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Here, a widespread misconception held by the modern Church is addressed: the notion that
the devil has already been bound for a thousand years and cast into the abyss
(Rev 20:2-3).
It is shown, through examples taken from Holy Scripture, that he is present
“on the earth and on the sea”
(Rev 12:12).
Moreover, he is the
god of this age
(2 Cor 4:4),
and it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light
(2 Cor 11:14).
This means that the
Millennium
(Rev 20:4),
which is the
First Resurrection
(Rev 20:5),
has not yet begun.
Quotations from the writings of the Holy Fathers are presented, showing that the
struggle against the devil
should constitute the primary activity of every monk (and, strictly speaking, of every Christian). Excerpts from the Prayers before Holy Communion are also included, in which a petition is made for “preservation from every diabolical influence.”
1
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Luke 8:31.
Rev 1:18.
2
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
Devil, and Satan, and
bound him a thousand years,
2 Peter 2:4.
Jude 1:6.
Rev 12:9.
3
And
cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and
I saw
the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his
mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;
and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Dan 7:9,22.
Dan 8:17.
Matt 19:28.
1 Cor 6:2.
2 Tim 2:12.
Rev 6:11.
When, then, does this time arrive?
When the “angel coming down from heaven” binds Satan “for a thousand years”
(Rev 20:1-2)?
Determining this time is important, as it marks the beginning of the “thousand-year reign of the resurrected saints with Christ”
(Rev 20:4).
Below, we will show that this time has not yet arrived, and that Satan is still very active in this world.
The Testimony of the New Testament
To begin with, let us note that such terms as “dragon,” “ancient serpent,” “devil,” and “Satan” all refer to one and the same being: “He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the
devil
and Satan”
(Rev 20:2).
“Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”
(1 Peter 5:8).
8
Be sober, be vigilant;
because
your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Job 1:7.
Job 2:2.
Luke 22:31.
9
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Acts 14:22.
“We wrestle … against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places”
(Eph 6:12).
11
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
Rom 13:12.
1 Thess 5:8.
12
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.
John 12:31.
John 14:30.
Eph 2:2.
“Even I Paul, once and again;
but Satan hindered us”
(1 Thess 2:18).
18
Wherefore we would have come unto you,
even I Paul, once and again;
but Satan hindered us.
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not”
(2 Cor 4:4).
3
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
1 Cor 1:18.
4
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
John 14:9.
Col 1:15.
Heb 1:3.
“Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light”
(2 Cor 11:14).
13
For such
are
false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
Acts 15:24.
14
And no marvel;
for
Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15
Therefore
it is
no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness;
whose end shall be according to their works.
Matt 7:15.
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”
(James 4:7).
7
Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
“Deliver us from evil”
(Matt 6:13).
13
And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
If the devil is bound—truly bound—then why does Jesus Christ instruct us to ask the Father:
“deliver us from the evil one”
(Matthew 6:13)?
This means the devil has
NOT
yet been
bound
(Rev 20:2-3)
and the
Millennium
(Rev 20:4)
has
NOT
yet begun.
Faith in the coming resurrection is crumbling
The Apostle Paul warns that the claim
that the resurrection has already taken place
(2 Tim 2:18)
destroys faith in
the resurrection to come.
Nowadays, almost no one believes in
the resurrection to come.
Everyone awaits the
Last Judgment,
which will descend upon a Church that has not been restored (and which has, in effect, been
defeated by Satan).
16
But shun profane
and
vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
1 Tim 4:7.
1 Tim 6:20.
Tit 1:14.
Tit 3:9.
17
And
their word will eat as doth a canker:
of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
1 Tim 1:20.
18
Who concerning the truth have erred,
saying that the resurrection is past already;
and overthrow the faith of some.
Satan is not bound, neither on land nor at sea
The devil has indeed been
cast down from heaven
and is now
on the earth and on the sea, and
woe to those who dwell on the earth and on the sea
(Rev 12:12).
7
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon;
and the dragon fought and his angels,
Dan 10:13.
Dan 12:1.
8
And prevailed not;
neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9
And the
great dragon
was cast out, that
old serpent,
called the
Devil,
and
Satan,
which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Luke 10:18.
…
12
Therefore rejoice,
ye
heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!
for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Isa 49:13.
