Lucifer / Adam ? Part One
Lucifer / Adam ? Part Two
Lucifer / Adam ? Part Three
Pt. 1
Two portions of scripture has been used to support a false concept which has been perpetuated down the ages of time. That false concept is that Lucifer is Satan. We will discover in this study that the Bible does not teach that Lucifer is Satan, but tradition does.
The two portions of scripture used here is the basis for this study are:
1. Isaiah 14:12-17 Ezekiel 28: 12-19.
The reputable sources, besides the Bible, which disclaim the Lucifer/Satan
theory are:
1. The Amplified Bible footnote on Isa. 14:12.
2. The 1972 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica (ABB).
3: The Jewish Encyclopedia.
The word Lucifer is helal. This word is neither a Hebrew nor a Greek word.
It is a Latin word. The closest meaning to this Latin word in Hebrew is:
A. Brilliant One B. Son-of-the-morning C. Day Star D. Morning Star
So we have a situation here, where, for some reason, the translators took the liberty of taking a Latin word, which is not a proper noun to begin with, in its root form, and they translated it in such a manner in this Hebrew setting to cause it to appear to the English reader that the word Lucifer is a proper noun. This situation has been traced to about the year 300 A.D.; the finger points to a translator by the name of St. Jerome.
Translated into Greek this word helal becomes phosphoros from which comes our English word phosphorus, a light giving chemical.
A. Light-bearer B. Morning Star C. Brilliant
These names do not fit the description of Satan, but they fit the description of Adam before he fell and of Jesus, the second Adam, who came to restore what Adam lost when he fell.
Revelation uses four names to describe Satan:
A. Great Dragon B. Old Serpent C. Devil D. Satan
We notice that the word Lucifer is not in this list. The only scripture in the Bible that refers to Lucifer is Isa. 14:12: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning." KJ version. The Amplified Bible translation is Light Bearer.
Let us take time to read again the two passages that have been used to support the Lucifer/Adam concept.
1. Isa. 14: 12-17 2: Ez. 12-19
Whatever conclusion we draw concerning these passages, first of all, we must acknowledge that both point to two historical men: Isa. 14:4 speaks of the king of Babylon; Ez. 28:1-2 describes the king of Tyre. Historically these two men were given a wonderful opportunity by God as leaders, yet both men fell through pride or a desire of self-exaltation. And, I submit to you, so did Adam! Holy Spirit revelation is that these two accounts, or the language of these two accounts, supersede the natural realm to teach us spiritual truths, for that is exactly the way God works in giving forth revelation truths by His Spirit and through His word. So language of these two accounts points to something far beyond the historical, far beyond what these men were; these accounts point back to the Garden of Eden and to the federated head of the human race, and his name is Adam, the lightbearer, and Adam, son-of-the-morning (Isa.14:12), for it was in the morning of time that he was created. And he was clothed in light, which was the visible glory of God, for He is "Light."
We want to understand that God is bringing his creation back to His original purpose and plan.
Isa. 14:12, "How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son-of-the-morning, how are you cut down to the ground which did weaken the nations."
Was it not Adam who was cast out of the presence of God? (The Garden of Eden was heaven come to earth.) Adam fell from his heavenly position when he sinned.
"You did weaken the nations." It was Adam who weakened the nations for millennium's of human history because of sin. Rom. 5:12. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned."
Isa. 14:13, "I will ascend into heaven." It was Adam who was enticed to be like God through Eve, whom the serpent enticed first. This was the nature of Satan's temptation in Gen.3:15. Satan said, "For your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods." And it was the man Adam who yielded to that temptation to be like the Most High, it is evident that temptation appealed to
the ancient pair in the Garden. Continued...
Love and hugs,
Scott
Related article written by Elwin R. Roach: THE LUCIFER QUESTION
Scott & Louise Paris
LUCIFER/ADAM
Pt. 2
Most Bible Christians believe that the devil was once a mighty angel who always stood in God's presence until he rebelled, and was thrown out of heaven taking a third of the angels with him. This is deception, for Jesus said,
that the devil was a murderer from the beginning. John 8:44. And that there was no truth in him. So he was the devil from the beginning.
