"Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" Ephesians 2:2
It is believed by some that Satan and devils / demons are not spirit beings, but earthly adversaries and mental disorders respectively. Others believe that Satan is an allegory for unrighteousness and demons are unrighteous thoughts. It is obvious that there is confusion and disagreement among people as to who or what Satan and demons are. The purpose of this study is to show that Satan and devils / demons are literal spirit beings.
The opening text is instructive for several reasons.
1) The "prince" is identified as "the spirit". This refers to a particular spirit being.
2) The "prince" [Greek - "archonta" - a first (in rank or power)] is the primary ruler of the air (where evil spirits dwell).
3) "Power" (Greek - "exousia" - force). This word is a noun meaning a power or force in the sense of a military force. This force is ruled over by a single prince who is supreme. "Exousia" can also be translated "jurisdiction". The prince rules over the jurisdiction of the air as Herod rules over the jurisdiction of Galilee (Luke 3:1; 23:7).
We learn the identity of this prince and who he rules over in Mt.12:22-29.
"Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Yeshua knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of Elohim, then the kingdom of Elohim is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house."
The Pharisees believed in devils (supernatural spirits) and that they had a prince over them, "Beelzebub", who Yeshua implied was Satan (vs.26). Yeshua's response teaches us several things.
1) Satan exists.
2) Satan has a kingdom that he rules over.
3) Satan's kingdom is strong and not divided against itself.
4) Yeshua has power over Satan and his devils.
5) Satan will eventually be bound and his house spoiled.
In verse 29, the strong man is Satan. The world is his house. Satan's "goods" are people. Yeshua speaks of himself as a thief. Just as a thief ties up the strong man (owner of the house) and carries off his possessions, Yeshua bound Satan through the power of the Holy Spirit and spoiled his goods (freed his people). By freeing the demon possessed people, Yeshua was spoiling Satan's goods.
Yeshua referred to Satan as a being who rules over a kingdom of beings known as devils (Greek - "daimonion" - from which we get our English word "demon"). These demons are the forces or power of the air mentioned in Eph.2:2.
Other references to the "prince of the devils" are Mt.9:34; Mk.3:22; and Luke 11:15 where he is identified as the "chief of the devils". This can be understood to mean Satan is the leader of the beings known as demons or that he is the #1 demon in rank.
Satan himself is called "the devil" (Mt.4:1; Mk.1:13; Rev.12:9; 20:2). The word used in those references, however, is "diabolos" meaning a false accuser or slanderer. It is also said of Satan that he has "angels" for whom an everlasting fire is prepared. Mt.25:41 reads:
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"
These are obviously not good angels, but evil angels or evil spirits. They are ruled over by Satan their prince. Satan and his angels comprise the kingdom of darkness, kingdom of the air, or kingdom of Satan. This kingdom, of course, is in direct opposition to the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of Elohim.
The Works of the Devil
"He that committs sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of [Yahweh] was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8
One of Yeshua's works will be to destroy the works of the devil (Satan). Here is a list of some of those works of the devil.
(Mk.1:13 - ""And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him."). Some have appealed to James 1:14 to show that temptation originates in one's own mind or heart and that a literal spirit being (Satan) does not tempt people. James 1:14 simply teaches that lust causes an individual to be tempted. It does not say Satan does not tempt as well. Nor does it say others cannot tempt us. If I offer swine's flesh to someone who keeps Yahweh's dietary laws, then I am tempting that person to sin. His own lust will come into play as well causing him to act on that external temptation. Satan, too, can tempt us externally as seen throughout Messiah's temptation in the wilderness. More on that later.
Yeshua began to destroy these works through signs and miracles that he did. Healing the sick, opening the eyes of the blind, making the lame to walk, casting out demons, etc., were all ways of causing Satan's work (where applicable) to be destroyed. Yeshua's greatest work to that end was to overcome sin and death through his own sinless life and resurrection thus paving the way for each individual believer in him to overcome Satan's work as well (Heb.2:14; Rev.12:9-11)
The Serpent in the Garden
In Genesis 3, we are told of "the serpent" that "beguiled" Eve in the Garden of Eden. This garden was a literal botanical wonderland and is referred to in Gen.13:10 & Is.51:3 as the "Garden of Yahweh". Gen.3:8 says "Yahweh Elohim" planted the garden. Therefore, it can be called the "Garden of Elohim" as well and is, in fact, called that in Ezek.28:13 which will be discussed later.
Adam was placed in the garden and eventually Eve was its second human inhabitant. The serpent was also present in the garden. His first recorded act was to plant seeds of doubt in Eve's mind; "Yea, has Elohim said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" His second act was to lie to Eve by teaching her the exact opposite of what her Creator taught her. Yahweh said, "Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:16,17) and the serpent said, "You shall not surely die". The consequences of Eve's disobedience led to Adam's fall and the entrance of sin and death into the world (Rom.5:12).
