Yes, this is true how the story goes. Satan just means adversary. Lucifer was the angel who became angry that YHWH gave humans free will and that we were his favorite creation while angel took second seat to us and denied them that. We were given forgiveness and the angels only servitude.
I like Bill Maher's take on this. The reason God (if He exists) doesn't smite Satan and get it over with is the same reason Batman doesn't just kill The Joker once and for all: because then the story is over.
Hence, we end up with the ludicrous situation where Dominionist Christians try to explain to us how an all-powerful God for some reason can't wipe out Satan until a bunch of human beings finish a bunch of vaguely-defined tasks.
I am a Christian (more about that eventually, probably); and the way I understand God, I think thanking Him for everything is probably an appropriate response to Him in general.
But I must admit, while I do tend to thank Him on a regular basis, I have never formulated a prayer with that specific intent.
I am a father---3 boys, 51, 46, and 34. To steal and slightly modify a quote---and hope I am not struck by lightning---"These are my beloved sons in whom I am well pleased."
As a father, it is easy for me (analogy of being) to (think that) I understand a little bit about how God feels about His creation. I have seen all my boys all increase in knowledge and wisdom as they get older. And because this happens over time (change is law of our being and is not always to be gotten over with as soon as possible), it turns out that apparently God has chosen to include Satan in the life of us humans until God chooses to finally deal with him at a time and manner that God determines (or has, or will determine)---and I suspect that will somehow accrue to our benefit.
(And what I have just said does not compromise God's omnipotence or any other quality we predicate accurately of Him.)
(And I think that I just agreed with Bill Maher---the story isn't over yet.)
This post was edited by tom jackson at December 4, 2016 2:53 PM MST
(Many) Christians assert that God is All-Powerful and All-Loving. Yet God is allowing Evil to infect the lives of billions of human beings, causing all sorts of suffering.
Hence, God either ISN'T All-Powerful (and can't stop Satan) or isn't All-Loving (and is willing to let lots of human beings suffer just to prove a point).
@Tom Jackson -- If one of your sons was torturing someone or threatening to kill someone, would you just sit there and wait for your son to "...increase in knowledge and wisdom", or would you FLIPPING DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? If you're willing to intervene to stop one of your sons from committing Evil, why is God sitting on his butt?
No, God is in no way at fault for satan's existence. just like a good father is never at fault for a son's rebellious behavior, God is not at fault for the behavior of a bad angel that at one time was perfect in every way. he decided to turn his back on his Creator. (Deuteronomy 32:4-6) as for lucifer, this name occurs once in the scriptures and only in some versions of the bible. for example, the king James version renders Isaiah 14:12: "how art thou fallen from heaven, OH lucifer, son of the morning." the Hebrew word translated "lucifer" means "shining one". the septuagint uses the Greek word that means "bringer of dawn." hence, some translations render the original Hebrew "morning star" or "daystar." but jerome's Latin vulgate uses "lucifer" (light bearer),
Who is this lucifer? the expression "shining one," or "lucifer," is found in what Isaiah prophetically commanded the israelites to pronounce as a "proverbial saying against the king of Babylon." thus, it is part of a saying primarily directed at the BabylonIan dynasty. that the description "shining one" is given to a man and not to a spirit creature is further seen by the statement : "down to the Grave you will be brought." this grave is the place abided by mankind-not a place occupied by Satan the devil. moreover, those seeing lucifer brought into this condition ask: "is this the man that was agitating earth?" clearly, lucifer refers to a human, not a spirit creature. Isaiah 14:4,15,16
This post was edited by Autumnleaves at December 5, 2016 4:44 AM MST
Baba 