Satan Influenced Judas Iscariot
John tells us that the devil had been prompting Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus before the night of the Last Supper . Both John and Luke say that the devil entered Judas on the night he betrayed his Lord .
The Bible doesnt give us the mechanics of what happened here. But it is important to note that on this occasion, Satan found it necessary to be personally involved in making sure Jesus died.
However, if Satan could do it all over, he probably wouldnt have taken this course of action. Jesus death was not the victory Satan thought it was.
Acquiring The Satanic Bible
Locating a copy of The Satanic Bible is trivial. Church of Satan always has the most current links in their . Many common retail outlets carry the title. You can always find it via HarperCollins Publishers and common online book retailers. For your convenience you can follow the Amazon link above. There are no legitimate electronic versions available. If you are eager to consume media electronically then Church of Satan has published lengthy tomes online for your perusal.
The form most individuals are familiar with is the trade paperback that is nearly identical to its original release by Avon . Small enough to fit in a coat pocket or purse during flights or daily commutes, and cheap enough to risk being misplaced or dog eared, this diminutive format is highly convenient for Satanists and inquirers. Do not let its modesty fool you.
Anton Szandor LaVey’s 1969 CE published work is the authoritative source of Satanism. No text before it, and none since, have codified Satanism into an actual practice for consumption by the entire world. This is what separates Church of Satan above the Hellfire clubs, Christian zealots, fictional authors, and attention seekers throughout the years. Since 1966 CE , Church of Satan has upheld Anton Szandor LaVey’s vision and is the authoritative source of Satanism.
Satan Is On The Defensive
From the Garden of Eden until the time of Jesus, Satan continued to accumulate power. Like we saw earlier, he had grown powerful enough to demand that Jesus worship him in exchange for the nations Jesus had come to redeem.
But after Jesus resisted his temptations, the game changed.
In all three synoptic gospels, Jesus does three things after his trial in the wilderness:
You can already start to see Satans power coming undone. But it gets even better.
Later, Peter famously confesses that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God . Jesus responds, I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it .
This is a dramatic statement of Jesus impending victory over the devil. This should inform our outlook on Satan and spiritual warfare in general. Were not holed up in a bunker, waiting for some heavenly air raid to rescue us from an all-too-powerful foe. Were already winning.
Heiser puts it this way: Gates are defensive structures, not offensive weapons. The kingdom of God is the aggressor. It is the gates of hell that are under assaultand they will not hold up against the Church. Hell will one day be Satans tomb.
The apostle Paul is even more direct: The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet .
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History Of Avon Romance
The Flame and the Flower
In 1972, Avon entered the modern genre with the publication of ‘ . The novel went on to sell 2.35 million copies. Avon followed its release with the 1974 publication of Woodiwiss’s second novel, . The next two romances by newcomer , Sweet Savage Love and Dark Fires, also published in 1974, reached bestseller status. The latter sold two million copies in its first three months of release and the former inspired the name of the genre: “sweet savage romances”.
In 1999, the bought out ‘s book division. Avon’s hardcover and non-romance paperback lines were moved to sister company , leaving Avon as solely a romance publisher.
Avon launched the imprint Avon Red in 2006. Avon developed the event KissCon in 2014, in order to serve the population of romance readers looking for more interaction with their authors and opportunities to strengthen their reading community connections.
For its 75-year anniversary in 2016, Avon published 65 original titles, along with an anniversary edition of Shanna, a romance novel by , published in 1977 that held a spot on the for over thirty weeks. In addition to the re-release, the book included a foreword by the more recent bestseller, and another author represented by Avon, .
Who Is Satan In The Bible
The name Satan means adversary in Hebrew. There is only one passage in the Bible where the name is translated to Lucifer, which in Latin means light bringer and that is in Isaiah 14. He is known as the god of this age, prince of this world, and the father of lies.
He is a created being. He is not the equal opposite of God or Christ. He was a created angel, whose sin of pride warranted his being cast down from heaven. He fell, as did the angels who followed him into rebellion.
1. Job 1:7 The Lord said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered the Lord, From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.
2. Daniel 8:10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them.
3. Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
4. John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
5. John 14:30 I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
6. John 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
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Best Friend The Church Has Ever Had
Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years.
