Satan’s role

The nature of Satan’s aims in the world are quickly evident in his first appearance in the Garden of Eden when he tempted Eve to act independently of God that she might become “like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5).

He appeals to what is pleasant to the senses and desirable to gain wisdom, but always, the goal is a life that seeks to get by without God. His suggestion that Adam and Eve could be like God was a lie because he did not explain that they would know good and evil but would not have the power to accomplish the good or to avoid the evil apart from divine grace Satan has ever been busy in the sowing of his deceptive and false teachings which are represented by the tares, or darnel.

Imitation, deception, and corruption are manifest in the figure of darnel. The Devil sows deceptive and imitation seed that poisons and corrupts the minds and hearts of mankind. He has an imitation, modernistic gospel; an imitation, false Christ; and an imitation, false church. So, he will copy as much of God creation as he can, but he will always either distort, pervert, substitute or leave out those key ingredients of truth.

Many of the epistles are written, at least in part, as arguments against Satan’s devices. It is not always made clear how the demons of Lucifer can appear upon the earth when they have been cast down and bound in hell. Apparently, as we may gather from the Book of Job, Lucifer is able to walk upon the surface of the earth but is not permitted to directly injure human beings.