Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, January 19, 2026 (Donate)
Originally published August, 2015
Introduction[1]
The
mere name of it rings out as a blasphemy against God. The conjuring of the name
Satan, which literally means “adversary,” often strikes fear in the hearts of
many believers and unbelievers alike. Why does it strike the nerve of a
Christian more than many other religions? I would suggest it is because, unlike
other religions where supposed gods Zeus, Odin, and Vishnu are not really real,
Satan is real and he is cleverly and
viciously evil!
Many
Christians are unfamiliar with what Satanism is.[2]
To a certain degree, this makes sense. For hundreds of years, many things have
been labeled “satanic” or “Satanism,” yet they are not the same thing. “Satanism”
is a form of religion, whereas “satanic” is used to describe things that are
characteristic of Satan, cruelty, or viciousness; however that definition is
changing in our modern day to include things that are merely atheistic.
The
religion of Satanism has been difficult to document for one simple reason—Satanists
were not out in the open but kept their secrets to themselves. Therefore, it
has been tough to ascertain their specific doctrines and beliefs. With the
dominance of Christianity in the Western World, few Satanists would have
shouted from their rooftops, “I am a Satanist.”
Collectively, it has been estimated that at the time of this writing, Satanism is a relatively small religion of less than 100,000 people in the world between all groups of those calling themselves Satanists. Precise numbers are hard to come by, due to the high number of unaffiliated Satanists.
Regarding Satanism in
recent years though, things have changed. Christianity’s influence, though
still quite strong in the Western World, has declined in politics and education
where the religion of secularism (with its many forms) has dominated. As a
result of the culture becoming so relative (a product of secularism), anything seems
to go, and this has been a springboard for Satanism to “come out of the closet.”
The “coming out” of this religion has made it easier for Christians to refute it. Instead of relying on sketchy accounts of certain Satanists over the past few centuries, Christian apologists are now able to analyze Satanist publications to discover what Satanists believe. And that is what is being done here; taking a few moments to refute some of these Satanist religious forms (two in particular) collectively known as Satanism.
The Two Major Forms Of SatanismIn the past, there have been various forms of Satanism, but today two forms have risen to dominance: Theistic (Traditional) Satanism and Modern or Symbolic Satanism (Church of Satan; or LaVeyan Satanism).
Theistic (Traditional) Satanism
In
Theistic (Traditional) Satanism, Satan is real and is seen as a deity, in many
cases to be worshipped. This is the group that has been known as “devil worshipers”
or “Satan worshipers.” Most hold to
Satan by devotion, and some also partake of rituals. Some hold that magic
really does exist (being channeled through Satan and his fallen angels).
There
are various forms of traditional Satanism including: Theistic Satanism–Church of Azazel, Order of the Nine Angels, and Temple
of the Black Light; Theistic
Luciferianism–with its unique differences and goals; and Satanas–Ophite Cultus Satanas/Our Lady
of Endor Coven founded in post-WWII era in Ohio. In a general sense, these variations
each hold that Satan or Lucifer is a real being. Goals and specifics vary where
some view Satan alone as the god, and
some hold to pantheism, polytheism, or other popular pagan gods of the past.
Modern Or Symbolic Satanism (Church Of Satan; Or LaVeyan Satanism)
LaVeyan
or Modern Satanism was founded in the mid 1960s by Anton LaVey (1930–1997), hence,
the name “LaVeyan Satanism.” Its roots could be traced to occultist Aleister
Crowley (1875–1947) who led a perverse life in opposition to Christian morality.
Though Crowley was not seen as a Satanist, his influence set the stage for
modern Satanism.[3]
LaVeyan
Satanism (the Church of Satan) is a modern form that is massively different
from Theistic Satanism. In fact, there is often strife between these two groups
where Theistic Satanists often accuse the LaVeyan Satanists as being false
Satanists or disguising themselves as Satanists but who are not true Satanists.
Likewise, the LaVeyans lash out at Theistic Satanists saying “there is no such
thing”[4]
since the LaVeyans hold to an atheistic position (more on this in a moment). LaVeyans
are new to the scene of Satanism when compared to Theistic Satanists.
In a nutshell, Modern or LaVeyan
Satanism is held in organization by the Church of Satan and adheres to Anton
LaVey’s teachings in his books The
Satanic Bible, The Satanic Rituals,
and The Devil’s Notebook as well as
other teachings imposed by the Church of Satan.
