INTRODUCTION TO THE ETERNAL SPIRIT OF EVIL

    Few topics are calculated to excite the suspicions of those who love the Lord quite as much as the one at hand, namely evil - in any form, be it Satan, demons, evil angels, etc.  Yet the Word of God admonishes us to prepare for warfare against them.  But how can we do battle unless we know who the enemy is?  The purpose of this monograph is to unmask the enemy completely, thus giving the child of God the spiritual advantage on the pathway to heaven.  We know that some will immediately fear deception by the very one we try to avoid (Satan), but if the reader will commit himself to the Lord through this and all of the other studies, all the forces of evil cannot prevail against him.  He will not be deceived.  Since some have been urged to read this document at the behest of acquaintances who are sure it is full of the devil, and who further urge retribution upon the author and anyone who is in agreement, we feel we must justify this study at the outset.

    Defense of the concepts and ideas presented in this series should not be necessary.  The spiritual nature of this material has been continuously evidenced and should be enough to convince anyone who wants to believe that the Holy Spirit has been the constant instructor. 

    We hasten to add that it is proper to question the validity of these statements.  We are not asking the reader to accept without question the information given.  We are only saying that the material should be given a fair hearing with an open mind, prayer, and thought.  To do less is to invite deception for sure.

    Anticipating these doubts and questions, we will address ourselves directly to them.  Monographs 6, 7, 16, 17, and 18 contain new light and truths that will be considered controversial until they have been experienced.  As stated many times, it is imperative that we maintain an open mind and let the Holy Spirit guide us if we are not to be deceived.  We must have, as Ellen said, an "experimental religion," one that involves experimenting, trying, testing, and proving all light within the framework of one's own personal spiritual experience.  Each individual should test ALL light by Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy.  If this material is tested, the Holy Spirit will open minds and bring enlightenment.  This series contains truths that need to be understood if if the elect of God are not to be deceived by the multiple enemies in this time of the end.

Chapter One

The Mystery of Iniquity

    THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY has been one of God's best-kept secrets.  As we consider this light which our Lord in His mercy has preserved and opened just for us, each should offer a prayer of request for the Holy Spirit to open and quicken our minds.

    This monograph and monograph seven are perceived the greatest divine statements about the mystery of iniquity ever to be revealed to man.  This new light is only for a very select few, or the elect of the end time.  It is only for those who will live to see Jesus come without tasting death.   

    There is in existence a spirit force that has been part of God's universe since eternity.  This Spirit is that eternal SPIRIT OF EVIL, which historically, as far as is known, has not been recognized by anyone except two individuals, Christ and Solomon.  Nor has the awareness of this spirit's existence entered into the mind of any others until recently.  That we should know and understand about this spirit now is apparently in the Lord's timetable.  The same instruction given by inspiration about Satan and his angels applies here also.  "So long as we are ignorant of their wiles, they have almost inconceivable advantage" (GC 516).

    That this study comes as monograph six was not planned, but must be significant because the numeral "6" is symbolic of Satan's kingdom.  It must also be significant that monograph seven - this too was not planned - is about the Righteousness of Christ, and perfecting and restoring the image of God in us.  Seven is God's number.

    From this point on we will be using the word "spirit" quite freely.  Because there are actually three spirits that we will be referring to, we will capitalize the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Evil and use lower case letters when talking about man's spirit.  This will help keep confusion to a minimum.

    The awareness of Evil Spirit came as does all new light - through the study of Scripture, plus added revelations given directly from the source of all light, God's Spirit.  Unfolding these truths opens to our understanding just a little more about the origin of sin.

    That there is more to sin, trials, tribulation, temptation, and Satan and his evil host, will come as a great surprise to most.  This is so probably because the Spirit of Prophecy and Scripture make no direct mention of this spirit.  At best it is only alluded to.

    Scriptural reference to the Spirit of Evil is sketchy.  Only in the book of Proverbs is this spirit discussed at all.  But Solomon couched his description of this spirit in highly symbolic language so that this truth would not be understood until its time had come.  This is why it has gone undetected until this very age when spiritual eyes are opened by the Spirit that quickeneth.

