We can only tell in a general way what Paul meant when he spoke of
Satan, the prince of darkness, transfiguring himself so as to appear a
heavenly angel. He may have had some Jewish legend in his mind, some
story of a famous temptation, unknown to us, or he may only have
intended to represent to the imagination, with the utmost possible
vividness, one of the familiar laws in our moral experience, a law
which was strikingly illustrated by the conduct of his adversaries at
Corinth. Evil, we all know, could never tempt us if we saw it simply
as it is; disguise is essential to its power; it appeals to man
through ideas and hopes which he cannot but regard as good. So it was
in the very first temptation. An act which in its essential character
was neither more nor less than one of direct disobedience to God was
represented by the tempter, not in that character, but as the means by
which man was to obtain possession of a tree good for food (sensual
satisfaction), and pleasant to the eyes (aesthetic satisfaction), and
desirable to make one wise (intellectual satisfaction). All these
satisfactions, which in themselves are undeniably good, were the
cloak under which the tempter hid his true features. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and entered Eden to ruin man, but he presented
himself as one offering to man a vast enlargement of life and joy.
This is the nature of all temptations; to disguise himself, to look as
like a good angel as he can, is the first necessity, and therefore the
first invention, of the devil. And all who do his work, the Apostle
says, naturally imitate his devices. The soul of man is born for good,
and will not listen at all to any voice which does not profess at
least to speak for good: this is why the devil is a liar from the
beginning, and the father of lies. Lying in word and deed is the one
weapon with which he can assail the simplicity of man.