Unlike Theistic Satanism, LaVeyan Satanism
is an atheistic religion where people are seen as the absolute authority and their
own desires are to be expressed and not inhibited, particularly in the area of
lust. This means that even though the Law of God is written on their hearts
(Romans 2:15), LaVeyan Satanists are fine with allowing their sin nature to
rule supreme without an absolute moral code to rein them in from their sin. Anton
LaVey writes in The Devil’s Notebook, p.
86, “Atheism wasn’t tolerated when scriptural dictates were in fashion and
accepted as the Word. Now, thanks to Satanic infiltration, it’s safe to say, ‘I
don’t believe in God.’”
Even the Church of Satan website
affirms, “Satanists are atheists. We see the universe as being indifferent to
us, and so all morals and values are subjective human constructions. Our
position is to be self-centered, with ourselves being the most important person
(the “God”) of our subjective universe, so we are sometimes said to worship
ourselves.”[5]
Furthermore, the LaVeyan form does not really believe in Satan, God, or any other alleged deities. “Satan” or the “Devil” to the LaVeyan is likened metaphorically to the drives and desires within a person to do evil and unacceptable things. For example, their ritual of “Hail Satan” doesn’t reflect that they believe in Satan, but is merely a chant of rebellion to honor themselves.
Satanism Is Another Form Of Man’s ReligionIn
the grand scheme of religions, where there are two overarching religions—God’s
and not God’s—obviously Satanism (in any form) is not God’s, but man’s. Both Theistic
and LaVeyan forms of Satanism, are “dedicated to the antithesis of the God of
the Christian Bible.”[6]
Some
people might argue that this religion doesn’t come from man, but comes from
Satan. However, they need to realize that either way, it came through man and
man’s rebellious sinful nature to oppose God. For example, LaVeyan Satanism
came from Anton LaVey, a man with roots back to another man, Aleister Crowley; hence,
it is man’s religion.
Theistic Satanism comes from men as well, each to their own individual forms. Sadly, these Theistic Satanists would rather “worship” Satan, a created and fallen entity, rather than the Creator. This warping of the mind is a result of what God reveals would happen in Romans 1, where people worship the creation rather than the Creator and are thus struck with a debased mind and given over to unnatural lusts, which is exactly what Satanism’s fruit is. Consider Romans 1:20–28:
For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were
thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were
darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,
and
changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible
man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
LaVeyan
Satanism is exactly this—debased minds following after their own unnatural
sexual lusts (it seems that everything goes, except godly marriage!). Theistic
Satanism also illustrates Romans 1 where people worship the creation (i.e.,
Satan) instead of God, the Creator; they exchange God for a lie! Theistic
Satanists have replaced Satan as the
transcendent eternal being (i.e., God), and demoted the eternal Creator God as the
created entity who is causing problems (Isaiah 5:20).
In either from, what these Satanists fail to realize is that when they do these sinful things, it proves they are under judgment by God and are merely waiting for death—the next judgment where an eternal punishment awaits them unless they repent and turn to God in the person of Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and Resurrection.
Satanism And EvolutionLaVeyan Satanism And Evolution
The Church of Satan and its atheistic stance is heavily influenced by the materialistic (atheistic/humanistic) view or origins, namely Darwinian evolution. Recall that Satanism is a form of atheism and atheism is a form of humanism. An early priest in the Church of Satan wrote in the introduction to The Satanic Bible in 1976:
Satanism is a blatantly selfish, brutal philosophy. It is based on the belief that human beings are inherently selfish, violent creatures, that life is a Darwinian struggle for survival of the fittest, that only the strong survive and the earth will be ruled by those who fight to win the ceaseless competition that exists in all jungles—including those of urbanized society.[7]
This echoes the exact sentiment of Anton LaVey, which is found in The Satanic Bible:
Are we not all predatory animals by instinct? If humans ceased wholly from preying upon each other, could they continue to exist?[8]
Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all![9]
Clearly the Church of Satan or Modern Satanism is merely another form of a humanistic, atheistic religion. So any refutations of atheism and humanism can be applied to Modern Satanism. Specific refutations will be discussed later in this chapter.
