What Does the Bible Say About Satan?
By Nate Corley
"What does the Bible say about Satan, and is Satan actually who we think he is? Because the word for Satan translates to “accuser” so maybe there’s more to it than we know. Maybe Satan has a purpose that is more than just making people sin. Besides, is that even what Satan, demons, etc. are to do in the first place? Long shot here, but Job presents a very different Satan than the Satan it seems we’re taught about. Is Satan a person/entity, or maybe just a role to be filled by someone who accuses against God, maybe not even actually meaning it but perhaps just to be the devil’s advocate (pun intended) again? Long shot but I’m just letting my thoughts run wild.”
First off – great questions by the student here.
I’ll start with the second one first: “is Satan actually who we think he is?” Well, if you’re picturing a chubby goat-guy with pointy tale and pitchfork… probably not. Most in our culture, sadly, have had their image of the devil shaped more by cartoons and horror movies than scripture and theology. So that’s where we’ve got to start with this.
And according to scripture – you’re right: the name “satan” means “accuser.” Just like “devil” (diabolos) means “slanderer.” So we know something about this entity’s character right from the get go. And what we see isn’t good!
But just because these terms have other meanings doesn’t mean “Satan” is some sort of impersonal force, or a generic role that could be filled by different beings at different times. In fact, scripture is clear that Satan is a real, specific, personal being who’s been the chief adversary of God from the beginning of time.
A key text along these lines is Revelation 12:9:
“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”
So what’s helpful about this here is that we see several different titles for Satan stacked up together, and they’re all pointing to one-and-the-same being. Satan is “the ancient serpent” (Gen 3…so he’s the one who deceived the first humans in the garden), “the devil” (including all the references Jesus makes to the devil in the four gospels and Paul makes in his letters), and, of course: “Satan.” This text also alludes to the fact that Satan took other angels down with him in his rebellion (hence the demons).
So clearly, there weren’t different “satan’s” playing this role throughout history – but one being who has been the antagonist of God from the beginning. As Jesus himself puts it in John 8:44: “….He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
It’s worth pointing out, too, that scripture is very clear that Satan is NOT doing what he’s supposed to be doing (like God wanted him to be evil, so he’s just doing what God wants). Jesus calls him “the evil one” (Matt. 13:19), and his ultimate punishment proves that God is not ok with his behavior (Revelation 20:10).
So given all this, what we see about Satan in the book of Job is consistent with what we see in the rest of the Bible. He’s a personal being (hence his conversation with God), he’s among the “sons of God” (Job 1:6, almost certainly the angels), he’s been walking “to and fro on the earth” (Job 1:7, which is consistent with Jesus’s description of Satan as “the ruler of this world” in John 12:31), he seeks to harm one of God’s people (Job 1:9-12, which we also see in the rest of scripture), and yet Satan is still subject to God’s power and authority (Job 1:12).
This last point is the one that’s always worth ending on: Satan is NO MATCH for God. Some people get the mistaken idea that God and Satan are equals – like darkness and light, yin and yang. This is not the portrait we get in scripture. The Bible is very clear that God is superior to Satan in every way. God created everything…which includes the angels (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6, etc.). So Satan isn’t even of the same species or class as God. God is not Satan’s counterpart; he’s Satan’s boss. And one day God will throw Satan and his legions into the lake of fire to be punished forever (Rev. 20:10).
In the meantime, what should we do? Recognize that Satan is real, but rejoice that in Jesus, we don’t have to be afraid. We can resist, and the devil will run away (James 4:7), because the devil is no match for the Spirit of God who dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16).
REFLECTION
Take some time to read through Job chapter 1 and all of the other Scriptural references listed throughout the post
Now take some time to read and meditate on Colossians 1:16-17.
How does the passage from Colossians inform your view of God and His sovereignty over Satan?
Write out Colossians 1:16-17 and keep it somewhere you will see it often so that you can help your mind commit the passage to memory as a reminder of God’s sovereignty.