Days after a new presidential candidate secures the nomination, biographies appear on the bookshelves to reveal his/her personal story.  Who they are today is largely explained by where they came from and by the people and events that shaped them early in life.

We’ve spent many days looking at some of the enemy’s strengths – his ability to roar, intrude, plan strategically, deceive, and customize temptations- but we haven’t yet looked at his history to discover just why he is bent on doing evil. 

Satan was once a high-ranking angel – alongside Gabriel and Michael.  He lived in God’s presence and was in charge of all the worship in heaven.  Despite that privileged position, he committed an act of treason that got him thrown out of heaven.  Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Luke 10:18  God gave His Son the memory of this event.

Isaiah tells us more about this event; that Satan promoted himself.   I will climb to heaven and place my throne above the highest stars. I will sit there with the gods far away in the north. I will be above the clouds, just like God most high. Isaiah 14:13-14   Satan felt entitled to the worship God was getting.  He believed that he was the one who should sit on the throne.  With this twisted ambition, his gifts were simultaneously corrupted. Pride then fueled his supernatural charisma, and he campaigned to angelic hosts to join his cause.  He was amazingly successful and influenced one-third of them to defect.  God expelled him (and the angels who joined him) and sent them to earth.  

He set up his kingdom in the second heaven, the heavens just above our planet.  Organizationally, it mimics the structure of God’s kingdom.  He is a copycat. He delights in taking what is holy and perverting it. He is both artful and insidious with scripture, quoting it at the wrong time and using it as a weapon to drive a wedge between us and God.  We can read God’s own words about him.

“You were anointed as a guardian cherub and lived on the holy mountain of God. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mountain of God and I expelled you.” Ezekiel 28 THE MESSAGE

We cannot take on this enemy ourselves.  We have no power on our own and it would be an unfair match.  Yet, we are not to be afraid.  We are God’s children, saved by the blood of the Lamb, dressed in his righteousness, and equipped with everything we need to live in victory.  With the Word as our sword and worship as our warfare on the frontlines, the devil trembles and flees.  It’s deja vu for him as he hears the worship he once composed and conducted being sung by those who were snatched from captivity.  Their anthems soar on the wings of awe and gratitude.