Theo 201 Short Essay 4

Religious Dualism is the belief that two equal and opposing forces fight for supremacy. God is the viewed as the representation of good; Satan is the representation of evil. In more moderate circles it is referred to as “light and darkness”, or in the vein of Chinese thought, “yin and yang.” The battle between God and Satan is constantly shown in movies and television as two equal forces battling over the souls of man. These shows and movies appeal to people because it denies the sovereignty of God and if God is no longer sovereign, then they do not have to submit to his authority. The Bible teaches us that God and Satan are not equal in power and the battle between good and evil was won a long time ago. Many Christians today still fall into the trap of equating God and Satan; they identify them as two opposing forces in constant struggle.

The Bible teaches that Satan was a created being. He was created as one of God’s angels, possessing all the attributes of an angel, the power of personality and freedom of choice. He was not satisfied with his role in God’s plan. Satan chose to rebel against God and try to set himself up as God. He convinced himself that he was worthy of God’s throne and glory. He rebelled and God punished Him by casting Him out of heaven along with a third of the angels. He rebelled and God punished Him by casting Him out of heaven along with a third of the angels. Revelation 12:9 (NIV) “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him”. Ezekiel 28 speaks of how Satan was an anointed guardian who was on the holy mountain of God. He was also created blameless, but because he made a choice to try to be like God, unrighteousness was found in him. The passage of Isaiah 14:12-17 gives us insight into the events that led to the fall of Satan and His banishment from the presence of God. It tells us how Satan planned to set...