Rev.12:9 & 20:2 call the devil / Satan "that old serpent". He has that title because he is somehow associated with the oldest serpent known to man, the serpent in the garden. Whether he actually was that serpent or influenced the serpent to lie and deceive is not clear from the available texts.
It is because of the devils actions in the garden that Yeshua told the Jews the following:
"You do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even Elohim. Yeshua said unto them, If Elohim were your Father, you would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from Elohim; neither came I of myself, but He sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? even because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." John 8:41-44.
Who is the "father" of those that do not believe? Who was a murderer from the beginning? Who has no truth in him? Who is the father of lies? Can the answer to these questions be one's own heart or mind or any earthly adversary? Can a mind or heart (one's thoughts) be a father, a murderer, or a liar? People may act on their thoughts and become liars and murderers, but the thoughts themselves cannot commit these acts. A literal spirit being (Satan) can not only commit such acts, but he can tempt people to do so as well.
The first recorded lie in Scripture comes from the serpent (the devil / Satan). Thus it is said that he is the "father of lies". As a result of that lie's direct impact upon the fall of man, death came upon all men. Thus it is said that he is a "murderer from the beginning" (the beginning of man's recorded history).
1 John 3:8 teaches similarly:
"He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of Elohim was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."
The "beginning" refers to the first sin mentioned in Scripture (the serpent's lie). This verse is parallel to "he was a murderer from the beginning". The devil / Satan is the murderer and father of lies. He sinned before man (Adam and Eve) sinned. His sin was lying to Eve by telling her she would not die by disobeying her Creator. Among the "works of the devil", mentioned in this verse, is to deceive mankind into disobeying the Creator. Those that obey the devil are said to be "children of the devil" (1 Jn.3:10). He becomes their father.
Some try to teach that "your father the devil" and "the father of the lie" refers to Adam because he committed the first sin and spread sin and death to others. They view Adam as the first satan. This is faulty reasoning for several reasons: 1) Adam's sin was not lying, but disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit 2) Satan is said to be "that old serpent". It was Satan that tempted Eve, not Adam.
While it is true that it was Adam's sin that brought sin and death upon the human race, it was Satan's lie that caused the sin. Satan could not bring sin and death into the world because he is not flesh and blood, but he was certainly the first to sin against Yahweh. A being does not need to be flesh and blood to sin. By telling Eve she would not die, the serpent / Satan was not only lying to her, but he was also accusing Yahweh of not speaking the truth. He brought Yahweh's integrity into question and misrepresented Him to Eve. His was an act of outright rebellion against his Creator.
Digressing a bit: Some may doubt that Satan has a Creator or that he is a created, supernatural being. Instead, they believe the term "satan" (Hebrew - "sawtawn"; Greek - "satanas") simply means "adversary" and refers to men or Yahweh. They view Yahweh as the only "adversary" that is a spirit.
However, in Numbers 22:22,32, the Angel of Yahweh (who is not Yahweh, but a separate spirit being) was an "adversary / sawtawn" to Balaam. If a good spirit being can be an adversary / satan, then surely an evil spirit being can be one as well.
When a man acts as an adversary against Yahweh's people, he is said to be a "child of the devil" (1 Jn.3:10; Acts 13:10). Why? Because he does the work of his father the devil. Sometimes Satan is the force behind a man's evil actions as was the case with Judas (Luke 22:3). Sometimes Satan's angels are that force as will be the case in Rev.16:14. However, sometimes a man will commit evil out of the lust of his own heart (James 1:14). Although neither Satan, nor his angels were behind the act, because the act was adversarial in nature, the term "satan" is used to describe the action.
As for Satan being a created supernatural being, we read the following in Ezek.28:12-16:
"Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith Adonai Yahweh; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of Elohim; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of Elohim; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of Elohim: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire."
Yes, it is true that the context is a prophecy about the literal king of Tyrus, but it goes deeper than that into a prophecy against the real power behind the king, Satan. There are two characteristics of the king that cannot be attributed to any earthly man.
1) He is called, "the anointed cherub" (vs.14). "Cherub" is only used in Scripture of created celestial beings.
2) He was in the Garden of Eden.
I have yet to see a reasonable explanation for these two points. When one reads writings from those opposed to Satan as a literal spirit being, they refute the passage as referring to the king of Tyrus, but they fail to address these points.
Returning to Genesis 3: Yahweh cursed the serpent by transforming it into a legless creature (vs.14). He also gave the following prophecy in verse 15:
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
It was prophesied by Paul that Gen.3:15 would be fulfilled in his future by the Elohim of peace bruising Satan under the saints feet.
"And the Elohim of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. . ." Romans 16:20
Of course, Messiah Yeshua, being the seed of the woman, will also bruise Satan under his feet at a future time. He will accomplish this through his headship as "king of the saints" and through his own power. I doubt the phrases "under the saints feet" and "bruise thy head" (Gen.3:15) are to be understood literally. Messiah and the saints will "bruise" Satan through destroying his power and authority over the people of this world and through his binding during the millennium and his eventual casting into the Lake of Fire.
