Satan’s Kingdom has Subjects
Satan’s Kingdom has subjects.
The first general Biblical evidence of Satan’s desire to be like God is the extensive teaching regarding the reality of Satan’s unholy kingdom. Satan can live and exploit the lie that he is like God partly because he has his own kingdom. Like God’s kingdom it has subjects. Satan’s subjects are the fallen angels and the lost.
We’ve already seen how Jesus, anticipating His coming crucifixion, death, and resurrection, recognized Satan as the ruler of the world: “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”1Satan’s tempting Jesus in the desert is evidence that Satan is a literal person. Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship:
And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”(Luke 4:5–8)
As God, Jesus already owned all creation. But in the limited concept of the kingdom of God as described above, He hasn’t yet brought all things under total submission. Rebellion is still allowed. The domain Satan spoke of was his unholy kingdom, the fallen world. Two points are of particular note. First, Satan rightly said that his domain had been “handed over” to him. That is, he didn’t take it from God; God gave it to him. Second, Jesus didn’t deny that Satan had a kingdom. His reply of rejection wasn’t regarding what Satan offered, but what Satan required, worship. Worship is due to God and God alone.
Satan’s demand for worship is further evidence that his greatest motivation is his desire to be like God. God’s people worship Him, so Satan desires to be worshipped as well. This dovetails with Paul’s reference to Satan as the “god of this world”;2 false gods, like the one true God, are worshipped.
The Book of Revelation speaks of a “beast” who becomes Satan’s greatest earthly agent during the end of the age tribulation. It will obtain great power and the “whole earth” will worship it:
“and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” (Revelation 13:8)
When “all who dwell on the earth” worship his beast, it will mark Satan’s high point in his quest to be like God. Shortly thereafter, upon Christ’s second coming, he will be thrown into the abyss for one thousand years.3
In addition to the reality of Satan’s kingdom and Satan’s desire for worship, we’ll consider one final piece of evidence that Satan’s primary motivation is to be like God. It’s the nature of his relentless opposition to God and His people. As I said, it isn’t blind, but is focused on tearing down God’s kingdom and building up his own. God’s kingdom of believers in this world is not only an impediment to Satan’s kingdom, but a constant reminder to Satan that his kingdom is counterfeit and futile.
The Bible’s first recorded interaction between Satan and man, the deception of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, is an example. The purpose of the deception was to separate Adam and Eve from God, to build Satan’s kingdom at the expense of God’s kingdom. What better way to be like God than to steal his subjects?
Despite Satan’s best efforts the separation of Adam and Eve from God was temporary and incomplete. Adam and Eve were punished for their sin but remained part of God’s family. The first two verses in Genesis following God’s declaration of punishment are:
The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.(Genesis 3:20–21)
The literal translation of “Eve” is “living,” or “life.” Throughout the Bible true “life” is that spiritual, eternal life given to those who are rightly related to God, as compared to the temporary physical life of the body. Thus Eve’s name indicates she was alive spiritually. Further, God’s kind provision of garments for Adam and Eve indicates He continued to love and provide for them. Death and sacrifice entered the world with Adam and Eve’s fall; their garments were provided at the expense of the lives of animals.
There are many other examples of Satan’s desire to tear down God’s kingdom and build up his own. We’ll look at just one, Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. It came about like this:
And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. (Luke 22:2–4)
Satan’s entering into Judas wasn’t due to a blind hatred of Judas, or even a meaningless attack on God’s Son using Judas as the instrument. Rather, it was a purposeful attempt to cut off the Christ, the one who the apostle John said appeared “to destroy the works of the devil.”4 Satan’s futile efforts to neutralize Jesus were because Jesus stood in his way of being like God.
Likewise, an examination of Satan’s activities throughout the history of mankind reveals that they are purposeful attempts to become a counterfeit replacement for God. That is Satan’s motive, to be like God. What are his methods? How does he go about advancing his kingdom?