Devil Worship by Robert S. Fries

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 9, 1915

Devil Worship

By Robert S. Fries

Satan Seeks Adoration — His Offer to Christ — His Doom Pronounced

By ROBERT S. FRIES

The devil aspires to be a god-king. He craves worship. This desire for worship was the cause of his downfall. As Lucifer in heaven, he was “full of wisdom,” “perfect in beauty,” and stood in the very presence of God. Eze. 28: 12, 14.

The time came when he alienated from God to himself the worship of some of the angelic host. With the disaffected ones, he was cast out of heaven. Rev. 12: 8.

Due to His Pride

Lucifer’s fall was due to his pride. Eze. 28: 17. Self idolatry is never satisfied with personal admiration. It craves the worship of others. This desire for worship grew until he aspired to be worshiped as God. He said, “I will be like the Most High.” Isa. 14: 14. No created intelligence can be God. With the angels who worshiped him in place of God, he was cast out of heaven into the outer darkness surrounding this world. 2 Peter 2: 4.

Satan now found himself a god-king, with many subjects, but with no territory for a kingdom. His corrupted wisdom was then directed toward securing a foothold in the universe of God, where he could rule as god-king.

Usurped This Earth

Unsuccessful elsewhere, he finally usurped this earth. Not in open warfare, but true to his character of “a liar from the beginning,” and a deceiver of the whole world, we find him deceiving Eve in the garden of Eden.

God promised the human family that they should finally be in the likeness, or character, of God. To attain this character, man must be tested and obedient.

The devil promised Eve a “short cut.” Disobey God, said he, “and ye shall be as God.” Gen. 3: 5. Eve believed the deceiver, and with Adam, obeyed the devil. The first pair transferred their worship from God to Satan, and became subjects of the archdeceiver. Rom. 6: 16.

In the beginning, the dominion of the earth had been given to Adam. Gen. 1: 26. Satan now usurped this dominion; for was not Adam his subject? Henceforth the devil is known as “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4: 4), and “the prince of this world” (John 12: 31). Ambition and pride gratified, Satan now sits as god-king, with a kingdom, subjects, and territory. See how he craves worship. In arrogance and pride, he even presumes to offer this usurped kingdom to its rightful King. But mark the terms of his abdication: “If Thou . . . wilt worship me, all shall be Thine.” Luke 4: 7.

Heard His Doom Sounded

While chuckling in glee over his easy conquest of this earth, his laughter was silenced by the words of God. The seed of the woman “shall bruise thy head.” Gen. 3: 15. In that sentence, Satan read his final doom. He was not to have complete, undisputed sway in the hearts of men. God was to plant in the heart of every man an “enmity” against the archdeceiver; and though in the “enemy’s hand,” they could resist his wiles, and throw off his dominion.

Men began to multiply on earth. “When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful.” We can trace the cloven foot of the enemy as we read the following: They “became vain.” Rom. 1: 21. They “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator.” Rom. 1: 25. They worshiped the created, fallen angel Lucifer, and became like him; for “he is king over all the children of pride.” Job 41: 34. While professing to worship God, in reality they were devil worshipers.

“And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” Gen. 6: 12. So widespread was devil worship in the days of Noah, that only a few souls were saved out of all the people on earth. “As it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” Luke 17: 26.