What is important to note here is that the Apostle Paul understood that Gen.3:15 was a prophecy referring to Satan. It was not directed at the serpent per se, but to the entity behind or in the serpent, Satan himself.
Satan in the Wilderness
In Matthew 4, we read about the devil's temptation of Yeshua in the wilderness. Some would have us believe that a literal spirit being did not tempt Yeshua, but that he was battling with his own mind. Let's look at the account a little closer.
"Then was Yeshua led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of Elohim, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Yahweh." (Matthew 4:1-4).
Yeshua was specifically led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil (Satan -Mk.1:13). After forty days of fasting, he was hungry. Satan then "came" to him (from another location) and tempted him to change stones to bread in order to eat. It was not against Yahweh's law to eat when hungry. Therefore, such an act could not be sin and such a request could not be a true temptation had it come from Yeshua's own heart / mind. However, since the request came from an external source (Satan), and since the request brought into question Yeshua's sonship ("If thou be the Son of Elohim"), had Yeshua made bread from stones he would have yielded to the temptation of having to prove he was the Son of Elohim.
"Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, And said unto him, If thou be the Son of Elohim, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Yeshua said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt Yahweh thy Elohim." (Matthew 4:5-7).
It is believed that James 1:14 somehow proves that all temptation is a product of one's own mind / lusts. Yet, Yeshua's reply in verse 7 shows that one can be tempted from external sources. Just as we can tempt Yahweh, Satan can tempt us.
Some have gone so far as to say the devil in verses 5-7 was the high priest Caiaphas. If that were true, then he would also be the devil in verses 8-10. How absurd it would then be for Caiaphas to try to get Yeshua to worship him by offering him kingdoms that he doesn't possess.
"Again, the devil took him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then said Yeshua unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship Yahweh thy Elohim, and Him only shalt thou serve." (Matthew 4:8-10).
It is also believed that, since no one can see "all the kingdoms of the world" from any one particular mountain, this must be taking place in Yeshua's imagination and that the devil offering him those kingdoms must be imagined as well. However, if the dragon of Rev.13:2 (Satan) can give power to the two beasts (vs.12-13), so much so that they can make fire come down from heaven, surely Satan can show Yeshua a vision of all the kingdoms of the world.
"Then the devil left him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." (Matthew 4:11).
Satan left Yeshua just as the literal angels would leave him after ministering to him. And just as those angels "came" to him, Satan "came" to him (vs.3).
Satan and Job
"Now there was a day when the sons of Elohim came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan came also among them. And Yahweh said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And Yahweh said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth Elohim, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, Doth Job fear Elohim for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And Yahweh said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Yahweh. And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of Elohim is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee." (Job 1:6-19).
This is one of the clearest accounts of Satan. This cannot refer to any earthly adversary of Job, for no man has the power to do what this adversary did.
The phrase "sons of Elohim" (vs.2) was used in Job 38:7 to refer to angels. Gen.6:2,4 uses that phrase to refer to angels as well. That phrase occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew text. Therefore, to try and apply it to men is going beyond Scripture.
If the "sons of Elohim" are angels, then this seen takes place in heaven. If they are mere men and Satan a mere earthly adversary of Job, then how did that man have the power to move the Sabeans to kill Job's servants, bring fire down from heaven to kill man and beast, move the Chaldeans to kill Job's servants and steal his goods, and cause a great wind to destroy Job's house and kill his sons and daughters; all this one right after the other with no time to move from location to location?
"Again there was a day when the sons of Elohim came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan came also among them to present himself before Yahweh. And Yahweh said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And Yahweh said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth Elohim, and escheweth evil? and still he holds fast his integrity, although thou moved me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered Yahweh, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man has will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And Yahweh said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of Yahweh, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown." (Job 2:1-7).
Note that it was not Yahweh who did the afflicting, but Satan himself. How can a mere earthly adversary afflict Job with boils? This obviously refers to a supernatural being that has power to afflict with boils. Our own Master Yeshua taught us that it was Satan who bound and afflicted a crippled woman for 18 years!
Miscellaneous references to Satan
""Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, [Yahweh] rebuke thee."
Michael was contending with a literal spirit being (the devil / Satan) over Moses' body. When Moses died, Yahweh buried him in a location unknown to man (Deut.34:6). Therefore, Michael was not contending with any man or with Yahweh, but with a celestial being. The contrast is clear; lowly men speak evil of people in positions of honor yet, Michael would not speak evil even of the being who is least honorable of all. He verbally rebuked Satan, but would not rail against him. If there is no literal devil, this account is nonsense.
"And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."
Do the thoughts of our own hearts have a will of their own that can set a trap and capture us whenever it wants?
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:"
How does one's own heart / mind walk around (the world) seeking different people to devour? This obviously refers to an external entity.
