BIBLE TOPICS

PERSONIFICATION OF SIN

The Bible plainly says ‘the wages of sin is death’ thus the devil or satan would be long dead by now! A key to helping our understanding is to consider that many times in scripture we see things personified to help our understanding and bring the abstract to life. For example in Proverbs chapters 8 and 9 we are told of wisdom and we read in chapter 8:1 ‘Does not wisdom cry out’ and v2 ‘she takes her stand’. Then chapter 9:1 ‘wisdom has built her house’. Also in Proverbs we come across folly, again described as a woman:

"The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way. "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment. "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!" But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.’ Prov 9:13-18

We know that there is no literal woman folly or wisdom, but the portrayal of the merits and attributes of wisdom and the utter uselessness of folly are brought to life by characterising them as women in this way. This same principle applies to the devil and satan. Personification of sin throughout scripture, brings to life and brings before us, the utter abhorrence God has for sin.

So then the words 'satan' and 'devil' are used figuratively to describe the natural sinful tendencies within each of us, human nature or ‘sin-in-the-flesh’ as it might be described. Thus we read in Psalm 51:5 where David says "in sin did my mother conceive me" and in Romans 7:24 where Paul speaks of his body as the "the body of this death".

Human nature is made mortal and subject to death because of sin. This was the body which Jesus was born with from his mother Mary. Jesus was just like us of human nature. He was as we read in John 1:14 "The Word (of God) made flesh" and as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin [or a 'sin offering'] for us" Jesus then was sinless in character, but his body required him to die! Now Paul writes that Jesus shared the same nature as his brethren in order that "through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil." Hebrews 2:14. Thus we see that if there was a literal evil being called the devil he is long dead for Jesus destroyed him! We also see that the weapon used to destroy him, was the death of Jesus. Use of death to destroy the devil does not make sense if the devil were a literal being. But if we understand that it is human nature and sin that have the power of death, which makes sense given that the ‘wages of sin is death’, then all becomes clear.

Jesus was sinless yet had to die because of human nature (sin-in-the-flesh). In the case of Jesus alone, he was undeserving of death and thus God could justly raise Jesus to life. The law in Jesus case was unjust. More than this Jesus willing laid down his life in complete obedience to his Father. Thus Jesus is now set before those who put their faith in him as the perfect ‘Lamb of God’, through whom they can also find life. God is willing t o count faith as righteousness.

Now Jesus as recorded in John 3:14-15 drew an analogy between his body being "lifted up" on the cross, and the serpent "lifted up" in the wilderness "that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life". To give some background to this connection it would be useful to read Numbers 21:8. The people of Israel had sinned against God (v5) so God told Moses to make a brass image of a serpent, and lift it up on a pole. Anybody bitten by the snakes, was to look at the serpent on the pole. If they had faith in God’s word, obeying it and looked to the model serpent on the pole, they would be healed and live. By this action they showed their faith in God's Word or command. This principle pointed forward to Christ, if we look to him we read "whosoever believed (had Faith) in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" and thus be healed of human nature [represented by the serpent]. This body of sin had to be put to death [crucified.] Paul writes Romans 6:6 "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin". Now Jesus did this literally as we read Hebrews 9:26 "he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself".

However in our case we are commanded by God to do it figuratively, in order that we "In the same way count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus" Romans 6:11 . Our death is symbolised by associating ourselves with Jesus through baptism. Paul writes:

"don't you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" Romans 6:3-4.

We must after baptism, as Paul continues in verse 12 "not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires". In other words if we strive to avoid sin we will not become a false accuser or slanderer [devil ] or adversary [satan] of the ways of God.