 The Devil and His Powers: Ezekiel 28:12-17Paul J. Bucknell |
The Devil and His Powers (Ez 28:12-17)
What does the Bible say about the devil? The Bible reveals the person and plans of the evil one, sometimes called Satan. First, let's discuss the evil one, and then later his 'henchmen,' the demons.
The devil has two types of powers. (1) He has his own power by virtue of how God made him.
Satan was the angel with the highest power and beauty. (2) He also has stolen power over man and the earth, originally given to Adam. Let's deepen our understanding of Satan by exploring these two aspects.
(1) Satan's Powers
"Thus says the Lord GOD, "You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. 14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 "You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created, Until unrighteousness was found in you. 16 "By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. 17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you." (Ezekiel 28:12-17)
The prophet used a description of the devil to identify the sins of the city kingdom of Tyre. Tyre did not exist during the Garden of Eden. We know, though, of one stealthy creature that was there: the serpent. He deceived Eve. Adam assented to the evil one's plan contrary to what God the Maker had said. Let's note what Ezekiel 28:12-17 says about this evil one.
Let's note what Ezekiel 28:12-17 says about this evil one.
Super wise (Ez 28.12)
Extraordinary beautiful (Ez 28.12)
Created and therefore not eternal (Ez 28.13)
Highest position - an anointed cherub (Ez 28.14)
Perfectly made - sinned on his own (Ez 28.15)
Filled with violence (Ez 28.16)
Cast out of God's presence (Ez 28.16)
Self-deceived about his wisdom and beauty (Ez 28.17)
His Gifts
From this description, we see that this one was of extraordinary beauty. We also observe, however, that he was created (Ez 28:13). He was not eternal but had the same limitations as we. He is completely dependent upon God for his existence and purpose.
His Position
Satan was in God's presence. He was the 'anointed cherub' before God. Satan had full access to God's presence. Truly, he was most glorious and powerful. He was also 'blameless in your ways from the day you were created.' It could not have been elsewhere. If he stood in God's presence, then he had to be holy and righteous. Notice what happened, though.
His Judgment
"Until unrighteousness was found in you" describes a change of heart and a commitment of devotion. At one point, he praised and reflected God's glorious light, but then he shifted his focus to his own praise and glory. Ezekiel 28:17 says, "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor." Once he focused on his own beauty and wisdom rather than the source of those gifts, he became corrupted. He thought more of himself than of God, who gave and maintained such powers. We see this same pattern in Romans 1:18-32. His course changed quickly after this.
His Fall
After the devil's delusion about himself, the Lord cast Lucifer out of God's glorious presence. He no longer reflected God's glory (Lucifer means light), but instead sought to have others worship him. Notice how he used his 'secret knowledge' to tempt Eve. He hates truth and light. He thrives on lies, deceit, and darkness. Notice what Jesus says about the Devil.
These are strong words about the devil. It would be beneficial to examine what Jesus said here and consider the dark powers around us to see if they could be connected in any way.
Along with Satan, many other angels fell. They followed Satan's plan. Angry Jewish leaders called Jesus, "Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons" in Luke 11:15. Jesus then often used Satan and Beelzebul interchangeably in verses 19-20. The demons were Satan's workers, doing most of the 'dirty' work. These demons used to be angels but fell when Lucifer defected and became Satan.
(2) The Devil's Stolen Powers
The devil is powerful on his own. He also managed to steal some authority from humans. People do this all the time by stealing inheritance rights and falsely accusing others.
The Devil and his influence
Jesus' statement, "You are of your father the devil" shows that the devJesus' statement, "You are of your father the devil," shows that the devil has great influence over many people's lives, if not all. By calling him a 'father,' it seems that the devil is responsible for spreading his own corruption into mankind's lives. Like children, people imitate the evil one—they share the same evil nature.
The scriptures declare that this takeover happened when the devil successfully tempted Adam and Eve. He caused them to think about themselves differently from how God did. Who is influenced by him? Anyone who tells lies. Have you ever lied? Do you deceive others? Do you seek to draw attention to yourself?
The Devil, a Murderer
The devil is a murderer. Ezekiel 28:16 states that he was filled with violence. Knowing that Adam and Eve would die if they ate that fruit, the devil deceived them so they would eat it. He has been a murderer from the beginning.
The devil wanted mankind's authority regardless of the consequences for humanity. He was self-centered. He wanted what he desired and didn't care about those who had to suffer because of it. This is a powerful statement. All the millions of people dying around us are dying because of the devil's desire to steal what belonged to Adam and Eve.
Since this dark power is so focused on profiting himself, do you really think he cares for you? Do you believe he will let you steal his powers and privileges without gaining more from you? No.
Do you wish death or suffering upon others? Do you sometimes get really angry at people? Then the devil's spirit is in you. You might want to read more about the power of God's love.
The Devil is a Liar
Don't trust him. Never believe a word from Satan. Behind his lies, he has devious plans. He can't speak the truth without the intention to deceive, distort, and destroy. He knows God's Word but misuses it to cause confusion and disobedience. He is so clever that we need our Lord to protect us from him. Don't trust his words that suggest, "It won't make a difference." "A little won't hurt." "Just this time." These are the phrases he uses to exert greater influence over your life.
Now think for a moment. Do you lie? When you lie, you are trying to get things in an illegitimate way. You are willing to steal from others to gain what would please you. Do you exaggerate numbers to get false attention? This, in a sense, is the 'blood' of the devil in your life. His spirit is operating within you, and the consequences are serious. The more you believe you can get away with lying, the more you are deceived. Try understanding the importance of truth and integrity through the series,"Truth not Deception."
The Danger
Jesus' model prayer in the Sermon on the Mount contains a very interesting phrase, 'Deliver me from evil.' Actually, an equally faithful translation is 'Deliver me from the evil one.’ (Many manuscripts have an article 'the' which points to a proper name.) The William's translation says, "But save us from the evil one." Save us from the evil one!
Save us from the evil one! |
This phrase 'The evil one' is repeated again in Matthew and used several times in 1 John.
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. (Mat 13:19)
I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:13; also see 1 John 3:12).
At times, we have seen how the evil one or Satan has confronted God's people. Usually, he uses his demon assistants, but in important cases, he encounters man himself, such as David, Job, Jesus, Peter, Judas, and Ananias.
Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. (1 Chronicles 21:1)
Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?" (Job 1:9)
Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" (Matthew 4:10)
But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." (Matthew 16:23)
And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. (Luke 22:3)
But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land?" (Acts 5:3)
We need deliverance from his powerful presence. Without it, we will fall. Peter stood firm because Jesus prayed for him. We're not saying that Satan 'entered' everyone like Judas, but we do see that he is crafty and could lead us astray if possible. No wonder Jesus wants us to pray for protection from the pernicious one.
Summary
Whenever you find yourself lying or willing to hurt others to get your way, recognize that you are under the influence of the evil one. Worse, you cannot escape on your own; you are trapped. The more you give in to his ways, the more you share in his evil. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can rescue you from the devil's grasp.
Is it just a force? No. Death is not natural. Satan has murdered from the beginning and has brought man under his power through death. If death were natural, people would not mourn it. We know something is wrong with it.
In the next page we will read how Satan often influences people through his demons.