Throughout history there has always been opposition to God’s guiding influence. The idea began to form in the mind of Adam and Eve as they entertained a tempting thought; if you ignore God “you will be like God.” The idea appeared to be “good, a delight to view, and desirable.” (a) [see endnotes for Scriptures]
As Adam and Eve accepted the idea and ignored God’s guidance, their view of life changed. When God questioned their well-being, the response was: “She led me astray” and “I was deceived!” (b)
Instead of repenting, they blamed another. We continue with such excuses; “It’s not my fault; the devil made me do it!” We blame bad ideas and actions on others. So, what about the Devil and Satan?
Our Beginnings
A slivering serpent in the Garden is the visual God used to depict the deceptive ideas that come as counters to His guidance. Even Jesus had to deal with these types of thoughts after a forty day fast. As the ideas came, he resisted the deceptive thoughts by countering them with God’s insightful word. (c) God’s written word and the inspiring thoughts He speaks to us in our trying moments provide the insights we need to think, act, and rightly respond to the temptations that come our way.
We are encouraged to: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might…that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Greek diabolos – slanderer), for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (arche’)…powers…rulers…spiritual wickedness in high places.” (d)
The Greek arche’ which means “beginning” 
is translated in the KJV as “principalities.’’ This Greek word is translated correctly in the KJV nearly 40 times as “beginning.” Considering how often this word is translated this way, it clearly should be so in this verse because it sets the tone for passage. We want to realize our struggle is not with spiritual forces, but with the beginnings we maintain as truth.
What beginnings are we referring to? Some are the early perceptions we receive from parents and family members. Some are from the early religious teachings and our educators. We can even include the deception received in the Garden of Eden as beginnings which indicates “we can be like God.”
The ideas and concepts we accept early in life tend to dictate what we say and how we act. As we grow and mature, our first beliefs can complicate our ability to see new or brighter light because they do not agree with what has been believed. So, we wrestle and struggle because our beginnings have become swaying influences; “powers, rulers of darkness, and wickedness in the high places” of our mind.
The ideas and concepts we accept early in life tend to dictate what we say and how we act.
Translating of Old Testament Hebrew
Many of today’s perceptions of truth were introduced by the religious system that ruled over Christian expressions for 1000 years. Authorities removed all sacred writings from public access in 500 AD to solidify their control. Scripture reading was restricted to appointed ministers and only in Latin.
It was during this time that the Greek mythical ideas of a Satan and devils were infused into Christian beliefs. Religious authorities declared Satan and devils are contrary spiritual beings that hate God and seek to complicate our life. For many generations, Christians were taught that our enemy is Satan and his devilish demoniacs. The imaginary spirits could even possess people and express slanderous views.
During the Reformation of the 1500s, Bibles began to be printed so people could read it. Since the belief in anti-god entities was so engrained in Christian thinking, many of the slanderous expressions in Scripture were translated as “devil.” This was our boogie man, the cause to blame bad actions on.
Did you know the Old Testament Hebrew has no word for devil? The English word was inserted four times, twice from a word that appears in Scripture only two times: shed which means “spoiler, destroyer.” (e) The other two times the Hebrew word is sair. The KJV translated this word 24 times as goat, 28 times as kid, and 2 times as devils. (f) The Old Testament speaks of goats, not devils!
What about Lucifer? This name appears in Bibles once, in an Old Testament prophecy about the King of Babylon. (g) Later translations correct it as “the shining one.” Scripture does not speak of a Lucifer.
Another example is the Greek satana which means “adversary.” It appears in the New Testament 35 times. Rather than translate the Greek as adversary, it is transposed as a name to indicate a personality.
In Greek mythology, Beelzebub was the chief of demons. This name appears in Scripture only once. “The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.’” (l) To show the ridiculousness of their slanderous accusation which came from mythology, Jesus responded with “How can Satan cast out Satan?” (m)
We read Jesus said to Peter: “Get behind me Satan (adversary); for you are not setting your mind on God’s interest, but man’s.” (n) Peter was not Satan. Jesus spoke to the idea that was steering Peter in the moment. He was motivated by earlier beliefs and was not thinking or speaking appropriately.
Jesus said Paul was sent “to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light, from the dominion (control) of Satan (adversary) to God.” (o) There is only one passage that appears to support the idea of devils. A man approached Jesus with “an unclean spirit” or an idea that controlled him. It was cast out and the hidden energy entered unclean pigs. (p) Most of our struggle is with the beliefs that control us.
Did you know that the Old Testament Hebrew has no word for devil?
Translation of New Testament Greek
The New Testament Greek diabolos means – false accusation, slanderer. In those days diabolos spoke of slanderous expressions and false accusations that people spewed out to divide and separate. Translators gave slanderous expressions names so we would remain fearful of forces beyond us. The NASB translates diabolos 3 times as malicious gossip and 34 times as devil. (i)
The Greek diamon is a variable that means “exercised by ideas.” This Greek word is translated often as “demons” to support the belief in evil possessions. In some people, the slanderous activity was as a possessive energy that opposed what is right. The word “demon” is not even mentioned in the KJV.
Jesus called the scribes children of slander, 
not the devil. (j) Jesus called his disciple Judas a slanderer, not a devil. (k) When Scripture speaks of slanderers and false accusations, translators give them a name to identify them as a personage. While we consider Scripture to be sacred, translations are not.
In the book of Revelation, translators put names on what the Greek identify as slanderous forces: “The great dragon (charming slander)…the serpent of old (slivering deception), who is called the devil (slanderer) and Satan (adversary), who deceives the whole world…” (h) These are not anti-god entities; they are expressive forces and actions that come from people who contrast the true ways of God.
This insight does not seek to deny the existence of spiritual forces. We just want to clarify how the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures do not speak of a Satan, a Devil, or of demons. The negative forces Scripture identifies coming from people have inappropriately been given names.
When our thoughts align with bad or inappropriate ideas, our expressions and actions can be slander that seeks to complicate and destroy any stabilizing interaction we have with God and with each other. It is not a devil that seeks to deny God’s input and appears to control us; it is our ideas and ill beliefs.
Can we cease to blame another and look inward? Let’s maintain an attitude of repentance so the degree of light we see increases and we shine more effectively as deterrents to slanderous evil forces.
It is not a devil that seeks to deny God’s input and appears to control us; it is our ideas and ill beliefs.
a) Genesis 3:5-6; b) Genesis 3:12-13; c) Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1; d) KJV, Ephesians 6:10-12; e) Psalm 106:37; Deuteronomy 32:17; f) KJV, Leviticus 17:7; 2 Chronicles 11:15; g) Isaiah 14:12; h) Revelation 12:9; 20:2; i) 1 Timothy 3:11; 1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 2:3; j) John 8:44; k) John 6:70; l) Mark 3:22; m) Mark 3:23; n) Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33; o) Acts 26:15-18; p) Mark 5:1-13
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder