Who Is Satan?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Today, I bring you this message I have titled, “Who is Satan?” The word śāṭān is derived from a Hebrew term which means, “accuser” or “adversary,” (devil means “slanderer). Views about Satan often range from the silly to the abstract, from the most hilarious cartoons to the most grotesque of figures. For some people, Satan is the red-skinned monster with horns. For others, it is the most ugly looking being with wings. Yet, for others, it is simply a voice that speaks inside of us urging us to do its bidding. But there are some who think Satan is an invention by religious people in order to scare people from doing what is wrong, meaning, it’s not real. But every committed Christian believes that Satan is real. Why? Because both the Old and New Testaments said so. Most importantly, Jesus said it is real. And  when we speak about Satan, we say that it is evil, bad, wicked, dangerous, and hurtful. We also call him a loser because on the cross, our Savior Jesus Christ exposed his wickedness and comprehensively defeated him by the shedding of his blood. On the cross, Satan’s fate was sealed. On the cross, he became a loser for life.

But is Satan really a red-skinned monster with horns? Not really! Is he an ugly and fearful looking creature with wings? May be not! Is he a horrible looking snake with several heads unleashing his venoms? Not really! Who then is Satan? The Bible tells us that he was created as a holy angel, as an angelic being who later fell from his position in heaven due to sin, and now he’s completely opposed to our loving God. Isaiah 14:12 reveals Satan’s pre-fall name as Lucifer “How you have fallen from heavens, O Morning Star, son of the light! (i.e. Lucifer) How you have been cut down to the earth, you who conquered nations!” Ezekiel 28:12-16 describes Satan as having been created perfect, wise, beautiful, and placed on the holy mountain of God, but he became arrogant in his beauty and status and decided to sit on a throne above that of God. As a result, he was banished from the mountain of God. In the New Testament, Satan is given lofty titles as, “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31), “father of lies” (John 8:44), “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “ruler of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), “ruler of demons” (Matthew 10:25), and “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10). And in the Gospel of John 10:10, Jesus describes what he does, “The devil comes only to steal, slaughter and destroy…” In the Fourth Lateran Council, the Catholic Church, on the topic of Satan decreed that “in the beginning, God created together two creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal, that is to say, the angelic and the earthly, and lastly man, who was made of both spirit and body.” Continuing, the Council said, “The Devil and other demons were created by God good in their nature but they themselves have made themselves evil.” In that decree, the Church clearly teaches that Satan and other demons were originally angelic beings created by God in a state of innocence, but they became evil by their own act. Satan generated evil from within himself, corrupted himself and others. 

Brothers and sisters, it’s easy to call Satan a liar, loser, the father of liars, the first sinner, and the accuser. It’s easy to call him the prince of darkness, leader of the wicked, originator of evil, a disgraced and ungrateful son of damnation. It’s easy to describe Satan as a thief, destroyer and killer. But do we see him as someone whose sole purpose is to prevent, hijack, and destroy God’s plan for us? Is he someone we are doing everything in our power not to spend earthly life and everlasting life with? Do we see him as our greatest enemy? Your greatest enemy is not your brother or sister. It’s not your boss or neighbor. Your most formidable enemy is not that person that was rude or mean or ugly to you. It’s Satan! Since he lost his place in heaven, he vowed that he would make sure that you and me do not enjoy the bliss of living in the presence of God. Everything he does is to destroy God’s ultimate plan for us, which is, to know the only true and living God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. Satan’s singular mission is to elevate himself above God in our lives. He produces a counterfeit of everything that God does, and then waits and hopes to gain our attention and worship, and also to join him in opposing God. Satan is the source of every false teaching and philosophy out there that oppose God and God’s matters. He’s trying to convince us that he has a better deal for us by luring us into false pleasure, cheap crown, short-cut, reckless fun, vain glory and power. If we fall for him,  he will destroy God’s plan for us. 

In today’s Gospel, Satan tried to use Simon Peter, who was previously used by God to reveal the identity of Jesus, to derail, and obstruct God’s plan for Jesus and for the world. As soon as Jesus told his disciples his mission— that he must “suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised,” Satan tried to use Peter to dissuade and discourage Jesus from realizing God’s plan. But Jesus knew the source of Peter’s nice try effort, and immediately rebuked him, “Get behind me, Satan!” Think about this! If Satan had succeeded in blocking God’s plan for Jesus, humanity would have been doomed. And if Satan succeeds in thwarting God’s plan for you, that would have consequential effects on your family, friends, church and society. Think of so many young people who are trapped in the prison of addiction to drugs and crime. They could have been our teachers, firefighters, doctors, police officers, parents, priests or religious.” So, whatever idea you have about Satan, see him as someone who hates you so much, and is bent on destroying your dreams, aspirations, joy, and ultimately, the plan of God for you. Therefore, whenever he suggests you do his bidding, say to him, “Get behind me, Satan.”