Apparently, Satan originally was without sin. But personal ambition seized him as it can any one of us—angel or human.

The chosen One. At some point, either before or after the "I will" of Satan (the adversary), God the Father declared that Christ would inherit the wealth, the glory, the splendor, the peace, the authority, the power, the wonder, the beauty, the inexhaustible sources of joy of God's universe, as well as eternal life as a human. Also, He would be the risen King over the new material creation about to come into existence.

I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen [nations] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (Psalms 2:7,8)

Even though the nations and the farthest reaches of the earth were created by the Lord Jesus, they had to be gained as an inheritance through the experiences of Bethlehem, the wilderness of temptation, Nazareth, Judaea, Gethsemane, Calvary, and the cave of Joseph of Arimathea.

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Psalms 45:6,7)

Who Christ's "fellows" (companions) are we do not know. We do realize, however, that God has singled out the Lord Jesus to receive all of the Divine inheritance. As the fullest expression of man He has received authority and power over all the works of God's hands; for the inheritance of all the works of God has been assigned by the Scriptures to "man."

But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. (Hebrews 2:6-8)

The usurpers. Satan and his followers lust after the joy, the glory, the power, the grandeur of the Kingdom of God. They have been in Eden and understand from that brief experience the marvels of the glory of the Kingdom of God that is coming. They despise Jesus and His saints. They hate them with relentless, savage fury.

They want the Kingdom. They want the joy. They want the power of the Kingdom, the authority, the beauty. They crave above all the worship of the human race that God has created. They lust after all the gifts of God, especially the gift of love. We are certain of this because of the ceaseless talk of humanists about the value of "love." We know from sad experience that the "love" of humanists is filled with malice, self-seeking, deviousness, bitterness, and every other evil that can be imagined.

To be continued.