18
And he said unto them, I beheld
Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Next, we will encounter a time when
an angel will descend from heaven
and
confine Satan in the abyss.
1
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Luke 8:31.
Rev 1:18.
2
And he laid hold on
the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
2 Peter 2:4.
Jude 1:6.
Rev 12:9.
3
And
cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him,
that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
The Testimony of the Holy Fathers
Saint Symeon the New Theologian (10th–11th centuries)
“The works of the devil are every kind of sin: envy, lying, craftiness, hatred, enmity, holding grudges, slander, anger, fury, pride, vainglory, lack of mercy, greed, theft, unrighteousness, evil lust, a contentious spirit, a habit of reviling, quarrelsomeness, mockery, oaths, forgetfulness of God, inhumanity…”
(Saint Symeon the New Theologian).
4. John the Theologian says:
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil
(1 John 3:8). The works of the devil are every kind of sin: envy, lying, craftiness, hatred, enmity, holding grudges, slander, anger, fury, pride, vainglory, lack of mercy, greed, theft, unrighteousness, evil lust, a contentious spirit, a habit of reviling, quarrelsomeness, mockery, oaths, forgetfulness of God, inhumanity, and every other form of evil. Therefore, for those who call themselves Christians yet commit such works of the devil—what benefit is there in being called a Christian, if the manifestation of the Son of God has not destroyed these devilish works within them?
If someone should say that some of these people expound upon the Divine Scriptures, engage in theology, or preach Orthodox dogmas, let them know that the work of Christ does not consist in this. John the Theologian does not say:
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested*—so that some might engage in theology or profess Orthodox doctrine—but rather: *that He might destroy the works of the devil.
“The devil, being an incorporeal spirit, has—ever since Adam’s transgression of God’s commandment—possessed a certain power and boldness to act upon human nature. He has become highly experienced in warring against mankind;
for while the humans he assails die and pass away, generation after generation, he himself continues to live on—the very same being—for six thousand six hundred years or more, and has thus become quite practiced in his craft”
(Saint Symeon the New Theologian).
1. The devil, being an incorporeal spirit, has—ever since Adam’s transgression of God’s commandment—possessed a certain power and boldness to act upon human nature. He has become highly experienced in warring against mankind;
for while the humans he assails die and pass away, generation after generation, he himself continues to live on—the very same being—for six thousand six hundred years or more, and has thus become quite practiced in his craft. … He draws the Orthodox away from God through evil deeds and a way of life contrary to the Orthodox faith—specifically, through the love of money, the love of sensual pleasure, and the love of human glory. Furthermore, through the performance of virtuous deeds and the voluntary embrace of ascetic hardships—acts of self-mortification—he casts those who strive for holiness into pride, which is the root of all evil, as well as into a craving for human praise and honor.
“Get out of my sight, Satan!
… Depart from me, then”
(Saint Symeon the New Theologian).
47. … But through the faith I have in my God, I hope to be saved—as a free gift—by His ineffable compassion.
Get out of my sight, Satan!
I worship the Lord my God, and from my youth I have served Him—He who is able to save me by His mercy alone.
Depart from me, then.
May God, who created me in His own image and likeness, crush you.
Saint Theodore the Studite (8th–9th centuries)
“Since Satan has cast many who were well-established in virtue
into the pit of sin in a single moment;”
(Saint Theodore of Studion).
18. … Do not say, “I am well-established in virtue, and I have nothing to fear”;
for the fear of change and falling should never depart from you, since Satan has cast many who were well-established in virtue
into the pit of sin in a single moment;
therefore, “let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”
(1 Cor 10:12),
and let him who believes himself to be well-guarded take heed, lest he perhaps be left without any protection at all. …
“Take heed, then, lest it
[the unsleeping eye]
behold you
conversing with Satan”
(Saint Theodore of Studion).
17. … Thus, even if you are in a secluded place, the unsleeping eye sees you there—sees with whom you are standing, what you are discussing, and what you are doing. Take heed, then, lest it behold you
conversing with Satan,
devising shameful schemes, or engaging in some disgraceful act. …
…
24. … If God is light, life, and truth, then how could one not ardently strive toward Him, seek living communion with Him, and endeavor to attain it?
And if
Satan is truly death, falsehood, and destruction,
then how could yielding to his suggestions be anything other than death, darkness, and destruction?
