The Scriptures of all religions testify to demonic beings and powers. Their chief is known by various names: Satan, Lucifer, Iblis, Mara, Samael, Beelzebub, and Angra Mainyu, among others.
Some of them we met in the accounts of the Human Fall and the origin of evil. Yet the Devil is continually active, drawing people’s hearts to do wickedness.
While rationalists have difficulty accepting the reality of the Devil, a glance at the history of the twentieth century and its horrors makes plain that the capability of human beings to inflict evil on one another transcends reason.
Pope Paul vi said of the Devil, We know that this dark and disturbing spirit really exists, and that he still acts with treacherous cunning; he is the secret enemy that sows errors and misfortunes in human history… who finds his way into us by way of the senses, the imagination, lust, utopian logic, or disorderly social contacts in the give and take of life.
The Devil’s hooks are many and various. The Scriptures teach that when a person desires to do a small evil, the Devil has a claim and can influence him to do something far worse.
Conversely, people on a religious path experience the Devil’s temptations precisely at the point where they are about to make great progress.
Belief in the power of the Devil does not imply dualism, although in some religions—Zoroastrianism most notably—God and the Devil are in eternal rivalry. For the monotheistic faiths that teach the goodness of God’s creation, the demons themselves are resultant beings, angels who fell from their original status as God’s servants to become the enemies of God.
Father Moon explains that the fall of the angel Lucifer occurred at the Human Fall, at which time he becomes Satan, the powerful demon who asserts dominion over human beings.
Following these are passages describing the Devil’s nature and the various temptations and stratagems he uses to capture human beings.
We should be aware that the key to overcoming Satan is to purify ourselves of every characteristic that resembles him—selfishness, arrogance, greed, craving for sensual pleasures—and instead live a life fixed on God and eternity.
1. The Fall of the Angels
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12.9
How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” Yet you shall be brought down to hell, to the depths of the pit. Isaiah 14.12-15 (KJV)
And when We said to the angels, “Bow your- selves to Adam,” they bowed themselves, save Iblis; he said, “Shall I bow myself to one whom You have created of clay?” He said, “What do you think? This [creature] You have honored above me, if You defer me until the Day of Resurrection I shall assuredly master his seed, save a few.” Said We, “Depart! Those of them that follow you—surely hell shall be your recompense, an ample recompense! And startle any of them whom you can with your voice; and rally against them your horsemen and your foot [soldiers], and share with them in their wealth and their children, and promise them!” But Satan promises them naught, except delusion. Qur’an 17.61-64
The Lord God spoke to Moses, saying, “That Satan… is the same who was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying, ‘Behold, here am I; send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that not one soul shall be lost. Surely I will do it; therefore give me my honor.’ “But my Beloved Son, who was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said to me, ‘Father, Thy will be done, and the glory be Thine forever.’ “Therefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give to him my own power; by the power of my Only Begotten [Christ], I caused that he should be cast down; and he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.”
Pearl of Great Price, Moses 4.1-4 (Latter-day Saints) And the angels that did not keep their own position but left their proper dwelling have been kept by Him in eternal chains in the nether gloom until the judgment of the great day; just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surround- ing cities, which likewise acted immorally and indulged in unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Jude 6-7
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God is the owner, and we human beings are His sons and daughters. Angels, on the other hand, were created as God’s servants; hence they are also the servants of His children. Among all the angels, the archangel Lucifer was the closest to God as well as to Adam and Eve. He knew all the stories behind the scenes.
During the process of creating the universe, prior to the creation of Adam and Eve, God would discuss things with the archangel and send him to do his errands.
In other words, the archangel was like a servant of a wealthy lord. He was also in the position of a servant to his master’s children, no matter how young or immature they were. (53:331, March 6, 1972)
God created the angelic world and assigned Lucifer (Isa. 14.12) to the position of archangel. Lucifer was the channel of God’s love to the angelic world, just as Abraham was the channel of God’s blessing to the Israelites. In this position he virtually monopolized the love of God.
