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2. He is the Adversary of God's People.
The warfare between "Good" and "Evil," as recorded in the Bible from Gen. 3:15 to Rev. 20:10, is most intensely interesting reading. Satan tempts Eve. She eats, and Adam with her. They are both cast out of the Garden. First victory scored by Satan. Satan enters Cain. The result Abel is murdered. Victory number two for Satan. The "Sons of God" at Satan's instigation marry the "daughters of men." Result the Flood. Victory number three for Satan. Noah delivered from the Flood is tempted to drink, yields, and a curse falls on Ham. Victory number four for Satan. The people multiply and Satan fills their hearts with pride and presumption. The Tower of Babel is built, the result the "Confusion of Tongues," and the unity of the race broken up. Victory number five for Satan.
Then God calls Abraham through whom the promised "Seed of the Woman," the Second Adam, should come who was to bruise Satan's head. Now the fight begins in earnest. We have only space to indicate it. First Satan closes Sarah's womb. Then when Isaac is born he seeks to have him slain by his father's hand on Mt. Moriah. He makes enmity between Esau and Jacob, hoping that the tragedy of Cain and Abel would be repeated. Then he causes Potiphar's wife to tempt Joseph, seeking to get him out of the way. When the time came for Moses, the deliverer of the Children of Israel, to be born, he puts it in the heart of Pharaoh to order that all male Hebrew children shall be destroyed at birth.
But the story is too long. The sin of David was Satan's work, and at one time the "seed royal" was narrowed down to one child. 2 Chron. 2:4-17; 22:10-12.
When the time came that Christ was born, it was Satan who prompted Herod to destroy all the male children at Bethlehem under two years of age. It was Satan who tried to overcome Christ when weakened by fasting in the Wilderness, and who suggested that Christ throw Himself down from the Pinnacle of the Temple. The attempt of the people to throw Him from the hilltop at Nazareth, and the two storms on Galilee were all attempts of Satan to destroy Christ. And when foiled in these Satan renewed the fight through Priests and Pharisees, and succeeded at last in getting Judas to sell his Master.
Then amid the shades of Gethsemane he sought to kill Christ by physical weakness before He could reach the Cross. When Christ was crucified Satan thought he had conquered, but when Christ rose from the dead Satan's rage knew no bounds. In all probability Satan and his angels contested the Ascension of Christ, and the history of the Christian Church is but one long story of the "Irrepressible Conflict" between Satan and God's people. Paul writing to the Thessalonians said:
"We would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again
but SATAN hindered us." 1 Thess. 2:18.
Even Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was the "Messenger of Satan" to buffet him.
V. His Expulsion From the Heavenlies.
As we have seen Satan still has his abode in the "Heavenlies" and has access to God. But the time is coming when he shall be cast out of the "Heavenlies." It is described in Rev. 12:7-17.
"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 deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out Into the Earth and his angels were cast out with him.
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now is come Salvation, and Strength, and the Kingdom of God, and the Power of His Christ; for the Accuser of Our Brethren IS CAST DOWN, which accused them before out God day and night."
While Satan has been the "Accuser of the Brethren" in all Ages, the context shows that reference is here made to the "Jewish Remnant," (the brethren of Christ), who during the first three and one-half years of the "Tribulation Period" (for Satan is cast out in the Middle of the "Last Week," or Tribulation Period), pass through great persecution, and die as "martyrs." They are referred to in Rev. 6:9-11 as the "souls of them that were slain for the Word of God," and we are here told (Rev. 12:11) that they overcame by the "Blood of the Lamb," and the "word of their testimony," and died as "martyrs," for they "loved not their lives unto the death."
As they overcame by the "Blood of the Lamb," then the Time of their overcoming must be subsequent to the shedding of Christ's blood on Calvary, that is, Satan, according to this account, could not have been cast out of the "Heavenlies" prior to the Crucifixion of Christ. When Jesus said - "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven," (Luke 10:18), He was not referring to some past fall of Satan, but it was a prophetic utterance, by way of anticipation, of his future fall, when he shall be cast out of Heaven by Michael the Archangel. As further evidence as to the "Time" of Satan's casting out, Daniel the Prophet tells us that it will be at the "Time of Trouble," (The Great Tribulation), that is to come upon Daniel's people, the Jews, for it is at that time that Michael the Great Prince is to stand up and they shall be delivered. Dan 12:1.
As still further evidence that the casting out of Satan did not happen "before" the Fall in Eden, we are told that it "follows" the birth and catching out of the "Man Child," (Christ), (Rev12:5), that the earth shall be full of inhabitants, that is, thickly populated, and that Satan shall be full of wrath, because he knoweth that he has but a "short time" (3 1/2 years), in which to finish his devilish work. (Rev. 12:12.)
