What does the Bible say about Satan?
A little red man with a tail, horns, and pitchfork he absolutely is not. Who is Satan? What does the Bible say about him? What exactly is spiritual warfare? Let’s find out more below.
Christian quotes about Satan
“The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still.” A.W. Tozer
“In the midst of a world of light and love, of song and feast and dance, Lucifer could find nothing to think of more interesting than his own prestige.” C.S. Lewis
“Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God. and a scourge for Satan.” John Bunyan
“Don’t think of Satan as a harmless cartoon character with a red suit and a pitchfork. He is very clever and powerful, and his unchanging purpose is to defeat God’s plans at every turn—including His plans for your life.” – Billy Graham
“As Christ has a Gospel, Satan has a gospel too; the latter being a clever counterfeit of the former. So closely does the gospel of Satan resemble that which it parades, multitudes of the unsaved are deceived by it.” A.W. Pink
“Satan like a fisher, baits his hook according to the appetite of the fish.” Thomas Adams
“While God most often appeals to our wills through our reason, sin and Satan usually appeal to us through our desires.” Jerry Bridges
“There are two great forces, God’s force of good and the devil’s force of evil, and I believe Satan is alive and he is working, and he is working harder than ever, and we have many mysteries that we don’t understand.” Billy Graham
“Disappointment is inevitable. But to become discouraged, there’s a choice I make. God would never discourage me. He would always point me to himself to trust him. Therefore, my discouragement is from Satan. As you go through the emotions that we have, hostility is not from God, bitterness, unforgiveness, all of these are attacks from Satan.” Charles Stanley
“We must remember that Satan has his miracles, too.” John Calvin
“God has ordained that Satan have a long leash with God holding on to the leash because he knows that when we walk in and out of those temptations, struggling with both the physical effects that they bring and the moral effects that they bring, more of God’s glory will shine.” John Piper
Who is Satan in the Bible?
The name “Satan” means adversary in Hebrew. There is only one passage in the Bible where the name is translated to Lucifer, which in Latin means “light bringer” and that is in Isaiah 14. He is known as the ‘god’ of this age, prince of this world, and the father of lies.
He is a created being. He is not the equal opposite of God or Christ. He was a created angel, whose sin of pride warranted his being cast down from heaven. He fell, as did the angels who followed him into rebellion.
1. Job 1:7 “The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
2. Daniel 8:10 “It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them.”
3. Isaiah 14:12 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”
4. John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
5. John 14:30 “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”
6. John 1:3 “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”
7. Colossians 1:15-17 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
8. Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”
When was Satan created?
In the very first verse of the Bible we can see that God created the heavens and the earth. God created all things. He created all that has ever been – including the angels.
Angels are not as infinite as God. They are bound by time. Nor are they omnipresent or omniscient. In Ezekiel we can see that Satan was “blameless.” He was very good originally. All of creation was “very good.”
9. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
10. Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
11. Ezekiel 28:14-15 “You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you.”
Why did God create Satan?
Many people have asked how could Satan, who was originally created “Good” become so completely evil? Why did God allow this? We know through Scripture that God allows all things to work together for His good and that He does not create evil but allows it to exist. Even evil has a purpose. God is most glorified through the plan of Salvation. From the very beginning, the Cross was God’s plan.
12. Genesis 3:14 “So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.”
13. James 1:13-15 “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
14. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
15. Genesis 3:4-5 “The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
16. Hebrews 2:14 “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.”
When did Satan fall?
The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly when Satan fell. Since God pronounced everything good on day 6, it must have been after that. It would have been shortly after day 7 that he fell, since he tempted Eve with the fruit after she was created, and before any children were born to them. God was not unaware that Satan would fall. God allowed it to happen. And God acted in perfect justness when He cast Satan out.
17. Luke 10:18 “He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
18. Isaiah 40:25 “To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.”
19. Isaiah 14:13 “For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.”
20. Ezekial 28:16-19 “Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. 19 All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.”
Satan the tempter
Satan and his legions of fallen angels are constantly tempting humans to sin against God. In Acts 5 we are told that he fills people’s hearts with lies. We can see in Matthew 4 when Satan tempts Jesus he uses the same tactics that he uses against us. He tempts us to sin in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and in the pride of life. All sin is enmity against God. Yet Satan makes sin look good. He masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and twists God’s Words to instill doubt in our heart.
21. 1 Thessalonians 3:5 “For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”
22. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
23. Matthew 4:10 “Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
24. Matthew 4:3 “And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
25. 2 Corinthians 11:14 “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
26. Matthew 4:8-9 “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
27. Luke 4:6-7 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”
28. Luke 4:8 “Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”
29. Luke 4:13 “When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.”
30. 1 Chronicles 21:1-2 “Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north—and bring me a report so I may know how many there are.”
Satan has power
Satan does have powers since he is an angel. However, many people attribute far too many powers to him. The devil is dependent on God for His existence, which reveals his limitations. Satan is not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient. Only God has those qualities. Satan does not know our thoughts, but he can whisper doubts into our ears. Though he is quite powerful, he cannot do anything to us without permission from the Lord. His power is limited.
31. Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
32. Ephesians 6:11 “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”
33. Ephesians 2:2 “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.”
34. Job 1:6 “One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.”
35. 1 Thessalonians 2:18 “We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us.”
36. Job 1:12 “Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.”
37. Matthew 16:23 “Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
38. John 13:27 “When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.”
39. 2 Corinthians 12:7 “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!”
40. 2 Corinthians 4:4 “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”
Satan and Spiritual Warfare
When spiritual warfare is mentioned, what comes to mind is often the distorted image created by false teachers in the prosperity movement and from the Roman Catholic Church. What do we see from Scripture? We can clearly see that spiritual warfare is obedience to Christ. It is resisting the devil and clinging to what is truth: the revealed Word of God.
41. James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
42. Ephesians 4:27 “and do not give the devil and opportunity.”
43. 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”
44. Ephesians 6:16 “in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
45. Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.”
46. 1 Corinthians 5:5 “I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
47. 2 Timothy 2:26 “and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
48. 2 Corinthians 2:11 “so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”
49. Acts 26:17-18 “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
Satan defeated
Satan may tempt us in a great many ways, but we are told of his schemes. He sends us false guilt, twists Scripture, and uses our weaknesses against us. But we are also promised that one day he will be defeated. At the appointed End of the world, Satan and his legions will be thrown into the lake of fire. And he will be tormented for all of eternity, safely bound away and prevented from harming us anymore.
50. Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
51. John 12:30-31 “Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”
52. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 “that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders.”
54. Revelation 20:10 “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
55. Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”
56. Revelation 12:12 “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”
57. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 “Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.”
58. Revelation 20:2 “He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.”
59. Jude 1:9 “But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous judgment against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
60. Zechariah 3:2 “And the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?”
Conclusion
Through seeing what the Bible says about Satan, we can see God’s sovereignty. God alone is in control, and He is safe to trust. Satan was the first to sin. And we know from the book of James that evil comes from the sin tainted desire within us. Satan’s own desire caused his pride. It was Eve’s desire within her that caused her to succumb to Satan’s temptation. Satan is not all-powerful. And we can withstand his attacks when we cling to Christ. Take heart. “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
