Warfare Against the Only Begotten Son of God

Thus He [Christ] placed the human family upon vantage-ground, identifying his interest with that of fallen man. The prince of fallen angels conducted the warfare against the only begotten Son of God. Evil angels leagued with evil men, and earth and hell arrayed their powers against him, in order to overcome him. Unrighteousness leagued against righteousness and truth, error and iniquity assailed the standard of righteousness. Satan imbued his instrumentalities with his own spirit, and men became agents in the deceptive work, playing the game for the life and character of every son and daughter of Adam. He carried out the same plan upon which he had entered in heaven. There he had succeeded in carrying with him a large number of angels, who sought with him to make of no effect the standard of righteousness. Since his expulsion from heaven, he has worked with unabated earnestness, with sleepless vigilance. — {RH May 23, 1899, par. 9}

Speaking of Satan, Christ said, “He ... abode not in the truth.” There are in every age souls of whom these words might be spoken. Before his fall, Satan was highly exalted. His position was next to that of Christ, and he was radiant with holiness. But he swerved from his allegiance to the blessed and only Potentate, and lost his high position. From this time he became an avowed antagonist of God, and influenced others to unite with him against God. Planting the standard of rebellion, he rallied the supporters of his disaffection, that evil might become a power against good. Today men are following Satan's lead. All who break the law of God, and teach others to do so are Satan's agents. Satan is the root, and those who teach others to break the least of God's commandments are the branches. They are warring against the law of Jehovah, and in the books of heaven their names are recorded as associate rebels with the first great apostate. — {RH May 9, 1899, Art. A, par. 2}

When Satan rebelled, there was war in heaven; and he, with all his sympathizers, was cast out. He had held a high office in heaven, possessing a throne radiant with light. But he swerved from his allegiance to the blessed and only Potentate and fell from his first estate. All who sympathized with him were driven from the presence of God, doomed to be no more acknowledged in the heavenly courts as having a right there. Satan became the avowed antagonist of Christ. On the earth he planted the standard of rebellion, and round it his sympathizers rallied. — {20LtMs, Ms 78, 1905, par. 18}

Speaking of Satan, our Lord says that “he abode not in the truth.” [John 8:44.] He was once the covering cherub, glorious in beauty and holiness. He was next to Christ in exaltation and character. It was with Satan that self-exaltation had its origin. He became jealous of Christ, and falsely accused Him, and then laid blame upon the Father. He was envious of the position that was held by Christ and the Father, and he turned from his allegiance to the high Commander of heaven, and lost his high and holy estate. Though the angels had a knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, though they were happy in the glorious service which they did for the King of heaven, yet through the deceptive power of the evil one, through his crooked representations of Christ and the Father, he deceived a great company of angels, drew them into sympathy with himself, and associated them with himself in rebellion. Satan and his sympathizers became the avowed antagonists of God, established their own infernal empire, and set up a standard of rebellion against the God of heaven. All the principalities and powers of evil rallied to the work of overthrowing the government of God. — {10LtMs, Lt 43, 1895, par. 38, 39}

Satan had been Lucifer, the light-bearer, the sharer of God's glory in heaven, and second to Jesus in power and majesty. In the words of inspiration he is described as the one who “sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” But Lucifer had perverted the beauty and power with which he was endowed by the Creator, and his light had become darkness. When through his rebellion he was cast out of heaven, he determined to make man his victim, and the earth his kingdom. He cast the blame of his rebellion upon Christ, and in determined hatred of God, sought to wound Him through the fall of man. — {BEcho November 1, 1892, par. 3}