"Put on the whole armor of [Yahweh], that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of [Yahweh], that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of [Yahweh]:"
Verse 12 says our enemy is not flesh and blood (human adversaries). It is the devil (Satan) and his forces of darkness (his angels - Mt.25:41). What sense is there to portray a picture of putting on external armor if the enemy is within us (our own thoughts)? Fiery darts and trickery (wiles of the devil) come from outside of us and the armor protects us from allowing those external attacks from entering our minds / hearts.
"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."
Believers are not ignorant of Satan's "devices" (ways). Yet, opponents of Satan being a literal spirit being believe it is simply man's evil inclinations resulting from a deceitful, wicked heart (Jer.17:9). However, Jer.17:9 implies such a heart cannot be known by man. How, then, can our evil heart get an advantage of us if we can know (are not ignorant of) its devices and ways?
"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Messiah. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
A parallel is being made between false apostles appearing as true apostles of Messiah and Satan appearing as an angel of light. All are literal evil beings that can appear as good.
"And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."
This is a prophecy of Satan's eventual fall from heaven in Rev.12:9. It was given directly after the seventy reported success in subjecting devils to their commands (vs.17). Such subjection was the beginning of the downfall of Satan and his kingdom culminating in his being thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev.20:10).
The Greek word "diabolos" (devil) almost always refers to one specific being, Satan. It was translated "false accuser" twice and "slanderers" once in the KJV. Here are those references.
I believe it should have been translated "false accusers" in all three verses. To translate it "devils" would render it a noun. In the Greek, it is an adjective in all three verses in question. The adjective describes the unacceptable behavior, however, the behavior is characteristic of the most notable false accuser of all, Satan the devil. The devil/Satan is said to be "the accuser of the brethren" in Rev.12:10. He accuses the brethren "day and night" before Yahweh. That means he has been accusing disciples of Messiah from the first of them in Messiah's day to the last of them hundreds of years later. This can be said of no earthly adversary or accuser of men. It can only apply to a spirit being who can live for hundreds of years.
How, then, can the word "diabolos" be applied to humans? Consider Yeshua's reference to the Gentiles as "dogs" and "swine" in Mt.7:6.
"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast you your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."
Can we say that because "dogs" and "swine" were used in reference to human beings, that there are no real dogs or swine? Of course not. Neither should we say that there is no real "diabolos" (devil), as some do, simply because humans are called "diabolos". The Gentiles were being associated with two animals that really existed at the time because, to the Jews, they were disgusting creatures by virtue of the way they lived their lives. In the same way, Paul was telling Timothy and Titus that the saints should not behave like the devil would by falsely accusing others. By making such a comparison, Paul is actually confirming the existence of Satan the devil.
"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto Elohim."
The following explanation is offered by those opposed to a literal being (Satan) that enticed Ananias.
"Peter says to Ananias: "Why hath Satan filled thine heart?" Then in verse 4 Peter says: "Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?" Conceiving something bad in our heart is the same as Satan filling our heart. If we ourselves conceive something, e.g. a sinful plan, then it begins inside us. If a woman conceives a child, it doesn't exist outside of her; it begins inside her. James 1:14, 15 use the same figure in describing how our lusts conceive and bring forth sin, which brings forth death." 1
Are the two phrase "Satan filled thine heart" and "thou conceived this thing in thine heart" the same thing? Is this analogy of a woman conceiving a child correct? The answer is no to both questions. Let's consider the woman first. Before a woman can conceive, a seed from an external source must enter her and join with her egg. Only then can conception occur. No conception can occur without an external influence.
Now let's consider Ananias and Sapphira. Verse 4 says it was Ananias that "conceived this thing" (the idea to hold back part of the money). He then told his wife of his idea and she agreed to it. Ananias was the external influence that planted the idea in his wife's mind. Her lust then embraced that idea and it brought forth sin.
As for Ananias, Peter, speaking through the Holy Spirit, asked why Satan filled his heart. In other words, Satan was the external source that put the idea in Ananias' mind. Notice, in verse 9, that Peter asked Sapphira, "How is it that you have agreed together . . ." Peter did not ask her why Satan filled her heart because Satan had nothing to do with putting that idea in her heart / mind. He only influenced Ananias.
How does James 1:14-15 relate to this? It reads:
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death."
Lust conceives after it is "enticed" from an external source. The adulterer is enticed by the woman; the thief by things to steal; the glutton by food; etc. In Ananias' case, he was enticed by money, but not before Satan suggested to him that if he held back part of the sale he would be a wealthier man. Satan did the same to Judas (John 13:2) when he suggested to Judas to betray Yeshua for silver.
The Greek word for "enticed" is "deleazo" meaning "to entrap". It was translated "allure" and "beguile" as well. Its root means "to decoy; a trick (bait)". We are all "enticed" by external bait. If we allow our lust to rule us, we will take the bait and sin. Ananias took the bait (Satan's suggestion for acquiring wealth) and sinned.
This charge I commit unto thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to thee, that by them thou mayest war the good warfare; holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith: of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.