Theistic Satanism And Evolution
Theistic
Satanism is different. Where the Modern Satanists (LaVeyan) hold to atheism and
its tenets of naturalism and materialism (prerequisites for evolution),
Theistic Satanism is not so limited. Within the various forms of Theistic
Satanism, some hold to much of the Bible being true, while others disavow much
more. So you can have a broad range of origins accounts such as Satan being
seen as “the creator.”
Consider also that many Satanists of this vein hold to pagan forms of Satan or polytheism (e.g., Church of Azazel) so the range of origins options of this religion broadens. But based on the research that I’ve done, it seems evolution holds the most popular form of origins. For example, the Theistic Satanism website commented:
Unlike the people in Bible times, scientists today do know quite a bit about the likely evolution of both the human species in particular and the Earth in general. Most likely, our species came into existence through natural evolution. Perhaps one or more gods had a hand in the evolution of humans now and then, too, at one or more times during the many millions of years that life has existed on this Earth.[10]
Evolution is a false philosophy that is often disguised as science. True science is based on repeatable observations. Evolution, big bang (cosmic evolution), and long ages (like millions and billions of years, which is geologic evolution) have neither been observed nor repeated. Clearly, evolution is not good science but rather an embarrassing view of origins. So having Theistic Satanists jump on board with the false view, and trying to tack Satan or other “gods” as the director of evolution is mere story-telling.
Satanism Is Not Particularly Special To SatanOne might think that Satanism is Satan’s favorite religion as he receives “worship” by some (and indeed he may like that), but I would suggest that it is merely one of many religions that Satan uses to distract people from the truth. You see, all false religions are religions that Satan uses to deceive people to miss the truth of biblical Christianity in Jesus Christ.
Satan’s goal is not necessarily for people to
follow him; it is to keep them from following the Bible and particularly the
Jesus Christ of Scripture. Keep in mind that Satan is fine if you follow Jesus,
as long it is not the Jesus Christ of Scripture. Satan is fine with people
following the Jesus of Islam (merely a prophet) or the Jesus of Mormonism (one
of many people who became gods) or the Jesus of Jehovah’s Witnesses (the
created archangel Michael) and so on. So any religion that deviates from the
Christ of Scripture and the 66 books of God’s Word is a favorite of Satan.
Sadly,
if Satan worshipers were aware that Satanism isn’t necessarily that special to
Satan, they might realize they are wasting their time as their worship is
really no different from someone worshipping a rock! Even Satan would be happy
with that, as long they were not worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ.
For those who may entertain the idea of worshipping Satan so that they too may have a higher position in hell (favoritism), this is absurd. Satan has no power in hell, but will also be punished for all eternity in hell. Hell is likened to a fire in the Bible. One person in a fire is not ruling the other people in a fire. Sadly, I’ve heard people say, “I want to go to hell.” Of course, their actions betray this. We don’t observe these same people casting themselves into a fire to burn themselves up!
RefutationsHow Do You Know About Satan And The Spiritual World?
One popular Theistic Satanism group, the Church of Azazel, states about knowledge (epistemology):
What can we humans possibly know about the spirit world? Not much. And it is all too easy for us humans to deceive ourselves. We humans cannot really know the spirit world. At best, we can make educated guesses, based on our own and other people's spiritual and paranormal experiences, if any, and based on our knowledge of the history of religion and current religious trends.[11]
From their own viewpoint, they really can’t know anything about the spirit world. But it is worse than that. They can’t know anything. Theistic Satanists can’t know that Satan exists; and yet as religious people, they are still devoted to a being that they can’t know exists.
It is purely
arbitrary. Even knowledge itself breaks down at a fundamental level in this
religion. They merely appeal to their own thoughts and whims (mere opinions). It
is no different from a person arbitrarily saying, “I believe 3+7=8”! They obviously
can’t know it, but blindly believe it anyway.
Since
people are not made in “Satan’s image” and there is no inerrant personal
revelation from an “all-knowing” Satan to mankind, people can’t even be sure that
their senses are reliable because nothing can be known about this Satan
character. So Satanists can’t even know that what we see, feel, smell, taste, and
hear is actually real.
Consider
also that the laws of nature might change tomorrow. Perhaps in the Satanic
view, gravity might change tomorrow. After all, there is no revelation from an “all-knowing”
Satan who knows the future that promised to uphold the world in the same
fashion each day like the God of the Bible did (e.g., Genesis 8:22, etc.).