Nowhere in the word do we find where the devil ever said that he would be like the Most High. What the devil said, when God let him test Adam, was, "You can be like the Most High, if you will eat of this fruit." The idea that Satan
(adversary) tried to be like the Most High came from tradition. He was created a devil, and he knows he could never be like God.
Isa.14.6: "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble." Adam is that man. Who is the man that brought the natural creation under the curse? Whom did God hold personally accountable? Not Satan. God said to Adam in Gen. 3:17, "Cursed is the ground for your sake." ...Thy sake. Adam...it's all because of you, and your disobedience! Therefore Creation continues to groan right up to this present day because of Adam--waiting for the unveiling of the sons of God who will deliver it. Rom. 8:19-23.
(Beloved, we got some really great feed-back from 3 or 4 good scholars on Pt.1, and want to get their response in where applicable, so stay with me, for you will want to read their findings and insight--it's beautiful).
It was Adam man who caused the earth to tremble. It will be man conformed to the image of Christ and empowered into the fullness of His allness, who is to deliver creation from her aionian times of Adamic bondage.
Isa. 14:16 does not describe Satan because Satan is not a man, but the Bible describes him as a spirit being. "The prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience." Eph.2:2. And "The prince of this world" etc. Some remove these scripture from their book, trying
to ignore it.
In Ezekiel 28: 12-19, we find a companion portion of scripture which tradition uses along with Isa. 14 to support the Lucifer/Satan concept. Ezek.28:15 states, "You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you." The devil was never perfect according
to Jesus. Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44 that he (the devil), was a murderer
from the beginning. Is it possible to be a murderer from one's beginning and at the same time be perfect from the day that thou wast created? K.J. vs. The Greek word for beginning here is arche and means commencement or first estate.
Someone might reason that from the beginning means before Adam, that Satan was not created evil, but that he became evil after he was created. That is the traditional concept we need to avoid. For who can show when Satan became evil after he was created? Can anyone?
The Genesis account of creation states that the Lord God made the serpent subtle. In 1 John 3:8 and John 8:44, we understand that he was a murderer and a sinner from the beginning. It seems obvious that this can only mean that Satan was a murderer and sinner from the time God made him subtle.
Genesis 3: 1 states, "The serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field that God made." Do we see that God MADE the serpent SUBTLE? He made him what he is from the beginning.
The word translated subtle in the Hebrew is arumm which means cunning.
Strong's Concordance says that the word is used in a bad sense. Satan's subtle nature is revealed in Genesis 3:1-5 as he tries to twist God's intentions
from their true meaning.
The serpent implies to Eve that God did not have his best interest at heart.
Notice how he methodically questions God's word: "Has God said?" Then he twisted God's covenant warning: "You shall not surely die." (But God said he would). This is an example of what subtle means, and the Bible says that God made the serpent that way from the beginning. I emphasize this point so that when we get into the study of the purpose of evil in the world, we will have a solid foundation on which to build.
Ezek. 28:15 "You was perfect in your ways from the day that you was created, till iniquity was found in you." Can we see that the one who was perfect and went bad was Adam? Satan was evil from his beginning.
Ezek. 28:2. "Yet you are a man and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God..." Again, we see the reference to a man. One who lifted his heart in pride and rebelled, accurately describes Adam.
Adam was not deceived into rejecting God's covenant. He rebelled against a clear order or mandate from God. 1 Tim. 2:14 tells us that it was Eve, the woman, who was deceived by the serpent/Satan, NOT ADAM.
Ezek.28:3. "Behold, you are wiser than Daniel (another man). It was Adam,
the man, made in the image and likeness of deity, who was wiser than Daniel, not Satan, a spirit. Eph. 2: 2, 6: 11, 12.
