That is a question that has undoubtedly been asked for thousands of years. The world has come up with many fanciful tales about his origin.
Take for example; "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! For thou hast said in thine 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 thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (Isaiah 14:12-15).
How many times have you heard this text used to describe the origin of Satan? When one looks at the context of that passage he sees that Isaiah is talking about the king of Babylon; "That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!" (Isaiah 14:4). Isaiah is therefore saying that the king of Babylon will be cast down because of his pride.
Another passage that people take out of context is Luke 10:18; "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." (Luke 10:18). Again, the context shows that Jesus was simply telling the disciples that He saw the influence of Satan in the world diminishing or falling because of the work that they had done.
Some will say that the Bible gives no information at all. However, I believe that it does both by implication and direct statement.
That being the case, Satan cannot be eternal. Therefore, he had to have been created. The Bible clearly tells us that God, the Son, created all things; "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1:13-17).
You might ask how God could create such an evil being. The answer is that God did not. "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5).
Whenever it was that God created the being whom we now know as Satan, He created him as a perfect being. However, as He did with us, God gives all beings the freedom to choose. Evidently, Satan did something that caused him to be cast out of heaven.
The next passage that I want to notice is Jude 6; "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." (Jude 6).
Notice also, "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;" (2 Peter 2:4).
Evidently, there were some angels who used their freedom of choice to choose evil. Jude says that they did not keep their first estate. "Estate" simply means a position or office.
Jude and Peter say that these angels are going to be sent to hell. It makes sense to the author to assume that Satan was one of these angels. However, bear in mind, that the Bible does not come right out and say that. So you can either accept it or not.
He was created by God as a perfect being. However, for whatever reason, he chose to abandon, along with other angels, his office or position and is now being punished for it and will be punished for all eternity. We do not want to join him. See Biblical Salvation.
-- Ralph Price - 2000 --
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