“The devil sins from the beginning.” 1 John 3:8 “That old serpent, which is called the Devil and Satan.” Revelation 12:9

Answer: Satan, also known as the devil, is the author of sin. Without the Holy Scriptures, the cause of evil would remain unexplained.

“How you have fallen from heaven, you beautiful morning star!” Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Luke 10:18 “...you were on the mountain of God (I have set you on the holy mountain of God).” Ezekiel 28:14

Answer: His name was Lucifer and he lived in heaven. Lucifer is symbolically depicted as the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14 and as the king of Tyre in Ezekiel 28.

O seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect beauty! Ezekiel 28:12 In Eden, in the garden of God, you were; with all kinds of precious stones you were covered...your skilfully made tambourines and flutes were with you; on the day you were created they were prepared...you were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until sin was found in you. Ezekiel 28:12-15

Answer: Lucifer was created by God like all the other angels (Ephesians 3:9). He was a “shielding” cherub, or angel. One great angel stands on the left side of God's throne and another on the right (Psalms 99:1). Lucifer was one of the highly honoured angelic leaders; his beauty was breathtaking and without reproach. His wisdom was perfect and his splendour awe-inspiring. Ezekiel 28:13 suggests that he must have been an outstanding musician. He is thought to have conducted the angelic choir.

“Your heart has exalted itself because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendour. So I have cast you to the earth and made you a spectacle before kings... Ezekiel 28:17 “Yet you had resolved in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven and exalt my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far north; I will ascend to the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High. Isaiah 14:13.14

Answer: Pride, jealousy, dissatisfaction and self-exaltation arose in his life. Lucifer wanted to dethrone God and then demand worship from everyone. This was betrayal of the worst kind.

Remark: Why is worship such an important topic? Because the battle between God and Satan centres on the crucial point of worship. Humans were created in such a way that they could only enjoy happiness and contentment if they worshipped God alone. Not even unfallen heavenly angels are to be worshipped (Revelation 22:8, 9). From the beginning, Satan sought worship. Centuries later, when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, worship was still the crucial point (Matthew 4:8-11). In these last days, God calls all people to worship HIM (Revelation 14:6, 7). This infuriates Satan so much that he tries by all means to force people to worship him or be killed (Revelation 13:15).

Everyone worships something or someone: Power, prestige, food, pleasure, possessions or one's own opinion, etc. God says: “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 If we do not worship him alone, he counts us among his enemies (Matthew 12:30). This message is shocking, but true. If anything or anyone takes first place in my life instead of God, then I am - possibly unknowingly - worshipping and supporting Satan. Does God have first place in my life or am I unknowingly exalting Satan? It's a sobering question, isn't it?

“And there was a battle in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, and their place was no longer found in heaven. And the great dragon was cast down, that serpent of old, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.” Revelation 12:7-9

Answer: Lucifer gained the support of a third of the angels (Revelation 12:3.4) and caused an uproar in heaven. God had no choice but to expel Lucifer and his angels. This was the greatest battle ever fought. Lucifer's goal was to usurp the throne of God, even if it meant murder (John 8:44). After his expulsion from heaven, Lucifer was called Satan (adversary) and devil (slanderer); his angels are called demons.

“Then the LORD said to Satan, ”Where did you come from? And Satan answered the LORD and said, From roaming the earth and walking on it.“ Job 2:2 ”Woe to those who dwell on the earth and on the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.“ Revelation 12:12 ”...your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

Answer: Contrary to popular belief, Satan's headquarters is not hell, but the earth. God gave Adam and Eve dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). When they sinned, they lost it to Satan (Romans 6:16), making him the ruler or prince of this world (John 12:31). Satan bitterly hates people who were created in God's image. Since he cannot reach God, he shoots his venom at those who are God's children. He is a hateful, conniving murderer whose intention is to destroy you in order to inflict pain on God.

“...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:17

Answer: They were not allowed to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The punishment for this would be death.

