Our scripture brings up a name which we hear from time to time, but rarely seriously consider. In these days of political correctness, there are names and titles which we aren’t suppose to use. I suppose that nearly every group, nationality, race, gender, religion and economic group has its nicknames and its derogatory epithets. Some of them are actually appropriate, but someone, somewhere, took offence, and now everyone is supposed to be offended. If you call me a “Canuck,” I wouldn’t be offended in the least, while a man from Montreal might. On the other hand, I know some Americans, who if you called them “Yankees,” would be ready to pull their Civil War era sabers to run you through. In contrast to that foolishness, there really are a lot of wicked and offensive names, which we should never use. Some people may never think about the implication of these wicked words, but they should. And “Beelzebub” is an example of that.
The Bible, in various ways, gives us well over a dozen names and titles for Satan, using several here. Why am I going over these with you this afternoon? Because, each of them reveals a different aspect of the character of our Lord’s ultimate enemy. And each of them give us warnings and things for which to watch. In the case of the name “Beelzebub” they show the extent of the blasphemy to which man can go.
Let’s start at the groung floor – perhaps not the basement, but the ground floor – “SATAN.”
“Satan” is not the first term used to describe the devil, but I’m considering it first because it is one of his best known names. Did you know that it isn’t found in the Bible until I Chronicles 21? After that it is used 49 times, 11 of those being found in the first two chapters of Job, but with the majority coming in the New Testament. In its first use “Satan” is described as tempting David to number the people of Israel, getting everyone into serious trouble. And then you are familiar with Satan’s attempt to destroy righteous Job. But it is the Lord Jesus who uses the name “Satan” more than anyone else. Is that significant?
In both the major languages of the Bible “Satan” means “adversary.” I mentioned last week that I am not prone to look for conspiracies as explanations for world events. My first pastor was such a man, making accusations and comments which often didn’t match the facts. Perhaps in his attempt to make me like himself, he pushed me in the other direction. But I do ascribe to one major conspiracy, which puts me out on the extreme fringe of conspiracy theorists. I believe that Jehovah has a major enemy and adversary, who is constantly working behind the scenes to try to destroy the authority of God. Satan was the adversary of Christ, pulling the strings of his puppets like the Pharisees and the Romans. I believe that Satan is still the adversary of the Lord. And that makes him the adversary of the Christian, just as he was of Job. As the Lord said to Paul, our ministry is to open the eyes of the spiritual blind, “and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan (the adversary) unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in (Christ.)”
If someone does not believe in a literal being called “Satan” that person is not a Christian. He is a victim – the subject of the verse which I just quoted. He has been blinded by Satan, and is still dead in his trespasses and sins – still in need of spiritual life. Satan is an adversary of the gospel, attempting to keep people from worshiping Christ. And he is your adversary – “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The second most common designation for Satan is “THE DEVIL.”
It might surprise you to know that this is a term which is only found in the New Testament. Easton’s Bible Dictionary says that the word “devil” is the translation of an Hebrew word which was applied to the goat-god, or satyr, of the heathen. In Greek mythology the satyr was woodland creature depicted as having the pointed ears, legs, the short horns of a goat, having a fondness for unrestrained revelry. What’s wrong with a little revelry? A little questionable fun? There is usually quite a bit wrong with it. Easton went on to say that the Greek word for “devil” means “slanderer.” Satan means “adversary” while devil means “slanderer.” The Devil is the arch-enemy of man’s spiritual interest, slandering God, His word and His people at every opportunity.
Our scripture for this afternoon, begins with one of Satan’s vast army, possessing a certain man. “Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb…” The man was not occupied by Satan himself, but by one of his demons, and the result of that possession was essentially the man’s utter uselessness and inability to worship the Lord. The devil and his demons are the Lord’s enemies – and as a result your enemy as well. “And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan (after His baptism) and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.” Brethren, you do not want to go into direct battle with the Devil.
Now, let’s turn our attentions to “BEELZEBUB.”
Notice once again that the Pharisees said that Christ cast out devils by the prince of the devils, Beelzebub. And then the Lord Jesus clarified the accusation by saying, “If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself.” It is clear from the context that Christ considered “Beelzebub” to be one with “Satan.”