Satan is not the teacher in this verse, although some would think he does teach people to blaspheme. Yahweh is teaching them by delivering them into Satan's hands so that they would learn a lesson through chastisement and suffering. By placing them in Satan's hands, Yahweh was removing His hedge of protection around them and allowing Satan to afflict them. They would then realize that the afflictions coming upon them following Paul's command (through Apostolic authority) were the result of their blasphemy. This would provoke them to repentance and to learn to blaspheme no more.
"Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee."
These Jews are of the "synagogue of Satan" because they do the works of Satan. They are of their father the devil (Satan - the father of lies) in that they profess to be Jews, but are, in reality, lying. The same phrase is applied similarly in Rev.2:9.
Satan's Destiny
Hebrews 2:14 reads:
"For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;"
The Greek word for "destroy" is "katargeo" meaning "to be (render) entirely idle (useless)". The devil/ Satan will be rendered idle at some point in the future. He will certainly be idle during the millennium when he is bound for a thousand years and unable to deceive anyone (Rev.20:1-3). Afterwards, he will be let loose and become an active deceiver for a short time. He will eventually be rendered permanently idle when he is thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev.20:10).
One author tries to prove that this devil / false accuser in Heb.2:14 was the high priest Caiaphas. The KJV translates the Greek word "katargeo" as "might destroy" because the destruction or idleness had not happened by the time Heb.2:14 was written. The word is the aorist subjunctive. The aorist tense refers to simple, undefined action. One grammarian writes;
"In the indicative mood the aorist tense usually denotes a simple act occurring in past time. . . With few exceptions, whenever the aorist tense is used in any mood other than the indicative, the verb does not have any temporal significance." 2
Had Heb.2:14 referred back to Caiaphas, "katargeo" should be in the aorist indicative. Concerning the subjunctive mood, the same grammarian writes;
"The Subjunctive Mood makes an assertion about which there is some doubt, uncertainty, or indefiniteness. It is closely related to the future tense, which helps point up the fact that often the uncertainty only arises because the action has not yet occurred."
Heb.2:14 clearly points to a future time when the devil (Satan) will be rendered idle.
Revelation 12:7-9 reads:
"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him."
The same author noted above writes:
"The diabolos - Satan of Rev.12:9 is the pagan Roman religious power dethroned by Constantine in 312ad, written of in symbols." 3
This explanation totally neglects the context and chronology of Revelation. The 7th Trumpet of Rev.11:15 (the "last trump" marking the resurrection of the saints in Messiah) was just blown and Rev.12:5 then pictures that resurrection. The dragon (Satan) of verse 9 was pictured in verse 4 as awaiting that resurrection/birth to occur so he could destroy those saints if possible. Michael and his angels prevent Satan and his angels from doing so via the "war" of verse 7. At that point, Satan is literally cast out of heaven.
Once Satan is cast out, the inhabitants of heaven are told to rejoice (Rev.12:12). Why? Because that literal being no longer has access to heaven to bring his false accusations before Yahweh. The inhabitants of the earth, however, will not rejoice because that literal being called Satan is now very angry and intends to reek as much havoc as he can before his freedom is taken away. He "knows" his time is short because he is a literal thinking being. This cannot refer to any earthly adversary because he was just cast out of heaven along with his angels (vs.9).
The "woman" that he persecutes is taken to a place of safety for 3 1/2 years where she is hidden from the "face of the serpent" (vs.14), the serpent being Satan. In other words, Satan will be searching for the woman to persecute her, but Yahweh will protect her from Satan's wrath.
Revelation 20:1-10 reads:
"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Yeshua, and for the word of [Yahweh], and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Messiah a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of [Yahweh] and of Messiah, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from [Yahweh] out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
This chapter clearly outlines the fate of a specific being known as "the dragon", "that old serpent", "the devil", and "Satan". He will be bound 1,000 years while Yeshua's kingdom rules the earth. The purpose of his binding is so that he doesn't deceive the nations as he had done for thousands of years. Deception was the primary work of Satan.
It takes a special angel coming down from Yahweh in heaven to bind Satan. This teaches us that this "Satan" cannot be Yahweh, as some would have us believe. Nor can this passage refer to any one particular earthly adversary, but to one supernatural being.
Also, verse 10 makes no sense if the devil refers to the minds of men that deceived themselves. The devil will be tormented day and night forever because a spirit being cannot die. Yet, men can and will die in the Lake of Fire and so cannot be tormented forever.
Matthew 25:41 reads:
""Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"
After Yeshua separates the sheep from the goats at his coming (vss.31-33), the goats will be thrown into "everlasting fire". This is the same fire that Satan and his angels will be thrown into at the end of the millennium. It is the Lake of Fire mentioned in Rev.20:10. Just as the goats are literal people destined for judgment, Satan and his angels are literal beings that will be judged similarly.
This verse makes no sense if Satan is not real and there are no fallen angels. Even if one were to believe the fire is prepared for corrupt men with devilish, adversarial minds, how could such a mind control angels?
