The story of Satan may be the explanation as to why we are all here. In Genesis 2:17, God cautioned Adam and Eve that if they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die. But Adam and Eve didn't die... at least not right away, they lived a full life and so did (do) generations of their posterity (aka: humanity). Eating the forbidden fruit seems not to have changed the course of their lives, at least not in the dire way God warned. So what did their choice change and how has it effected our lives?
For this study we have to traverse the entire Bible: from Genesis (the beginning), Ezekiel (the middle), and Revelation (the end). If this Satan character is behind the big, centuries-asked question, ("Why are we here?"), then we have to read about not just his first appearance but also his beginning and how it led to his end. By doing that, we will learn how who or what he is is less important than what he represents. For it is what he represents that changed the plan God had for us.
- THE ANOINTED CHERUB
“You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty."
Ezekiel 28:12
Satan was not the monster we think he was... at least not in outward appearance and certainly not at onset. God's description of Satan is quite a lot different from the media's portrayal of him, and not just physically. We think of Satan as an outcast rather than the blessed and beloved one he actually was.
“You were the anointed cherub who covers;I established you;You were on the holy mountain of God;
Ezekiel 28:14
Not only was Satan beautiful, he had everything the storehouses of the Kingdom of God have to offer: he was wise, anointed, established. He was loved and trusted. So how did Satan become the serpent in Genesis? The dragon in Revelation? He gradually became greedy, violent and arrogant. And that is where we have to start paying attention; because the worst of Satan is more relatable to us than the best of him. After all, none of us can boast perfection in wisdom, beauty or behavior. But all of us have experienced at least a modicum of greed, violence and arrogance within ourselves. This is not to say that we are horrible people because the majority are not, but we are capable of the same character flaws that led to Satan's complete eviction from the Kingdom of God.
God's kingdom is broad and hosts a lot of life. In heaven, as it is on earth right now, God elects people to join Him in helping others. Satan was chosen as such, an overseer, a protector, by God. But the power became a drug to him and he a slave to it. He began to abuse his power and manipulate others with the wisdom he was given. He resented that he was chosen by God, a holy honor, and wanted instead to be the chooser. Yet the worst thing Satan did was to drag, connive and convince others to join him... and that is the story of Adam, Eve and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- "YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED"
Eve's conversation with the serpent in Genesis is an allegory of how humanity obtained free will and consciousness as we know it today. God had designed a perfect system with the kingdom of God, represented by the Garden of Eden. He created life and cared for it. He made all of the decisions and refrained from distributed free will. Why? This is where we would play a montage of things like the widespread poverty, racism, pollution and other injustices on earth. God simply knew that we were not equipped for such responsibility. Satan disagreed; he wanted to unlock that aspect of life.
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:4
This is an example of the scheming Satan did when he was in the position of power as cherub. He portrayed God as a stingy authority rather than a wise Father. He slyly suggested that God's will was not the best course of action. He manipulated the truth so that it appeared that one's own will could procure glory and power and that God's will could not. Like he did with Eve, Satan made it seem like the righteous, obedient, humble way was ineffective, insufficient.
And that is what Satan represents throughout the Bible and in our lives today. He represents that temptation within us to live by our own rule; to act and react on our emotions and desires regardless if they are good for us or others or not; to obtain influence by dubious means; to procure power by manipulating the justice system; to shirk responsibility and pursue our desires. Anger, arrogance and greed tempt us like Satan tempted Eve. They make promises that make us salivate, metaphorically speaking (usually), but they cannot keep those promises; because anything we obtain with impure intentions and corrupt machinations will not satisfy us.
Eve gained free will, her mind expanded, but the quality of her life declined sharply. Indeed her mind expanded, but in many places she had been previously protected from. She then knew what it was to lack, to feel shame, grief, guilt and regret. The everlasting life of her soul (and ours) became subjected to life in a temporary body. Once constant and sustained, she became an aging and fragile form of life... and we all know the many traumas of that. When God told Adam and Eve that they would surely die, He meant this: life, now as we know it. Birth and death on earth, a rich but also traumatic experience.
We study Satan as the serpent in Genesis, the proverbial King of Tyre in Ezekiel and the metaphorical dragon in Revelation, but it is crucial for us to recognize Satan he really is. Not the sly characters of the Bible or the monster depicted in movies but Satan is the impatience within us, the frustration, anger, arrogance and greed. All of that behavior was drawn out of us by him. Every time we are tempted to act on our base (ugly) emotions and desires we are Eve in the garden, allowing Satan to convince us our plan is better than God's.
- THE DRAGON TAIL DREW
We are here because when free will was unlocked, humanity needed a place to exercise their (our) new ability. We needed a place to make the mess of trial and error, a place with consequence enough to take the task seriously, but not permanently damage. Of course death and disparity seem like permanently damage (and they are definite consequences), life on earth was designed to feel that way. But the only permanent damage that can be done can only be done by God and it is the death of a soul, not a body.
We are here because we needed a space to not just to learn the consequences of free will, but also to well, use it. Because with our free will we make decisions and those decisions add up to the inevitable decision: my way, or the highway... to heaven. Joking aside, God honestly wants us to decide. He will not force His will on people who do not want it. He preferred to love us His way, even if it meant that our love for Him was less authentic, if it also meant that we were spared the pain that transpires in life-with-free-will (life as it we know it now).
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.
Revelation 12:3-4
Satan was able to convince a third of God's people buy what he was selling... and trade in all of the free "stuff" God had been providing. Life on earth is our opportunity to give it all back. We were once with God because He chose us. Today, we have the opportunity to be with God because we choose Him.
We spoke before about permanent damage: the death of the soul. Satan has been named the son of perdition by God, in other words, his soul has been sentenced to that permanent death (Ezekiel 23:18; John 17:12; and many other places!) Satan has been sentenced to death and he doesn't want to go alone. Just like before, he is recruiting people onto his side... even though he now knows his to be the losing side.
Of course now that life on earth is our reality, God has plans within plans for not just the whole picture but also for every individual. He has made our tale a story of redemption and purpose rather than one of punishment or subsequent consequence. And though some bad things came with free will, two really good things came too: faith and authentic love. We are now able to love God (and others) intimately; that is, love with the knowledge of the power and work and depth and complexity and strength and fragility and value of love.
Now, when God blesses us and when others love us, we understand how precious the act of love and all that it encompasses is. And that is why out of all the history and instruction and lesson that scripture and life hold, God has chosen to emphasize love:
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:37-40So if the history is too complicated, and the future too difficult to grasp, we have been directed by Jesus to simply love in the present.