The Image of the Devil in the Life of Man
Theologians often speak of the imago Dei, the image of God in man, but far less is our conversation of man’s current reality, as the image bearer of the devil.
God made man in His image, male and female He created them (Gen 1:27). The fall of Adam (man) into sin ruined man, and the image of God in man was marred beyond recognition. Men, of course, do not believe the extent of their fall from God and utterly from His grace. They also rarely, if ever, speak of themselves as the Bible does, as children of the devil (1 Jn 3:10). Jesus said to the Jews who confronted Him about His family, “You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is not truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature for he is a liar, and the father of lies (Jn 8:44).”
The desires of Satan are evil, wicked, and always in opposition to God, who is holy, righteous, and just. The inclination of the heart, the mind, the body of man is only evil all the time (Gen 6:5). Man’s heart is wicked and deceitful above all else (Jer 17:9). The fleshly mind of depraved humanity (Rom 8:5–7), inspires the lust of the flesh to sin all day and in all ways.
Man is but dust of the earth, but his pride in himself is higher than the heavens above. As a child of hell, the ways and means leading to eternal hell, are the course of this world. It is a wide way that leads to destruction in hell and the lake of fire for eternity (Mt 7:13; 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Rev 20:14–15).
Man’s enmity with God is his natural fallen state. Man’s will is in harmony with his sin nature (Eph 2:3). He has inherited his nature from Adam, and Adam has bequeathed all of his progeny the inheritance of original sin (Ps 51:5; Rom 5:12). Man has had his eyes opened. He knows good and evil, but his thoughts, words, and actions are only unrighteous (Rom 3:9–18). Man loves sin and the pleasures of his sins (Jn 3:19).
Satan has enslaved man to do all his unholy will. Man is a slave to sin and Satan (Jn 8:34; Rom 6:6), who pays the wages of sinful works, which is death (Rom 6:23). Satan’s culture is the death culture of abortion, murder, war, suicide, and euthanasia. As a child of the devil (1 Jn 3:10), walking in all the ways of his father the devil, man loves himself, and he hates his neighbor. He wishes death for his enemies and tells him often, “Go to hell!”
Satan’s cosmic rebellion against God has conscripted man into the ranks of his legion. Man forfeited his obedient will, and his friendship with God, in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3). God prepared hell for the devil and his demons (Mt 25:41), but man has earned his place of punishment with principalities and powers of darkness.
Man is fully responsible for his part in Lucifer’s anarchy, but as the chief demon’s child slave, man is constrained by his hatred of God (Rom 1:30). When man is confronted with his status, he hates God all the more. In a fit of furthering his rebellion and solidifying his enmity, man play acts that he is a god, like God (Gen 3:5).
Man creates religion to deceive himself and his neighbor. The groupthink of religion has spiritual lies as doctrine and idolatry as its practice. Men make big hats and wear big robes, to perform invented rites and rituals, with the clamoring spirit, “Look at me! Look at me!” Man loves his invented religions so much that he will kill his non-adhering neighbor, thinking he is a faithful servant of his god, while satisfying his bloodlust (Jn 16:2).
In all of this, we see man, fallen into the image of the devil, his father, his master and dark lord. Man would not change a thing. He would not have it any other way. He loves himself. He loves his flesh. He loves his religion. He loves his life in this world, but, of course, he knows the One true God by the general and special revelations he is subjected to in nature and on occasion. Still, there is no will, nor ability, for man to seek God and be reconciled (Rom 8:7). Is man, who is without God in this world, also without hope? He is without hope (Eph 2:12), unless God has taken it upon Himself to reconcile man to Himself through election, redemption, and regeneration. Here is man’s only hope…the Lord Jesus Christ (Col 1:27; 1 Tim 1:1; 4:10).
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
September 23, 2021