As
for LaVeyan Satanists, how can they know anything either? They are atheists, which are materialistic by their very nature. In
other words, in atheism, only material things exist—nothing immaterial. But for
that to be the case, then knowledge, which is not material, can’t exist in
their religion. So ultimately nothing can be known, which defeats the purpose
of everything the LaVeyans have ever said.
Logic, reason, love, truth, or happiness are not material either. So why did LaVey write books or the Church of Satan run a website when their religion dictates that knowledge, logic, and reason can’t exist? The only way they could do it is by betraying the religion they claim to follow because it cannot make sense of truth, logic, and knowledge. Neither should they involve themselves in anything that utilizes reason or logic or truth because such things are meaningless in their religion.
Refutations Of False Nativities
During
the Christmas season of 2014, The Satanic Temple (of the New York-based Church
of Satan) did a public display in Florida to counter Christian Nativity scenes.
In it, Satan was falling from heaven into flames. On the display, it said, “Happy
Holidays from The Satanic Temple” and quoted Isaiah where Satan (Lucifer, “Son
of the Morning”) fell from Heaven (Isaiah 14:12).
I found it quite interesting that they would say “happy,” since their religion has nothing to do with happiness. Happiness is not material, so it is inconsistent for followers of a materialistic religion like this to discuss happiness. They say “holidays” (i.e., holy days), yet there is nothing holy in Satanism. Furthermore, apparently they felt they didn’t have anything within their own religion to display so they had to borrow from the Bible.
For those who claim to think independently,
it is sad that they had to borrow from God’s Word when they quoted Isaiah. Plus
their Scripture quoting is very arbitrary, since they studiously avoid
Revelation 20:10, which foretells Satan’s final defeat.
Another
false nativity was placed by Satanists (The Satanic Temple) in Detroit that had
a snake with a book, a cross that had an inverted star in a circle (pentacle),
and dead animal image affixed in the star. The display said, “The greatest gift
is knowledge.” As we learned in the previous section, Satanists have no basis
for knowledge. These Satanists must give up their atheistic view and grab hold
of the Christian worldview to even make sense of knowledge.
Furthermore,
atheistic Satanists once again had to borrow from the Bible for the cross, snake, (Genesis 3), and star (Numbers
24:17) used in their display. They had to and borrow from Christianity in order
to criticize Christianity!
Borrowing From The Bible: Marriage In Satanism
Believe
it or not, even Anton LaVey got married at one point. But the origin of
marriage comes from a literal Genesis where God created the first man (Adam)
and first woman (Eve) in a perfect world. Today here are marital problems as
well as sin and death in the world, thanks to Satan and the first couple’s sin.
But marriage comes out of a literal Genesis, and our Lord Jesus Christ defended
this in Matthew 19 and Mark 10.
So
in other religions, like Satanism, why get married? Getting married is a denial
of one’s own religion and openly affirms Genesis is true since it is a biblical
doctrine. Each form of Satanism adheres, for the most part, to evolutionary
origins, not a literal Genesis. So there is no need to get married. Mice don’t
wake up and say let’s get married. Marriage is strictly a Christian institution
(instituted by Christ in the Garden of Eden) and yet religions all over the
world have borrowed it. Satanism is no different.
In the Theistic Satanism perspective, they can’t know anything about the spiritual world, so how can they know marriage exists? In the LaVeyan form, which is atheistic, immaterial institutions like marriage cannot exist. Again, they must give up their religion to make sense of marriage or love or happiness.
Inconsistency And ArbitrarinessInconsistency
The Church
of Satan makes it clear that they view people (i.e., themselves) as their own
god and there is no other “god” in their view. “In Satanism each individual is
his or her own god—there is no room for any other god and that includes Satan,
Lucifer, Cthulhu or whatever other name one might select or take from history
or fiction.”[12]
But then the Church of Satan goes on
to give certain rules to its members such as:
- “Do not take that which does not belong to you.”[13]
- “Do not harm little children.”[14]
- “Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.”[15]
Naturally, this is inconsistent because if you are your own god and there is no
other god, then why do they have rule-givers who have god-like status above you
to make rules and impose them on you? If you are your own god, then you set
your own rules. If you are your own god and there are no others, then other
Satanists cannot be a “god” either and are not in any position to set
authoritative rules over you.
