Who is Satan? There are many debates on that subject in the world. Some don’t believe he is real. Others believe in him, but can’t figure out where he came from. The Bible tells us God created all living. Did God, then, create Satan? If he didn’t, then why does the Bible say He created all living? The answers to these questions are answered by the scriptures of the Restoration.
2 Nephi 2 says:
17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.
18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
The story of how Satan, then known as Lucifer, became the devil, is one of the saddest in the history of the world. It brought extreme sadness to God and to all of us.
Before coming to earth, we all lived with our Father in Heaven. We were spirits, without bodies, but ourselves—we had spirits, personalities, and character. Who we are today is in part based on who we chose to be there. It was the starting point for our growth.
One day God called all of us together to tell us of a wonderful plan. He would have a world created just for us, where we could go to gain bodies and families, and to be tested and to grow and learn. We could earn the right to stay with him for eternity. However, God knew that the laws of Heaven, in which justice must be served, would prevent us from coming home without help, because we could not be perfect on earth. Lucifer offered to be the person who helped, but only on his terms. His terms involved forcing us to be perfect. He wanted to remove the agency we currently enjoyed and control our every movement, even our every thought, in order to insure we’d get through life being perfect. In exchange, he wanted all the honor and glory for himself.
Jesus understood God’s plan, and offered his own services. We would come to earth and take our chances, doing the best we could in order to try to return to God. Then Jesus would come here, take on a mortal body, and die for us. This would satisfy justice, since someone who was perfect would pay the ultimate price for our sins. We would do what we can, and He would make up the difference. In exchange He wanted the glory to go to God, not to Him.
We chose to follow Jesus, understanding the dangers and pointlessness of Satan’s proposal. Satan was furious. One third of those who were presented with this plan of salvation chose to follow Satan. They were cast out of Heaven. They were not allowed to come to earth, receive a body, or have the opportunity to benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice. They lost the chance to stay with their Heavenly Father.
25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,
26 And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.
27 And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning! Doctrine and Covenants 76
Satan’s choice broke everyone’s hearts, for good reason. Satan’s eternity is miserable and without hope. As a result, he also wants us to be equally miserable. He does everything in his power to try to make us unhappy and to keep us from taking advantage of the Savior’s amazing gift.
Because our time in mortality is a test of our ability to live the gospel, God allows Satan to tempt us, within limitations. He focuses his greatest attention on anything that is especially important to our ability to reach eternity, such as the family. He wants us to fail.
The important thing to remember is that we don’t have to let Satan have control over us. When we work to live the gospel properly, Satan’s abilities are severely restricted.
“However, we need not become paralyzed with fear of Satan’s power. He can have no power over us unless we permit it. He is really a coward, and if we stand firm, he will retreat. The Apostle James counseled: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” He cannot know our thoughts unless we speak them. And Nephi states that the devil “hath no power over the hearts” of righteous people. We have heard comedians and others justify or explain their misdeeds by saying, “The devil made me do it.” I do not really think the devil can make us do anything. Certainly he can tempt and he can deceive, but he has no authority over us that we do not give him.” (James E. Faust, “The Forces That Will Save Us,” Ensign, Jan 2007, 4–9)
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