Demons / Devils
The Greek words "daimonizomai" (to be exercised by a demon), "daimonion" (a demonic being), and "daimon" (a demon or supernatural spirit, of a bad nature), are far more problematic for those who oppose the belief in literal, evil spirit beings.
The Bible does not tell us what demons are. Some believe they are fallen angels. Others believe they are the spirits of the offspring of the "giants" of Gen.6:4 (1 Enoch 10:11-14; 16:1; 86:1-4). What they are is not as important as the fact that they exist as literal spirit beings.
A common view of demons held by opponents of demons being literal spirit beings is that they are, in reality, "the Greek terminology and explanation for what we know as epilepsy and mental illness . . . which are conditions with no obvious external physical blemishes to explain them." 4 Others equate demons with "germs, pathogens, diseases undefined at the time, mental disturbances, parasitic creatures, individual human beings and groups of human beings."
Let's examine Mt.4:24 to see if either of these views is correct.
"And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them."
Notice we have separate categories of affliction mentioned in this verse.
1) all sick people with diseases and torments ("diseases" - such as "epilepsy", "undefined" diseases, maladies, sickness)
2) those possessed with devils ("daimonizomai" - exercised by a demon)
3) "lunaticks" ("seleniazomai" - moon struck, ie: crazy, mentally disturbed)
4) those with palsy ("paralutikos" - paralytic)
Those possessed with devils are in a category by themselves. They are not lunaticks or paralytic or sick with any kind of malady. They are possessed by a life form that entered their body. That life form is a demon.
Mark 1:32-34 and Luke 9:1 also separate devils/demons from those that are sick. They read as follows:
"And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of diverse diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him." Mark 1:32-34
"Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases." Luke 9:1
Notice carefully Mark 1:34. Demons can speak if permitted! Can diseases, germs, pathogens and parasites talk? It was not the person possessed that was forbidden to speak, but the demon himself. Yeshua would not allow them to speak "because they knew him". They knew him because they are literal beings with cognitive capabilities.
Luke 4:41 reads:
"And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Messiah the Son of Elohim. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Messiah."
Yeshua did not want these demons to reveal his identity because it wasn't time yet. He said the same thing to his disciples. Matthew 16:20 reads:
"Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Yeshua the Messiah."
Yeshua would not allow any being, whether man or demon, to reveal his identity until the time was right.
Not only can demons speak and think, they also have emotions. James 2:19 reads:
"Thou believest that there is one Elohim; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."
They "tremble" with fear because they know that the one true Elohim will soon judge them and cast them into the Lake of Fire.
Let's look at the most notable case of demon possession in the New Testament. Luke 8:26-35 reads as follows with my comments in blue (see also Mt.8:28-34; Mk.5:1-20):
"And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and wore no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs." (vs.26-27)
"Devils" - "daimonion" - a demonic being.
"When he saw Yeshua, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Yeshua, thou Son of Elohim most high? I beseech thee, torment me not." (vs.28)
"He", the demon, had a mind of his own. He could think, reason, had emotions (fear), and could feel torment in some way.
"(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)" (vs.29)
In other words, verse 28 was spoken by the demon after Yeshua commanded the unclean evil spirit to leave the man. He was conversing with the demon.
"And Yeshua asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him." (vs.30)
The demons name was "Legion", not "epilepsy", "schizophrenia", "Parkinson's", etc. There was more than one demon in the man just as there was more than one (7) in Mary Magdalene (Mt.16:9). Notice that these demons "entered into him". They existed as spirit beings outside of the man at one time and then entered him at a specific time in the man's life.
"And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them." (vs.31-32)
The demons had a preference. They wanted to go into the swine rather than the deep (abyss). Just as the demons "entered" the man of their own free will, they now were about to leave of their own free will. Although Yeshua commanded them to leave, he did not force them to. They knew, however, that he had the power to force them into the abyss (a fate worse than entering swine) which is why they were begging him to allow them this choice of an alternate destination.
"Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked." (vs.33)
Again, we see this ability to leave and enter a living host. Upon entering a living host, the host, whether man or beast, is greatly troubled. The evil spirit is not compatible with the spirit of man or beast because the spirit is of another "kind". Unrest, turmoil and an inability to function properly result from such a mix.
"And were choked" - it was the herd that was "choked". We are not told what happened to the demons within the herd. If the demons were fallen angels or disembodied spirits, then they did not die from drowning. Spirits do not need air to survive.
"When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Yeshua, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Yeshua, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid." (vs.34-35)
A departed demon brings peace and a sound mind back to the tormented host.