Satan is a deceiver but that does not mean he has a great measure of wisdom. He crucified the Son of God.
Ezek. 28: 8. "They shall bring you down to the pit. Verse 10, "You shall die the deaths of the uncircumcised." Adam was spiritually brought down to the pit first. Some 930 years later he died physically.
Ezek.28:13a. "You have been in Eden, the garden of God, every precious stone was your covering" and it goes on to name those precious stones. Study these and you find the revealing of an interesting truth that describes a "nature within."
Here we have a picture of the glory of Adam before he transgressed God's
word to him. This divine glory was his covering. In contrast, when Satan was in Eden, he was referred to as a serpent, even as the last book of the Bible (Revelation) refers to him repeatedly as "dragon, serpent, called the devil, and Satan. Not a literal creature with beast features, but what ever form he takes (11 Cor. 11:13-15.
Ezek. 28:13b, This verse mentions "the workmanship of your tambourines
(Hebrew -topf, tabret K.J. timbrel, in Strongs # 8596), and your timbrels, was prepared in you in the day that you was created."
Did you notice that, "Prepared in you...not for you"? This relates that Adam
man was created with a musical ability that man has not had since the fall. Music that we are cognizant of today does not compare to the music and praise of the Garden. During those times of fellowship and communion Adam had with Father God, I see that he sang praises to Father with such perfection as we have not yet been conscious of.
Beloved, you see, the tabret (equivalent to our tambourine), and pipes-K.J.
(meaning the organ and other reed instruments) was created not (for Adam,
but "in" him." He did not have to carry his instruments and soundtracks around. He was his own one man orchestra. (That's Adam, not Satan!) God our Father is restoring us to that, and beyond what Adam lost. Can you imagine opening your mouth and the "Unfinished Symphony" comes out finished? We are in restoration times, and you are to sing the song of the Father and Lamb with your built-in musical instruments!
Ezek. 28:16, "I will cast you as profane out of the mountain of God." This is exactly what happened to Adam in Genesis 3:23, 24. This is a brief and graphic account of the Adam of Genesis, the light bearer, son-of-the-morning, the Lucifer who is described in Isa. 14, and Ez. 28.
Now we will stay on the same road, but in a different direction about the adversary (Satan) and the purpose of evil in the world.
"Behold I have created the smith that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy." Isaiah 54:16. God says that He created the waster to destroy...
Hummm.
In John 10:10, Jesus says, "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I am come that they might have life, and might have it abundantly."
Who is the thief here? He is the adversary of the Gospel. Didn't God create
the thief? Evil is a created being, and a devil. A holy God created an evil devil. For some reason in God's wisdom, He needed a tempter, an enemy, an opposing force who would give the acid test to Adam and humanity. Can
we see that without adversity mankind's will would never be challenged? And
that is important to God our Father. I know that some believe that the carnal mind is the serpent, the adversary. And I used to go in that direction, but when confronted with a person with five personalities, what could I say? Jesus exorcised those who were "possessed" of such. The carnal mind?? When
we experience the presence of this kind of evil, the sensory concept is not too
convincing. It is psychology, and psychology can only deal with the mind. It can not deal with the spirit.
Through adversity we are given opportunity to overcome and mature as sons of God, and reign with Christ Jesus. Jesus said, "To him that overcomes will I give to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame and sit with my Father in his throne."
Adam, representing the whole of creation, was told to take the world and take dominion over creation; The Garden of Eden was not just a place they lived in, the Garden was in them. Adam was to keep his Garden, but he didn't
keep it. He lost it. It is regained in Christ. The Garden of Eden was only the
starting point of the conquest.
There is a law which has been adopted by our most reputable Bible teachers, it is called the law-of-first-mention. This means that once a law in scripture has been introduced that we can expect to follow it to its fulfillment.
Now, according to that law or principle, Adam, or mankind, will still have to subdue and take dominion over creation. He failed to do that in the beginning
of his journey in the Garden when he lost his innocence. Now is growing up time.