However, after God created human beings as His children, He loved them many times more than He had ever loved Lucifer, whom He had created as His servant. In truth, God’s love toward Lucifer did not change; it was the same before and after the creation of human beings.
Yet when Lucifer saw that God loved Adam and Eve more than him, he felt as if there had been a decrease in the love he received from God. This situation is similar to that in the biblical parable of the laborers in the vineyard. (Matt. 20.1-15)
Although the laborers who had worked since morning received a fair wage, when they saw that those who came later and worked less received just as much, they felt underpaid.
Lucifer, feeling as though he were receiving less love than he deserved, wanted to grasp the same central position in human society as he enjoyed in the angelic world, as the channel of God’s love. This was why he seduced Eve, and this was the motivation of the spiritual fall. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 2.2.1)
God cursed the fallen angel, saying, “Upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.” (Gen. 3.14) “Upon your belly you shall go” means that the angel would become a miserable being, unable to function properly or to perform its original service.
To “eat dust” means that ever since the angel was thrown down from heaven (Isa. 14.12, Rev. 12.9), he has been deprived of life elements from God. Instead, he has had to subsist on evil elements gleaned from the sinful world. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 1.4)
2. Works of the Devil
When a man grasps at things, Mara stands beside him.
Sutta Nipata 1103 (Buddhism)
Shall I inform you on whom it is that the devils descend? They descend on every lying, wicked person, into whose ears they pour hearsay vanities, and most of them are liars. Qur’an 26.221-223
The foremost of your armies is that of Desire, the second is called Dislike. The third is Hunger-Thirst and the fourth is Craving. The fifth is the army of Lethargy-Laziness and the sixth is Fear. The seventh is Doubt and the eighth is Obstinacy-Restlessness. Then there are Material Gain, Praise, Honor, and Fame… These, O Mara, are your forces, the attackers of the Evil One. One less than a hero will not be victorious over them and attain happiness. Sutta Nipata 436-39 (Buddhism)
For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6.12 The Evil Ruler spoils the Word, the plan of life, by his teachings. He, indeed, deprives me of the exalted goal of Good Thought. Avesta, Yasna 32.9 (Zoroastrianism)
Never did We send an apostle or a prophet before you, but, when he framed a desire, Satan threw some vanity into his desire. But God will cancel anything vain that Satan throws in, and God will confirm His signs—for God is full of knowledge and wisdom: that He may make the suggestions thrown in by Satan but a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease and who are hardened of heart. Qur’an 22.52-53
The Messenger of God said, “There is none among you with whom is not an attaché from among the jinn (evil spirits).” The Companions said, “With you, too?” He said, “Yes, but God helps me against him and so I am safe from his hand.” Hadith of Muslim (Islam)
He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother. 1 John 3.8-10
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But, because I [Jesus] tell the truth, you do not believe me. John 8.43-45
Through me you pass into the city of woe: Through me you pass into eternal pain: Through me among the people lost for aye. Justice the founder of my fabric moved: To rear me was the task of power divine, Supremest wisdom, and primeval love. Before me things create were none, save things Eternal, and eternal I shall endure. All hope abandon, ye who enter here. Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
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What is the meaning of the Fall? Humankind fell under Satan’s control. Imprisoned within the realm of Satan’s dominion, the descendants of Adam and Eve have lived out their miserable history. (168:300, October 1, 1987)
The Devil demands that others live for his sake. That is the reason why all dictators throughout history have demanded that others serve them. (222:138, October 28, 1991)
A human being’s essence is spirit. When you go to the spirit world, you will vividly realize that the essence of being human is to live for the sake of others. Why, then, do people treat every matter so selfishly?
It is because humankind has a blood relationship with Satan, the angel that violated the law of Heaven. (2:138, March 17, 1957)
Evil started from Satan, who infused into Eve the attitude, “I am the subject; I am the center.” It started with the mentality to boast of oneself, which is evil. God’s original Principle of Creation is, “Live for the sake of others.” Satanic fallen nature is, “Live for myself.”
