Satan’s Hatred

Have you ever wondered why Satan has such hatred for mankind? Why does Satan, and his demonic assistants, do everything they can to deceive, tempt, and cause mankind to sin? Remember the admonishment of the Apostle Peter, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (First Peter 5:8) Why does Satan hate mankind?

A possible answer to this question came to me after I wrote last week’s lesson about God’s Perfect Plan. When Satan rebelled against the Lord, the Lord made a plan. I believe this was before the Creation of Man, and possibly before the Creation of the world. The Lord’s Plan was to entrap Satan, and because Satan is a spiritual being, and because sin was introduced into the world by a spiritual being, the resolution to this rebellion had to be through a spiritual being. That being was, of course, the Lord Jesus Who paid the price for all sin and Who will ultimately defeat Satan.

When Satan rebelled against the Lord, the King of the Universe, he took a large number, possibly as much as one-third of the heavenly angels, with him. Although the Lord’s Plan is unfathomable to our finite minds, at least two parts were; 1) to entrap and defeat Satan; 2) to create beings that would choose to love, praise, worship and honor God for eternity. That is the directive to Mankind in Psalm 150:6. Those who love the Lord will replace those rebellious angels that followed Satan.

Here is where I realized what I believe is the reason for the hatred of Satan. Satan does not care about Man. That is obvious. He does not care what happens to any person, except, every soul that Satan can deceive is one less soul gathered around the Throne of God, worshiping and praising Him. The hatred of Satan is not really directed at Man, it is directed at the Lord.

You will recall the five statements of Satan, filled with pride, as found in Isaiah 14:13-14, “For thou hast said in thine heart,

  1. I will ascend into heaven,
  2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:
  3. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
  4. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
  5. I will be like the most High.”
There may be further reasons for Satan’s hatred of Mankind which we will discover when we are with the Lord and have complete knowledge. But for the moment, I believe the efforts of Satan to cause Man to rebel against the Lord are because Satan wishes to diminish the praise and worship of the Lord, and His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Our Heavenly Father is worthy of all praise, honor and glory. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is worthy of all praise, honor and glory. And the Holy Spirit, Who works quietly in the background, is worthy of all praise, honor and glory. How I look forward to the Day when we will be with Them.

BACK to Lesson Archive.