"O villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain!
My tables — meet it is I set it down
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain."
— William Shakespeare, Hamlet
"They almost made me forget who I was, so persuasively did they speak!"
— Plato, Apology of Socrates
"Know your enemy."
— Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Friend,
One of the side-projects stemming from my recent studies has been the compiling of a topical scripture index bearing on particular themes. Almost none of my headings are in any way complete. There are some, however, more fully developed than others. One of these is my Satan heading. Below, you will find all of those serpentine verses I have collected to date.
I thought they might interest you on account of the direction our conversation was heading when we hung up on Tuesday. I had been talking about Satan's responsibility for perverse human institutions oppressive to mankind in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways. This is clearly alluded to in Jesus' conversation with Satan in the Judean desert:
The devil led [Jesus] up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give them to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.' "
— Luke 4
There's much to be seen in this passage but I'll limit myself to only one observation as a basis for what I'd been saying over the phone: Jesus did not make any effort to contradict the devil's claim to be the possessor of the kingdoms of the world. This, because he knew Satan's claim to be true.
Such is the world. Be warned.
He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work...This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
— 1 John 3
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
— Ephesians 2
One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, from roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”
— Job 1
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
— 1 Peter 5
Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
— Ephesians 6
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
— Romans 16
Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
— James 4
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ “ ”You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
— Genesis 3
The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
— Genesis 3
You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Then I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.
— Ezekiel 28
How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.
— Isaiah 14
A second portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns; on his heads were seven diadems, and with his tail he swept down a third of the stars in the sky and flung them to earth…War broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels waged war upon the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought, but they had not strength to win, and no foothold was left them in heaven. So the great dragon was thrown down, that serpent of old that led the whole world astray, whose name is Satan, or the Devil—thrown down to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a voice in heaven proclaiming aloud: ‘This is the hour of victory for our God, the hour of his sovereignty and power, when his Christ comes to his rightful rule! For the accuser of our brothers is overthrown, who day and night accused them before our God. By the sacrifice of the Lamb they have conquered him, and by the testimony which they uttered; for they did not hold their lives too dear to lay them down. Rejoice then, you heavens and you that dwell in them! But woe to you, earth and sea, for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, knowing that his time is short!
— Revelation 12
I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth….Then the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
— Revelation 20
On that day the LORD will punish with his cruel sword, his mighty and powerful sword, Leviathan that twisting sea-serpent, that writhing serpent Leviathan, and slay the monster of the deep.
— Isaiah 27
Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
— 2 Corinthians 11
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders.
— 2 Thessalonians 2
He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
— John 8
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
— 2 Corinthians 4
The devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
— Luke 8
The whole world is under the control of the evil one.
— 1 John 5