You must know the origin of good and evil clearly. Evil people expect others to live for them; God wants to tear down this nature. Jesus also wants to it tear down; that is why he taught: Do not be arrogant, live for others and serve others. (69:84-85, October 20, 1973)
The Fall means that human beings fail to connect with God’s vertical true love and cannot fulfill horizontal true love in their relationships with others. This is because the archangel Lucifer invaded human horizontal love.
As a result of the Fall, God lost His children, and we were born into a dysfunctional life, suffering from conflict between mind and body. On this condition, the Devil can inappropriately subjugate human beings. (198:158, February 1, 1990)
In John 8.44, Jesus says: “You are of your father the Devil… He is a liar and the father of lies.” Our lineage from Satan is a result of the Fall. Lucifer (who became Satan) seduced Eve, who then seduced Adam. As a result, human history began with a tragedy brought about by deception. (73:202-03, September 18, 1974)
When Eve united with the archangel Lucifer and they fell, the archangel became Satan, the Devil, and Eve was bonded to his bloodline.
Originally, Adam and Eve’s children should have been the elder and younger sons of God. However, once Eve had fallen with Satan, he claimed her body as his.
According to the Principle of Creation, love determines ownership. By this principle, once two people enter into a love relationship, each partner has ownership rights over the other.
Therefore, once Eve fell, the archangel could rightfully claim ownership over her and over all her descendants, fallen human beings. (110:216, November 18, 1980)
Due to the Fall, human beings could not become temples of God; instead, they united with Satan and became his dwelling places. By being united with Satan, they failed to cultivate the divine nature; instead, they acquired an evil nature. People with evil nature have propagated evil through their children, constituting evil families, evil societies and an evil world.
This is hell on earth in which we have been living. In this hell, we cannot properly form cooperative horizontal relationships with one another because our vertical relationships with God have been severed.
We perform deeds harmful to others because we cannot feel the pain and suffering of our neighbors as our own. Since humans are living in hell on earth, after shedding their physical body, they naturally enter hell in the spirit world.
We have not built the Kingdom of God, but instead established the sovereignty of Satan. For this reason, Satan is called the “ruler of this world” (John 12.31) and the “god of this world.” (2 Cor. 4.4) (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 1.1)
Father! We cannot feel in our daily life how much the foundation of Satan’s power and authority remains.
We go about our walk of faith, hour after hour, day after day, yet we do not recognize the extent that Satan’s power and authority has invaded our daily life and the circumstances in which we live. (19:185, January 17, 1968)
3. Satan the Accuser
When a man sins, he draws to himself numbers of evil spirits and emissaries of punishment, before whom he shrinks back in fear. Solomon was conversant with the mysteries of wisdom, and God set upon his head the crown of royalty, and the whole world feared him. When, however, he sinned, he drew to himself multitudes of evil and punitive spirits, of whom he was much frightened, so that they could maltreat him and take away his precious possessions. In truth, a man by his actions is always drawing to himself some emissary from the other world, good or evil according to the path which he treads. Zohar 1.53b (Judaism)
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “Whence have you come?” Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for naught?
Hast Thou not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Thy hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse Thee to thy face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power.”9 Job 1.6-12
And Satan says, when the issue is decided, “God surely promised you a true promise; I also promised you, then I failed you, for I had no authority over you, but that I called you, and you answered me. So do not blame me, blame yourselves.” Qur’an 14.22
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Satan is constantly accusing all people before God, as he did Job, in order to drag them into hell.
However, even Satan cannot perpetrate his evil activity unless he first finds an object partner with whom he can form a common base and engage in give and take action.
Satan’s object partners are evil spirits in the spirit world. The object partners to these evil spirits are the spirit selves of evil people on the earth, and the vehicles through which these evil spirit selves act are their physical selves.
Accordingly, the power of Satan is conveyed through evil spirits and is manifested in the activities of earthly people. For example, Satan entered into Judas Iscariot (Luke 22.3), and Jesus once called Peter “Satan” (Matt. 16.33) In the Bible, the spirits of evil earthly men are called “angels” of the devil. (Matt. 25.41)
The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth is a restored world in which Satan can no longer instigate any activity. To realize this world, it is necessary for all humanity to eliminate their common base with Satan and not engage in give-and-take action with him.
