Format for Topical Research:

1. Pray for the Spirit’s leading. 
2. Pick a Topic.  In this case, I chose the topic of the origin of evil in this world, i.e. the devil.
3. Collect and organize verses.  I found eleven passages that I studied to understand what happened to bring sin into existence. You might choose more or less. Do not worry if you chose different verses than I did.
4. Read the verses and ask questions about the verses.  My questions were designed to help me understand the verses in more detail. You will probably have different questions than me.
5. Write your answers. I wrote my answers separately for this post, but for myself, I just write the answers right after the questions.
6. Summarize your ideas. 
7. Repeat Steps 4-6.
8. Final Paraphrase. 
9. Pray for deeper understanding even after you finish studying.

MY EXAMPLE STUDY FOR ORIGIN OF EVIL

Topic: What went wrong that led to the situation that we are in now where our selfish natures turn us away from God’s ways, and it is only possible to keep the commandments with God’s help.    

VERSE 1: 1 John 3:8.

The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

QUESTIONS:

1. Who started sin and suffering?
2. Why did Jesus become human and die and then resurrect from the dead? 

ANSWERS:

1. The devil
2. To destroy the devil’s work.

VERSE 2:  Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.  “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’  “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’  “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'”

QUESTIONS:

1. What happened?
2. What do you think the servants were thinking in verse 27 when they ask where the weeds come from? 
3. What does the owner say caused the problem?  An enemy did it. 
4. Why does the owner say to wait and not pull the weeds yet? 

ANSWERS:

1. A man planted wheat.  An enemy came in and threw weed seed in with the wheat seed.  When they started growing, the servants noticed all the weeds and wanted to pull them out.  The man said to wait until the harvest.
2. Maybe the owner messed something up.
3. An enemy did it, i.e., the owner is innocent.
4. You might hurt the wheat.

VERSE 3: Matthew 13:36-40

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”  He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.  “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.

QUESTIONS:

1. Who is the owner?
2. What is the field?
3. What is the good seed?
4. What are the weeds?
5. Who is the enemy?

ANSWERS:

1. The Son of Man, i.e., Jesus
2. The world
3. People of the kingdom, i.e., those who are loyal to Jesus
4. People of the evil one, i.e., those who are loyal to the devil
5. The devil

SUMMARY:  John 1 tells us that Jesus was the Creator of the world.  This was His world, and it was very good.  Genesis 3 tells us how sin entered the world.  After that, there were two kinds of people in the world.  There were Abels who wanted to follow Jesus and Cains who rebelled and hurt others.  However, there is a time period as we grow when it is impossible to tell if we are loyal to Jesus or traitors.  Thus, we have to be given time to develop into who we will become as we grow and make choices.  However, we have an enemy, the devil, who is constantly tempting us and pushing us to fall.  If we belong to Jesus, then His enemy is our enemy, so we need to know a little bit about our enemy.  First, we need to understand where the devil, or Satan, came from? 

VERSE 4:  Luke 10:18

He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

QUESTIONS: 

1. Was Satan one of the creatures that God created here on earth? 
2. Where did he come from? 

ANSWERS:

1. Satan was no created here on earth.
2. He came from heaven.

SUMMARY: the serpent wasn’t simply an animal that could speak and reason.  He did not even come from this world originally.  There are several places in the Old Testament that give details about this fall. 

VERSE 5:  Ezekiel 28:11-19

The word of the LORD came to me:  “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.  You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.  You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.  You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.  Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.  Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.  By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.  All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.'”

QUESTIONS:

1. In verse 12, it sounds like this addressed to the human King of Tyre, what information in verse 13 shows that this is really Satan? 
2. In verse 14, what was Satan’s position before he rebelled against God? 
3. In the same verse (14), where was Satan before he was on earth? 
4. What description of Satan is given in verses 12-13? 
5. Verse 15-Did the devil start out as a devil? 
6. Verse 16-What did he become filled with?    
7. What was his method of operation? 
8. Verse 17-What was Satan’s punishment? 
9. Verses 18-19 tell of Satan’s end in the future.  What will his end be?

ANSWERS:

1. He was in Eden.
2. Covering cherub
3. The holy mount of God walking among the fiery stones.
4. He was beautiful with lots of pretty precious gemstones.  This is a picture of bright beautiful colors and gold.  I’m not sure how all of this would look when put together, but it is a picture of the kind of beauty that would draw your eyes.
5. No, he was perfect at first.  God created him without sin.  That means that he was loving, kind, and put others’ welfare before his own desires.
6. Violence
7. Trading everywhere.  Here is where the mystery of calling Satan the king of Tyre makes sense.  Tyre was a city on the Mediterranean Sea that was known for its vast trading connections.  Tyre was called the marketplace of the nations.  They had ships that sailed everywhere.  They were also known for pride.  Another similarity between Tyre and Satan is that at one time the king of Tyre was loyal to God and contributed to the building of Solomon’s Temple.  However, later kings of Tyre became the enemies of God’s people and behaved in an evil way.  The symbol tells us how significant it was that Satan uses trading as his method of operation rather than love.
8. He was thrown to earth.
9. He will be no more.  He will no longer exist.