    Solomon and Jesus recognized this Spirit because they both had an intimate knowledge of HER.  Yes, this spirit is a female, identified by Solomon as "The Strange Woman." When God gave Solomon Wisdom, He also gave him knowledge of this Spirit of Evil, for they are closely related, as we shall soon see. 

    It would appear that God had Solomon record this truth just for this last generation, for this is the only generation for which these truths have meaning, the only generation which has the need to understand about this Evil Spirit.  This knowledge has, at God's bidding, been opened up to us when the fullness of time was come, at the time foreordained.  This understanding has come to us because we are the only generation to travel a special pathway

ordained by God that leads ultimately to perfection, the sealing, and eternal life without tasting death.

WHY DO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS SPIRIT OF EVIL?

    There are two basic reasons why people of our day who are looking for translation must know about this Spirit of Evil.  Our prophet said that if we did not understand Satan and the ways he works, he would have "almost inconceivable advantage."  If we lack knowledge of the existence of this Spirit of Evil and how she works, she has the same "inconceivable advantage."  As we shall see, she indeed has tried to remain unknown and anonymous, to keep herself secret to mankind, much more so than Satan.

    Knowing about her forces her to reveal herself.  As long as one does not know about her, she will keep her presence hidden (although her works may be very apparent).  The reason for secrecy is obvious:  The believer doesn't contend with something he doesn't even know exists.  But once the Lord has revealed her presence to individuals, as He has recently done, she begins to harass and oppress and lets herself be evidenced the same way that Satan and his angels do. 

    Knowing about the Spirit of Evil is important for another reason.  She is the very essence of the "Self" life within all of us.  She is the "I" part of us.  Not recognizing this fact, a person who desires to overcome self will try in his own strength to eliminate and subdue her.  But any effort in this direction is doomed to failure, for only the Holy Spirit can contend with self in the life.  One has to know the nature of this self battle in order to fight effectively.  And without a knowledge of the Spirit of Evil and her role in one's self life, she is impossible to overcome.

    How to overcome self in the life has not been understood before.  Without this knowledge no one can stand through the time of trouble or be translated without tasting death.  The battle is not with self, but with the Spirit of Evil, and flesh and blood cannot fight spirit.  Only God's Holy Spirit can battle or deal with spirit entities, whether angelic or otherwise.  For us the battle with self involves learning the nature of the warfare and how to let the Holy Spirit battle this Spirit of Evil. 

THAT TIME IS NOW

    That the time has come for the revelation of the Spirit of Evil should quicken every believing heart with the realization that the end of all things truly must be at hand.  Why else would Heaven have given us this information?  It should cause us to rejoice, for our redemption draweth nigh.

    Information will be revealed about this spirit that will be very strange to us.  Totally new concepts and ideas foreign to our thinking have recently been given to persons of the Lord's choosing.  It will take the exercise of faith and trust to believe some of these concepts.  Deceptiphobia (fear of being deceived) will no doubt turn some away.  It already has.

    Others who are conservative thinkers will have to open up their minds and exercise a flexibility of thinking which they have heretofore not experienced.  But the Holy Spirit is able to help all who desire to put aside these mental attitudes in order that learning can take place.  Even as this discussion is being written, Evil Spirit is trying to impede this scribe's writing down her activities to keep them from being revealed.  One must realize that she is just as much a spirit as an angel is.  In fact, she has been seen as an angel, but a very different kind of angel, or spirit being, for, as has been pointed out, she is a female.

    It can be guaranteed that the enemies, meaning Satan, his angels, and this very same Spirit of Evil, will try their best to keep these present truths from you and keep the seeker for truth from understanding and accepting them.  This knowledge in the hands of the saint spells the ultimate defeat of the forces of evil and the triumph of the saint.  Their "inconceivable advantage" is eliminated as a weapon.  That they try to keep this knowledge from being discovered has already been seen many times over.  Serious doubts will be placed in the minds of some just because the light is new and different.  We must remember that the Lord never removes every reason for doubt.  Trust in the staying power of God is an essential ingredient for every believer for the exercise of faith.

