You see, everyone has a different image of Satan. To some people, he is very real and to others, he is not. In either case, each of us should understand what is known about Satan. However, we should recognize that the means used by many churches and famous evangelists to warn the world about Satan has brought religions much ridicule. Many non-Christians see Satan as religion’s boogey-man and wonder how normally sane people can believe in him. The fact that many people’s image of Satan is of a large man with a forked tail, wings, and horns also encourages the popular belief that Satan is a figment of somone’s imagination. The first point that I want to make in today’s broadcast is – don’t blame Satan for your bad decisions. Secondly, don't vilify other people as Satan's followers. Throughout world history, barbarous acts have been justified by associating a particular people with Satan. In the end, Satan is real. I just don’t want us to use him as an excuse for our own actions or as an excuse to persecute others.
Science and Scriptures Season 1, Episode 19 or “Satan and his Role in Earth Life”
This is the podcast Science and Scriptures, Season 1, Episode 19 or “Satan and his Role in Earth Life”.
Hello again. This is Scott Frazer and welcome to another episode of Science and Scripture. So, before I start on today’s discussion, I have a request. I never thought I would say this, but I would like to get more email. This is Episode 19, and I would like to hear 1) What has been your favorite subject been so far? and 2) Do you have any suggestions for future podcasts? Any other feedback would be appreciated.
I have put off discussing the topic of Satan and his role in our lives. You see, everyone has a different image of Satan. To some people, he is very real and to others, he is not. In either case, each of us should understand what is known about Satan, and then you can judge for yourself. However, we must recognize that the means used by many churches and famous evangelists to warn the world about Satan has brought religions much ridicule. Many non-Christians see Satan as religion’s boogey-man and wonder how normally sane people can believe in him. Actually, many Christians, though they believe in God, do not believe in the existence of Satan. The fact that many people’s image of Satan is of a large man with a forked tail, wings, and horns also encourages the popular belief that Satan is a figment of somone’s imagination.
Many religions teach of an evil being who roams the earth wreaking havoc and fighting against the forces of good. In Islam, the devil is known as Shaytan and, like the Devil in Christianity, is also thought to have rebelled against God. In Buddhism, Maara is the demon that tempted Buddha away from his path of enlightenment. However, Buddha resisted temptation and defeated Maara. The Egyptian god Set and the Zoroastrian power Ahriman are other examples of gods of evil.
Interestingly, in Judaism, Satan is not considered a major being, but often simply refers to a difficulty or temptation to overcome. Put another way, in Judaism, Satan is regarded as an “accuser,” a “hinderer”, a “tempter”, or perhaps as an agent subservient to God. This may explain why Satan doesn’t really show up in the Old Testament. We tend to picture Satan as being present in the Garden of Eden, but if you go to Genesis and give it a quick read, you will note that he is not mentioned. The introductory notes to Genesis Chapter 3 summarize that “The Serpent (Lucifer) deceives Eve”. But the text itself never mentions that the Serpent is Lucifer, though that is the common interpretation in the Christian world today. In the creation story given in the book of Moses, the story of the rebellion of Satan is detailed in Moses 4:1-4 as an introduction to Moses 4:6, where it tells us that “Satan put it into the heart of the serpent” to beguile Eve. The insistence of the accounts in Genesis and Moses in using the word “Serpent” causes some confusion in our image of who exactly is talking to Eve. But whatever his form, it was Lucifer.
In the Moses 5, Satan also plays a major role in the story of Cain and Able by encouraging Cain to murder his brother Able. In Genesis, again perhaps because of the Jewish view of Satan as a less important figure in the Gospel, Lucifer is not even mentioned. Perhaps for the same reason, he makes no real appearances for the rest of the Old Testament either.
In the New Testament, however, Satan finally makes a major appearance. This appearance demonstrates a definite shift in the Bible’s attitude towards Satan. From the four Gospel writers, Satan immediately takes on new importance. As you’ll remember, Matthew details the Savior’s fast in the wilderness at the very beginning of His ministry. First, since the Savior had been fasting and was hungry, Satan tempts Jesus to make bread from stones. Then Satan takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem – and tells Him to jump. After all, it would have been an impressive feat that would prove to everyone in the Holy Land that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Finally, Satan tries to bribe the Savior with the kingdoms and glory of the world. The temptations were very strategic, but, of courses, none of them worked.
Satan is mentioned in the parable about the sower of seeds. Jesus casts out demons from several people and is even accused of using the power of Satan to do so. The four Gospel writers of the New Testament set the stage to describe a spiritual battle that continues to this day – a battle with Jesus Christ leading the righteous and Satan leading the unrighteous.
Before moving on, we should review where we got the image of Satan that we have today. Who conceived of Satan with a forked tail, horns, wings, and sometimes red skin?
