What Do You Know about Satan?

The title question might grab your attention, but the real question is, “How much do you need to know about Satan?”

The latter question may be easier to answer than you think, and the answer is not full of speculation. You need to know only what God has revealed about Satan. The simple reason is that only God is trustworthy. After all, Satan is a deceiver, so he might not tell the truth about himself. Are humans more reliable? Where would a person go to obtain knowledge about Satan? If our knowledge of Satan is not from God, how can it be trusted?

People have many questions about Satan. Surely, we are not to be experts in evil. So, trust that God has given us all that we need to know.

The Bible refers to Satan in several ways. One key verse is found in Revelation 12:9.

And the dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world….

The dragon figuratively represented Satan. We also learn that the serpent of old was Satan. That is none other than the serpent who deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. He is also called the devil. There are other ways Satan is identified or described:

• Jesus called him the father of lies because speaking lies is his nature. (John 8:44)
• He is referred to as the prince of the power of the air and in this capacity he is “the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2)
• Satan is undoubtedly the one Jesus referred to as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31).
• Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of demons” (Matthew 12:24-29), to which the Jews gave a derogatory nickname that has various spellings and meanings: Beelzebul, Beelzebub, Beelzeboul.

The devil is described by Peter as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). He may roar at times, but when a lion is prowling, “seeking someone to devour,” he is silent and cunning. (Similar behavior is seen in common feline house pets.) Peter’s defensive instruction is to “resist him, firm in your faith.” James is a little more expressive:

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

—James 4:7

The Apostle Paul wrote about spiritual forces of wickedness that exist in the heavenly places, or heavenlies. This is not ‘heaven’ but a non-material existence for spirit beings, both good and evil. That may explain how Satan was able to approach God and make accusations regarding Job. It may also explain how Satan knew who Jesus was when he came to Him to tempt Him, and how demons recognized Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. (See Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:24; Luke 4:41.)

Based on the references to Satan in the books of Job and Revelation, Satan is restrained. God has authority and power over Satan. That is how God can assure us that we will not be tempted beyond what we are able to endure. (See 1 Corinthians 10:13.) In addition, Satan and his demons will ultimately be destroyed in the lake of fire, a reference to hell.

Of the many questions that remain about Satan, they amount to nothing in light of the fact that Satan is a real influence in the world today. We must recognize that he is a liar and his deceit can be very subtle. Our defense is in training our minds and our hearts with the word of God, the truth.

Mark Stinnett

January 26, 2025