Did you know the Bible never originally spoke of “Satan” as a proper noun (a name) ?
“Satan” was not originally thought of as a literal cosmic entity. It was simply a title, given to any adversary opposed to the will of God.
In Hebrew: ha-satan = an accuser, or opposer.
Religion has distorted the meaning ... turning this into an actual entity or fallen angel.
FOR EXAMPLE : Peter was called a “satan” when he opposed Jesus (Matt. 16:23).
In Isaiah 14:4, the “king of Babylon” is addressed in the same way - as human ruler clothed in arrogance. Later in verse 12, this fallen ruler is poetically described as helel (“morning star”), a symbol of brilliance turned into inward pride (ego).
Centuries later, Jesus is also called the “morning star” (Revelation 22:16) - but with a very different essence. One symbol, two archetypes:
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Lucifer = false light, ego, self-exaltation.
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Christ = true light, love, self-giving.
Both reflect ways light can show up: distorted inward or radiant outward. The question is: which “star” do you follow?
When the Scriptures were written in Koine Greek, the word became satanas - still meaning adversary. No capitalization, no devil with horns.
It wasn’t until later on that the Roman Catholic church hierarchy decided to change this in writing the Latin Vulgate, turning this term into a proper name with a capital "S" (Satan). Eventually, the English translations (such as the KJV) followed the same Latin manuscripts.
Over time, this shift fed the idea of a single cosmic villain, rather than what the original writers meant: This led to the distortion of modern christianity.
I always encourage people to read the passages that refer to "satan" from the original KOINE GREEK.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE PASSAGES RIGHT NOW ...
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Matthew 5:37
New King James:
“Let your ‘Yes’ be Yes and your ‘No’ be No. Anything beyond this comes from the EVIL ONE.”
Koine Greek:
“So let your word be Yes or No. Now the thing in excess of these is from out of the midst of the bad condition of mankind."
Notice: Instead of an “evil one” - the Koine Greek points to a condition or mindset that produces corruption and suffering.
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Matthew 6:13
New King James : “ And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the EVIL ONE.
Koine Greek: “May You not carry us into an ordeal neither by trial, nor by temptation, but rescue us away from the bad situation.”
Matthew 13:19
King James :
“When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the WICKED ONE, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.
Koine Greek :
“Concerning everyone constantly listening to the Word of the sovereign reign and activities, and yet continuing in not understanding: the worthless person or the disadvantageous circumstance is repeatedly coming and is snatching up what has been sown within his heart.
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2 Thessalonians 3:3
New King James:
"But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from THE EVIL ONE.”
Koine Greek:
"But the Lord continuously faithful, who will progressively establish and keep you away from the malicious person."
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John 17:15
New King James: “ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the EVIL ONE.
Koine Greek: “but rather that You would observe and protect, and keep them out of the worthless or bad situation.”
1 John 5:19
New King James: "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the WICKED ONE."
Koine Greek: “We thus know that we are of God, yet the whole ordered System is lying outstretched within the gush of misery."
Ephesians 6:16
New King James :
"above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the WICKED ONE."
Koine Greek:
“taking up the large shield which is the Faithfulness within which you will continue having power and be able to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the worthless person.”
Notice: This sounds much more like toxic people, destructive attitudes, or oppressive systems than a red devil with a pitchfork.
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1 John 2:13-14
King James : I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome
the WICKED ONE.
Koine Greek : "I write to you, young men that you are constantly being made strong, so you may overcome the one bringing a gush of misery."
^ This could be any toxic person with an ego-driven mindset that is adversarial toward God .
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1 John 3:12
King James :
"Not as Cain, who was of that WICKED ONE, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous."
^ This version suggests Cain was under the sway of a personal cosmic Satan.
Koine Greek:
“... not living like Cain. He was existing, and continued being, from out of the condition causing misery and hard labor. Because his works were gushed with misery and hard labor, but those of his brother were just.”
^ Notice how the Koine Greek broadens the meaning of the Greek word ponēros:
The Koine Greek says nothing about an external entity controlling Cain, but rather an internal state of being - a mindset of envy, toil, resentment, and unprofitable striving.
What’s Happening Here ? Are you starting to "sense" that perhaps the ancient Latin church had an agenda ?
The REAL "ha-satan" in scripture was always man's CARNAL NATURE (ego) (the unrenewed mind) which was adversarial to the will of God ... Mark 7:21, says that evil comes from the HEART of man.