Another interesting account of demon possession is found in Mark 9:14-29 (see also Mt.17:14-20; Luke 9:37-43). In this account, a man's son had been demon possessed since he was a child (vs.21). This demon rendered the child deaf and dumb (vss.17,25) as well as mentally disturbed (Mt.17:15). Other demons can cause a person to become blind. Some deafness is caused by trauma to the ear; some inability to speak is caused by problems with the nervous system; some blindness is caused by trauma to the eyes or abnormal physical development; and some mental disorders are caused by trauma to the brain, problems with the nervous system or abnormal physical development. However, some deaf, dumb, blind or mentally disturbed individuals are in that state due to the effects of demon possession. The father of the boy knew this as did Yeshua. That is why the father told Yeshua, "a spirit takes him" (Luke 9:39) and why Yeshua spoke to the spirit saying, "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him."
Since many psychological maladies were unknown to people back then, some would have us believe that Yeshua was merely accommodating the ignorance of those people in believing in demons, but he himself knew better. If that were true, then Yeshua deceived them by making them think he was really conversing with demons. This would also make the New Testament untrue, as well as its writers liars, by stating that demons spoke back to Yeshua calling him "Messiah the Son of Elohim" (Luke 4:41, etc.)
In Acts 19:11-17, demons are called "evil spirits" (vss.12-13, 15-16) and a distinction is made between them and diseases (vs.12). In verse 15, the evil spirit speaks to certain Jews saying, "Yeshua I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" The Jews probably overheard Paul casting out demons/evil spirits in the name of the Master Yeshua and wanted that same power. They tried to emulate him without success because the Spirit of Messiah was not in them. How did the evil spirits "know" Yeshua and Paul? Most likely because evil spirits or demons communicate with each other. They are living, thinking, feeling beings.
1 Cor. 10:20-21 reads:
"But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to Eloah: and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Master, and the cup of devils: you cannot be partakers of the Master's table, and of the table of devils."
Paul was expressing what Torah taught him about devils in Deut.32:17 and Psa.106:37 which read as follows:
"They sacrificed unto devils, not to Eloah; to elohim whom they knew not, to new mighty ones that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not." Deuteronomy 32:17.
"Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils," Psa.106:37
How can one sacrifice unto or have fellowship with mental disorders? A parallel is being drawn between the Master (a literal being) and devils (literal beings). Literal demons lead men to sacrifice unto idols thereby causing a bond of fellowship between the demon and the idolater.
Matthew 12:43-45 reads:
Yeshua taught us that unclean spirits (devils, demons) that are cast out seek other places to inhabit. When they can't find a suitable host to possess, they return to the original host. If that person remained "empty" (not having been filled by the Holy Spirit), then seven other unclean spirits will fill the void. This cannot possibly occur if unclean spirits or demons / devils are mere mental disorders.
Miscellaneous Verses Concerning Demons
"And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee,Yeshua, thou Son of Elohim? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"
These demons knew an appointed time was coming when they would be tormented, but until then, they were free to roam the earth.
"And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. . . . And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon."
Verse 11 actually provides the name of a "fallen angel" that rules over the beings that are imprisoned in the bottomless pit. This "bottomless pit" (Greek - "abussos", abyss) is where the demon known as "Legion" begged Yeshua not to send them (Luke 8:31). The "locust" of Rev.9 are most likely demons as well. The "abyss" or "bottomless pit", once it is empty of inhabitants, will be where Satan himself will be imprisoned for 1,000 years. My personal opinion is that the beings / locust of Rev.9 are imprisoned in the abyss because their behavior was especially egregious compared to those demons that are free to roam the earth. The same would be true of those imprisoned in "Tartaroo" mentioned in 2 Pe.2:4. It is possible that Tartaroo and the abyss (bottomless pit) are one and the same, but evidence is lacking to substantiate that.
Some people cannot understand why Yahweh would send some fallen angels / demons to tartaroo and yet, allow others to roam free. Doesn't the same thing happen among men? Why do some evil men get locked up in prison while others seem to "get away with murder" and remain free. Yahweh knows they are guilty and yet, allows their freedom to serve His purpose.
Concerning "Tartaroo", 2 Peter 2:1-9 reads:
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Master that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not. For if Elohim spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to [Tartaroo], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the wicked; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live piously; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) Yahweh knows how to deliver the pious out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:"
Peter begins by prophesying that false teachers would arise (vs.1) and that their judgment would come quickly (vs.3). He then begins to show that since Yahweh has reserved others unto a future judgment and judged others in the past, He will certainly judge these false teachers as well, especially those that turned away from the Master Yeshua (vss.1, 20-21).
Verse 4 identifies the first group that will be judged. They are "angels that sinned". The second group is from Noah's day. The third group is from Sodom and Gomorrah. These groups are being listed in chronological order which means the angels sinned prior to the flood. We are not told how, when or why they sinned. Some believe it refers to Genesis 6:1-4. Others believe it refers to a pre-creation fall of Satan and his angels.
Those that oppose a literal spirit world of fallen angels believe 2 Peter 2:4 refer to "messengers that sinned". They do not believe it is possible for angels to sin and therefore translate the Greek "aggelos" as "messengers" to allow this verse to pertain to men. While "aggelos" can be translated "messenger", the context, as well as other passages, suggests "angels" is the correct translation.
