After reading how powerless cold and dark are in the presence of light and heat, a brother in the faith asked a good question: “What about the devil?” While our Bible translations tend to hide much insight, I will do my best to condense what Scripture actually says about devils and Satan into a short read.
Throughout history, a belief system has existed to oppose God’s influence. The ideology began to form in the mind of Adam and Eve as they entertained the tempting idea, “you will be like God.” The idea appeared as “good, a delight to view, and desirable to make one wise.” (a) [see endnotes for Scriptures]
Adam and Eve’s decision to ignore God and accept the idea began to cloud their perceptions of reality and of God. Then they turned to nature for covering and tried to hide from God. As God raised a question about their well-being, rather than repent and adjust, they dodged responsibility and shifted blame. The first response was, “She led me astray!” then, “I was deceived!” (b)
Mankind has kept this ‘shift the blame’ mentality. We often hear “the devil made me do it!” We even believe the enemies of God are a powerful Satan with legions of devils. The gods we create to worship are even given adversaries to blame for wrongs. What does Scripture say about Satan and the Devil?
Understanding Scriptural Translation
Many of today’s beliefs were formed by the religious system that ruled Christianity for 1000 years, from 500 to 1500 AD. During these times, Scripture was removed from public reading and read only in Latin by overseers who warned of opposing forces as the devil and Satan. Bible translators believed in an anti-god entity, so the slanderous expressions in Scripture were named the devil and Satan.
Since the Hebrew of the Old Testament has no word for ‘devil’, the English word was inserted into our Bibles four times, using two different Hebrew words. One is shed which means “spoiler, destroyer.” This Hebrew word only appears in Scripture two times. (c) The other word sair means “hairy one.” This is translated twenty-four times as goat, twenty-eight times as kid, and just two times as devils. (d)
There are no devil entities in the Old Testament Scriptures! You may ask, what about Lucifer? The name appears in our Bibles once, in an Old Testament prophecy to the King of Babylon. (e) Later translations correct it as “shining one.” There is no satanic Lucifer in Scripture.
The New Testament has three Greek words that are translated as a devil, the devil, and devils. They are derivatives from one base word. The primary word is dia which means “through, as a channel, conduit.”
- diamon means: powerful slander from authority (5 times), the texts indicate control
- diabolos means: false slander (34 times), twice as ‘false accuser’ (f)
- diamonion means: slander from a common source (59 times), once as ‘gods’ (g)
These Greek words speak of an energy force that is channeled by people expressing slanderous accusations to oppose and seek to divide, separate, and tear apart unified people and cohesive beliefs.
Even the Greek word satan means ‘slanderous force’. Instead of an energetic force to separate, it is an energy that gathers as a mob seeking to destroy. This word is not translated but is transcribed as a name to indicate an entity. In biblical times these Greek words spoke of the destructive efforts that came from false accusations. These Scriptural references were of people’s destructive expressions.
There is no satanic Lucifer in Scripture.
Satan & Demon Visuals
Consider what Jesus meant when he told his disciples: “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil (an accuser)?” (h) And when he spoke to Peter: “Get behind me Satan (slanderer); for you are not setting your mind on God’s interest, but man’s.” (i)
Judas was not the devil nor was Peter Satan. 
They were moved in the moment by previous beliefs. In each occasion they expressed thoughts that opposed what God was doing. It is our beliefs and mindsets that cause us to discount or negate God and His ways! (j) Jesus said Paul was sent “to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light, from the dominion (control) of Satan (slandering) to God.” (k)
We also want to realize the tempting serpent in the Garden is a visual for deceptive ideas that come to counter God’s guidance. Jesus dealt with these same kinds of thoughts after a forty day fast. As tempting ideas came, he countered with God’s clarifying word. (l) God’s written word and the inspiring thoughts He speaks to us in those moments provide the insights needed to think and live rightly.
The book of Revelation considers these slanderous forces as one and the same: “The dragon (charming slander), the old serpent (slivering deception), who is the devil (slanderous accusations) and Satan (slanderous force)…deceives the whole world.” (m) These visuals represent the thoughts of men that ignore God’s purposes and direct destructive activity for their own gain. This is exactly what our first parents Adam and Eve did.
So, what about demons? The word ‘demon’ is not even in the KJV Bible. Later translations simply translate the Greek word diabolos (false slander) several times as demons to indicate a possessing entity. The ideologies we accept become a powerful and forceful energy in each of us.
It is our beliefs and mindsets that cause us to discount or negate God and His ways!
Our Beginnings
Both Old and New Testament believers knew there was no entity that could combat the Eternal or successfully oppose Jesus. God is supreme in all the heavens above and in the earth below. (n) Believers in the first three centuries understood that man’s problems were rooted in what we think and believe.
“Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (false accuser). For we wrestle (struggle) not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (arche’), against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (o)
The Greek arche’ is translated in the KJV as ‘principalities’ eight times and as ‘beginning’ forty times. When we look at the many times it appears in Scripture, the word clearly means beginning, as an early cause. This verse actually says we struggle with our beginnings. Our struggles are not with external powers but with what we have accepted as truth. Our early beliefs complicate our ability to accept fresh insight because they are as “powers, rulers of darkness, and wickedness in high places.”
You may ask “what beginnings?” We have many examples and teachings of parents and educators, religious doctrines, and the perception accepted in the Garden of Eden (I can be like God). The early ideas and perceptions that affect our attitudes and direct our actions can be complications later in life. This is explained in our blog “What Do We Struggle with the Most.” (p)
We do not deny the existence of spirit beings like angels (God’s messengers), just to clarify that while our Bibles speak of a Satan and devils, the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures do not. Most of our so-called devils are really thoughts in people seeking to slander, complicate, and destroy our life-stabilizing interaction with God and each other. It is our ideas and thoughts that seek to deny God and be in control. The so-called demons that are cast out are the ill beliefs that are being dispelled.
Instead of making excuses or blaming an imaginary devil or Satan, we want to be quick to look at ourselves. What have we done or said to bring about such results? Can we be opposing God’s purpose?
When we look at ourselves and maintain an attitude of repentance, the degree of light we are able to see increases and we can shine more effectively as deterrents to slanderous evil forces.
God is supreme in all the heavens above and in the earth below.
a) Genesis 3:5-6; b) Genesis 3:12-13; c) Psalm 106:37; Deuteronomy 32:17; d) Leviticus 17:7; 2 Chronicles 11:15; e) Isaiah 14:12; f) 2 Timothy 3:3; Titus 2:3; g) Acts 17:18; h) John 6:70; i) Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33; j) John 15:15; 1 Corinthians 2:16; k) Acts 26:15-18; l) Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1; m) Revelation 12:9; 20:2; n) Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16; Acts 17:24; 1 Timothy 6:16-16; o) Ephesians 6:10-12 KJV; p) https://relationalgospel.com/blog/struggle-most/
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
Created To Relate author