For many in Africa, including myself, who grew up in contexts with limited theological clarity, I was a Christian a long time before I learnt that God and the devil are not rivals. In my mind, I thought these were two kingdoms of equal power, constantly fighting to gain followers. One was good. The other bad. Only, the bad one seemed so convincing that many people ended up following the devil rather than God. That was until, one day, a preacher said, “The devil is a creature created by God.” The statement struck my mind. And it lingered in my heart a long time. It was striking to hear echoes of God’s sovereignty and his absolute power over all creation.
These beliefs are neither biblical nor true.
In many African contexts, the devil isn’t treated lightly. He is feared. He’s talked about frequently. We often see him as the force behind our suffering, misfortune, and spiritual oppression. Many people view their lives as a constant struggle between two equal powers: God and the devil. These beliefs are common and widely held. However, surprisingly, they are neither biblical nor true.
It is interesting to note that the Bible spends little time and attention on the devil. This raises an important question: why do we give so much attention and energy to a being that the Bible doesn’t really emphasise? In Africa, preachers known for casting out demons often attract large followings; others spend a great deal of time binding Satan, more than they spend in prayer. Though the devil is living and active, he’s no equal to God. Ironically, a more developed theology of the devil would cause us to give him less attention. In order to provide that, let’s start with the angels.
Angels Are Created Beings
God designed and created the world. He made everything in it. Seen and unseen. Though we’re given limited detail about the creation of heavenly beings in Genesis 1 and 2, the Bible is clear that they’re part of God’s creation. As Colossians 1:16 states, “By [Christ] all things were created…whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.” God created the angelic beings, both the faithful angels and those who rebelled. They owe their existence to God. The devil owes his existence to God. For God is the source of life and the only uncreated Being. Nothing exists apart from him.
Nothing exists apart from God.
According to scripture, angels are spiritual beings. They possess will and moral awareness, being persons of a sort. In many biblical accounts, angels appearing to people often take on a male appearance; however, they are spiritual beings and do not have physical bodies like us.
The Bible also describes them as “ministering spirits,” sent by God for various purposes (Hebrews 1:14). By this, we mean angels don’t possess power to act on their own; rather, they do everything according to God’s instruction. They appear as messengers, servants, and agents of God’s will. They bring guidance, deliver messages, and carry out divine judgment. The Bible is also clear, however, that angels aren’t to be worshiped. They aren’t worthy of worship, despite their spiritual nature.
The Devil Is a Fallen Angel
At some point, one of the angels rebelled against God. The Bible gives few details concerning these events. But Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-17 are often understood as describing the devil’s fall, showing that he was lifted up in pride and cast down because of his rebellion. Additionally, Revelation 12:7-9 gives a picture of Satan and his angels opposing God, only to be roundly defeated.
Even though the devil opposes God, he remains under God’s authority.
It’s critical for us at this point to note that after his fall the devil didn’t become God’s equal or opposite. He remains a creature, though fallen and rebellious. His pride didn’t exalt him; rather it led to his condemnation. This truth corrects a common misunderstanding. The Bible doesn’t present a universe of two equal and opposing forces. Instead, it presents one sovereign, eternal, holy, and just God who rules over all, including rebellious creatures. Even though the devil opposes God, he remains under God’s authority. Furthermore, the devil will ultimately face God’s judgment.
Unlike God, Satan isn’t all-powerful. Nor is he all-knowing or omnipresent. The devil has no absolute power over anything. He cannot be present everywhere, like God. He is limited and dependent on God for his very being (Job 1:12; 2:6).
Christ Has Decisively Defeated the Devil
In Genesis 3 this enemy deceived Adam and Eve, leading them to disobey God. After their disobedience, when sin entered the world, at that darkest moment, God proclaimed the first gospel promise (Genesis 3:15). Remarkably, he spoke this promise to the serpent. “The seed of the woman will strike your head,” a promise fulfilled at the cross. For it’s at the cross where we see the greatest demonstration of the truth I’ve been arguing in this article. At the cross, we read, God “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in [Christ]” (Colossians 2:15).
Believers stand confidently in the victory already won.
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ defeated all the powers of darkness. Hebrews 2:14 tells us that Jesus became human so “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”
Therefore, believers aren’t in a desperate fight for victory; rather, we stand confidently in the victory already won. We fight from a place of assurance, knowing that Christ has already triumphed. He has concluded the matter. He is, as Revelation often puts it, the one who conquered.
Why This Matters
Without a doubt, God calls on us to engage in spiritual warfare. But in many African churches this seems to be marked by fear and anxiety. A wrong understanding of the devil means people treat him as a kind of equal with God, as God’s rival. Spiritual practices have become largely defensive, plagued by uncertainty and insecurity. In some cases pastors spend the majority of church time casting out demons, even giving them time in the worship service for demonic testimonies.
When we embrace the truth that Satan is a defeated creature, everything changes.
All of this stems from a small view of Christ’s power. And it leads to distraction. Yet imagine if we lived out our faith in the confidence of Christ’s decisive victory at the cross. More emphasis would be placed on drawing people to our victorious Lord, rather than focusing on an already defeated devil. When we embrace the truth that Satan is a fallen and defeated creature, everything changes. We are freed from fear-driven Christianity. We no longer see every hardship as evidence of overwhelming demonic power. Instead, we rest in the sovereignty of our God.
The devil is real, but he is not God’s rival. Christ reigns. There is no competition for his throne.
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