Satan

Who is he?
He is a created being, and had been a heavenly creature, but he fell by sin.  When this fall came, we are not told.  He is the prince and the ruler of this world, the god of this age.  In the example which Jesus gave us as to how to pray, He said to the Father, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  God’s will is done in heaven, and is done imperfectly by his saints here (and, of course, He can still execute his own will when he chooses to), but Satan’s will holds sway over most of the earth.  Peter entreats us to, “Be saved from this perverse generation,” and Paul calls us to be, “…blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation…,” while we “…look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”  This world is not righteous, and will not be righteous, for it’s prince is not of the light, but of the darkness.

What are his names?
His given name is likely Satan, as that is what he is called when he is not referred to by a description (i.e., the devil).  He is also referred to once as Belial.

  • Satan, Job 1.6, and 53 other places (in the NKJV)
  • Belial, 2Cor 6.15
  • The devil, Rev 20.2
  • The adversary, 1Peter 5.8 - The wicked one, Matt 13.19, 38
  • Our enemy, Matt 13.39
  • The father of lies, John 8.44
  • The deceiver, Rev 12.9, 2John 7
  • The accuser, Rev 12.10
  • The prince of this world, John 12.31, 14.30, 16.11
  • The prince of the power of the air, Eph 2.2
  • The ruler of the darkness of this world, Eph 6.12
  • The god of this age, 2Cor 4.4

Where is he presently?
Prior to the cross, Satan had access into heaven,  Job 1.6-7 & Zec 3.1.  Now, he has been judged and cast out:

  • John 16.11
  • John 12.31
  • Rev 12.7-12
  • 1Pet 5.8, (“…walks about like a roaring lion…;” cf. Psa 22.13)
  • Rev 20.1-10

“…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices,” 2Cor 2:11
Satan has been bound during the time of the kingdom of Christ, Rev 20.1-10.  This doesn’t mean he isn’t powerful, but only that he can’t deceive us against our will, or take us against our will.  Christ has defeated him, and if any would turn to Jesus, Satan has no power to stop them.

The sum of his power is this: to get a reaction out of us.  He can only tempt us to sin, he cannot force us to.  But lest we think too lightly of this, we should remember: he has defeated every single one of us.  Because of sin, we inhabit a dead body, which we must one day lay down in the earth.  But as Jesus had power to lay down his life, and power to take it again (John 10.17-18), so in him we may live forever.  Satan is stronger then we are, but we have victory in Christ.

By the following devices, he is able to accomplish many things, up to and including causing division in the church, and causing the death of the saints.

  • False teachers
    • Genesis 3
    • 2Cor 11.1-4
    • Matthew 7.15ff
    • 2Peter 2
    • Galatians 2.1-5
    • 2Cor 11.26
    • Acts 13.6-12
    • Mark 13.22
    • 1John 4
  • The spirit of antichrist
    • 2Cor 11.13-15 (transforms himself into an angel of light)
    • 1John 2.18-22, 4:1-6
    • 2John 7-11
  • Accusations
    • Rev 12.10
    • Zechariah 3.1
    • Job 1.6-12
    • Matt 12.10, Mark 3.2
    • Luke 11.53
    • Luke 22.31
    • Acts 24
  • Persecutions
    • Dan 7.25
    • Matt 5.11, 44
    • Matt 10.16ff
    • Luke 21.12
    • John 15.18-25
    • Romans 12.14
    • Rev 2.10
  • Deception
    • Rev 12.9
    • 2John 7
    • Luke 21.8
    • Rom 7.11
    • 1Cor 6.7-11
    • 1Cor 15.33
    • 2Cor 11.3-4
    • Gal 6.7-8
    • 2Tim 3.13
    • James1.16
    • John 8.44
    • Rev 20.10
  • Temptations
    • Matthew 4
    • James 1.12ff
    • 1Cor 10.12-13
    • Gal 6.1
    • 1Thess 3.5
    • Heb 2.18, 4.15

How do we defend against him?
We have not been left defenseless in our fight against Satan; the Lord has left us means by which we may withstand the attacks which are sure to come our way.

  • Eph 6.10-18
  • James 4.7
  • Matthew 4.1-11 “It is written…”

What is his fate?
Revelation, Ezekiel, and Zephaniah clearly teach that at the end of the gospel age, the end of the kingdom of Christ, Satan will be loosed for a little while, and he will deceive the nations once more, and gather them for the battle of Armageddon, according to the determination of God, where he will be defeated once and for all.

For a discussion of Armageddon, click here.