Devil and Satan 03 - Occurrences

Every Occurrence of Diabolos ("Devil")

The following list of every occurrence of the Greek word "diabolos", you could also find these with the aid of a concordance. (Strong's Greek #1228). This list is meant as an aid to the diligent Bible student. (The actually word is in bold type for each verse). It is believed by Christadelphians that the devil is a term used for sin in the flesh and/or a person or group who manifests sin. The best approach is to carefully consider each verse and draw conclusions. It is therefore suggested to start the exercise by considering the word satan which has Old and New Testament usage while the word diabolos is wholly a New Testament word. We would wish the student to come to this list of verses without prejudice or presuppositions. Ask these questions about each verse:

1. What does this verse tell me about the devil?

2. Who is the reference speaking about? (Many times we are not told but this does not leave room for assumptions).

3. Does the verse actually tell me about a wicked fallen angel? (A common reply is, "Who else could it be?" This question, in itself, does not therefore prove the existence of a fallen angel.)

 

Definition:

The Greek word diabolos literally means "to throw across" or "strike through". It has the ideas of being a slanderer and a false accuser. It has been translated as false accusers and slanderers in the English, King James Version and is most often transliterated by the word devil.

 

Matthew 4:1

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

Matthew 4:5

"Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,"

Matthew 4:8

"Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;"

Matthew 4:11

"Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."

Matthew 13:39

"The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."

Matthew 25:41

"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:"

Luke 4:2

"Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered."

Luke 4:3

"And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread."

Luke 4:5

"And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time."

Luke 4:6

"And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it."

Luke 4:13

"And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season."

Luke 8:12

"Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved."

John 6:70

"Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

John 8:44

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

John 13:2

"And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;"

Acts 10:38

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."

Acts 13:10

"And said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?"

Ephesians 4:27

"Neither give place to the devil."

Ephesians 6:11

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

1 Timothy 3:6

"Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil."

1 Timothy 3:7

"Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."

1 Timothy 3:11

"Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things."

2 Timothy 2:26

"And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."

2 Timothy 3:3

"Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,"

Titus 2:3

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;"

Hebrews 2:14

"Forasmuch 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;"

James 4:7

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

1 Peter 5:8

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

1 John 3:8

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

1 John 3:10

"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."

Jude 1:9

"Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."

Revelation 2:10

"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

Revelation 12:9

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

Revelation 12:12

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

Revelation 20:2

"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,"

Revelation 20:10

"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."

Summary: The Satan

SATAN’ is an untranslated Hebrew word and literally means “adversary, opponent, enemy”. The term “satan” occurs 55 times in the Bible—19 times in the Old Testament and 36 times in the New Testament.

In the O.T. the word has actually been correctly translated 16 times as “adversary” etc. This inconsistency and bias has concealed the TRUTH and deceived many people.

In the book of ‘Job’ the word ‘satan’ appears in that form 14 times. Thus in the Old Testament, excluding ‘Job’, it only occurs 5 times as ‘satan’ and 16 times it is translated by other words.

THE TERM “SATAN” IS USED IN A BAD SENSE AND GOOD SENSE

BAD SENSE—when the will of God is opposed.

1. Subjectively—the evil thoughts of man Lk. 22:3; Acts 5:3

2. Individuals — who oppose. Mat. 16:23; Job 1:6; 1 Kgs. 11:14, 23, 25.

3. In Aggregate—in politicalandreligious institutions and tne world in general. 1 Thess. 2:18; Rev. 2:13; 20:2, 7; Zech. 3:1-2.

GOOD SENSE—it is used of God, the angel of the LORD, and good men, in their opposition to evil. 1 Chron. 21:1; Num. 22:22, 32; 1 Sam. 29:4.

SATAN in the New Testament: In ALL occurrences it is untranslated, i.e., appears as “Satan" in AV,

The Truth About the Devil and Satan

The subject of the devil has suffered from a history of presuppositions which are not in accord with the truth of Scripture. We lay down here a series of scriptural quotes to ascertain the basis for the belief that what the Bible refers to as the devil and satan is actually:

• Sin in the flesh

• Those who manifest flesh

The Devil is Sin in the Flesh

We have said that the key verse to begin a study of the devil is found in Hebrews 2:14

"Forasmuch 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"

If the devil is a supposed fallen wicked angel then...

• Taking on flesh and blood is a strange way to battle a powerful immortal angel. "He took not on him the nature of angels" (v.16).

• Why was the devil destroyed with the death of Jesus? Wouldn't life been more suitable?

• Doesn't this verse say that the devil is now dead not actively out deceiving souls?

The popular ideas of the devil are inconsistent and unable to answer the thoughts put forward by the writer to the Hebrews. Hebrews 2:14 gives us several clues to identifying the real devil:

• Jesus took on our human nature to overcome the devil.

• Jesus destroyed him that has the power of death.

• The devil has the power of death.

1. Equating Hebrews 2:14 with other scriptures we find that what Christ did in his death by destroying the devil is analogous to the destruction of sin.

• (Heb. 9:26) "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

• (1 Cor. 15:3) "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;"

• (Isa. 53:5) "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

• (1 Pet. 2:24) "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

• (1 John 3:5) "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." COMPARE (1 John 3:8) "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

• Sin in the flesh is the principle! (Rom. 8:3) "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"

2. There are other scriptures showing that the devil, which has the power of death, is actually sin.

• (Rom. 5:12) "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"

• (Rom. 5:21) "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

• (Rom. 6:23) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

• (1 Cor. 15:21) "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead."

• (1 Cor. 15:56) "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."

3. Sin comes from within a person and can only be equated to the devil by seeing that it is man's nature or his flesh. The author of sin is not some wicked fallen angel but can only be attributed to man.

• (James 1:15) "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." See also James 4:1

• (Mark 7:15-23) "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man... (23) All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

• (Jer. 17:9) "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

• (Eccl. 9:3) "This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead."

• The book of Romans is largely concerned with sin, its origin, and how Christ's death can save man yet there no mention of the devil and only once is the word satan used.

4. The real battle is between the flesh and spirit. Two principles which are at enmity in ourselves.

• (Rom. 7:18-21) "another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind".

• (Rom. 8:6-7) "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

• (1 John 2:16) "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

• (Gal. 5:17) "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."