When men die they are put in "hades", the grave. Yet, for some reason, 2 Peter 2:4 uses "Tartaroo". This is obviously a location other than the grave. Strong's #5020 says the word refers to "the deepest / abyss / of Hades". If Hades is the grave, there is no "deepest abyss" of it. This definition is based on hell as a place of eternal torment. Other lexicons are equally in the dark about the meaning of Tartaroo.
Two other references provide more light on this subject. They are Jude 6-7 and 1 Peter 3:18-20.
Jude 6-7 read:
"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
Both Jude and Peter refer to "angels" that will be judged. Angels cannot die based on Yeshua's teaching in Luke 20:36. Therefore, they are not in Hades / the grave. They are conscious and imprisoned in Tartaroo which may be the abyss of Luke 8:31 and/or the bottomless pit of Rev.9:1,11.
Verse 7 is making a comparison between those angels and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah who went "after strange flesh". "Even as" they of Sodom and Gomorrah went after strange flesh, so did those angels. Is there anything recorded that this can refer to? Perhaps, as the men of Sodom and Gomorrah went after unnatural partners, angels went after unnatural partners as well. Perhaps they left their first estate, their "own habitation" and appeared as men in order to procreate with women. The word "habitation" in Greek is the same word used for our heavenly "house" that we will be clothed with at the resurrection (2 Cor.5:2). Did they leave their heavenly house to dwell in an earthly house?
Some would reject this view because they believe the angel "kind" cannot procreate with man "kind". I would agree that that is true in their spirit form, for a spirit cannot procreate with flesh. However, what happens when an angel takes on human form as in Genesis 18:2 and 19:1?
We know they can eat (Gen.18:8). We know they can wrestle and be overcome (Gen.32:24; Hos.12:3-4). Perhaps they can do everything humans can do including procreate. While we do not know for sure if that is possible, we do not know for sure it is impossible.
Let's look at 1 Peter 3:18-20 for more light.
"For Messiah also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to Elohim, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of Elohim waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water."
Verse 19 is clear that Messiah "by the Spirit" (vs.18) "went and preached" to a group of imprisoned beings. Where these "spirits" men? Certainly not, since their disobedience leading to imprisonment took place in Noah's day (vs.20). Eccl.9:5 says, "... but the dead know not anything". Therefore, the dead cannot hear or understand preaching.
Psa.104:4 and Heb.1:7, 14 tell us Yahweh's angels are "spirits". Even fallen angels that sinned are spirits. It is quite possible that these "spirits" / angels sinned via the transgression of Gen.6:1-4 and were imprisoned in Tartaroo with "chains of darkness" until the judgment. Messiah Yeshua, at a time not recorded in the Bible, went and preached to those living spirits. We don't know what he preached to them, but it doesn't necessarily mean he preached the "good news" to them. He could have preached a message of judgment to them.
Since 1 Peter 3:18-20, 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6-7 may all hinge on Genesis 6:1-7, we need to examine this passage as well. It reads:
"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And Yahweh said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of Elohim came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented Yahweh that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at his heart. And Yahweh said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repents me that I have made them."
The phrase "sons of Elohim" (vs.2) was used in Job 38:7 to refer to angels and if Job 1:6 and 2:1 take place in heaven (which is the most logical interpretation), then that phrase refers to angels there as well. That phrase occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew text. Therefore, to try and apply it to men is going beyond Scripture.
Some oppose the view that Gen.6:1-4 refers to angels based on Mt.22:30 which reads as follows:
"For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of Elohim in heaven."
Yeshua was referring to the "angels of Elohim in heaven", not the angels of Satan on earth. Additionally, Mt.22:30 does not say it is impossible for angels to marry. It simply says the angels in heaven are unmarried.
Genesis 6:4 says the offspring of this union became "mighty men" (Heb.- "gibbor" - "forceful; by implication, warrior, tyrant"). It is not clear if the "giants" existed before those unions took place or if they are the result of those unions.
At the same time those unions took place, men began to corrupt themselves with great evil. Therefore, the flood was not a result of those unlawful unions, but of man's corruption of himself.
It is not the intent of this study to go into further detail about this account since it has already been written about in two ancient Hebrew writings; 1 Enoch and Jubilees. This viewpoint was held by Jews prior to and during Yeshua's ministry. Jude undoubtedly drew upon the understanding given in 1 Enoch because he quoted from 1 Enoch in Jude 14 which reads:
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints," KJV.
Since 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 are so similar, it is logical to conclude that Peter was also drawing upon 1 Enoch. However, whether or not 1 Enoch and Jubilees is correct concerning Genesis 6 has no bearing on what the rest of the Bible teaches concerning Satan and Demons.
References:
1. Bible Basics Online, http://www.biblebasicsonline.com/english/Study06GodandEvil/0602DevilAndSatan.html
2. Spiros Zodhiates, The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1991), 1585.
3. Pat Brady, http://www.gospel-uncovered.net/13.%20Devil-%20Satan.htm
4. Ibid.