This last statement is largely a declaration against dogmatic and fear-based religion. If there were no temptationsif we did not have the natures that we do, if there was nothing to fearthen few people would submit themselves to the rules and abuses that have developed in other religions over the centuries.
Satan In The 19th Century
The last half of the 19th century saw a resurgence in the view of Satan as anti-hero. This was thanks to works like Italian poet Giosuè Carduccis anti-papal Hymn To Satan and William Blakes illustrations for Paradise Lost in 1888.
In his own book The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Blake presented Satan as a messiah. Around the same time, Theosophical Society founder Madame Blavatsky wrote about Satan as a commendable insurgent offering humans wisdom.
Artists in the Decadent movement like Félicien Rops placed Satanic imagery in paintings, influenced by writers like Baudelaire and Poe. Satan was also employed in writings from socialist leaders like Mikhail Bakunin and Karl Marx.
Polish author Stanisaw Przybyszewski wrote two books about Satan in 1897, one fiction and one non-fiction. Przybyszewskis Satan was an anarchist with a comprehensive philosophy that was similar to modern Satanism. Przybyszewskis young acolytes called themselves Satans Kinder.
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Vengeance Not Turning The Other Cheek
Leaving wrongs unpunished merely encourages miscreants to continue preying on others. Those who do not stand up for themselves end up being trampled.
This is not, however, an encouragement for misbehavior. Becoming a bully in the name of vengeance is not only dishonest, but it also invites others to bring retribution on you. The same goes for performing illegal actions of retribution: break the law and you yourself become the miscreant that the law should come down on swiftly and harshly.
The Book Of Leviathan
The final book of The Satanic Bible emphasizes the importance of spoken word and emotion to effective magic. An “Invocation to Satan” as well as three invocations for the three types of ritual are given. The “Invocation to Satan” commands the dark forces to grant power to the summoner, and lists the Infernal names for use in the invocation. The “Invocation employed towards the conjuration of lust” is used for attracting the attentions of another. Both male and female versions of the invocation are provided. The “Invocation employed towards the conjuration of destruction” commands the dark forces to destroy the subject of the invocation. The “Invocation employed towards the conjuration of compassion” requests protection, health, strength, and the destruction of anything ailing the subject of the invocation. The rest of The Book of Leviathan is composed of the Enochian Keys, which LaVey adapted from Dee’s original work. They are given in Enochian and also translated into English. LaVey provides a brief introduction that credits Dee and explains some of the history behind the Enochian Keys and language. He maintains that the translations provided are an “unvarnishing” of the translations performed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the 1800s, but others accuse LaVey of simply changing references to Christianity with those to Satan.
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In Film And Television
The Devil is depicted as a vampire bat in Georges Méliès‘ The Haunted Castle , which is often considered the first horror film. So-called “Black Masses” have been portrayed in sensationalist B-movies since the 1960s. One of the first films to portray such a ritual was the 1965 film Eye of the Devil, also known as 13. Alex Sanders, a former black magician, served as a consultant on the film to ensure that the rituals portrayed in it were depicted accurately. Over the next thirty years, the novels of Dennis Wheatley and the films of Hammer Film Productions both played a major role in shaping the popular image of Satanism.
The film version of Ira Levin‘s Rosemary’s Baby established made Satanic themes a staple of mainstream horror fiction. Later films such as The Exorcist , The Omen and Angel Heart feature Satan as an antagonist.
Satans Power Of Death Is Broken
It turns out that Jesus death broke at least some of Satans deathly power. The author of Hebrews explains it this way:
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of deaththat is, the devil15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death .
The power of death is waning. Paul claims that death will be swallowed up in victory . And in the book of Revelation, Christ proclaims, I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades .
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Discord Gives Satan An Advantage
While Satans power is broken, hes not powerless yet. In fact, some New Testament passages tell us that there are certain ways for the devil to gain a tactical advantage against us.
The apostle Paul indicates that anger, unforgiveness, and resentment between Christians give Satan a particular edge.
We have several examples in Scripture of this:
- Paul encourages the church at Corinth to forgive and reassure any repentant believer who may have caused the rest of the church grief. The apostle urges the church to make such a person feel welcome and loved. Why? Because Paul particularly does not want Satan to outwit them .
