Let's start in the best place of all: Scripture.
The Satan
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and the adversary also came among them. 7 The LORD said to the adversary, “From where have you come?” The adversary answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the LORD said to the adversary, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then the adversary answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the LORD said to the adversary, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So the adversary went out from the presence of the LORD.
In the Old Testament, the term rendered in English as a proper name Satan is not a name, but a job title or description; Literally, in Hebrew it is "HaSatan" (הַשָּׂטָ֖ן or haś·śā·ṭān), where "haś" is the definite article—meaning—it is the word "The". As Dr. Mike Heiser used to argue: "My name is not `the Mike'". Neither is "the Satan" a proper name. Instead, it literally means the adversary or the one who withstands. However—Dr. Mike (and many others) will point out the use changes over the 400 years between the testaments. By the time we get to Jesus, the understanding of Satan has changed. So, the New Testament reflects this change, where "HaSatan" moves from being a job description to being a proper name for a particular fallen being: Satan.
In another Old Testament instance, we find the term "HaSatan" being used this same way as it is in Job:
Zechariah 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and the adversary standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the LORD said to the adversary, “The LORD rebuke you, O adversary! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a burning stick plucked from the fire?”
In both cases, the entity described as the adversary is positioned in a confrontational role with either the LORD or the angel of the Lord and also a human being. In the first case, Job, and in the second, Joshua. It is this role that will ultimately come to be seen as the primary entity that New Testament writers will refer to as the devil or Satan. Nevertheless—Old Testament scripture has this entity operating in, and fulfilling a specific role in the drama of God's epic story of reversing the rebellions of men and fallen divine beings (as well as their bastard children).
And more Piled on Top
In all of these heavenly realm scenes of the divine council and court of the LORD, we never find God out of control (of course!). We also find that as the adversary lays down accusations, God is always one step ahead. Nowhere is this more true than the breadth of the Old Testament and of 1 Enoch. In 1 Enoch, not only is God solidly in control and never outguessed or outsmarted, but He operates in His one-of-kind supreme omnipotent power—acting swiftly to deal with the rebellions of both men and angels, announcing the possibility of redemption for men and the ultimate doom of fallen angels and spirit beings.
Fallen divine council members (New Testament "fallen angels") and their hybrid bastard children (Nephilim, Rephaim, Anakim) are both dealt with and imprisoned. Ultimate judgment is announced and attempts at appeals by the fallen are not only rejected but ultimate judgment is re-emphasized with no room for further appeal or mercy of God. Judgment is coming and there is no choice left open to the fallen Watchers other than to wait it out.
It is in Genesis 11 that another set of Watchers (sons of God, elohim) are appointed by God to control the nations as the LORD disinherits humanity at the Tower of Babel (see also Psalm 82; Deuteronomy 32). It is these fallen who remain loose in the earth along with the Nachash (deceiver) of Genesis 3 (our prime candidate for Satan, the devil). In all, it is these beings who have continued the shepherding of the sins of the now imprisoned Watchers of Genesis 6. These are the Princes (gods) spoken of in places like Daniel.
Daniel 10:13. "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia."
Reframing the Scene
It is here that we must turn to phrases like, "Now, but not yet" and "on earth as it is in heaven". There is a direct connection between heaven and earth through human believers and disciples (imagers) of Christ. While we have sure promises and hope, our full status of what we will be at the revealing of Christ is not yet. Therefore, we are now the imagers of Christ temporarily housed in these mortal bodies. As new creations in Christ (born again spirits or souls) we not only have the fulness of a perfect spirit, but the very indwelt presence of the Spirit of God residing in us.
Why is this important? Because it changes our present reality with respect to the Watchers and their demons (disembodied spirits of the Nephilim bastard children of the Watchers and human women - Genesis 6 and afterwards). As we are circumcised of flesh and born again of the Spirit, we are operating on earth as direct imagers of Christ Jesus! Wherever we stand, it is as though Jesus is standing here with us—and, indeed, He is! Now—return to the scenes of Job and Zechariah above.
