Interesting Perspective

I'm not into religion much, but being raised as a Catholic really created a black and white image in my mind about Heaven and Hell. At first I was shocked that there were other fallen angels who were more powerful than Satan himself, and then I come to the end of book 4.

"Satan, I know thy strength and thou know'st mine:
Neither our own but giv'n. What folly then
To boast what arms can do since thine no more
Than Heav'n permits-nor mine though doubled now
To trample thee as mire. For proof look up
And read thy lot in yon celestial sign
Where thou art weighed and shown how light, how weak
If thou resist. The Fiend looked up and knew
His mounted scale aloft. Nor more, but fled
Murmuring, and with him fled the shades of night." (Milton 1006-1016)

Satan is no match for the other angels who had confronted him in Eden. He is outnumbered and just does nothing. Satan is weak. You can even argue that he's a coward. I was surprised to read that he just fled just took the insult from Gabriel and ran away. How can he expect to take over heaven and become as powerful as God if he can not fend off a few angels who get in his way? Gabriel was saying that both him and Satan know how powerful each other are, and not to make himself seem more than what he really is. He called him weak, and Satan just took it. Honestly, i expected more from the self-proclaimed ruler of Hell and evil. I expected a showdown, and am acctually a little disapointed. He doesn't stand a chance. I view this incident as even a little forshadowing of what may come. Satan has not listened to the plans of Mammon or any of the other fallen angels at all, and they will eventually find out that Satan has his own hidden agenda. Will they still back him up? They want to start thier own society, and Satan is still bent on shaking up Heaven. There is no way he can do it by himself, and will the rest of the fallen angels want to follow someone who doesn't take what they have to say into consideration? Will they eventually see what Satan is trying to do, despite their wants? If he isn't the most powerful angel, he can easily be usurped and taken out of power. Without backup, Satan is nothing. I think he will fail again.