Satan = the adversary of God – The Accuser – Zechariah 3:1-2/Job 2:1-6/Rev 12:10 – which accused them before our God day and night (Revelation 12:10) – And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him (Zechariah 3:1-4).
This is the fall of Lucifer and its consequences: How have you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, Son of the Morning? And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent known as the Devil and Satan, which deceives the entire world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him (Revelation 12:9). How are thou smitten to the ground, who hast weakened the nations? (Isaiah 14:12).
Only decades later he must have established his throne in Pergamos, I presume (Rev 2:12,13). Why Pergamos, which is now in Turkey? According to Rev. 1:4, those were the seven churches (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea) that the Lord had planted there. Additionally, Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire, served as that nation’s administrative center. Its militia later destroyed Jerusalem and the temple there in AD 70. – Daniel 9:26; Matthew 24:2. The contrast is clear!
The enemy likewise entered the field where the good seed was sown and sowed tares among the wheat (Matthew 13:24–26). It could also imply the opposite, namely that the Lord must have purposely gone into Satan’s den in order to unseat his authority and render him powerless.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8)
Do we really comprehend the kind of world that Jesus Christ has delivered us from? Gal 1:4 Satan literally/physically ruled the earth up until the time of Jesus of Nazareth and even towards the end of the dark ages, wielding the authority of death and hell (Heb 2:14). Those ages were barbaric and the world was under tyrannical monarchy.
Satan’s last ditch effort to hegemonize and obstruct the advance of the kingdom of heaven on earth was the planting of Communism (the iron wall – a notional barrier) which is referred to as revolutionary socialism. This was done even as the word of God began to penetrate the world (Matt 24:14). But as Jesus predicted, the church would be able to defeat the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18). Currently, there are two active kingdoms on earth: the kingdom of this world, whose ruler is Satan, and the kingdom of God, which is spiritual in character and is headed by the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ.
A great voice from heaven then cried out, “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ,” because the accuser of our brethren, who had brought them before our God day and night, had been brought low or cast down (Revelation 12:10). Initially, Lucifer was expelled from heaven; at this point, it is claimed that the accuser has been banished. These two occurrences took place at various points in time.
We all know that Lucifer was expelled from heaven when his evil was discovered (Ezekiel 28:15), but he was still able to visit (Job 2:1–6), and he continually brought accusations against the righteous before God. He was able to do this because sin was not condemned, sin had dominion over people, and death still reigned. Not any longer!
Christ is come and hath condemned sin in his flesh – Rom 8:3 – not only hath Jesus destroyed the works of Satan but also hath he quickened us together with him, having forgiven us all trespasses – Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross – thus spoiling principalities and powers, made a shew of them openly, triumphed over them in it (Colossians 2:13-15) – now who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth (Romans 8:33). God silenced the brethren’s accuser via Christ’s death and resurrection; this is what the phrase “cast him out a second time” refers to.
Jesus said, Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out (John 12:31) – the prince of this world is judged (John 16:11)
Satan, in my opinion, had a real existence on earth up until the written Bible became widely available and the church started to emerge all over the world. The previous centuries were dark and Satanic because the word of God, the sword of the Spirit had not yet been made apparent.
The church wasn’t as prominent back then as it is today, and she didn’t have the sword of the Spirit until a prescribed time. Back then, the church was also just a remnant (a residue) on earth. As stated by Jesus in Matthew 16:18, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” the foundation was already in place long ago.
Although Christ had began building his church (Eph 2:19–22/Acts 2), I assume that subsequently the work had been put on hold for a very long time. I further think that the work was resumed after the Holy Ghost made the Scriptures, which had been hidden (shrouded) for millennia, known and made them accessible to the mass.
As the inception of the church in the first century had its own woes, the reinstitution also incited great tumult–significant turbulence. The disciples or the Apostles of the Lamb – Rev 21:14 – had to suffer much tribulation to enter into the kingdom of God, hadn’t they? – Acts 14:22/Rom 14:17/1Cor 4:8-13 – They were the precursors, so to speak. Because of them we can now enjoy the blessings of God. It is for our consolation and salvation that they had to endure grief and gruesome sufferings – 2Cor 1:6,7. They had the sentence of death in them – 2 Cor 1:9 – that we might live freely. Much blood had been shed for to make the Word of God percolate through the entire globe.
It was the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed (Galatians 3:8)
And as Jesus foretold it had come to pass, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations” (Matthew 24:14).
The church is no longer a weak entity, but a fierce army with banners. Who is this woman who appears as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrifying as an army with banners? (Song of Songs 6:10)
She now wields the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, according to Ephesians 6:17. Her weapons of war are not carnal but MIGHTY through God to overthrow (pull down) strongholds, according to 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, and by no means will the gates of hell be able to stop her (Matthew 16:18).
We’ve been warned though that the adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, now walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). The atonement took away his right to present himself before the Lord – Job 2:1 – to accuse the brethren. In other words, Satan has lost his right to appear before God entirely.
Jesus said, As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5). Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). Jesus taught his disciples (the spiritual foundation stones of the church – Eph 2:20): Ye are the salt of the earth and Ye are the light of the world (Matthew 5:13,14) – ye shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15). The church (comprises of the departed and the present believers) is the body of Christ – Eph 5:23,30/Rom 12:5/1Cor 12:12,27.
The point I’m attempting to make is that the earthly throne that the prince of this world occupied has been removed (Rev 2:12, 13).
How is that even possible?
As the church became more powerful (every member of the body of Christ is being strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man – Eph 3:16), and shines as the noon day sun; and seeing the innumerable army of the saints of God with the MIGHTY sword of the Spirit, which can annihilate anything that opposes–contrary to the truth/righteousness, which restrains lawlessness in the world – 2 Thessalonians 2:7 – the adversary– being terror-stricken could do nothing but flee.
Satan did whatever he could to get rid of her in her budding/ tender age. However, the more he tried to trounce her, the more she grew and became a magnificent and majestic tree with extensive branches that covered the entire planet, under whose shade now rests the weak and weary.
We know that the presence of light will make darkness impotent. Though the devil had lost his prowess and sovereignty he still try to hold his sway in the earth through his minions, which are the demonic fold.
Satan is personified as the prince of the POWER OF THE AIR – Eph 2:2 – Why would the word of God give him such a title? Because, the last Adam, the Lord from heaven – 1Cor 15:45,47 – not only had come and bound the strong man and spoiled his goods and his house – Matthew 12:29 – but also spoiled principalities and powers, and made a shew of them openly, triumphed over them (Colossians 2:15); and as the violent one (Jesus Christ) took it by force – Matthew 11:12 – and through death destroyed (incapacitated, dethroned) him that had the power of death, that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14); Jesus now holds the keys of hell and of death – Rev 1:18.
In short, Satan had lost everything that he acquired from mankind, in Adam. For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof (1 Corinthians 10:26) – and how on God’s green earth could Satan be sheltered anymore? So he found himself a place in the second heavens from where he now supervise his schemes.
The church, the temple of God – 1Cor 3:16,17/6:19 – is that living organism, which now restrains/withholdeth – 2Thess 2:6-9 – that evil entity from tyrannizing the whole world. But once the church, which is the light of the world is removed from this earth – harpazo – to seize, carry off by force, to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly, to snatch out or away – John 14:3/2Thess 2:1/1Cor 15:23/1Thess 4:17/1Cor 11:32/1Thess 5:9/Rom 2:8 – darkness shall cover the earth – Isaiah 60:2 – that’s the time, Satan will get his time to have free rein in the earth once again – Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath (Revelation 12:12)