Omniscience, knowing all things, is something the Bible only attributes to God (1 Cor. 4:5; Heb. 4:13). Since the Bible says that all things that exist were created by God (Col. 1:16-17), it follows that Satan is a created being. God cannot sin or cause to sin, so it is implied that Satan was created good and chose to do evil. Many have defined evil as simply the absence or opposite of good.

The Bible says nothing specifically about how Satan became evil, but it must have happened at some point. Throughout the whole Bible, Satan is depicted as one who tempts man to sin. If Satan is not omniscient and cannot tell what we are thinking, how does he know how to operate in our individual lives?

Matthew four proves that he knows the Bible, and the Bible tells us the three major avenues of sin (1 John 2:15-17). He has had the advantage of thousands of years of observation of human behavior. He knows mankind’s basic weaknesses. He also has angels (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:9), and who knows what role they play in his having privy to our personal lives and in observing what we are each prone to do?

Yet, Satan does not ever make us sin, despite what the old comic, Flip Wilson, jokingly contended. We choose to sin based on our own fleshly desires (Jas. 1:13-15). We sin, not as the result of Satan manipulating the mind, but as the result of giving in to sinful lusts. Satan can no more make us do wrong than God will make us do right. We should simply remember that we never have to sin (1 Cor. 10:13).

Satan does not whisper in our ears or play with our minds. However, he is actively seeking souls to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). The good news is that he cannot do anything unless we allow him. James says we can make him flee from us by resisting him (Jas. 4:7). Satan can not read your mind. He cannot manipulate your mind. He can only see what you reveal. Let us be careful to reveal the right sorts of things and thereby protect ourselves from this roaring lion.

Neal Pollard

Judas Iscariot, the Suicide of Satan & the Salvation of the World
Luke 22:1-6

During the final Feast of Unleavened Bread, also called the “Passover,” the chief priests and scribes were seeking how they could put Jesus to death but they feared the people.

Judas was one of the twelve. This is only the second time in Luke that Judas is mentioned. The first time was in 6:16 in the list of apostles, the “twelve.” “Iscariot” may mean “man of “ Kerioth, a city in the south of Judaea.

It is during the institution of the Lord’s Supper, during this Passover Feast, that Jesus points out to the apostles that one of them would betray Him and they all said, “Lord, is it I?” But He said, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I dipped it.” He dipped the morsel and gave it to Judas. Satan entered into him. Jesus told him to proceed with what he had planned to do – “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Judas left the Lord’s presence, His Savior’s presence, and went out to do just that.

Being influenced by Satan, Judas went out and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Jesus into their hands. But when Satan motivated Judas to betray Jesus, it was his own downfall. It was his own suicide.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:8 that the rulers of this age did not understand the wisdom of God. If they had understood, Paul writes, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory! If Satan had known the betrayal was in God’s plans to send Jesus to the cross, he would not have motivated Judas to betray Jesus. He would have allowed Jesus to die a natural death at a good old age.

While we need to take Satan seriously, perhaps we give Satan far too much credit than he deserves. Satan is limited. Satan does not know the Bible like we think he does. If he did, he would have known that the crucifixion of Christ was prophesied there and the resurrection was prophesied there! He would not have crucified the Lord of glory. He would have known that the betrayal of Jesus was predicted there as well.

Satan did not know Judas betraying Jesus fit into God’s plans – Psa. 41:9 (cf. John 13:18). He did not know the betrayal was predicted in Psa. 55:12-14. He did not know the cross was in God’s plans all along (Gal. 3:13; Deut. 21:23). He did not even know that Jesus was going to be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12-13). Satan does not know everything!

Don’t follow Satan. He doesn’t know where he is going!

–Paul Holland