Many equate worshipping Satan, or the essence of Satanism to have a belief in an entity, a character known as Satan or the devil. They believe Satanism is blatant and obvious use of Black Magic and participating in human sacrifice rituals. While those are extreme expressions of darkness and evil religion, that is just one aspect. Satanism may be so more subtle that some do not realize they are practicing it.
Satanism is increasing in society. We are seeing overt obvious expressions in entertainment and music performances. Lucifer is portrayed as a benevolent person only wanting the best for society after having a bad reputation. But even stage sets of performers have been darker, like Katy Perry’s Dark Horse imagery of witchcraft and occultism. Or Beyonce’s dark ritualistic themes. Madonna had a performance in the Grammys that brought in goat-head dancers (in the pagan Bull imagery of Molech), and wore a costume in a Baphomet shape.
However, someone doesn’t need to believe or worship a character named Satan to be a Satanist.
Satan is not a red devil holding a pitchfork. The word Satan is a word that comes from the Hebrew word haSatan, which means adversary. It doesn’t take a Satanist to practice a human sacrifice, or perform a sexual ritual, or even to be evil to be a Satanist. In a biblical sense it is the adversary against God. Simply an adversary against God is a Satanist, as that is the meaning of the word. It is not even the name of the Fallen Angel Called Satan we relate it to. As that is not a name, but more a descriptive title.
An adversary of God is anyone who opposes him, opposes his Word, opposes His son Jesus Christ, and opposes His believers. And advocates of that which is an abomination against Him. The Satanic Temple led by spokesperson Doug Mesner, aka Lucien Greaves, uses Satanism with the image of Baphomet as a means to convey a message that it is rebellious against religion, and specifically the Christian faith. But Greaves denies it is Satanism. However, in the definition I presented, I explain why this mindset is in fact Satanic.
Satanism is used as an allegory. Used for sensationalism to make a shock statement. It is present in the movement known as the Church of Satan, once led by Anton LaVey. LaVey didn’t admit to worshipping an actual character known as Satan, He correctly explained that Satanism is the celebration of self. It is narcissistic and self-promoting, even in a bold selfish manner. While doing so, this self-exaltation promotes pridefulness, which in the Bible is the fuel that causes rebellion against God, as accounted in the book of Genesis chapter 3 when the Serpent in the Garden tempted Eve by enticing her pride and lust. Another passage also tells of this account that it is of the world:
16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [1 John 2:16]
A passage in the Old Testament tells that rebellion is likened to the sin of witchcraft.
23 For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from [being] king. [1Sam 15:23]
Witchcraft is of the world and is a work of the flesh. The reason is it appeals to self and is against God in rebellion. The participating of such is forbidden usage of the oracles of nature and not of the natural usage. A witch can be Satanic as an adversary against God. But just the same so can a pagan who worships the creation (nature) rather than the Creator, not giving Him honor due in His creation.
Also an Atheist denying God (Adversary) can be considered acting Satanic. As well as a religionist, one conforming to a specific religion, especially that which is against God of the Bible, is considered Satanic, as religion is the flesh trying to met the standards to know and appease God, bypassing His requirement of holiness, without actually having a relationship. God settled the gap of being separate by offering His son as a final sacrifice satisfying Him on our behalf for our shortcoming of sin against Him. However, that requires believing in Him. Otherwise the application is not personal, thus one would not have a personal relationship with God outside this atonement.
Another unnatural usage of nature is the body participating in acts against the holiness of God. particularly mentioning promiscuous sex and homosexuality. If a Satanist is an adversary against God, then contributing in or supporting acts specially mentioned in scripture that are contrary to God are adversary, in other words Satanic. Those acts include being homosexual (out of the natural affections), a transvestite (effeminate), a transgender (against God’s gender differences).
Satanism has been expressed through other philosophies as well. The Catholic Church making its institution speak for God and be authority is not of God. It is contrary in many places in scripture, though the Priests and High Authority of the Institution of Catholicism always justify it by rewriting the meaning of the interpretation inscriptive to make it allegorical rather than literal and meaningful in application of an ongoing witness.
Gnosticism also stole the meaning of scripture to create a perception that a hidden meaning was given by Jesus to them as disciples, and that the Bible is inserted by coded meaning and messages only detected by Elite enlightenment or from using Kabbalah (mystic Gematria deciphering. This is also Satanism.
Groups like Lucis Trust (Lucifer Publishing) has initiated its doctrine in society through Theosophy, a Satanic philosophy influenced by Helena Blavatsky. It has promoted anti-godly and anti-biblical principles such as “Christ-Consciousness,” Luciferic Initiation, and Transcendental Thought. Theosophists believe to have a higher conscious meaning of Christianity. Though they contrast wha the Bible teaches to make Jesus Christ just another prophet of knowledge. Their philosophy has been influential in policies through the United Nations.
The Freemasons may not realize it, but they too promote Luciferianism (using the principles of the Bible as allegorical, yet rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and savior).
Overall, we are seeing Satanism as fashionable, but even so subtly leaking through to many social circles. And those supporting the truth of the gospel are being hated and accused of hate-speech. Yes the persecution is coming. And the battle of good and evil continue. Just a matter which side you are on.
The god of this world, the satan of God, has blinded the eyes of them from the glory of the gospel to appease them with other things. The satan doesn’t care that you worship him as a Deity, as long as you don’t receive what God has to offer you from his son Jesus Christ.