We can understand the adversary's desire to deceive God's people into believing that after they are born from above they are going to be taken out of the world in a so called Rapture. Job tells us that, "The deceived and the deceiver are his"...God's. Ch.12:16. The adversary only exists and grows on the slippery foundation of deceit, and has from his beginning.
Jesus the pattern Son, in His humanity, perfect in all His ways, was tempted by the same devil that tempted Eve, who then led Adam to disobey. He overcame and He is our pattern.
It is important that we understand evil was not something that just happened while God was not looking, and that he had a blind side, and that
it didn't just slip up on Him. God had a deliberate purpose in creating the devil
from the beginning, who was a liar, a murderer, a deceiver and evil. Satan is
God's tool to accomplish and fulfill His purpose and this is clear from Isaiah 54:16.
This puppy of God's is on a leash, and is totally under God's control. Look at Job, he gave God credit for all that happened to him. We consider him our enemy, but he is God's tool to accomplish and fulfill His highest purpose in and for His creation, MAN.
"I form the light, I create darkness, I make peace; I create evil." Isa.45:7.
"I kill, and I make alive, I wound, and I heal." Deut.32:39.
I know a pastor in Oregon who believes that there was two God's in the Old
Testament. And all the evil spoken of was the evil god. He prophesied all the
evil spoken by Moses, and the prophets. He teaches that our God of love is
not the one who brought judgment on people. Personally I don't back this theory of two opposing forces. There is only One power, and He is my and your holy Father of love, and He guides and reigns in our hearts. And there is nothing out of His control. Nothing was out of control in the Garden, nor has there been since. When we identify with Christ
in His death, the enemy doesn't operate in us anymore. "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 works in the children of disobedience."
Eph. 2:2.
Beloved, that spirit was defanged at Calvary, and his only tool is deception
that he puts in the mind. In Gen.3:14, God told the serpent, "Dust you shall eat all the days of your life." We know that actual serpents don't eat dust,
but the serpent that God talked to, his meat is the carnal mind of man, for man
is from the dust, and returns to dust. Gen.3:19. So the serpent is the principle of deception and carnality.
Beloved, we are beginning to reach into the spiritual dimension beyond our
Foreparents of that millennium where sin is forever eradicated, and never shall raise its ugly head to mar Father's lovely creation again.
Stay with me, there is more.
Continued.
Love and hugs,
Scott.
Related article written by Elwin R. Roach: THE LUCIFER QUESTION
Scott & Louise Paris
LUCIFER/ADAM
Pt. 3
Who is Lucifer? If Satan isn't Lucifer, then who is Lucifer? Most translators and theologians down through the ages have not ascribed the passages in
Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 to Satan. "How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations?" Isa. 14:12. The only time the term "Lucifer" is used in the Bible is this one verse of scripture. The Hebrew word in the original text is "heylel" and means brightness, morning star, shining star, shining one, day star and star of the morning. Take the word Lucifer and this passage would read: "How are you fallen from heaven, O day star (or shining one) son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations?
It is traced through history that Jerome, a fourth century church father, when translating the Bible into Latin changed the word "morning star" into Lucifer.
Because many of the believers of that day believed this passage related to him, the name Lucifer became synonymous with Satan.
There is another who ascribes to Himself as the "Day Star" and as the "Morning Star." "To him that overcomes, and keeps my works unto the end, to him I will give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star (same expression)." Rev. 2.26, 28 "I Jesus have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches, i am the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." Rev.22.16. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do well that you pay attention, to it as unto a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star (the shining one) arise in your hearts." 2 Peter 1:19.
In Genesis 2:8, 9, Besides the "tree of life" there was a tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden called the tree-of-the-knowledge of Good and evil. This one tree had two parts, good and evil. Who created the tree? God. He created the good part, and He created the evil part. It was clearly God's doing. There are those who have no problem accepting the fact that God created the good, but many are not willing to acknowledge that evil was created by Him also (even though it is written there).
