I was a young assistant pastor, we lived next to the church. One evening a car pulled behind the building for the obvious reason to make out. I happened to have a red costume of Satan complete with horns and tail. The pastor wanted me to wear it as part of a skip for the congregation. I could not resist the opportunity. I put the costume on and snuck out to the car. Then I danced around it. Needless to say, the couple immediately turned on the car and left as quickly as possible. I did this for fun, but hopefully it taught them a lesson too.
They probably thought I was some kind of a maniac or actually was the devil.
My costume was not biblically correct. The devil does not have horns. He does not have a tail. And he is not red. Another misconception about him is that he does not rule over hell. He does not approach people to sign a contract for special favors in exchange for their soul.
The Bible says that before Adam and Eve, he was the highest of all the angels in heaven. He decided to no longer serve God but thought it possible for him to replace God. That was the beginning of sin. He rebelled against God thinking he was so superior that God was unnecessary, and he should sit on the divine throne.
When Adam partook of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, that was the beginning of sin for mankind. The difference between Satan, who was originally named Lucifer, and that of Adam’s sin, may seem similar. But they are not. In heaven Lucifer sought to rebel against God. On earth Adam’s sin was to disobey God. Ever since then the Bible says Satan is the prince of this world roaming about earth to devour whom he can spiritually.
When the devil approached Eve to be the first one to eat the forbidden fruit, he attempted her in three-way. He offered her a means to exercise pride. He reminded her of the availability of physical desires. He lied to her and told her that she would be wise as God. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Satan used these three platforms in an effort to defeat Christ. Ever since Satan tempts people on these three bases. Let it be noted that Satan can do nothing outside of God’s permission. The best example of this is the story of Job in the Bible.
The devil’s single desire is to destroy human beings during their lifetime and destine them to hell. Since he cannot diminish their promise of eternal life as Christians, he will do everything possible to nullify their witness and to wreck their lives. Those who do not have Jesus as their Savior are subject to the tumultuous attacks from the devil to keep them from serving God.
Satan does not approach people in a red costume but appears as an angel of light. He wants to make his temptations as enticing as possible. Remember that a temptation is not a sin until it is acted upon. He uses circumstances and people to entice his victims and ultimately destroy what their earthly and spiritual life could have been.
When all is said and done, Satan will be judged by God and thrown into the fiery pit known as hell for all eternity. Unfortunately, those who follow his lead and do not declare themselves as believers in the saving work of Christ will also find themselves forever tormented. The decision between heaven and hell belongs to each person depending on how they aligned themselves with Christ.
Christian Writer 