Now, I can’t speak for you, because I can’t read your mind, but I can speak for myself. I have been reading this scripture for about 50 years, and to be honest, the disgusting nature of the word has worn away – over time it became just another name for Satan. But what the Pharisees said that day was just about as disgusting and blasphemous as humanly possible. And it is to be noted that this was not the first time – it was becoming common. The Lord Jesus referred to this earlier in Matthew 10 – “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?”
Who is this Beelzebub? This was one of the gods of the Ekronites – either Philistines or Canaanites. Do you remember wicked king Ahaziah? II Kings 1:2 says – “And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. “
The word “Baalzebub” signifies “a master fly” or the “lord of a fly.” The Canaanite idol may have been in the form of a fly. There is some speculation that this developed because so many flies accumulated around altars and their blood sacrifices. Over time the Jews associated Baalzebub with the dunghill where so many flies are found – it was considered to be “the god of dung.” There are other theories about the meaning of the name and the nature of his worship, but clearly there could have been very little more derogatory and blasphemous which could have been uttered against the Lord Jesus. What is the most disgusting thing that could possibly be said of another person? Take that and multiply it a thousand times when talking about the Lord. Because in this case are talking about the holy God.
Be very, very careful of how you use the Name of the Lord. And never, never use a derogatory term when talking about Him. We are commanded to “FEAR this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God.”
Another special pair of names are given to Satan in Revelation 9.
As that chapter begins, the fifth angel blows his trumpet and the bottomless pit – the abbys – is opened. Out pours smoke and stench, along with scorpions-locusts, carrying power to torment the people of earth. In those days will multitudes of people yearn for death, but not find it. The scorpion beasts are described in a little more detail, and then in verse 11 we read – “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.”
“Abaddon” and “Apollyon” both refer to “destruction” or “the destroyer.” Satan is in the destruction business. I said that I believe in a Satanic conspiracy. I believe that the epidemic of drugs, of pornography, of immorality is part of the Satanic conspiracy. And I look at these problems pervading to our society, I also see how destructive they are. Are our entertainment industry and sports industry a part of this conspiracy? Don’t I also see a great deal of destruction emanating from these as well? Satan is a destroyer, and he would love to destroy your testimony, your health and your life. Beware.
“Belial” may be another name for Satan, although that might be difficult to prove. What is easy to prove is that many wicked and worthless people in the Bible were called “sons of Belial.” The word refers to “worthlessness.” “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
There are many names and titles applied to Satan, which are DESCRIPTIONS of his CHARACTER.
I will not drag them out to any great length, but let me briefly share some of them with you. As I’ve already said Satan is an accuser – he would love to be a prosecuting attorney against us. Revelation 12:10 – “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
And he is our adversary – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith.”
Satan is described as “the god of this world,” “the prince of the power of the air” and “the ruler of darkness.” “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” It was the Lord Jesus who first called Satan “the prince of this world.” “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” “The prince of this world is judged.” It was Paul who called him “the prince of the power of the air.” “In time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” These scriptures suggest the authority which Satan wields in society. This is why I feel free to talk about a global Satanic conspiracy. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Satan is described as the tempter. Paul warned the people of Philippi against the work of the tempter. And Matthew referred to Satan when he wrote, “And when the tempter came to (Christ), he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”
I could go on this afternoon, but I’ll stop with one more designation – “the wicked one.” It was the Lord Jesus who introduced this term, but it was used more often by the Apostle John. “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.” “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one.” “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” When someone sins, through wickedness he associates himself with the wicked one. And when the Christian sins against His Lord; when he brings shame against the Saviour; when he behaves in a wicked way – he also associates with Satan. The Devil would love to tempt you into some heinous sin, and in so doing drag the name of Christ though the mud. But perhaps that would be unlikely, so he will be content himself to destroying you in other perhaps less obvious or less obnoxious ways.. He is wicked, and He wants you to be wicked. And when you are wicked, even to a small degree, you take a step away from the Saviour towards Satan who is the ultimate wicked one.
Just as He was in Matthew 12, Christ is under attack from Satan. Often today that battle goes through you and me. Don’t give him the advantage. Rest upon the Lord. Through Christ we are more than conquerors, and without Him we are nothing but spiritual fatalities. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith.”