    Some of this shared information has been given by recent revelation.  To our knowledge it cannot be supported by Scripture.  But neither can it be proven false.  As pointed out in the beginning of this volume, information beyond the scope of Scripture was also given to Ellen White.  In New Testament times writers like Paul and John were constantly given new light about the plan of salvation as it is in Jesus.  These concepts were added to Old Testament truths, and now comprise our present-day Bible.  New light in no way invalidates the old.

    We were told that "the Holy Spirit will reveal truths [light]...that are ENTIRELY NEW," and that these will also be given to children (FCE 473), just as happened in 1844 when the Lord chose a 17-year-old girl, Ellen Harmon.  The Holy Spirit is moving again today in the same way as He did with Ellen.  History is being repeated.  Some of the information in this study was revealed through visions and pictures given to a 14-year-old girl, the details of which will be revealed as we proceed. 

    The Holy Spirit's moving so visibly today in revealing Evil Spirit to us means that it must indeed be very important for us to understand.  Just how important will be seen as this study unfolds.  There is no way that the mind of an adult could ever thought of these truths for this time -much less a relatively young girl only 14 years of age.  That she could dream up these truths on her own is totally unthinkable.

    Understanding this light is paramount to understanding how the process of perfection will be worked out in each life.  Especially is this true when dealing with "self" and "I" in the life, which Spirit of Evil has everything to do with, as pointed out above. 

    As we discuss this topic, it will be necessary, above all else, to maintain an open mind.  For be assured, the enemy will try his best to make any and all who are exposed to this information find fault with it or reject it.  This is no time for a closed mind or prejudice and doubt.  This topic has to be approached only by, and through, the unction of the Holy Spirit, without which there will be no understanding.  We stress the need for the Holy Spirit so heavily because experience has shown that almost EVERY TIME this subject is opened to people, they have doubt.

    To understand, one must look first to Scripture to see what the Lord has to say about "evil," which we will be doing.  From there the Spirit of Truth will take us to where understanding can come.  But for some, experience has preceded understanding, for perhaps understanding is less essential than experience. 

    The central core and framework of this study, around which it and all other truths revolve, is the Christian Pathway, as will be discussed in monograph seven.  But central to traveling this pathway is the understanding of the forces that impede or promote our progress.  As we proceed through the rest of this volume, She (the spirit of evil) is that central force to be contended with in the personal life, with Satan playing a minor role during the time of the latter rain and the sealing, both of which will occur just before probation closes.

     Now is the time the last great battle between good and evil reaches its climax.  And most significant to each of us, the time is NOW.  The very revelation to us of this new light is the strongest  evidence of this fact. This understanding is part of the unrolling of the scroll, of the opening of the little book (Rev. 10:2), for the book of Revelation is intimately intertwined with this truth, as we shall see in the last monograph of this volume.

    With this background, let us now consider what our Lord in love has begun to unfold to us and what has been one of God's best kept secrets, the mystery of iniquity.  The Lord has now ordained that we understand the beginnings of the iniquity as found in Lucifer.  Each should offer a prayer request for the Holy Spirit to open and quicken his mind.

GOD CREATES EVIL

            I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and Create evil. I the Lord do all these things.  Isaiah 45:7

            ...Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?  Amos 3:6   

            ...Ye shall be comforted concerning the evil I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all I have brought upon it.  Ezekiel 14:22

    There are many other scriptural texts that make the same kind of statement about how God brought evil judgment upon people.  The Hebrew word used in all of these texts is Ra, which is interpreted "Bad."  In the Isaiah text the Lord specifically says that He creates "darkness" and "evil" or "bad" as well as light and peace.  These antonymns, such as light-darkness, peace-evil, good-bad are all claimed to be created by the Lord Himself.  "I the Lord do all these things." (Interestingly the word Ra is the name the ancient Egyptians gave to their highest deity, the sun god.)

    We do not know all the implications of the use of these words and attributes, for much is yet to be revealed.  But there is new light about this concept of God creating evil that has deep meaning for all who would walk the advanced Christian pathway.  An understanding of these truths is most important to all who would be freed from this inherited "Spirit of Evil," inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve.

    The Bible statements above about God creating evil must be looked at in context of the present tense, for the "evil" described in these texts is not the "Spirit of Evil."  The above passages refer to what the Lord does and is doing here on this earth.  It certainly must be obvious the Lord punishes the unrighteous and allows or creates "evil" or "bad" to happen to those who rebel and war against Him.  In this instance, God does create evil or bad circumstances to befall those who do not love Him.

    When considering this matter of God creating evil, as quoted in the above Scripture, our prophet seems to directly contradict Scripture.  This discrepancy is so blatant it cannot be ignored, but must be addressed, or the credibility of the Spirit of Prophecy as seen in Ellen White is open to serious question.  But upon CLOSE examination of her statement we will find that this seeming contradiction explains itself.  But one has to look very closely indeed to glean out the truth, for like "Evil Spirit" herself, it too is well hidden.

            God did not create evil;  he only made good, which was like himself.  But Satan would not be content to know the will of God and do it.  His curiosity was on the stretch to know that which God had not designed he should know.   Evil, sin, and death were not created by God; they are the result of disobedience, which originated in Satan.  But the knowledge of evil now in the world was brought in through the cunning of Satan....

           The sons and daughters of Adam are fully as inquisitive and presumptuous as was Eve in seeking forbidden knowledge, which God never designed they should have....

           God never designed that men should have this knowledge which comes of disobedience and which, carried into practice, ends in eternal death.  When men almost invariably choose the knowledge that Satan presents;  when their taste is so perverted that it craves that knowledge as though it were a fountain of supreme wisdom, then they give evidence that they are separated from God, and are in rebellion against Christ.

           The subtlety of Satan will not decrease, but the wisdom given to men through a living connection with the source of all light and divine knowledge, will be proportionate to his arts and wiles.  5T 503

    A close examination of the above passage reveals implied truths that lie deep beneath the surface meaning.  Hidden truths must be dug out and examined in the light of Scripture point by point.

"CHOOSE YE THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE"

    1) Notice that Ellen White relates sin and evil to Satan and his angels and implies that God did not create them as sinful, evil beings, but nevertheless they are the very embodiment of evil.  Sin did not exist until evil was acted upon.  Sin did not exist from eternity, only the Spirit of Evil (a choice), as we shall see.

    It is only through the God-given power of choice that anyone, whether men or angels, becomes evil.  This is a key point to remember as we consider this subject.  God did NOT create a Satan or evil angels.  They became the embodiment of evil by the power of their own choice.

    2)  The power of choice is something Eve used, as did Satan before her. They both, BECAUSE OF CURIOSITY, chose to learn about the "knowledge of evil." but in order for Satan to be curious about the "knowledge of evil," this knowledge had to be in existence already.  And indeed inspiration implies just that.  For if Satan's "CURIOSITY was on the stretch to know that which god had not designed he should know," what he was not to know had to have been in existence.  For if it was not, he would not have been curious about it.

     This thought of Evil Spirit or Spirit of Evil is further amplified in this passage by relating it to Eve, who like Satan sought this "forbidden knowledge, which God never designed they should have."  Then once again in this passage she states "God never designed that men should have this knowledge which comes of disobedience" (by the power of choice).  It is perfectly clear that Satan in the beginning made the same mistake Eve made when he was led through curiosity and jealousy to seek that knowledge God never intended for him to have.  It is also perfectly clear that this "knowledge of evil" or "forbidden knowledge" had to be in existence before Satan made his choice.  

    It will also be noted in this passage that no mention whatsoever is made, or even alluded to, that Satan himself was THE evil knowledge, only that he desired to know about it.  The only thing which originated with Satan was "disobedience which originated in Satan." Ellen goes on to make the point that this "knowledge of evil," which did not originate with Satan, was brought into, or introduced into, the world "through the cunning of satan."  Although he did not originate evil, it appears he was at least the instigator because of his uncontrolled curiosity. 

    3)  The tie between evil and the knowledge of evil with Eve's power of choice centered around the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  We know because inspiration tells us that all other inhabited planets also have the same kind of trees.  They were given because all God's created beings, in order to exercise the power of choice, must have something to choose between.  It is obvious then that Satan and the angels also had something to choose between: either the wisdom of God or the knowledge of evil.  With Satan and his angels it was not a tree upon which the test centered, but rather a mental decision, purely an activity of the mind; for angels, as spiritual beings, do not eat as we do.  Regardless of the nature of the test, the Knowledge of Evil had to be in existence in order for Satan to succumb to the temptation "To know that which God had not designed he should know." 

           It was seen that the very same spirit with which he had ruled the children of men who were under his power, he would have manifested if permitted to control the intelligences of heaven.  PP 70

    What was that spirit with which he ruled that was influencing him before he was cast out of heaven?  Why, it was nothing more than the Spirit of Evil.      Concerning this exalted angel Mrs. White says, "God made him good and beautiful, as near as possible like Himself." (4BC 1163)  "Little by little Satan came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation.... He ventured to covet homage due alone to the Creator." (PP 35) "He aspired to the height of God Himself.  He gloried in his loftiness." (SR 14)

    Man often asks, "Why did God allow all this fearful iniquity that man might be free?" To this there can be but one answer.  It was because He knew the worthlessness of all forced obedience, and that, therefore, the freedom to sin was absolutely necessary to the possibility of righteousness." (The Watchman, May 1, 1906)

    4)  The use of the word "create" as used in the 5T 503 passage may present a discrepancy to some.  In terms of eternity, God has always been.  There never was a time when he began from nothing to create the universe.  It has always existed, and as such, created beings have always been part of this creation.  Therefore, because all God's intelligent beings are created with the power of choice, good and evil as a choice also had to be in existence from eternity.

    We cannot begin to comprehend the idea of a universe existent from eternity anymore than we can comprehend the principle of infinity.  You see, EVIL WAS NEVER CREATED!  FROM ETERNITY IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT OTHER CHOICE that created beings could make if they so desired.

    5)  Another important consideration is the use of the word "KNOWLEDGE" in reference to evil.  It is not "evil" by itself that is the problem, but rather the "KNOWLEDGE OF EVIL." It is the knowledge of evil when acted upon that constitutes sin.  As long as the knowledge of evil remained on the tree, there was nothing wrong.  Only when it was desired and acted upon, did it become evil and sin.  Temptation in itself is not sin.  Only when we yield to it, does it become wrong.  What Scripture says about money is an example of this principle.  It is the "love of money," not the money, "that is the root of all evil." 

    Neither is temptation the same as knowledge.  A person may have knowledge of evil and not be tempted, i.e., knowledge about drugs and not be tempted to try them.  But he may also be tempted and yet have no previous knowledge or experience with drugs, such as through peer pressure.   

    In Scripture there is found a constant interplay between the knowledge of evil and the knowledge of good, between wisdom and knowledge, between good and evil.  We know that true wisdom comes from God.  The knowledge of evil can be shown to be the opposite of this, or false wisdom.  It can be shown that the knowledge of good on the tree equals wisdom.  The knowledge of evil equals carnal or fleshly knowledge. 

    The suggestion that evil or the knowledge of evil is really not evil until it is acted upon by created beings, like Lucifer and Eve, can easily be understood through illustration.  Look at the Spirit of Evil as the POTENTIAL for evil, rather than the evil itself.  In other words, the potential for evil is there.  But this spirit did not become evil until she was released.  Like the proverbial genie in a bottle, until released she was benign and harmless, not evil.  Before she was released Evil Spirit was only the KNOWLEDGE OF EVIL, not the evil itself.  Later on we will see that Solomon makes this quite clear.

    Using another illustration, evil also could be likened to the blending of two different colors of paint, like red and yellow.  The third color, orange, is not formed or created until the two are mixed.  Red could be the knowledge of evil and yellow, choice.  When separate they are harmless, but they have the potential for a third color, orange, evil, when mixed. 

    Now this analogy can be taken further.  Knowledge of evil is not sin until it is acted upon by either angel or man.  Let us represent sin as the color black.  When one is tempted and continues to act (blue) upon this evil (orange), the two spirits mix and sin is born (black).  Sin springs into existence whenever the knowledge of evil (red), choice (yellow) and evil (blue) are acted upon.

    Knowledge of Evil could also be likened to a catalytic reaction in which some third innocuous element like SELF might be involved, lying BETWEEN each of two spirits involved and joining them, like wisdom>self<evil.  A catalyst is a chemical substance usually present in small amounts relative to the reactants, that modifies and increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.  It is an agent that precipitates a process or event. This would be like a match for money between two persons.  The money is the agent that makes the match possible, but yet is unaffected by the outcome.

    Another analogous illustration, and one which perhaps describes this relationship best, is that of a cancer virus.  Without a host it is benign and harmless.  But the instant a weakness is found in the host's defense system, the virus attaches to the host cell and multiplies.  In the spiritual sense a lowering of the will allows evil to try to engulf the whole person.  The fact is, Evil Spirit would have tried to engulf the whole universe if God would have allowed her. 

    When Lucifer sinned he became the first host.  As the cancer of evil infected him, he in turn began to infect the heavenly hosts, for evil is the most highly contagious of all diseases.  Like good cells gone bad or berzerk, the cancer of sin began to propagate.  But without a host this could  not happen, for a virus has no life within itself.  And so the contagion spread to earth and man became the next order of created beings to succumb.  Someday we will understand more fully.  But for now this is as far as inspiration has led in our understanding.

    Turn attention again to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  God alone is the creator, which means He created these trees.  If God is still creating other planets and beings to inhabit them, and we have no reason to believe He is not, He still must be creating and planting these trees. 

    We know God never changes, even from eternity to eternity.  This means the laws and rules of organization within His government are not going to change. If He gives created intelligent beings the power of choice, then it follows He must give them something to choose between.  This is an eternal law.

    Without this power of choice, the created ones would be nothing more than automatons.  Therefore, every time He creates another planet with intelligent beings on it, He also creates and places within that planet or world some choice for its intelligent beings to choose between, whether Trees of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or something else, we cannot know for sure.  But the choice must be there, and it has to be between opposites, for to choose between the same is no choice at all.

    In regard to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Ellen White made a comment that completes our understanding about the future of good and evil. 

            Not all the conditions of that first school of Eden will be found in the school of the future life.  No tree of knowledge of good and evil will afford opportunity for temptation.  No tempter is there, no possibility of wrong.  Every character has withstood the testing of evil, and none are longer susceptible to its power.             Education 302        

THE SPIRIT OF EVIL FROM ETERNITY TO ETERNITY

    Here is introduced another principle of God's government.  When sin is finally eradicated after the thousand-year millenial period and the earth is purged by fire and re-created, simultaneously on ALL the other inhabited planets in the universe, all of the trees of knowledge of good and evil will be removed or done away with, for all will have passed or "withstood the testing of evil."  But because these trees are destroyed does not mean that the Spirit of Evil will likewise be eradicated.  She will only be placed back into her house from where she originally came.  She will always be a choice forever that any being in the universe can make if they so choose, whether they be angel or any other intelligent being.

    Because of the way God operates His universe, He has chosen to give all His created, rational, thinking beings this power of choice, something to choose between.  But it was never God's perfect will that any of His created beings, including Lucifer, would make the choice, or even be curious about, much less desire, the knowledge of evil.  Spirit of Evil was only, and ever, a choice and nothing more.  In the eternities that lie ahead, there is no reason to think that God is going to change this order of things.  There will always be a choice to make.  Although in the future eternity no trees of knowledge of good and evil will exist, there will always be The eternal spirit of evil.

    Perhaps she will have a name change to reflect her true status.  Maybe her name will be changed back to the knowledge of evil, for being separated from another spirit to react with, she will no longer be evil, but again benign and as beautiful as her twin sister Wisdom.  She will again be like she was before the fall of Lucifer. 

    However, one thing will be very different.  Before the fall, she was unknown.  That is what prompted Lucifer to be curious.  But after several thousand years of demonstrating her character, no one need wonder or be curious.  The knowledge of evil has most graphically been portrayed for all the universe to see and all will have complete understanding.  Any being who might begin to question need only look at Jesus, for the nail prints in His hands and feet will be a constant reminder to all the universe for all eternity, of the time when the Spirit of Evil was released.

    As history records, having a democratic form of government was a calculated risk for God.  If some chose to make the wrong choice, He would lose some of His created beings and their love and loyalty.  This meant He would have to have a contingency plan in case the unthinkable would happen.  That contingency is called His PERMISSIVE WILL, which is an alternate backup plan in case His PERFECT WILL is not followed.  And that is what the plan of Salvation is all about.

    As sin and evil relate to man, "As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour.... The instant man accepted the temptations of Satan,...Christ, the Son of God, stood between the living and the dead." (1BC 1084, 1085)  Man was offered a chance to eventually be free through God's permissive will.  "Through the merits of His (Christ's) blood, and obedience to the law of God, they could have the favor of God." (EW 149)  God's permissive will, His covenant of grace instantly went into effect.  "God pledged Himself to introduce into the hearts of human beings a new principle - a hatred for sin." (Spec. Test., Series B, #2, p. 6)  From that time on the two forces of good and evil have contended for the soul of man.

    Paul in Galatians 5:17 explains the enmity spoken of in Genesis 3:15:  "The flesh (human nature sensitive to the promptings of the spirit of disobedience) lusteth  (produces enmity) against the spirit (God's Holy Spirit, given to every person to encourage him to do right), and the spirit (infuses enmity) against the flesh: and these are contrary (antagonistic or diametrically opposed) the one to the other."

GOOD AND EVIL FROM ETERNITY

    That good and evil have existed from eternity can be proven from Scripture. In Genesis 3, verses 5 and 22 we read:

            For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

          And the Lord God said, behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:

    In both these verses we are told the Gods (the Trinity) knew about good and evil.  The word "Gods" is not in the original Hebrew script but inserted by the translators.  But the implication is there nevertheless.  When Lucifer sinned and knew about both good and evil, he likewise became as the Trinity.  The same pronouncement was given to him as to Adam and Eve.  He would have to die.  He, like man, did die spiritually, for the Spirit of God departed from him just as it did from Adam and Eve.  The Spirit of Evil took up residence within and began to control him.

    Evil Spirit established total residence within Lucifer when he became proud.  Pride gave grounds, gave the right for her to move in.  But the key that unlocked the door to Evil Spirit was something more than pride, something that preceeded pride within him.  Lucifer's "curiosity was on the stretch." "Curiosity" was the precursor that led to "pride" that when acted upon led to his sin, just as with Eve.  The seed of pride was first planted in Lucifer's spirit when he became curious.  Curiosity was the key that unlocked the door and let Spirit of Evil go free.

      Curiosity was nurtured by Evil Spirit and became the means to cultivate pride.  Pride then opened up Lucifer's spirit for the entrance of jealousy. Pride in Lucifer became evidence of the retreat of the Holy Spirit and was the medium whereby the Spirit of Evil could take over Lucifer's spirit.  As we shall soon see, pride, self and "I" is the very essence of this spirit. 

    When Adam and Eve fell to the same temptation, pride, the Spirit of Evil in the same manner took over control of their spirit.  Every human being born inherited this spirit with the exception of one man.  That man is our Lord Jesus.  This a is very important point to understand about our Lord, for this made Him different from us.  There was never any trace of "self" or "I" within Him.  Being born devoid of Evil Spirit meant He had only God's Spirit within, just as with Adam and Eve before the fall. 

    He was conceived by the Father's Spirit moving within Mary.  The Holy Spirit was His Father.  Because of this, only the Holy Spirit was in union with His human spirit.  This is why He is called the ONLY begotten of the Father, for His conception was through the Father's Spirit.  He was the only human to ever be born that way, for Adam was created.  This concept relates to Dr. Crane's lesson about Jesus and perfection (monograph four).  Only physically was Jesus born into sin, not mentally or spiritually.

    In Lucifer's situation he forfeited the indwelling Spirit of God when pride established a foothold within his spirit.  And it was this foothold that allowed Evil Spirit to push out and replace God's Spirit.  The evidence of pride, in turn was manifest in Lucifer's desire to exalt himself.  The emphasis on "I" or "Self" became the dominant desire in his life.     

            For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high. 

                                                     Isaiah 14:13,14         

    As it was with Lucifer, so it is with us.  It is "Self" and "I," the carnal man, the very emotional, sensuous, feeling part of man, the soul that gives evidence of this indwelling Spirit of Evil.  This Evil Spirit and its infestation in both Satan and man is described in 4 SP pp. 318-319.

           The rebellion in Heaven was prompted by the same spirit which inspires rebellion on earth.  Satan has continued with men the same policy which he pursued with the angels.  His spirit now reigns in the children of disobedience.... From the days of righteous Abel to our own time, such is the spirit which has been displayed toward those who dare to condemn sin.

    In TM 392 Ellen also alludes to this spirit but connects it with satanic captivity.

           Evil had been accumulating for centuries and could only be restrained and resisted by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power.  Another spirit must be met; for The essence of evil was working in all ways, and the submission of man to this satanic captivity was amazing.     

    In the next paragraph she brings in the element of selfishness but again attribute it to Satan.  This is not an incorrect interpretation, for Satan is the representative, the visible representation of this spirit.  She does get to man through "satanic captivity."  All the elements are there - the Holy Spirit is the only one who can deal with Evil Spirit who is the essence of selfishness and part and parcel of Satan's personality.

    These two quotations and PP 70 quoted on page 16 are the only ones found so far where Ellen White comes close to identifying this Evil Spirit, for knowledge of this spirit was not meant to be understood in her time.  "The same spirit" and "Another spirit...the essence of evil" is none other than Evil Spirit who took up residence within Lucifer's spirit when he became curious to know about the knowledge of evil.  It truly became part of "his spirit" ,which in turn became "the spirit" motivating the children of disobedience.

    Solomon's description of this Evil Spirit is most graphic.  He likens her to an evil, passionate, sensuous, worldly, harlot and prostitute, a "strange woman" about whom he knew better than any other human being, for he wrote from experience.

    Solomon was the epitome of a sensuous man with his 10,000 wives.  He no doubt inherited this trait from his father David, for David was also considered a most sensuous man.  The name David is defined in some books as meaning  "An Ardent Lover," although in Hebrew it means "Beloved." 

    This sensuous nature is the very essence of Evil Spirit.  All demonic and pagan religions and cults have from the very beginning, even before the flood, exalted and incorporated sensual and sexual practices into their worship.  That is why Satan's church is depicted as a harlot woman, for she, the pagan church, has committed adultery with the Spirit of Evil.

    In human terms, is not that which caters to the basest passions of the soul  the highest form of self worship?  Sensuality glorifies the body and appetite and lust of the flesh.  And was it not appetite and the desire to be better and have more, the lust for more beauty, more knowledge, and more power, that motivated Eve?  Did she not desire to have what she perceived God was holding back from her?  And was it not the desire to be as the "gods, knowing both good and evil" that motivated her?  Wasn't it her curiosity about this hidden Knowledge of Evil that caused her to partake of the forbidden fruit?

            And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die:  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

            And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.  Genesis 3:4-6

    Today, we see the very same thing happening all around us, even in us, yet most are unaware.  We seek and lust after earthly pleasures, riches, sexual expressions of all kinds, and the pride of life.  We indulge appetite for food and drink and evil habits that destroy the body temple.  Is not this truly worship of another god, of putting these sins before our eternal Father?  Our hereditary makeup is certainly obvious.  

    In order to fully understand the Spirit of Evil it is necessary to examine Scripture.  For Scripture is the very basis of our understanding of this spirit, which has unknowingly been in control of man since the fall of our first parents.  We will have to dig deep indeed to understand.  But digging is not enough.  Above all we will need the quickening of the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the essential truths of this message for our time.  The Lord has effectively kept this knowledge from mankind for 6,000 years.  He has chosen to reveal it only now.  Understanding will come only as the Holy Spirit individually enlightens each person seeking to know.

THE END OF CHAPTER ONE