So we pass on from the idea of God's supremacy to the idea which was next addressed, which is that of the devil's origin. These questions are: Did Satan fall from a righteous state to a sinful state? If so, when? What is his history? Is Satan a sinful angel? I do have some thoughts on these, and I have reflected on them. I don't think it is wrong to reflect on them. In fact I have written a paper on this topic, but I would suggest that these are peripheral questions, designed to draw us away from the main question at hand because the Bible does not really address the origin of the devil.
We were asked then to produce a verse which definitively states what or who the devil is, and I would like to answer this challenge by turning to the Gospel of John 8th chapter and 44th verse. And we read there Jesus' definition of the devil. He says to the Pharisees, " You belong to your father the devil and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies." I believe this is the definitive verse. One scholar commenting upon this in the Greek said that - I believe the quotation was something like this: The devil is determined by the fact that he is the devil. Questions about his origin, nature and being are not relevant. What is relevant is that he exists. I believe also that the descriptions of Satan, Adversary, and Diabolos, Accuser, are appropriate in that sense because they describe Satan's essential being. It is not really important what his name is, or where he comes from. The Bible doesn't really address that. However, the Bible says he does exist and that is the point we need to focus on.