Satan (yes, the biblical one who
exists) is indeed clever. Do you realize that he has convinced these people
they are their own “god”? The President of Puritan Reformed Theological
Seminary Dr. Joel Beeke writes in the context of Satan’s skill at matching his
suggestions with our own corrupt reason, “Satan is a master at suggesting that
we believe what we want to believe rather than believe the truth.”[16]
In
Satanism, people are seen as their own gods following their own evil desires.
And yet, the atheistic Satanists still don’t realize they have been deceived. This
has been Satan’s tactic since sin in Genesis 3 to convince people they can become
their own “god” and thus neglect God’s Word.
Interestingly, there is another
inconsistency. In 1967 Anton LaVey wrote in The
Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth: “Do not give opinions or advice unless
you are asked.”[17]
Yet LaVey was never asked for his opinion on Christianity by Christians.
However, he openly gives it. So by his own standard he has refuted himself. No
one asked for the Satanists’ opinion at nativity scenes, and yet they gave it
and betrayed their own inconsistent rules.
Another blatant inconsistency is when the Church of Satan states: “The Church of Satan does not condone illegal activities. If the use of certain drugs is illegal in your country of residence, they are just that: illegal.”[18] Yet they openly advocated illegal activities such as homosexuality and adultery since 1966 which was illegal during much of that time. They openly admit this:
We fully accept all forms of human sexual expression between consenting adults. The Church of Satan has always accepted gay, lesbian and bisexual members since its beginning in 1966.[19]
As previously seen, Theistic Satanism has no basis to know anything (epistemology) so for them to claim to know anything would be self-refuting due to its inconsistency. One popular independent Theistic Satanist, writing to Satanists who have left Christianity, advises:
Learn the value of independent thinking, and introspection. Be inquisitive and don't accept everything at face value. These practices will help you to develop independent thinking, a method of living that I believe is necessary for experiencing life as a Satanist. You will wonder if what you have left behind, was the 'real truth.' In reality, there are no absolute truths in religion because there are so many beliefs and ideals that to accept one as an absolute truth is to be blind to the reality that ALL religions sanctimoniously claim to be the truth.[20]
There
are a few glaring inconsistencies here. The first is that it is quite ironic
for someone to be an independent thinker just because someone else says so. It defeats the purpose. The consistent
independent thinker should reject someone telling him to be an independent thinker. Otherwise, it is a
contradiction. Furthermore, when this Satanist writes to, “Be inquisitive and
don't accept everything at face value,” then you shouldn’t accept this
Satanist’s words either, for they are self-refuting.
Next
are the claims of truth. Satanists are suppressing the truth in
unrighteousness, as God said in Romans 1. There is really only one way to
suppress the truth and that is to deny the truth and particularly its existence.
This is precisely what this Satanist has done. She claims truth doesn’t really
exist when she blatantly states, “…there are no absolute truths in religion.” This
becomes a huge problem because she is stating as absolute truth that there are
no absolute truths, which is a contradiction.
Arbitrariness
Both Theistic Satanism and Modern Satanism (Church of Satan) hold to man’s ideas about reality being the supreme authority. Hence, they are opinions and thus, they are arbitrary. Arbitrariness is devastating for the foundation of a belief system. Mere human opinions show the bankruptcy of such a worldview at its very start.
Concluding RemarksSatanism,
in either form discussed here, is simply united in one purpose: to oppose God’s
religion as authoritative.[21] Satanists must borrow doctrines from the
Bible to make sense of the world, all the while denying the God who owns them.
Yet so often Theistic Satanists and LaVeyan Satanists use terms like Satan, hell, devil, Lucifer, church, and temple, which ultimately have no meaning in their religion. But why? Did you ever stop to think why they spend so much time utilizing Christian terms and symbols (the upside down cross of Peter[22], a star, snake, and so on)?
Because deep down they know the true religion is
biblical Christianity. It is by their sin nature that they oppose Christianity,
which is clearly their main target. Let’s be frank here; Satanists don’t run
around chanting “Hail Care Bears™” or have “The Temple of the Easter
Bunny.” They have chosen Satan to show their opposition to Jesus Christ.
In either Atheistic or Theistic Satanism, there is no absolute God, no ultimate right or wrong, and no salvation. Both religious forms lead nowhere. There is no hope and one is merely part of an illusionary evolutionary fairy tale that leads to utter meaninglessness. Any form that holds to Satan being real is purely arbitrary, unless they borrow that from the Bible.
Yes, There Is Hope…But Not In The Name Of SatanBut there is hope. There have been many Christians saved out of Satanism. If you know people involved in Satanism, be praying that the Lord opens them up to salvation in Jesus Christ and further opens their hearts to the truth. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 says:
And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Although this chapter is designed for Christians, there may be some who have had satanic tendencies who reading this. If you have been involved or dabbled in Satanism, it is time to stop running and realize that God does exist, and you know this in your heart of hearts (Romans 1).
Logic, truth, reason, love, and knowledge also exist which cannot in an atheistic and materialistic worldview (e.g., the Church of Satan). Knowledge, even about the spiritual and Satan, can be known (unlike Theistic Satanism or LaVeyan Satanism) because an all-knowing God made us in His Image and He has revealed what is sufficient to know Him and about spiritual things in His Inerrant Word.
I
took note in this research that one of the main reasons Satanists deny God and
Jesus Christ is that they see the world and the people in it as imperfect and
broken, and they do not want to even consider that a God who may have made the
world and people this way. Instead, of finding out more about God and why the
world and people are this way, they just reject Him outright and go for atheism
(the popular religion of the day) or Satan (God’s fallen adversary) or anything
else they think can justify the world as it is.
But
let’s address this simple misconception. Originally, God made the world perfect
(Deuteronomy 32:4) and very good (Genesis 1:31). There was no sin, bad things,
suffering, anguish, brokenness, disasters, death, and so on. But Satan, who was
also created perfect, sinned of his own accord with his pride to try to rise
above God.[23]
Hence, his fall into sin. He immediately went after mankind. He cleverly used a
serpent (as a pawn) to deceive mankind to sin, resulting in death, suffering, and
pain entering the creation. This is the world in which we now live.
We are all fallen beings subject to a taste of punishment from God for sin. This world, full of sin and death, became a fallen domain, or as we say, “Satan’s kingdom.” A perfect God must punish sin. If not, He would not be perfectly just. Since we are all sinners, (Romans 3:23).
We deserve eternal punishment. So, not only do we experience pain, death, and suffering on earth, we should be eternally punished after we die. But God made a way of escape because He loved us. Jesus Christ, who is God, came in the flesh to become one of us (also remaining 100% God). As a man, He lived a perfect life. (Romans 8:3).
When Christ was offered
up as a sacrifice by the Jews (Matthew 27:25; John 19:15; Acts 2:23, 3:13-15,
5:30, 7:52, 10:39), the Infinite Son of God (Jesus Christ, who is the second
person of the one eternal Triune God) took the infinite punishment that we
deserve by the Infinite Father (First person of the one Triune God) which
satisfied the wrath of God upon sin. The debt was paid entirely.
But Christ, our great God and Savior, did not remain in the grave but had the power to take up His life again to prove that salvation was possible unto eternal life (John 10:17; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:11-24). So those who repent of their sin (Acts 17:30), no matter how many sins they have committed, and receive Christ (Colossians 2:6) and His Resurrection (Romans 10:9) will be saved for the new heavens and new earth when this sin-cursed world is finally done away with (Revelation 21–22).
And with salvation possible, the Gospel (good news of Jesus Christ) is going forward. Pastor Warren Wiersbe wrote:
Christ invaded Satan’s kingdom when he came to this earth as a man. Satan, of course, knew that he was coming, and he did all in his power to prevent it. Satan even tried to kill Jesus after he was born. When he invaded Satan’s kingdom, Christ also overcame Satan’s power. “The strong man” came face-to-face with One who is stronger! In his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ has completely overcome Satan’s power. Today he is claiming the spoils. He is rescuing sinners from Satan’s dominion and then using those changed lives to defeat Satan’s forces.[24]
For those who may have been involved in Satanism, you and you alone must receive Christ to be saved, I cannot do it for you, nor can anyone else. Please consider the claims of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who alone has all power and authority (Matthew 28:18):
James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Recommended Reading:
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various
churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers
in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding
news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight
Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a
Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a
Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and
running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic
materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a
grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar,
Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields. Originally at Answers in Genesis; Edited; Republished by permission.