Ephesians 3: 5-10, "...God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. V-10.
"To the intent that now unto principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of go." (Underscore principalities and powers). Let's turn to Eph. 6: 11, 12 and see what these principalities and powers are. V- 11, "Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." V- 12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
So, it was God who created the principalities and powers that Christians
wrestle against. God our Father has used Satan as His tool to fulfill His purpose and intents in the lives of men and women from creation to now. One
Bible example is Job.
Job 1:1, "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." Job 1:6-12, "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves to the Lord, and Satan came also among them." V- 7,
"Then the Lord said unto Satan, where have you come from? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro on the earth, and walking up and down on it." V-8, The Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that fears God and eschews evil? V-9, Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? V-10,
Have you not placed a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. V-11, But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face. V-12, The Lord said to Satan, Behold, all that he has in your power, only upon himself put not forth your hand. So, Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."
So begins the account of the dealings of God in the life of His servant, Job,
through His instrument, Satan. And Satan was not on Job's case until God provoked him. Satan came up and the Lord said to him, "Where have you been?" Satan never spoke of Job until the Lord did. Satan wanted the Lord to think that Job only served Him because He had made him prosperous. But God knows who serves Him because they are prosperous and those who can be trusted even if they are stripped of all things. So God said, "He's yours Satan." God Himself would not touch him because it is not His nature to destroy.
God is a giver, and healer, but not a destroyer. And Satan is under God's control at all times. When it comes time to test someone, God needs the destroyer for destroying things like pride. Job was proud, and so was Adam.
God called Job prefect. Job was perfect in his generation. In the hour of his revelation and those he lived with in his day, he was perfect in that realm. It is possible to be perfect in our day, in our present realm of being (in our generation), and still not be perfect from an eternal standpoint. From God's point of view perfection is an 0n-going progressive principle. God said that Job was a righteous man, but it is evident that Job did not have humility. He was proud. So was Adam. Job was proud of his righteousness. Adam was
proud of his beauty.
Job knew he was righteous and was proud. In Job 32:1 we discover that his friends stopped talking to him because he was righteous in his own eyes.
It is good to be righteous, but not in our own eyes. Job was righteous in his own eyes. And that is exactly what God set out to deal with in His friend Job. God used His tool, Satan, to do it. I read somewhere in Proverbs that God hates a proud spirit.
If we have pride in us or flesh in any form, and we refuse to recognize those things and judge ourselves, taking it to the cross, He resorts to using His "SMITH." What did God create the "Smith" for? His smith and all His little smiths will accomplish His purpose in His sons. When it was all over, the work that Satan did on Job actually produced in him something he had not had previously. He had no more Adam in him.
This is the work that the "waster" did in Job. And Job was "brought forth as gold." This is the thing that our Father said He was going to prove to the principalities and powers in heavenly places by the church. Eph. 3:10--the manifold wisdom of God.
The only thing that the "waster' can touch and destroy in us is the thing that
Father wants out of us, the unfruitful works that we ourselves will not deal with and come to the cross with. It is that which me from Adam that sins, "that which is born of God cannot sin."
The greater part of Paul's writings to believers has to do with putting off the flesh man, and putting on the spirit man. This has to do with walking in the Spirit and not fulfilling the lust of the flesh. In light of Paul's exhortation, it is obvious that born again believers still have problems with the dark nature.
The "god of this world" has painted on the canvass of the mind of man, his dark side, so man thinks of himself of no value. Your value is not equated on what you do, but who you are and what you are in Father's estimation. All not born from above are spirits in prison to the "god of this world." Those born from above are "spirits of just men made perfect." And that by the "blood of the Lamb," and "baptism into Christ." "He that has been baptized into Christ
has put on Christ."