…
Righteous John of Kronstadt (Sergiev)
(19th–20th century)
“Сатана входит часто после недостойного причащения Св. Таин”
(Saint John of Kronstadt).
45. … Ah!
Satan often enters after an unworthy reception of the Holy Sacraments,
and he strives in every way to plant his lie—that is, unbelief—within our hearts, for unbelief is tantamount to a lie. A murderer from the beginning,
he still seeks, by every means, to destroy a person through his lies
and various thoughts;
having crept into the heart in the guise of unbelief or some other passion, he subsequently reveals his true nature—most notably through impatience and malice. And you realize that
he is within you—yet you cannot always rid yourself of him immediately,
because he typically endeavors to seal off every exit from the heart—using unbelief, hardness of heart, and other such offspring of his own making. …
Finally, in 1904, Father John arrives at the correct conclusion:
“Satan and his kingdom are not bound, but are active in the world”
(Rev 20:2–3).
At this point, a certain question—a kind of perplexity—occurred to me.
Why does the eternal, all-powerful God—infinitely wise and righteous—
Who could, in a single instant, consign Satan—that proud, most cunning, and malicious apostate—to eternal torment, strip him of any power to harm humanity, and thus deliver the human race (which has been, and
continues to be, constantly deceived by him)
from his ruinous snares— why, then,
does He still permit him to tempt and deceive people, and to destroy them,
to bring about countless calamities in the world—including the universal death of the human race—and, at times, even to throw nature itself into turmoil?
…
Satan and his kingdom are not bound, but remain active in the world
to a certain extent, so that believers—the faithful—by struggling against sin and their adversaries, and by enduring the crucible of temptations and afflictions, may be purified and strengthened in faith, patience, hope, love, and total devotion to God. In this way, they become worthy of His holiness and, having been tested and having suffered—and grown stronger in their love for God—during their time here, they may attain an even greater blessedness in the life to come;
…
Prayers
Orthodox Prayers
“The Lord puts you under ban, O Devil:
… ”.
“Who also by death annihilated Death, and overthrew him who exercised the dominion of Death,
that is you, the Devil.”
The Lord puts you under ban, O Devil:
He Who came into the world, and made His abode among men, that He might overthrow your tyranny and deliver men. Who also upon the Tree did triumph over the adverse powers, when the sun was darkened, and the earth did quake, and the graves were opened, and the bodies of the Saints arose;
Who also by death annihilated Death, and overthrew him who exercised the dominion of Death,
that is you, the Devil.
I charge you by God, Who revealed the Tree of Life, and arrayed in ranks the Cherubim and the flaming sword which turns all ways to guard it: be under ban. …
“…
in all things having unexcelled might, which, through Thee, is given to all that strive
against the devil and the might of his armies
…”.
… For Thou alone art holy, alone mighty, and alone immortal,
in all things having unexcelled might, which, through Thee, is given to all that strive against the devil and the might of his armies.
For unto Thee is due all glory, honor and worship: To the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
“And may these holy things … for the removal of …
the devil's influence,
manifested through thoughts in my members;
…”, we pray before receiving the Holy Mysteries..
… And may these holy things be for me for healing, and purification, and enlightenment, and preservation, and salvation, and for the sanctification of soul and body;
for the removal of every fantasy, and evil deed, and
the devil's influence, manifested through thoughts in my members;
…
“Disperse
the spirits of evil”, we ask before receiving the Holy Mysteries.
… By Your burial, You laid waste to the realm of hell…
disperse the spirits of evil.
…
Catholic Prayers
“Saint Michael Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection
against the wickedness and snares of the devil;
… ”.
Saint Michael Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil;
may God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Conclusion
This means that
attacks of the wickedness and snares of the devil
occur daily.
Thus, the Church hierarchy’s assertion that “the devil is already bound” is, to put it mildly, an obvious
exaggeration.
It follows that the devil has
NOT
yet been
bound
(Rev 20:2-3)
and the
Millennium
(Rev 20:4)
has
NOT
yet begun.
Published:
October 22, 2026
See also
-
Ron Craig,
Uncovering the Devil’s Hiding-Places.
-
Glendon Watson,
Demons and Devils: How They Enter.
-
Frederic Henry Chase,
The Lord's Prayer in the Early Church.
-
"Devil"
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