[1] I
would like to extend thanks to the reviewers for their input on this chapter.
[2]
This chapter deals with Satanism. If you seek books dealing with Satan and his
devices from a biblical viewpoint, I suggest: The Fall of Satan by Bodie Hodge, Striving Against Satan by Dr. Joel Beeke, and The Strategy of Satan by Dr. Warren Wiersbe.
[3]
George Mather and Larry Nichols, Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the
Occult, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand rapids, Michigan, 1993, p. 242-243.
[4]
Church of Satan Website, FAQ: Fundamental Beliefs, What is “Theistic
Satanism”?, Poughkeepsie, NY, 1999-2015,
http://churchofsatan.com/faq-fundamental-beliefs.php.
[5]
Church of Satan Website, FAQ: Fundamental Beliefs, Why do Satanists Worship the
Devil?, Poughkeepsie, NY, 1999-2015, http://churchofsatan.com/faq-fundamental-beliefs.php.
[6]
George Mather and Larry Nichols, Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the
Occult, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand rapids, Michigan, 1993, p. 241.
[7]
Burton H. Wolfe, Author and priest in the Church of Satan. Introduction of “The
Satanic Bible”, Avon, Publishing, New York, 1976.
[8] Anton Szandor LaVey, “The
Satanic Bible”, Avon Publisher, New York, NY, 1969, p. 25.
[9] Anton Szandor LaVey, “The
Satanic Bible”, Avon Publisher, New York, NY, 1969, p. 33, reiterated: Church
of Satan Website, The Nine Satanic Statements, Poughkeepsie, NY, 1969, http://churchofsatan.com/nine-satanic-statements.php.
[10]
Diane Vera, The here-and-now principle in theology, Theistic Satan Website,
2004, http://theisticsatanism.com/CoAz/belief/here-now.html.
[11]
Diane Vera, Epistemology: What can we know about the spirit world, and on what
basis?, Theistic Satanism website, 2010, http://theisticsatanism.com/CoAz/belief/epistemology.html.
[12]
Church of Satan Website, FAQ: Fundamental Beliefs, What is “Theistic
Satanism”?, Poughkeepsie, NY, 1999-2015,
http://churchofsatan.com/faq-fundamental-beliefs.php.
[13]
Anton LaVey, The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth, 1967, http://churchofsatan.com/eleven-rules-of-earth.php.
[14]
Ibid.
[15]
Ibid.
[16]
Joel Beeke, Striving Against Satan, Bryntirion Press, Bryntirion, Bridgend,
Wales, UK, 2006, p. 72.
[17]
Anton LaVey, The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth, 1967, http://churchofsatan.com/eleven-rules-of-earth.php.
[18]
The Church of Satan’s Policy on Drug Abuse, Poughkeepsie, NY, 1999-2015, http://churchofsatan.com/policy-on-drug-abuse.php.
[19]
The Church of Satan Website, F.A.Q. Sexuality, Poughkeepsie, NY, 1999-2015, http://churchofsatan.com/faq-sexuality.php.
[20]
Venus Satanas (self-proclaimed name), Spiritual Satanist Website, My Advice on
Leaving Christianity, 2004, http://www.spiritualsatanist.com/articles/satan/exchristian.html.
[21]
The Church of Satan Website writes: “Anton Szandor LaVey never expected to be
the founder of a new religion, but he saw a need for something publicly
opposing the stagnation of Christianity, and knew that if he didn’t do it,
someone else, probably less qualified, would.” Blanche Barton, Church of Satan website, Church of Satan
History: Modern Prometheus, Poughkeepsie, NY, 2003, http://churchofsatan.com/cos-modern-prometheus.php;
The Theistic Satanism Website also actively opposes Christianity as a
requirement for members in Diane Vera, Church of Azazel: Who we are and how to
join, Theistic Satanism website,
accessed January 8, 2015, http://theisticsatanism.com/CoAz/who.html.
[22]
Church fathers affirmed that Peter was crucified upside down. This symbol has
been part of the church for nearly 2,000 years.
[23]
Bodie Hodge, The Fall of Satan, Master Books, Green Forest, Arkansas, 2011, pp.
27-28.
[24]
Warren Wiersbe, The Strategy of Satan, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol
Stream, Illinois, 1979, p. 149.