“But the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made; and he said to the woman, ”Did God really say that you must not eat from any tree in the garden? Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will by no means die! But God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:1.4.5

Answer: Satan used a serpent - the cleverest, most attractive animal God had created - to tempt Eve. Some assume that the serpent originally had wings and could fly (Isaiah 14:29; 30:6). Let us not forget that it only began to crawl when God cursed it (Genesis 3:14). Satan's lies were: 1. you will not die, and 2. eating the fruit will make you wise. Satan, the inventor of lies (John 8:44), mixed truth with lies. Lies that contain some truth are always the most effective. It was true that after the Fall they knew what was evil. God, in his love, had withheld from them the knowledge of heartache, pain, suffering, sorrow and death. Satan made the knowledge of evil seem desirable, then as now. He put forward lies to misrepresent God's character because he knew that no one would turn away from such a loving God unless they misunderstood his nature.

“Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17 “Every one that committeth sin committeth lawlessness: and sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4 “He that committeth sin is of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as we are, knowing good and evil: but now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.” “... So the LORD God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he had been taken. And he drove out the man and set the cherubim east of the Garden of Eden and the flame of the flashing sword to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:22.24

Answer: Yes, eating the fruit was a sin because it was a direct rejection of one of God's few demands. It was an open rebellion against God's law and authority. By rejecting one of God's commandments, Adam and Eve allied themselves with Satan, God's enemy, causing separation between themselves and God (Isaiah 59:2). Satan hoped that the couple would sin and then eat from the tree of life to become immortal sinners. But God drove them out of the garden to prevent such a tragedy.

Answer: Satan uses every conceivable approach to deceive and destroy people. His demons can pose as righteous people, even as clergymen. Satan will appear as a glorious angel of light and power and will drop fire from heaven. He will impersonate Jesus. However, you have been warned so that you do not fall for it. When Jesus comes again, all eyes will see him (Revelation 1:7). He will remain in the clouds and will not even touch the earth (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

He convinced a third of the angels (Revelation 12:3-9), Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), all but eight people in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:20). He will give the lost the impression that they are saved (Matthew 7:21-23). Almost the whole world will follow him (Revelation 13:3). Only a few will be saved (Matthew 7:14; 22:14).

Answer: Satan's success rate is so astonishingly high that it seems almost unbelievable. He deceived a third of the angels. In the days of Noah, all but eight were deceived. Before the second coming of Jesus, Satan will appear as an angelic being and pretend to be Christ. His deceptive power will be so great that our only safety will be not to go out to see him (Matthew 24:23-26).
If you strictly refuse to look and listen, Jesus will save you from deception (John 10:29).

“As therefore the tares are gathered and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and do lawlessness, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire.” Matthew 13:40-42 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.” Revelation 20:10 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41 “By your many offences, by the unrighteousness of your conduct, you have profaned your sanctuaries; so I caused a fire to go out from you and consume you, and I reduced you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the nations are astonished at you; you have become a terror and are gone forever!” Ezekiel 28:18.19

Answer: The devil will be thrown into the lake of fire at the end of the world. This fire will consume Satan, reduce him to ashes and extinguish his existence forever. It will also destroy all sinners. In this final event, no one who is on God's side will perish and no one who is on Satan's side will survive.

Remark: It is impossible to even begin to describe the grief and pain of the Father and the Son at the destruction of Satan. He was closer to them than any other being and was once their personal friend. To destroy him with the countless millions who followed him will hurt the Father and the Son more than the torment of fire suffered by the lost.

“As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” Romans 14:11. (See also Philippians 2:10, 11; Isaiah 45:23.) “The tribulation shall not rise a second time.” Nahum 1:9

Answer: Two decisive events will solve the sin problem:

Firstly all beings in heaven and on earth will fall to their knees and publicly confess that God is true and righteous - including the devil and his angels. No question will remain unanswered. All sinners will openly confess that they are lost because they have decisively rejected God's love and salvation. They will admit that justice demands their death. All will confess that they deserve eternal death.

Secondly the universe will be cleansed of sin through the total and final destruction of sin, sinners, the devil and his angels. God's statement on this point is clear: sin will never arise again to defile God's universe.

“For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise became partaker of the same, that through death he might render ineffective him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,” Hebrews 2:14

Answer: Jesus made the eradication of sin a certainty through his life, death and resurrection.