The prophecy that in the Last Days God will confine Satan in a bottomless pit signifies that Satan will be utterly incapable of any activity, since there will no longer be any counterparts with whom Satan can relate. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Fall 4.2)
Why doesn’t Satan release his claim on human beings?
He asserts to God, “Didn’t You set up the principle of creation that dominion is based on love? Whether my love was lawful or unlawful doesn’t matter; I loved Adam and Eve. Isn’t love the original basis for dominion?
Since I loved Adam and Eve, I have a right to claim them [and their descendants] under my dominion. I will not relinquish my claim over human beings to You unless You love me more than I loved them.” (128:90, June 5, 1983)
God says to Satan, “Satan, when human beings were originally created you could not accuse them; you could not even put one finger on them.” Satan counters, “I already know that.
However, according to the Principle, once we come to love someone, we should belong to that person for eternity. Isn’t that the law of love? I won humans by love, even though it was illicit love, so their relationship to me has to be eternal.”
God retorts, “According to the Principle, since I created human beings, they should be My sons and daughters. The relationship you made with them was unlawful.” God is speaking out of truth, but Satan is also basing his argument on the Principle. (111:147, February 10, 1981)
God has been fighting against Satan internally and against evil people externally, but in fighting He does not act capriciously in violation of His own laws. God never fights in a way that would violate the laws of the universe. Jesus also never fought outside the laws of Heaven.
Accordingly, when we wage the universal fight in the Last Days, we must understand the laws of Heaven and learn how to fight in accordance with those laws.
Although you might not be aware of it, Satan also cannot be so insolent as to fight in a way that transgresses the laws of Heaven.
For this reason, when you set conditions of restoration and fight Satan, if you deviate from the Will of God, then Satan will accuse you. Even Jesus was not exempt. Whoever violates the principle, Satan will attack without mercy. (2:176-77, April 14, 1957)
4. Human Beings Must Choose between God and the Devil
The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4.6-7
Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5.8
Whoever lives contemplating pleasant things, with senses unrestrained, in food immoderate, indolent, inactive, him verily Mara overthrows, as the wind blows down a weak tree.
Whoever lives contemplating the impurities of the body, with senses restrained, in food moderate, full of faith, full of sustained energy, him Mara overthrows not, as the wind cannot shake a rocky mountain. Dhammapada 7-8 (Buddhism)
O men, God’s promise is true; so let not the present life delude you, and let not the Deluder delude you concerning God. Surely Satan is an enemy to you; so take him for an enemy. He calls his party only that they may be among the inhabitants of the Fire. Qur’an 35.5-6
O believers, follow not the steps of Satan; for whoever follows the steps of Satan will assuredly be bid to indecency and dishonor. But for God’s bounty to you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure ever; but God purifies whom He will; and God is All-hearing, All-knowing. Qur’an 24.21
Yes, there are two fundamental spirits, twins which are renowned to be in conflict. In thought and in word, in action, they are two: the good and the bad. And between these two, the beneficent have correctly chosen, not the maleficent.
Furthermore, when these two spirits first came together, they created life and death, and now, in the end the worst existence shall be for the deceitful but the best thinking [Heaven] for the truthful person.
Of these two spirits, the deceitful one chose to bring to realization the worst things. But the very virtuous spirit, who is clothed in the hardest stones, chose the truth, and so shall mortals who shall satisfy the Wise Lord continuously with true actions. Avesta, Yasna 30.3-5 (Zoroastrianism)
When Israel stood before Mount Sinai, the impurity of the serpent was removed from them, so that carnal passion was suppressed among them, and in consequence, they were able to attach themselves to the Tree of Life, and their thoughts were turned to higher things and not to lower.
Hence they were given heavenly illuminations and knowledge which filled them with joy and gladness. Further, God girded them with cinctures of the letters of the Holy Name, which prevented the serpent from gaining power over them and defiling them as before.
