Lucifer’s Advantage: He Could Lie, Pervert, Misrepresent and Deceive

Here, for a time, Satan had the advantage; and he exulted in his arrogated superiority, in this one respect, to the angels of Heaven, and even to God himself. While Satan can employ fraud and sophistry to accomplish his objects, God cannot lie; while Lucifer, like the serpent, can choose a tortuous course, turning, twisting, gliding, to conceal himself, God moves only in a direct, straight-forward line. Satan had disguised himself in a cloak of falsehood, and for a time it was impossible to tear off the covering, so that the hideous deformity of his character could be seen. He must be left to reveal himself in his cruel, artful, wicked works. — {4SP 319.2}

All the powers of his master mind were now bent to the work of deception, to secure the sympathy of the angels that had been under his command. Even the fact that Christ had warned and counseled him was perverted to serve his traitorous designs. To those whose loving trust bound them most closely to him, Satan had represented that he was wrongly judged, that his position was not respected, and that his liberty was to be abridged. From misrepresentation of the words of Christ he passed to prevarication and direct falsehood, accusing the Son of God of a design to humiliate him before the inhabitants of heaven. — {GC 496.1 (PP 41.3)

Lucifer had at first so conducted his temptations that he himself stood uncommitted. — {PP 41.3}

He sought also to make a false issue between himself and the loyal angels. All whom he could not subvert and bring fully to his side he accused of indifference to the interests of heavenly beings. The very work which he himself was doing he charged upon those who remained true to God. And to sustain his charge of God's injustice toward him, he resorted to misrepresentation of the words and acts of the Creator. It was his policy to perplex the angels with subtle arguments concerning the purposes of God. Everything that was simple he shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion cast doubt upon the plainest statements of Jehovah. His high position, in such close connection with the divine administration, gave greater force to his representations, and many were induced to unite with him in rebellion against Heaven's authority. — {GC 496.1} (PP 41.3)

Satan was artful in presenting his side of the question. As soon as he found that one position was seen in its true character, he changed it for another. Not so with God. He could work with only one class of weapons,—truth and righteousness. Satan could use what God could not,—crookedness and deceit. These are the very weapons that he uses in our day to make the truth of none effect. When the truth is presented to the people, it seems to many to be consistent and right; and if the enemy and his followers did not come in and oppose it by every means in their power, where there are now ten who take hold of it, there would be thousands. — {RH March 9, 1886, par. 6}

The only way in which God could deal with Satan was to take a straightforward course; and this is the course that his children must pursue in the great controversy which is still being carried on in the world between truth and error, light and darkness. Those who hold the truth in righteousness will be fair; they can afford to be fair. But those who oppose the truth lack Bible evidence to sustain their position. Therefore they are not fair, but are constantly warring against the things that are for their good. — {RH March 9, 1886, par. 7}

It was on account of Satan’s deceiving power that many angels became disloyal to God. God was true and right; Satan was wrong, and he was convinced that he was wrong. He must now choose, either by submission to place himself on the Lord’s side, or by lying to sustain himself. By sophistry and fraud he appeared to gain an advantage, but it was only for a short time. God cannot lie; He moves in a direct line. Lucifer could speak the truth when it served his purpose best, but he could move in a crooked course to avoid humiliation and defeat. — {7LtMs, Lt 16a, 1892, par. 24}

Satan was the first great rebel in heaven. On account of his power to deceive, he carried many of the holy angels on his side. God was truth and justice. God moved in a straightforward course to vindicate His law. Satan must yield or evade God’s arguments. He came where the two roads branched. It was submission or open rebellion. He took the latter position. He had misconstrued, perverted, wrested the words of God until he carried with him a large number of the angels; a large number, true, but for his deception. He practiced the work of accusing, of fraud, of deception until he himself was his own dupe. He believed his own lies; his darkness was to him light, and light was darkness. To Satan this was his ruin. He really had the advantage. Lucifer could lie, deceive, accuse. God cannot lie. God moved in a straightforward course. Lucifer moved in a crooked, wriggly, twisting course, serpent-like. Lucifer could be warned at the beginning of this course of sin as only God can warn, but his stubborn resistance and unbelief construed every merciful interposition of God into a pressure and restriction of his rights. He fancied himself for a time, because he gained some of the angels to his side as superior to God. The Lord allowed Satan to go on until he should reveal himself in his true character. Christ alone, by giving Himself a sacrifice, could destroy the works of Satan. — {4LtMs, Ms 22, 1885, par. 17}

God could employ only such means as were consistent with truth and righteousness. Satan could use what God could not—flattery and deceit. He had sought to falsify the word of God and had misrepresented His plan of government, claiming that God was not just in imposing laws upon the angels; that in requiring submission and obedience from His creatures, He was seeking merely the exaltation of Himself. It was therefore necessary to demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven, and of all the worlds, that God's government is just, His law perfect. Satan had made it appear that he himself was seeking to promote the good of the universe. The true character of the usurper and his real object must be understood by all. He must have time to manifest himself by his wicked works. — {PP 42.1} (GC 498.1)