Him. It was at his instigation that the men of Nazareth tried to throw Jesus headlong down the precipice, and the Jews often took up stones to stone Him. It was he that put it into the heart of Judas to betray the Lord, and he it was that stirred up the rulers of the Jews to crucify Him. What Satan tried to do on earth was just what he would have proceeded to do in heaven, and if he had been allowed to place his throne by the side of that of God. Indeed, he did not hesitate to lift up his hand against the Most High in heaven itself, for we read, —
“And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7-9
THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE
Satan is called “the prince of this world,” “the God of this world,” the ruler of the darkness of this world, and “the prince of the power of the air.” The “course of this world” is according to the guidance of Satan, and therefore he is called “the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” Ephesians 2:2. As soon as he was cast out of heaven, he set to work to deceive men, as he had deceived many of the angels of heaven. From the account of the way in which he deceived our first parents, we may learn how he deceived the angels, and how he still works. The record runs thus:
“Now the serpent was more subtle 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? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; 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. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die; 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. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Genesis 3:1-6
The fifth verse is better rendered in the Revised Version, where we have “God,” instead of “gods.” Satan made the definite statement to Eve, that if they should eat from the forbidden tree, they should be like God. In this we see the same spirit working that caused his fall. He said, “I will be like the Most High;” and when he fell he set about compassing the fall of man by instilling the same desire into him.
Let no one get the idea that it is wrong to desire to be like God. That is right, provided we wish to be like Him in His own way. To wish to