First, we should take note that the Bible doesn’t ever describe Satan. The image many people have of him came from the Middle Ages. Early artistic depictions of Satan were included in texts of Dante’s poem The Divine Comedy and John Milton’s Paradise Lost. The Devil is portrayed as a horned, trident-wielding figure with a forked tail and often with wings. It is possible those illustrators relied on Revelation 20, where Satan is called a dragon and dragons are often depicted with forked tails, wings, and horns. Those same literature classics also included illustrations of Hell, showing Satan and his demons inflicting continuous human suffering on their subjects. In the first part of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, called Inferno, Dante even describes the Nine Circles of Hell for us – telling us who gets sent to each circle and what occurs to them there. These ancient images from the Middle Ages have endured even to modern times.
We probably all need to get past these images that came out of the Middle Ages. We know that Lucifer was in the Preexistence with us. His description in Doctrine & Covenants 76 might be good to review at this point.
“And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,
And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.”
The fact that the heavens wept over Lucifer’s fall indicate that he was well-liked. He also led a number of preexistent spirits away in his rebellion, again indicating a degree of popularity and leadership skills. In any case, in the book of Ether, chapter 3, the brother of Jared sees that the Lord’s preexistent spirit looks like a normal man. Knowing that, it is probable that Lucifer, if you were to see him, would look like a normal man as well. I am aware of no evidence that Lucifer changed form when he was banished from the Preexistence. I expect he looks like anyone else, a theory that the temple films seem to support.
The dangers of blaming Satan
There are several scriptures that are… confusing regarding the role of Satan versus the role of our own natures in making bad choices. A good example can be found in 3 Nephi 2. In verse 1, we read,
“And it came to pass that thus passed away the ninety and fifth year also, and the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen—"
We may think at this point, “Oh here the Nephites go again, being blinded by their pride and disbelieving the Gospel they were taught”.
Then we read in the very next verse,
“Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing.”
Now we may may think, “Yep, there’s Satan again, blinding people’s eyes and getting them to disbelieve the Gospel they were taught.” But now the question arises. “What caused this problem – were the people hardening their hearts or was Satan taking possession of their hearts?"
You may answer “Both” and I would not argue with you.
But now let’s consider the question “Which occurred first?” In the same sequence that these verses are read from 3 Nephi, a person’s decision to become prideful or do wrong always comes first. Satan almost never takes the initiative. He waits until you make the decision to… choose poorly. Then he helps you to continue in that poor decision-making and the loss of the Spirit that follows.
If you have ever read The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, you know it is a book of letters sent by a highly-placed demon in hell named Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, a demon apprentice. The book is all about human nature. Screwtape explains what thoughts, actions, and emotions his nephew should encourage or discourage to navigate his human charge to hell. At one point, Screwtape declares,
“It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.”
C.S. Lewis apparently did not believe that demons can direct us – they can only influence us to make bad decisions. If Satan and his demons are as gifted in understanding human nature as Mr. Lewis indicates, then we need to be as fully aware of our own strengths and weaknesses.
So the first point that I want to make in today’s broadcast is – don’t blame Satan for your bad decisions. Let’s take it as a given that Evil Always Awaits. Whether that Evil is in your own nature, the decisions of people around you, or an Evil we call Satan, it waits for you to let it in.
Years ago, a comedian named Flip Wilson always had a signature part in his stand-up routine entitled, “The Devil made me do it”. Flip recounts stories of people who did something they knew they shouldn’t, but insisted that the Devil made them do it. It’s funny in a comedy sketch, as long as we don’t believe it happens in real life. We know Satan cannot override our agency; the Devil Cannot Make you Do it, whatever it is.
Maybe the best metaphor is this. If you think you are being attacked by forces of Evil, focus on shoring up your defenses. Don’t worry about the name of the enemy or figuring out who to blame for the difficulties. I hear church talks about Satan really putting forth an effort to pull someone down, but I don’t believe that’s how it works. Surely you will have life situations, inconveniences, sickness, unexpected costs, and other afflictions – and sometimes they all seem to happen at the same time. But you need not consider this a pre-planned blitz by Satan to pull you under. It is just Life happening. You will overcome this rough patch, just as you have endured past difficulties.
Vilifying Others as Satan or his agents
In her book, The Origin of Satan, author Elaine Pagels discusses the history of Satan. But her main goal in the book is to show how faithful church members have used the concept of Satan to attack other people. She states,
“And because Christians as they read the Gospels have characteristically identified themselves with the disciples, for some two thousand years they have also identified their opponents, whether Jews, pagans, or heretics, with forces of evil, and so with Satan.”
Her point throughout the book is that there are very few evil people in the world. But early Christians accused the Jews who pushed Rome to crucify the Savior, pagans, and then heretics from their own church of being in league with Satan. That practice lasted for hundreds of years.