We are surrounded by an unseen realm, even here on earth. There are spirits that roam, control, influence, oppress, and (sometimes) possess our fellow human beings. The means and mechanisms of their working is not seen with our human eyes or detected with our human senses. Our reasoning alone is not enough to fight them, much less defeat them. Nevertheless, Jesus promised that the very Gates of Hell would not survive our assault with Him within us. Therefore, the turf war over human souls has been radically changed forever at the Cross! The forces of darkness know this.
Someone once said that we operate as under-shepherds in this new era since the Cross. I am going to suggest that we also operate in a new mode against the forces of darkness: bearers of the already given judgment of God against the Watchers and their demons. Scripture tells us that we will judge angels (specifically the fallen sons of God or Watchers of Enoch and the gods). Jesus promised the disciples that He would place them on twelve thrones surrounding Himself (another Enochian link). And where those fallen beings have stood as accusers of us and our fellow human imagers of God, we now operate as representatives of the Judge of judges—both now, but not yet. What does this mean for the moment and life we are in?
The story of the sins of the Watchers as told by Enoch and permeated in Old and New Testament scripture-is a double-edged sword that not only separates and divides between our own soul and demonic spiritual attacks, but does so for others as well—both believers and non-believers alike.
On one side, Enoch and its Watcher-story allows us to call out dark forces for who and what they are. Yes—they can accuse us all they want. We were at times guilty, but—so are they! And they know it. They hate to hear it and be reminded of it. And unlike us, they have no redemption, no rescue, no eternal life to look forward to. As God tells them squarely in scripture—You will die like men!
6 I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 7 nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince."
On a another side, this is the demon spirit influence of Romans 14, where believers and disciples are unwelcoming, judging, and despising of those they deem as weak in faith. It is this care that we need to have as Christians where we are not spewing the accusations of dark forces, cloaking ourselves in Christian piety and acting superior, which is exactly what these fallen sons of God and their demons do.
A third view is that there are unbelievers who need to hear this story! How fallen angels are the source of much of humanities being taught to deeply sin. This story understands that while the rebellion of Adam and Eve was bad, the sins of the Watchers took that and amplified it, teaching men deeper levels of depravity that we could reach in our fallen nature. Humanity took that cue and ran with it, enticed by powerful fallen beings. The gods (elohim) of Genesis 11 were commanded to shepherd men in righteousness, but those gods fell like their proteges, ultimately leading the nations to sink into deepening circles and cycles of sin and lust.
Hearing this story and understanding the source helps to not only finger the culprits but to provide human beings with a window overlooking the heart of God in the matter. It creates an environment where people can understand what God is up against and how much effort He has put into saving us, and from what. Yes—we are in sin. Yes—we do bad things. But—we are not the only players on the field, and we are operating in a blindness that these unseen realm spirits are not. They know precisely what they are doing, and use our blindness against us!
This leads to an understanding why God is equally upset with people who go after and cavort with familiar spirits and other forms of the demonic (i.e., witchcraft, astrology, psychics, channeling, et al). Like their demon counterparts, such people have a greater idea of what they are getting involved with. Perhaps the ultimate expression of this are Satan worshipers, occultists, and paganized leaders who go far beyond dabbling and toying with the forces of darkness—allying themselves with them and operating at their behest.
Reframing the Courtroom
At this point, the conclusion to this post can now be stated in a straightforward manner: As the imagers of Christ in a now, but not yet world, we have a weapon found in scripture—the Word of God that righteously accuses the accuser! The story provided by God pins the enemy to the mat. It uncloaks them, and puts them to open shame for what they have done. In turn, this allows both believers and unbelievers alike a sanitizing sunlit view by which to understand our situation. That understanding in turn let's us see the attributes of God like never before.
All of this is (for me) the result of seeing the story of the Watchers coupled with the Old Testament scripture, which then informs the New Testament scripture, painting for me the epic story of God's mission to repair the damage of three major rebellions of both human and divine family members. The road back is Christ. The vehicle is the Cross. The power is that of God shown in resurrection and the ultimate end of death and the gift of Life eternal in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior and King.