- Paul tells married couples not to deprive one another sexually, otherwise Satan will capitalize on the deprived spouses lack of self-control .
- Paul tells the Ephesians not to let the sun go down on their anger, so as not to give the devil a foothold .
Satan can be resisted, and we need to be vigilant against giving him any opportunities to get the better of us .
Satan Is Not A Myth But Is Taught Differently Then What The Bible Teaches
Satan was created as a beautiful angel also known as Lucifer . Almighty God gave him the job to be a caretaker of the earth. He believed he could be worshipped like the Almighty God and exalted himself to be like God.
This study has scriptures showing that Satan is able to present himself to Gods throne and to the earth. There are no scriptures describing a horned creature surrounded by fire, tormenting people, in hell, for all eternity. Satan is ever-present and tempting all humans on the earth. He is in direct opposition to God. Satan is trying to keep people from reading and learning what the scriptures say. He is enticing all mankind with the distractions of this world. We can not say The devil made me do it because we are tempted by our own desires. Learning Gods will and following God keeps us from inadvertently following Satan. We are either for God or against Him. Satan is a spiritual force that we should be aware of and protect ourselves from his evil influences. Satan, along with those who follow him, will be permanently destroyed by Almighty God. But if we are strong and trust in our one true God, through His son, Jesus Christ, then we will overcome Satans deception.
Who Is Satan?
Source: H3742 krû Strongs Hebrew Lexicon . Retrieved from
Additional references for further research:
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When Did Satan Fall
The Bible doesnt tell us exactly when Satan fell. Since God pronounced everything good on day 6, it must have been after that. It would have been shortly after day 7 that he fell, since he tempted Eve with the fruit after she was created, and before any children were born to them. God was not unaware that Satan would fall. God allowed it to happen. And God acted in perfect justness when He cast Satan out.
17. Luke 10:18 He replied, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
18. Isaiah 40:25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
19. Isaiah 14:13 For you said to yourself, I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above Gods stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.
20. Ezekial 28:16-19 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. 19 All the nations who knew you are appalled at you you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.
The Devil Tried To Make At Least One Deal
Making deals with the devil is a common storytelling motif. And although the Bible doesnt say anything about fiddles made of gold, Scripture does tell us of at least one attempted bargain Satan tried to make.
We looked at Satans attempts to tempt Jesus earlier in this list. Satan offered all the kingdoms of the world to Jesus.
But there was a catch: Jesus would have to bow down and worship the devil.
Lucky for us, the Son of God will not be bartered with in this way. Jesus tells the tempter, Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only .
Why is Jesus refusal to bargain important?
Heiser explains that Satans offer was a clever attempt to get Jesus to pay for something Satan stole. Had Jesus given in, it would have been an acknowledgment that Satans permission was needed to possess the nations. It wasnt. Satan presumed power and ownership of something that, ultimately, was not his but Gods. The messaging behind Jesus answer is clear: Yahweh will take the nations back by his own means in his own time. He doesnt need them to be given away in a bargain. Jesus was loyal to his Father. Since reclaiming the nations was connected with salvation and redemption from the effects of the fall in Eden, accepting Satans offer would have undermined the necessity of the atonement of the cross.
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A Response To An All Too Popular Meme
Chances are, if you have had any exposure to popular memes in the religious debate community, you have encountered this one,
The claim is that The Satanic Bible is more moral because unlike the Quran or the Holy Bible, it does not advocate rape. However, a cursory reading of the satanic work proves otherwise.
Usually the anti-rape verse quoted is this one,
If you attempt to impose your sexual desires upon others who do not welcome your advances, you are infringing upon their sexual freedom. Therefore,Satanism does not advocate rape, child molesting, sexual defilement of animals, or any other form of sexual activity which entails the participation of those who are unwilling or whose innocence or naïveté would allow them to be intimidated or misguided into doing something against their wishes.
However, if you keep reading, thats not the end of the story. The Satanic Bible also reads,
According the LaVey, compelling someone else to desire you is either an act of compassion to increase your powers, or a good way of getting revenge. I mean, youre either giving a girl the gift of being the unwilling recipient of a psychic flunitrazepam or, youre getting back at a woman who was really just asking for it. All this is justifiable because our egos need to fight sexual indoctrination.
End Notes
Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible, Page 38
Ibid, Page 64