SUMMARY:  This passage does not start out by labeling the main character as the devil or Satan.  Instead, it uses a king, or worldly power, as a symbol.  However, the passage does not make sense if you only read it as a description of a human being.  These verses mention the fall from heaven.  To understand this passage, it is important to understand that it is a prophecy of the future, as well as a recounting of the past. Not everything in this passage can be understood completely because it speaks of situations in heaven and creatures who are alien to us, but it is clearly stated that Satan was created perfect and chose to sin.  The passage also recounts how Satan was thrown out of heaven and gives the information that he was in Eden.  The passage also predicts that a time will come when Satan will be destroyed.

VERSE 6: Isaiah 14:12-17

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!  You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.  I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”  But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.  Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”

QUESTIONS:

1. What does verse 12 call the devil? 
2. Verses 13 and 14 enlarge a little more on the process that led to the devil’s downfall.  What did he start thinking and working toward in his trading? 
3. Verse 17—what has Satan done to the earth? 

ANSWERS:

1. The devil is called the morning star or son of the dawn.  This is where the name Lucifer comes from.  In the Bible, the angels of heaven are often called stars.  This verse also reiterates that he was in heaven and was cast down to earth.
2. Satan wanted to rule all the angel’s and even take God’s place as ruler.
3. Satan has made the earth into a wilderness.  He has overthrown its cities and kept the captives as slaves and would not let them go home.  This is why the comparison is made with Babylon.  Babylon did this to Judah/Jerusalem/the Jews, but Satan has done it to the whole world.  He holds us captive and tried to keep Jesus from freeing us.

SUMMARY:  This is another prophecy in the Old Testament that tells us a lot about the devil.  This time it begins by calling him Babylon.  However, it is obvious that this is about more than a human kingdom because of the reference to being cast from heaven.  Babylon was known for its successful attacks on God’s people, destroying the temple, and for the pride of its king. 

VERSE 7: Revelation 12:7-14

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.  The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.  They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”  When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.  The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.

QUESTIONS:

1. In verse 9 who does it say the dragon/serpent is? 
2. In verses 7-9, who else was thrown out of heaven with the devil? 
3. Verse 12—who is happy and why? 
4. Verse 12—Who is sad and why? 
5. Verse 12—What does this situation have to do with humans?
6. Verse 10 provides one more characteristic of the devil’s behavior.  What is it? 
7. Verse 11 has the most important information in this passage.  How does verse 11 say that humans can win against the devil? 

ANSWERS:

1. The devil
2. Angels who were loyal to him.
3. The heavens rejoice.
4. The earth and sea are in trouble.
5. Satan is still free to attack the people of earth.
6. He is the accuser of the brethren.  Job chapters 1-2 and Zechariah chapter 3 also describe the devil doing acting as an accuser of humans.
7. Believers triumph over Satan by the blood of Jesus and the word of their testimony.  In other words, we love Jesus more than life.

SUMMARY:  Revelation tells the same story as Isaiah and Ezekiel but from a slightly different perspective.  However, it gives us new vital information because it is not enough to know that there is an enemy and where he came from and how he operates.  We need to know how to win against him. 

VERSE 8: Genesis 3:1-6

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'”  “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.  “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

QUESTION:  What lies did Satan tell the woman about God? 

ANSWER:  You will not die, i.e., God is lying, and God is hoarding His blessings.  He does not want you to experience the best things in life.  God is keeping you limited.  You need more freedom!

SUMMARY:  This passage gives insight into how Satan interacts with people.  Satan used trickery to deceive and maneuver Adam and Eve.  God had given Adam dominion over the earth, but in rejecting God’s authority and choosing to follow Satan’s guidance, Adam and Even gave dominion to Satan. 

VERSE 9: Luke 4:5-8.

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.  If you worship me, it will all be yours.”  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’“

QUESTION:  In verse 6, What does Satan claim about the kingdoms of the world? 

ANSWER:  He had been given authority over them and could give them to whoever he wanted.

SUMMARY:  Jesus does not dispute Satan’s authority over the kingdoms of the world.  He only disputes the idea of worshipping anyone but God.  In the three temptations in the wilderness, Satan tried to use the same tactics that he had used with Adam and Eve, but Jesus remained true to the Father and did not fall for Satan’s tactics of mixing truth with lie and leading humans to doubt God.

VERSE 10:  Ephesians 6:10-17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

QUESTIONS:

1. What defenses humans use to win in a fight against the spiritual forces of evil? 
2. Verse 10–Who is fighting for humans against the powers of evil? 

ANSWERS:

1. Truth, righteousness, readiness of the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit’s sword, i.e. the word of God.
2. God and his mighty power are with humans who are trying to resist the devil.

SUMMARY:  It is more important to realize that humans are not defenseless even if our enemies are smarter, more powerful, and live longer than we do.  God has given us resources that can even the playing field.  God Himself is with us so that we will succeed if we simply trust Him and follow His leading.

VERSE 11: Hebrews 2:14-15

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

QUESTIONS:

1. Who holds the power of death?
2. Who broke the power of death?
3. What is the significance of Jesus’ actions?

ANSWERS:

1. The devil
2. Jesus
3. Humans do not have to fear death because it has no power over them.

SUMMARY:  Satan is a powerful, sneaky, enemy who delights in hurting and killing humans.  He lies and manipulates, and if we think that we can fight him alone, we are delusional, but Jesus is fighting for us.  He fought and won at the cross so that we would be free to live with Jesus forever.