We often hear “Satan was good first, then he sinned, and he became a bad angel. Because this bad angel rebelled against God, he was kicked out and he and the other bad angels too now do evil things” and or something close; I think we have had versions of the same story which essentially says “Satan was good in the beginning”.
Let’s determine now if we will stay loyal to what we heard or go searching to find it in the Bible!
Did God create the good angel who became bad?
Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. [17] No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
Isaiah 54:16-17 KJV
“Created the waster… to destroy”
In Isaiah God says “I created the waster”. His sole purpose is “to destroy”. However, he says “no weapon”, not even those He created, “formed against you shall prosper”!
Who is the waster? Was he the one who caused the good angel to turn bad, or is the devil actually the waster who has been created to destroy? We need to dive deeper to figure out who is who and what is what.
Was the devil good first, in the beginning?
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8 KJV
The Bible says the devil sinned from the beginning.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
John 8:44 KJV
Are there other names or terms for the devil?
Yes, there are several other terms or names or inferences used for the devil, some of the most common ones include:
- Satan – This term is used to refer to the devil or adversary. It is derived from the Hebrew word “satan,” which means “adversary” or “opponent.”
- Job 1:6-7 KJV “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, and from walking up and down in it.”
- Devil – This term is used to refer to the evil one who tempts people to sin. It is derived from the Greek word “diabolos,” which means “slanderer” or “accuser.”
- Matthew 4:1-3 KJV “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. [2] And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. [3] And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”
- Beelzebub – This term is used to refer to the prince of demons. It is derived from the Philistine god Baal-zebub, which means “lord of the flies.”
- Matthew 12:24-27 KJV “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. [25] And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: [26] And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? [27] And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.”
- Dragon – This term is used to refer to the devil in his role as the ancient serpent who deceived Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.
- Revelation 12:9 KJV “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
- Serpent – This term is also used to refer to the devil in his role as the deceiver of Adam and Eve.
- Genesis 3:1-5 KJV “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? [2] And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: [3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
Satan was never good, can we find it in the Bible?
In the Bible, darkness is often associated with evil or sin, and light with goodness or righteousness. This symbolism is evident in many passages of scripture, such as in 1 John 1:5 KJV, which states, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
Conversely, in John 3:19 KJV, it says, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
In 2 Corinthians 11:14 KJV, it says, “And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
This scripture verse shares another truth, which is that Satan can appear as something good or desirable, but in reality, he is the embodiment of darkness and evil (from the beginning)
When did light come into the world?
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. [2] And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. [3] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. [4] And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:1-4 KJV
The Bible does not once present Satan as ‘once good, now bad’. Satan has been created for a purpose, and that purpose is to destroy. As sons of God, as the bride of Christ we have power over darkness. We have no ‘party’ or friendship with darkness.
…For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? [15] What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial (Satan)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
2 Corinthians 6:14 (b) -15 AMP (Amplified Version)
