BIBLE TOPICS

I wonder how many generations of Christians have been terrorised by the figure of an evil being called the devil, who is the instigator of all kinds of malice and disaster. The standard portrayal of this evil being is of having horns and carrying a huge fork of some description. Associated with the concept of a devil came ideas about demons and evil spirits, plus at death the possibility of enduring everlasting fire in hell where the devil and his angels reign supreme. Is this what the Bible really teaches about the devil?

THE DEVIL

The term 'devil' means false accuser, slanderer and enemy. The word is not translated but derived from the original Greek language. The word for devil is 'diabolos' and means 'false accuser'. Diabolos come from diaballo, which means to calumniate, slander, accuse or defame. For example Judas falsely accused Christ and caused his death. Jesus at that time referred to Judas as ‘a devil’ because he knew what he was about to do by giving way to his temptation and greed for money. We read:

"Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)" John 60:70-71

So Judas is described as a ‘devil’. Why? Well Judas was tempted by his own greed for money and betrayed the Lord Jesus. It is James who writes of where temptation and sin come from:

"...each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:14-15.

So Judas because of his own ’evil desire’ was enticed to sin by betraying Jesus for money. In the case of Judas that sin directly resulted in his death.