Our Readers Ask
Yes, the Bible teaches that Satan the Devil is, indeed, a real person. Critics of the Bible, however, scoff at such a portrayal of the Devil. Satan, they say, merely represents the principle of evil that resides in humans.
Should we be surprised by the confusion regarding Satan’s true identity? Not at all. To illustrate: A criminal might wipe his fingerprints from a crime scene so that he may conceal his identity and thus continue his illegal activity undetected. Similarly, Satan is a criminal mastermind who is content to operate behind the scenes, promoting moral corruption. Jesus clearly identified Satan as the one responsible for the evil state of human affairs. Jesus called Satan “the ruler of this world.”—John 12:31.
Where did the Devil come from? Originally created as a perfect spirit creature in heaven, this outlaw angel made himself the Devil when he became obsessed with the desire to have humans worship him instead of God. The Bible records a conversation here on earth between Satan and Jesus in which the Devil revealed his selfish ambition. Satan tried to get Jesus to “fall down and do an act of worship” to him.—Matthew 4:8, 9.
Likewise, in conversations with God, as recorded in the book of Job, Satan revealed his motives. He would stop at nothing to influence humans to renounce God.—Job 1:13-19;2:7, 8.
Consider: If Satan conversed with Jehovah God and Jesus Christ, how could Satan possibly be merely the principle of evil that resides in others? There is absolutely no evil in God or his Son! Clearly, then, Satan is a real person—an evil spirit creature who has no respect for Jehovah or for Jesus.
The corrupt state of human affairs bears testimony to the existence of a real Devil. The nations of this world let surplus food rot while their hungry populations starve. The nations store up weapons of mass destruction for mutual annihilation. They pollute earth’s environment. Yet, most people are blind to the source of such hateful, self-destructive behavior. Why?
The Bible reveals that Satan “has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) To manipulate humanity, Satan employs an invisible organization. He is “the ruler of the demons.” (Matthew 12:24) Just as a boss of an organized crime ring can run a large illegal empire without revealing himself to all those involved, so Satan uses his insidious organization of wicked angels to control masses of people who remain largely unaware of his role or influence.
How thankful we can be that the Bible unmasks the Devil and exposes his organization! We can thus take steps to resist the Devil’s influence. The Bible admonishes us: “Subject yourselves . . . to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you.”—James 4:7.
Our Readers Ask . . .
▪ Since the Bible says that God “created all things,” some have concluded that God must have created the Devil. (Ephesians 3:9; Revelation 4:11) The Bible clearly shows that he did not.
Jehovah created the person who became the Devil. Thus, the existence of this one as the chief opposer of God must be reconciled with what the Scriptures reveal about Jehovah as the Creator. Of him, it is said: “Perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; righteous and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:3-5) From that statement, we can conclude that Satan had at one time been perfect and righteous, namely, one of God’s angelic sons. At John 8:44, Jesus said that the Devil “did not stand fast in the truth,” implying that Satan had at one time been truthful and guiltless.
However, like the rest of Jehovah’s intelligent creatures, the angel who became Satan had the freedom to choose between right and wrong. By choosing a course in opposition to God and inciting the first human couple to join him, he made himself Satan, which means “Resister.”—Genesis 3:1-5.
That wicked spirit creature also made himself the Devil, meaning “Slanderer.” Satan was the invisible pretender who was behind the serpent and cunningly used lies to trick Eve into disobeying the Creator’s plainly stated law. That is why Jesus called Satan “the father of the lie.”—John 8:44.
How, though, could a perfect spirit creature—who had neither weaknesses from within nor wicked influences from without—become wrongly inclined? He evidently craved worship that belonged only to God and saw the possibility of bringing humans under his rule instead of that of Jehovah. By continuing to dwell on this prospect of rulership instead of dismissing it, he allowed the idea to fester until, at last, he acted upon it. The process is described in the book of James: “Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin.”—James 1:14, 15; 1 Timothy 3:6.
To illustrate: Imagine an accountant who sees an opportunity to manipulate records in such a way as to steal from his company for personal profit. He might quickly dismiss that wrong thought. If, instead, he dwells on this possibility, then the idea will grow in its appeal, and he is likely to carry it out. If he does, he has, in effect, made himself a thief. If he lies about his crime, he becomes a liar too. In a similar way, by cultivating wrong desires and acting on them, the angel whom God created used his free will to engage in deception and rebel against his Father, thus making himself Satan the Devil.
Thankfully, Satan the Devil will be destroyed in God’s due time. (Romans 16:20) Meanwhile, worshippers of Jehovah God are informed of Satan’s designs and given protection from his machinations. (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11) So by all means “oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you.”—James 4:7.
[Blurb on page 21]
By choosing a course in opposition to God, a perfect angelic creature made himself Satan
Our Readers Ask . . .
Does the Bible teach that you must be married in order to be fulfilled and happy? At first glance, it might seem that God’s Word supports such an idea. How so?
According to the Genesis account, God saw that it was “not good” for the first man Adam to remain alone. So God made Eve as a “complement” for Adam. (Genesis 2:18) The word “complement” means that which makes something complete. From that account, we might conclude that a person is not complete unless he or she is married. Additionally, a number of Bible accounts portray matrimony as a source of blessings and joy. The story of Ruth is one example.
However, are such accounts really meant to teach us that Christians today cannot be happy, fulfilled, or complete unless they marry and have children? That cannot be the case. The most complete and fulfilled human who ever lived was Jesus Christ. Yet, he remained single to his death. Jesus, the wisest man who ever lived, was also the perfect reflection of “the happy God,” Jehovah. (1 Timothy 1:11; John 14:9) Jesus revealed what it takes to be happy, or blessed, in this world. (Matthew 5:1-12) He did not include marriage in the list.
So, then, does the Bible contradict itself on this subject? Not at all. We need to consider marriage in the context of Jehovah’s purpose. While he designed marriage to be a source of joy, intimacy, and comfort, the institution has at times also played a key role in fulfilling certain aspects of his will. For example, God’s purpose for Adam and Eve was for them to “be fruitful and become many and fill the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) Neither Adam nor Eve could fulfill God’s stated purpose alone. Rather, each needed the other, and each completed the other in a special sense.
Similarly, Jehovah had special purposes involving marriage and family life while he was dealing with the earthly nation of Israel. He wanted his nation to be populous so that it would not be overwhelmed by its enemies. He also purposed that the tribe of Judah produce the Messiah, who would rescue faithful mankind from the effects of sin and death. (Genesis 49:10) Faithful women of Israel thus viewed it as a special privilege to marry and bear children and as a source of shame and grief if they did not.
What, though, about today? Does God’s ancient command to “fill the earth” obligate Christians now living on this teeming planet to marry and reproduce? No. (Matthew 19:10-12) Nor does God any longer need to protect and ensure the lineage of the Messiah or to shield the nation in which that Savior would be born. How, then, are Christians to view marriage and singleness?
Really, both states can be described as gifts from God. As you know, a gift that is well-suited to one person might be ill-suited to another. Marriage is a sacred arrangement that can provide love, companionship, and a stable basis for a family. At the same time, the Bible realistically notes that those who marry in this imperfect world will also face problems, or “tribulation in their flesh.” As to singleness, Jehovah does not view it as a cause for shame or grief. Rather, his Word states that singleness has certain distinct advantages over marriage.—1 Corinthians 7:28, 32-35.
The Bible thus presents a balanced view of marriage and singleness. Jehovah, the Originator of marriage and the family, wants all of his servants to be happy and fulfilled, whether they are single or married.
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