Our Father God teaches by contrasts (by opposites): righteousness-unrighteousness; saints-sinners; good - bad, Jesus - Satan, sons of God-sons of the devil; Godly seed-serpent seed. Everything is contrast. There is a purpose in affliction and it is not just to suffer. It is seasonal. Every trial, temptation and sorrow have their purpose. it is pressure that builds character
in man, just as in the natural, so in the spirit. Muscle builders know that it is pressure that builds strength in them.
Job was untried, untested and unproven, and Satan knew it. And in his trials Job discovered this truth: "But he knows the way that I take, when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10. And our Father today
is teaching us the reality of sonship, and His sons are going to identify with Christ's sufferings. Sufferings come in many forms but, like Job, when we are tried we shall come forth as gold.
The "Last Adam" was Father's ultimate intention, and restoration of all things in Him. Christ is God's perfect design. Jesus Christ is Head of the "New Creation man." The New Creation man is many and yet One. Father is today maturing His "manchild" corporate deliverer, who knows who delivered them, and from whom they were delivered, and are conscious of where they are in the ascended life in and with Christ Jesus. The sons of God are today
seemingly unknown, for creation is still groaning, but when His sons are known, creation will no longer groan. Rom. 8:19-22.
Satan was the recipient of the first curse. Most believers have failed to see this, and that it did something to him. "And the Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life." Gen. 3;14.
Serpent is identified in Rev. 12:9, as Satan. When this curse was spoken onto the Serpent he was lowered to a different position. When the Lord told the Serpent, "dust you shall eat," He was speaking of mankind, or flesh. God told Adam, "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground; for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." Vs. 19. That Adam (mankind) is the dust dimension into which Satan has been lowered and confined to. he does not inhabit inanimate objects, buildings, and haunt houses. That is the imaginations of carnal superstitions, and is unbiblical.
Satan has only one avenue to express his evil nature, and it is in man. "You are of the earth, earthy."
Myriad's of people live in the environment of dust, some without ceasing. dusty storms of lust, unforgiveness, bitterness, hate, pride, arguments, contention, rage-and guess who is right there eating it all up, manifesting himself through the flesh. Since man was evicted from Eden, Satan has been resident in unreedemed mankind. "Wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience." Eph.2:2.
What it boils down to is man became one with that spirit, and is alienated from God until he turns to Jesus Christ. Since Adam ate of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil," in the midst of the garden, man has born the imprint of Satan, the "mark of the beast." This mark has been imprinted in mans mind and what he has set his hands to do.
"Jesus began to show his disciples, how that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from you, lord: this shall not be to you. But he turned, and said to Peter, get you behind me, Satan; you are an offense to me: for you know not the things that are of God, but those that are of men."
Matt.16;21-23.
Jesus didn't call Peter "Satan" because he was a wicked man, but because Peter was thinking like men think. Then Jesus went on, saying, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself..." Vs. 24. All not denying themselves are not getting delivered, for human nature of flesh is espoused to the devil, and he thinks in the dimension of man. That is thinking like the devil.
"If you have bitter invyings and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. Because this wisdom comes not from above, but is earthly, sensual, develish." James 3:14, 15.
Jesus spoke to His disciples at the last supper: "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" John 6:70. Was Jesus talking to the devil? No! Just to men. Satan has his throne in the unreedemed nature of men, seated in the carnal mind, which is death. Satan seated himself there when Adam man ate the forbidden fruit of spiritual death in the Garden.
Paul has something for us on this: "Even so their (deacons) wives be dignified, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things." 1Tim. 3:11.
The Greek word for slanderers is "diabolos" meaning "devil." The verse in all probability should read, "Even so must their wives be dignified, not devils."
Mankind without Christ are not just under the influence of evil. Jesus spoke it as it actually was, He said, "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and did not abide 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 8:44.
No trappings of this age will have any draw on Father's arising sons. They are guileless, and the devil has no part in them. Someone wrote, "No man that warreth entangleth himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please him who has chosen him." 2 Tim. 2:4
Love and hugs,
Scott & Louise Paris