But when they sinned and worshipped the golden calf, they were degraded from their high estate and lost their illumination; they were deprived of the protective girdle of the Holy Name and became exposed to the attacks of the evil serpent as before. Zohar 1.52b (Judaism)
The Essence of Mind or Suchness is the real Buddha, While heretical views and the three poisonous elements [greed, anger, delusion] are Mara. Enlightened by right views, we call forth the Buddha within us. When our nature is dominated by the three poisonous elements, We are said to be possessed by the devil; But when right views eliminate from our mind these poisonous elements The devil will be transformed into a real Buddha. Sutra of Hui Neng 10 (Buddhism)
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God is supremely selfless and supremely public-minded; whereas Satan is absolutely self-centered and only out for himself. (88:209, September 18, 1976) God cannot be corrupted—He is eternal, unchanging, and unique.
Therefore, regardless of his power, Satan can never bring God under his control, because God is true, and Satan cannot digest a true being.
Then, why does God, who aspires to be lord of all creation, not bring Satan under His control? It is because Satan does not have God’s unchanging nature—quite the opposite.
God is unchanging while Satan is always changing to suit himself. God is unique and Satan is not; God is eternal while Satan is temporal. This, in essence, is their dividing line.
Why, then, are human beings the objects of both God’s desire and Satan’s desire? People stand between God and Satan. They have qualities that can relate to both God’s world and Satan’s world. Is someone who changes from moment to moment more on God’s side or Satan’s side?
Is someone who is constantly creating divisions and fights in the home more susceptible to God or to Satan? What about the person who is immersed in his daily affairs and does not think about the whole, or the world, or history, or eternity, or any kind of long-term vision?
What about a father who neglects his wife and children, who only goes off to the local bar and drinks every night, seeking his own pleasure? Certainly, Satan will claim such people. (124:243-44, February 20, 1983)
We are living in a fallen realm. That is why we need to live a life of faith. Remember this, and always be aware that Satan governs this fallen world. This is not merely a concept; it is reality. (161:218, February 15, 1987)
The Bible exhorts us to pray ceaselessly. The Devil can attack us and even work through us twenty-four hours a day. Although God is with us, He stays in a vertical relationship with only the mind as His base; how effectively, then, can He work with us? Satan can come at us from any direction, from 360 degrees; hence we are bound to be overwhelmed. (200:227, February 25, 1990)
Evil activity in the spirit world had been increasing gradually ever since the Human Fall. But the situation changed drastically in the 1980s, when hosts of evil spirits descended to the earth and greatly increased their activities there.
Why did this happen? In former times, when the central figures of the Providence did not know the identity of Satan, the root of sin, or the nature of the Original Sin, Satan felt at ease and could take his time creating his self-centered world.
However, when the True Parents came into the world the situation began to change. The True Parents revealed the identity of Satan, the root of sin, and that the Original Sin was fornication. They figured out all Satan’s traits and all his tricks, facts that not even God had revealed to humanity.
Then the True Parents began making conditions so that Satan could no longer stand on his feet on the earth. As they achieved victory after victory in the Providence of Restoration, Satan was taken aback; then he began to get nervous.
In response, Satan mobilized evil spirits in the spirit world to work with evil spirits in the bodies of people on the earth, by stimulating their resentment and their desire to take revenge on the descendants of the people who had caused them pain.
In particular, Satan watched closely for opportunities to invade Blessed families. Whenever he found any bad conditions, he put evil spirits into them. He wanted to block them from advancing and turn them from a God-centered life.
God expected that Blessed families would make unity of heart with God and True Parents by living with absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience. Satan cannot invade such families. But when Blessed families acted in unprincipled ways, they made conditions for Satan to invade them.
Most of them expected that the victory of the True Parents would protect them; they didn’t look deeply at themselves to check whether they had anything for which Satan could accuse them. They didn’t reflect on whether they still had any fallen nature.
Therefore, at least from now on, we must work hard to purify ourselves from evil and sin and be reborn as original, true children. (Heung Jin Moon, Message from the Spirit World, January 1, 2001)
Sun Myung Moon