Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

SATAN (aka the Devil)

Let me say right from the start that Satanism is not, in any way, a part of or allied with, Wicca and/or other forms of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft and should, properly, be seen as a seperate belief system entirely, in much the same was as Hinduism is a completely different belief system to Islam. Furthermore, Wiccans, Neo-Pagans and the majority of other Occultists are (almost always) not Satanists in the sense that they do not believe in the existence of Satan - let alone consciously actively worship him.

In fact, Satanism is not generally considered a form of Neo-Paganism and there is much antagonism between the various 'branches' of Satanism and Wicca/Neo-Pagan Witchcraft.

A Biblical Perspective:

Although the descriptions of Satan are remarkably uniform, they don't tell us very much about his identity, origin, or activities. To gain specific information concerning his character, we must look to the Bible. Even here, we don't find answers to every question that comes to mind. Still, the Scriptures reveal all we need to know to take him seriously and to frustrate his efforts to destroy us.

His Origin:

Satan has not always existed. He and all the other angels were created (Ps. 148:2,5; Col. 1:16). In Ezekiel 28:12-15 we find a description of Satan before he sinned. Although the prophet was speaking to the king of Tyre, there are certain indications in the passage that he was speaking beyond the king to Satan himself. Created by God as "the anointed cherub who covers" (v.14), he was "full of wisdom and perfect in beauty" (v.12) and covered with "every precious stone" (v.13). He was in "Eden, the garden of God" (v.13) and placed "on the holy mountain of God" (v.14). Satan most likely had a special place of prominence in his service to God.

His Sin.

Referring to Satan, Ezekiel 28:15 states, "You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you." Ezekiel then added, "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor" (v.17).

Satan's sin originated in pride, grew into self-deception, and ended in rebellion. In Isaiah 14:13,14 we read, "For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation...; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High' " (Is. 14:13,14). Satan's pride so deluded him that he claimed equality with God. This led him to spark a rebellion in which he induced a large number of angels to join him (Rev. 12:4).

His Punishment:

After Satan sinned, God threw him out of heaven to the earth (Is. 14:12; Ezek. 28:16,17). His final punishment will come shortly after the end of the millennial reign of Christ on the earth. At that time, Satan will be "cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).

His Personhood:

Satan is not an impersonal evil force. He possesses the traits of personality: intellect (2 Cor. 11:3), emotion (Rev. 12:17), and will (2 Tim. 2:26). Furthermore, personal pronouns are used of him in both the Old and New Testament (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; Zech.3:1,2; Matt. 4:1-12).

His Names:

We can learn a great deal about who Satan is by looking at the different names, titles, and representations of him throughout Scripture:

Satan (Zech 3:1; Matt. 4:10; Rev. 12:9; 20:2), used 52 times, comes from the Hebrew word satan meaning "adversary" or "opposer."
Devil (Matt. 4:1; 13:39; Eph. 4:27; Rev. 12:9; 20:2), used 35 times, comes from the Greek word diabolos meaning "slanderer, accuser."
Lucifer (Is. 14:12) means "son of the morning," "shining one," or "light bearer." Even though this describes him before his fall, Satan currently "transforms himself into anangel of light" to deceive the world (2 Cor. 11:14).
Anointed cherub (Ezek. 28:14) indicates that he had one of the highest (if not the highest) ranking of all the angels.
Evil one (Matt. 13:19,38; John 17:15; Eph. 6:16; 1 John 5:18,19) describes him as the personification of evil.
Ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) refers to his power over the fallen world-system of men and of demons.
God of this age (2 Cor. 4:4) is used in reference to his power to blind the minds of the world to the gospel.
Prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2) describes his pervasive spiritual influence.
Serpent (Gen. 3:1; 2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9; 20:2) portrays his deceit and craftiness.
Dragon (Rev. 12:3,7,9) indicates his fierce nature and power to destroy.
Accuser (Rev. 12:10).
Tempter (Matt. 4:3; 1 Thess 3:5).
Deceiver (Rev. 12:9; 20:3).
Murderer (John 8:44).
Liar (John 8:44).
Sinner (1 John 3:8).
Beelzebub, ruler of the demons (Matt 10:25; 12:24,27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15), literally translated means "lord of the flies."
Belial (2 Cor. 6:15) means "worthless" or "wicked."
Roaring lion (1 Pet. 5:8) describes him as hungry and on the prowl to devour Christians.

OTHER RESOURCES:
see also:
CAN A CHRISTIAN BE DEMON POSSESSED?;
TERRITORIAL SPIRITS AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE and
SPIRITUAL WARFARE in the ARTICLES Section of this Site.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc