “and the messengers not having kept their first dominion but having forsaken their own habitation are kept under darkness in everlasting bindings for the judgment of the great day”.

2 Peter 2:4: “For if Yahweh did not spare the messengers who had done wrong but having cast them into Tartaros into a pit of darkness He had delivered them being kept for judgment.”

While one certainly cannot deny the existence of spirits and demons, individuals who “spiritualize” the Bible and look to “spiritual” explanations for its precepts are actually letting the devil off the hook, and are giving him license to do practically whatever he wants in this world. Just as the Genesis 3 serpent was a real person on this earth, so is that Satan who accused Job. Thus John says in his first epistle “Beloved, do not have trust in every spirit, but scrutinize whether the spirits are from of Yahweh, because many false prophets have gone out into Society.” The Christian's biggest failure is to ignore this advice of the apostle, and not act on it. Yet by all of this we can see, that when we fall victim to the banker or the prosecutor, it is a test for us, but it is ultimately for the glory of God.

Judas Iscariot

Just as the accuser of Job and the tempter of Christ were devils, so was Judas Iscariot, for Christ said, from John 6:70, ““Have I not chosen you twelve? Yet one from among you is a false accuser!” Or a “devil”.