The name Mephistopheles denotes the ultimate frustration of the Evil One, who with the worst intent in the world, can only contribute to the exaltation of man by providing the opposition necessary for testing him in the time of probation upon the earth. (Just in case you wondered who Mephistopheles is. . . )
In the early Christian Apocrypha Satan's rebellion in heaven begins not with a refusal to worship God, but with his refusal to bow down to Adam. "I have no need to worship Adam, "he says in one early writing,"... I will not worship an inferior and younger being. I am his senior in the Creation; before he was made I was already made. It is rather his duty to worship me! When the angels who were under me heard this, they refused to worship him also...", and so the revolt was on. (Pride goeth before the fall in a big way here. Also note the recurring theme of the older brother refusing to acknowledge the position of a younger sibling who is willing to follow God.)
"Now the Prince," says the recently discovered Bodmer Papyrus X, "not being righteous wanted to be God," he had his own counterplan to propose, and the apostates of the Church "actually accept the plan of the serpent whenever they reject God's plan." (That's the choice guys, we follow God, or we're following Satan who we have already rejected once. Come on, Hang in there on this one!)
"If I am a fisherman of men," says the Lord in the Gospel of the XII Apostles (a writing which Origen says is older than the Gospel of Luke), 84 "the Devil is also a fisherman, who catches many in his nets. ... If I have come to take for my kingdom those who are mine, why should not he do the same?" (Be aware! There is more than one net cast in the sea for you and for me!)
"O Adam," cries the Evil One upon meeting him out in the dreary world after the fall, "I was cast forth from my glory because of thee, and behold I have caused thee to be expelled from paradise... because thou didst cause me to become a stranger to my home in heaven. Know thou that I shall never cease to contend against thee and all those who shall come after thee ... until I have taken them all down into Amend with me!" (I assume Amend is Hell. Nibley assumes we know as much as he does. I do know that this contention will never end and it is up to us to follow the Savior.)
"Light and Darkness, life and death, right and left, are brothers to one another. It is not possible to separate them from one another," in this world, that is, though in the next world where only the good is eternal this will not be so.
"Truth did not come into the world naked, but she came clothed in types and images. One cannot receive the truth in any other way.
(Remember, and perish not.)
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