I am very sure that the Gospel writer Matthew had no idea the effects that one sentence he recorded has had on world history. After Pontius Pilate had declared he was innocent of Jesus’s blood, the Jewish leaders who were pushing for the execution of the Savior declare in Matthew 27:25
“Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”
That one Biblical verse has been used by Christians and nations as justification for killing, evicting, and burning the homes of Jews throughout the world. From Evictions of Jews in Russia, to the Holocaust in Germany, to persecutions in western Europe and in the United States, through the centuries people have blamed Jews for Jesus’s death, calling them “Christ killers”. Ironically, this anti-Semitism has been justified by vilifying an entire religion (which gave us the Old Testament by the way) for the decisions of ancestors long dead.
Throughout world history, barbarous acts have been justified by associating a particular people with Satan. For example, between 1450 – 1750 AD, witch hunts became especially popular in Europe.Scholarly estimates place the total number of executions for witchcraft in this 300-year period, roughly between 40,000 and 60,000! In the United States, we had a few of our own witch trials, the most famous of which were the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts, which led to the executions of 19 people.
In both cases, Protestants and Catholics accused others, mostly women, of practicing witchcraft and making deals with the Devil. The Puritans believed Satan gave powers to witches. Faithful church members thought it was their responsibility to root out and execute these practitioners of the Dark Arts. We may scoff at this misconception today, but we still have our own ways of vilifying others.
As a country, the United States has vilified many other nations.During World War 2, we vilified Germany and Japan. Many war posters produced during that time are actually frightening in their depictions.During the Cold War, we vilified the Soviet Union. During Operation Desert Storm, we vilified Iraq. After 9/11, much of our nation vilified Muslims. It’s actually very easy to vilify an enemy if a loved one has been killed in a war against them. It’s also easy to associate an entire religion with Satan if a few of its members have committed acts of terrorism within your country’s borders. There are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world. Only 19 were involved in the 9/11 attacks. Mathematically, the vilification of the Muslim religion certainly made no sense.
As declared by author W. Scott Poole in his book “Satan in America”,
“A country such as the United States, deeply infused with a religious sense of its identity and mission, easily slipped into the tendency to of rendering its enemies, foreign and domestic, as diabolical.”
America, he states, is “eager to view its enemies as satanic”. Satan must love the irony of Christians attaching his name to people with whom they disagree. His name is doing the work of separating our world, nation, or neighborhood for him. Because once you have associated someone as a minion of Satan, either in your head or vocally, you never have to be civil to that person again. You certainly don’t have to follow the commandment to love them. It is easy to justify calling someone your enemy when you believe that this person is also an enemy to God…, even if that person simply belongs to another political party.
In the end, I don’t wish to imply that Satan is not real.I just don’t want us to use him as an excuse for our own actions or as an excuse to persecute others.
We must remember that Satan is limited in the power he has over mankind.In Genesis, we read that God put enmity between Satan (the Serpent) and men. Satan can only “bruise our heel”, but we can “bruise his head”. Nonetheless, Lucifer will do all he can with the power he has been given.
There are two times that I can think of where Satan took the initiative and tried to derail the Gospel plan. One was at the beginning of Christ’s ministry, as discussed earlier. The other time was at the beginning of Joseph Smith’s ministry. That description may be worth reading here. From the Joseph Smith history, as Joseph knelt in prayer, we read…
“I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being”—
Satan is real, but we need to understand his role in the Eternal Plan. Satan is the name (and face, I suppose) that we put on evil. Many of his tools – drug addiction, alcoholism, pornography, etc. – give him power over us. But only our choices give him that power.
I have one last point that I would like to make about Satan. Matthew 16:26 asks,
“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Does this verse mean that, as the saying goes, you can actually “sell your soul to the devil”? There have been numerous stories (Faust), movies (Ghost Rider, Bedazzled, Little Mermaid) and songs (The Devil Went Down to Georgia) based on the idea that it is possible to make an agreement with Satan or one of his agents. If Satan gives you the life you want to lead on earth, then you agree to live in hell after you die. Though the stories and movies about making a deal with the devil are fictional, please note that the basic concept is certainly true. Many people live their lives with no thought of showing appreciation to God for their blessings or seeking out a spiritual side of life. They truly are trading their souls, or more accurately, the opportunity to live in the celestial kingdom, for earthly pleasures.
In conclusion, if you find motivation in thinking about life as a struggle against Satan, then so be it. But realize at its core, the battle is with your own nature and your own inclinations to do evil. If you can win that battle, then Satan really doesn’t have an entry point into your life.
That is all that I have for you today. I would like to thank you again for taking time to listen to this podcast. Have a good week and take care.