Devilish Misnomers

The devil has many names, and comes in many guises. In my understanding these names are broken down into three basic categories: names describing position, names reflecting character, and names indicating activity.

Those names, as they were recently listed to me, are, respectively:

describing position

a. anointed Cherub who covers (Eze. 28:14)
b. the prince of this world (Jn. 12:31, 16:11)
c. the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2)
d. the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4)
e. the prince of demons (Mt. 12:24,Lk. 11:15)

reflecting character

a. Lucifer (Is. 14:12)
b. Satan (Zec. 3:1, Rev. 12:9)
c. Devil (Lk. 4:2,13, Rev. 12:9)
d. Old Serpent (Rev.12:9)
e. Great Dragon (Rev. 12:3,7,9)
f. Evil One (Jn. 17:15, 1 Jn. 5:18)
g. Destroyer (Rev. 9:11)

names indicating activity

a. Tempter (Mt. 4:3, 1 Th 3:5)
b. Accuser (Rev. 12:10)
c. Deceiver (Rev. 12:9, 20:3)
d. The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience (Eph. 2:2)

My personal favorites, if one could call them that, in names for the devil are Destroyer and Deceiver. That pretty much sums it up for me when it comes to the evil one. Lies and destruction are what its all about to the evil one. That is why Lucifer lost his place in heaven, why Satan was cast out, why the devil is forever damned.

Truth and Creation will always be one step ahead of deception and destruction, just as skill and ability will always triumph over luck and superstition.

For the purposes of this discussion, if there is to be one, I would like to concentrate on the two names taken from Ephesians 2:2, because I believe they are mistaken, hence "devilish misnomers." That is the conspiracy angle to this thread, as well.

Ephesians 2

2 Wherein 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:

Both of those names are taken from this one passage. From reading the rest of the chapter, and all of Ephesians, in fact, I disagree that these two names are references to the devil.

Here's why:

Ephesians 2

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

To me, "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" is just that, the spirit of the law. Children are naturally endowed with this spirit.

Luke 18

15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

The disobedience comes in when the spirit of the law is perverted by man, and children are forced to submit to the bondage of the letter of the law. Children are naturally aware of this, and they struggle against it. The letter of the law brings death, the spirit of the law is life.

The prince of the power of the air, therefore, according to my reasoning, is the spirit of the law, which naturally resides within children.

This is born out later in Ephesians 2

12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

I say to you that Christ did not make peace with the devil, would never do so. He made peace between the spirit and the letter of the law by defeating death itself, that we might all have an opportunity for everlasting life.

To me, the two names for the devil taken from Ephesians 2 are "devilish misnomers", the devil, by deceit, attempting to claim additional territory, trying to destroy our innate desire to look to the sky, to the spirit of the law, for our salvation.

Mark 14

61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

[edit on 26-4-2006 by Icarus Rising]