Thinking about The Devil

The word ‘devil’ does not occur in the Old Testament. The word ‘devils’ occurs four times in the KJV (other versions use ‘demons’) and is applied to non-existent false gods: “They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons . . . whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan” (Psalm 106:37,38)

The word for devil in the New Testament (diabolos) has the primary meaning of 'a false accuser' or' slanderer', being derived from diabollo - to thrust through, defame, accuse. It is applied to individuals who slander God and sin against Him by opposing His truth. Thus, speaking of Judas, Jesus said, "Did I not chose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6: 70).

It is also used as a figure of speech for all that is in opposition to God and is therefore a source of temptation to sin.
“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he (Jesus the Christ) himself likewise shared in the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (diabolos)” (Hebrews 2:14) The writer to the Hebrews ascribes the power of death to the devil in this verse. However, “. . . each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14,15).

In Paul’s letter to the Romans ‘sin’ is described as the slave owner of those who sin; that is break God’s laws, “But God be thanked that though you who were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17, 18).
This slave owner pays wages; “the wages of sin is death” (6:23).

Putting all these passages together then, we can see that scripture is clearly telling us that we 'earn' death (our wages!) because we sin. Because Jesus was sinless he overcame the slave owner, Sin, “. . . (he) put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:26), and in so doing he destroyed the devil. 

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(Quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible)