Does Satan have a Body?

By Brother Anderson

The Bible teaches that unlike humans, angelic beings are not composed of flesh and blood:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph. 6:12)

The Bible consistently refers to evil beings as "spirits":

...he cast out the spirits with [his] word... (Matt. 8:16)
...he gave them power [against] unclean spirits, to cast them out... (Matt. 10:1)
...the evil spirits went out of them... (Acts 19:12)
...in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits... (1 Tim. 4:1)
...For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles... (Rev. 16:4)

Satan, the leader of the fallen angels, is described in the Bible as an "angel":

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:14)

In his writings, Paul frequently contrasted the physical limitations of the physical body with freedom of being "in the spirit":

For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit... (2 Cor. 5:3)
Willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord... (2 Cor. 5:8)
For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit... (Col. 2:5)

In Hebrews, angelic beings are described as "spirits":

And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits... Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Heb. 1:7,14)

All of these verses show the Bible authors believed that angelic beings are "spirits", and that spirit beings, by nature, do not have a body composed of "flesh and blood." Now, contrast this plain Bible teaching with Ellen White's "vision" of Satan:

"I was then shown Satan as he was, a happy, exalted angel. Then I was shown him as he now is. He still bears a kingly form. His features are still noble, for he is an angel fallen. But the expression of his countenance is full of anxiety, care, unhappiness, malice, hate, mischief, deceit, and every evil. That brow which was once so noble, I particularly noticed. His forehead commenced from his eyes to recede backward. I saw that he had demeaned himself so long, that every good quality was debased, and every evil trait was developed. His eyes were cunning, sly, and showed great penetration. His frame was large, but the flesh hung loosely about his hands and face. As I beheld him, his chin was resting upon his left hand. He appeared to be in deep thought. A smile was upon his countenance, which made me tremble, it was so full of evil, and Satanic slyness."1

Ellen White states that Satan is a fallen "angel". She then goes on to describe a number of "flesh and blood" attributes, such as his "brow", "forehead", "eyes", "frame", "flesh", "hands", "face", and "chin." This "vision" directly contradicts the Bible which says the fallen "angels" are "spirits" and are not "flesh and blood".

Ellen White said it best: "Whatever contradicts God's word, we may be sure proceeds from Satan."2

Citations

1. Ellen White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, p. 27.

2. Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 55.

Category: Bible vs. Mrs. White
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