I
find it interesting that to this very day, the majority of Jews reject the "western"
idea of an entity called "Satan"... and for a good reason... THE TORAH never used the word "satan" as a proper noun. In the Old Testament, the word "ha-satan" simply meant "adversary"
to the ancient Hebrews
- Therefore, there were many "satans" in the Bible. King Nebuchadnezzar
was called a "satan" ... even Peter was called a "satan" by Christ
Himself.
.
In the Garden, Adam & Eve's carnal minds were described as a "talking snake"... This metaphoric adversary was opposed to the will of God. The Bible is full of allegory and metaphors like this - which modern Western Christians almost always interpret in LITERAL FASHION. - This "satan" that opposes the will of God, exist only in our minds. The mind is the metaphoric "battlefield"-(Rom 7:23). All throughout scripture this adversarial "carnal mind"(ego) of man, became aroused by the Law. -
Over the
millennia, RELIGION has twisted the original meanings of these
metaphors ... interpreting them as literal entities, and outward
enemies.
The New Testament doesn’t picture this "Satan" as a future threat, his demise was imminent ... Notice how this was spoken directly to a 1st century audience.
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Romans 16:20 says, "The God of peace will SOON crush Satan under your feet."
.
John 12:31 ... Jesus said ... "*NOW* the prince of this world will be CAST OUT."
.
John 16:11 ... "the ruler of this world HAS BEEN JUDGED."
.
1 Cor 15:27 ... "FOR HE (GOD) HAS PUT EVERYTHING UNDER HIS FEET."
.
1 Corinthians 15:26 ...“The last enemy to be destroyed is DEATH.”
.
SO, WAS DEATH DESTROYED ??
2 Tim 1:10... "Christ Jesus, who HAS DESTROYED DEATH and has brought LIFE and IMMORTALITY to light through the gospel."
.
QUESTION
> If death was the last enemy to be destroyed, and Jesus destroyed
DEATH ... then what does that mean for the devil ??
.
LET'S CONTINUE ...
.
HEB
2:14 ... "He too shared in their humanity so that by his death, He
might DESTROY him who holds the power of DEATH - that is the
devil.”
.
OK, (PAUSE) ... Since the devil held the "power of DEATH" ... what exactly was the power of DEATH ???
.
ANSWER
> 1 Corinthians 15:56 ... "The sting of DEATH is sin, and the power
of sin is the Law.” ... (Also see Rom 7:10) - Death and the Law were
always intertwined (one in the same). This is why the OLD Covenant was
known as "the ministry of death" (See 2 Cor 3:6-11).
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The Law didn’t just reveal sin - it empowered it.
And where Law empowered sin, death reigned.
Therefore, the true “power of death” was a legal structure rooted in condemnation (the OLD Covenant sacrificial system of Law).
Christ didn’t just defeat this villain. He dismantled the entire architecture of separation.
Many of you are thinking ... "But people are still dying every day, so DEATH was not destroyed !"
Okay, so let's look at how Jesus used the word "DEATH" ...
John 8:51 ..."Anyone who obeys my teaching WILL NEVER DIE !"
.
Obviously, Jesus was NOT referring to PHYSICAL DEATH because everyone eventually dies (physically).
When Jesus said this in John 8:51 ... He was speaking about "spiritual death" as in "separation from God."
So
if you mis-identify the nature of the "DEATH" that Jesus had in mind
... that will throw off your whole eschatology right there.
What does the Bible say about PHYSICAL death anyway ?
We are told that PHYSICAL DEATH still remains in the NEW Heaven and NEW Earth.
Isaiah 65:17-20
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17. “See, I will create NEW HEAVENS and a NEW EARTH.
20. "THE ONE WHO DIES AT A HUNDRED WILL BE THOUGHT A MERE CHILD; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.
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So physical death was NEVER the issue. When
Jesus "DESTROYED DEATH" ... it was "Spiritual Death" (separation from
God) ... The Law separated us. The Law was the power of sin and death.
The only power that Satan had was the Law, and that power was taken from
him and destroyed with him.
So ... If DEATH was the last enemy to be destroyed, and death was fueled by Law, and Law empowered the adversarial mind…then what does that mean for this so called "satan" ... and when was he defeated ?
.
That fire was a purging (a correction) pointing to mankind's redemption, and the FULL ARRIVAL of the NEW COVENANT.
Romans 3:3-4 ... "The unbelief of some will not nullify God's faithfulness."
Once you understand this ... you become free to engage with your TRUE IDENTITY ... (spirit) ... as the FALSE IDENTITY (ego) gradually releases it's grip on your heart & mind.
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