“...for he himself, the Father, loves you...” John 16:27. (See also John 3:16; 17:22.23.)

Answer: The Father loves people just as much as the Son does. Jesus' main concern during his earthly existence was to reveal the nature of the Father through his life so that people could recognise his nature of love and care (John 5:19).

Satan misrepresents the Father
Satan portrays the father as unfeeling, distant, strict and unapproachable (the devil's own character traits). He attributes his own devastating deeds to “force majeure” and thus subordinates them to God. Jesus came to free the name of the Father from this slander and to show that our heavenly Father loves us more than a mother loves her child (Isaiah 49:15). Jesus' favourite theme was patience, the love and great grace of God.

The father can hardly wait
To make people extremely happy, the Father has prepared a beautiful eternal home for them. We cannot imagine in our wildest dreams what awaits us! He can hardly wait to welcome his people on the day of his return, which is just around the corner. Let's spread the word! Let us be ready! The down has already begun.

Answer:

We do not know. The Bible says nothing about it.

(1) All suffer the “first” death (Hebrews 9:27).
(2) The lost will suffer the “second” death at the end of time in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8).
The difference is that there is no resurrection from the second death. It is eternal and final.

Jesus died the second death for every human being
When Adam and Eve sinned, they would have had to die the second death immediately if Jesus had not agreed to suffer the second death on Calvary for every human being. His immeasurably great sacrifice saved them from immediate death (Hebrews 2:9).

When Adam sinned, he lost his “immortal” nature and acquired a “mortal” nature.
As far as the first death is concerned, the literal translation of the word “die” in Genesis 2:17 is “go towards death”, which is noted in the footnotes of most Bibles. This means that Adam and Eve had begun the process of dying. Before the Fall, the couple possessed an immortal, sinless nature. This nature was preserved by eating from the tree of life. The moment they sinned, their nature underwent a change and became mortal and sinful. This is exactly what God had predicted. Because they were excluded from the tree of life, the process of ageing and decay began immediately, which ultimately led to death. The grave became a certainty. The Lord emphasised this later when he said to them: ”For you are dust, and to dust you will return!” Genesis 3:19

“Freedom of choice” is God's way
Knowing full well what Lucifer would do, he created him. The same applies to the creation of Adam and Eve - and also to you and me. Even before we are born, God knows how our lives will turn out, and yet he allows us to live and choose between his or Satan's rule. God is willing to be misunderstood, falsely accused and blamed for millennia, while allowing each person the free choice of whom to follow.

Only a loving God could dare to grant complete freedom to all
This marvellous, decisive gift of freedom could only come from a just, loving God. It is a privilege and a joy to serve such a Lord and friend.

Choose to serve God
The problem of sin will soon come to an end. In the beginning everything was “very good”. Genesis 1:31, but now “the whole world is a mess.” 1 John 5:19. People everywhere are choosing whether to serve God or Satan. Use your fantastic, God-given freedom to serve the Lord!

A third of the angels followed Lucifer
Lucifer's arguments convinced many angels so that a third of them followed him. If God had destroyed Lucifer immediately, some angelic beings who did not fully understand God's nature would have worshipped him out of fear, thinking, “Maybe Lucifer was right after all. Be careful. If you disagree, God could kill you.” So that would not have been a solution, but would only have made the problem worse.

God only accepts voluntary service out of love
The only service acceptable to God is a joyful, voluntary service out of love. Obedience for any other motive is unacceptable to God.

God gives Satan time to explain his principles
Satan had claimed to have a better plan for governing the universe. God gives him time to present his principles. The Lord will only destroy sin after every soul in the universe has been able to see for themselves that Satan's reign is characterised by hatred, ruthlessness, lies and destructiveness.

The universe observes this world
The Bible says: “We have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men.” 1 Corinthians 4:9 The whole universe is watching us in this battle between Christ and Satan. And when the battle is over, everyone will have understood the principles of both kingdoms and will have chosen whom to follow, either Christ or Satan. Those who have chosen to ally themselves with Satan and sin will be destroyed with him. But God's people will be taken up to heaven, brought to eternal security.