What Does the Bible Say about the Devil?
The Bible has a great deal to say about Satan or the devil. The devil is seen to be an apostate angel who fell from heaven (Luke 10:18; Jude 6; Revelation 12:9). He is called the “tempter” (1 Thessalonians 3:5), “wicked,” and “evil” (Matthew 6:13; 13:19), the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), the “prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), “dragon,” “serpent,” (Revelation 12:9; 20:2), and a “liar” and “murderer” (John 8:44).
Further, the Bible asserts that Satan has a kingdom (Matthew 12:26) which is hostile to Christ’s kingdom (Matthew 16:18; Luke 11:18), and that he rules a realm of demons or evil spirits (Matthew 9:34). He deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9; 13:14), works in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2), worked even among the apostles (Matthew 16:23; Luke 22:31; John 13:2), and opposes the people of God (1 Chronicles 21:1; Zechariah 3:2; Acts 5:3; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:18). He even tried to gain the worship of God Himself in the person of Christ, an act suggestive of his mental imbalance, if not insanity (Mark 1:13; Matthew 4:1-10).
The Bible further teaches that Satan sows seeds of error and doubt in the church (Matthew 13:39), blinds the minds of unbelievers (Mark 4:15; Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4), is capable of possessing men (John 13:27), has the power of death (Hebrews 2:14), and prowls about like a roaring lion seeking those he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). His key abilities are power, deception, and cunning. He has great power (2 Thessalonians 2:9) and his subtlety (Genesis 3:1) is seen in his treacherous snares (2 Timothy 2:26), wiles (Ephesians 6:11), devices (2 Corinthians 2:11), and transforming, impersonating abilities (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Scripture does acknowledge there is genuine power in the occult (Isaiah 47:9), but it is to be avoided because it is demonic power (Matthew 24:24; Acts 8:7; 13:6-11; 16:16-19; 19:18-20; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:7-11; 2 Timothy 3:8). As Dr. Robert A. Morey observes,
“Data from Scripture, history and personal experience demonstrate that there is a Satan. He is a finite spirit being—i.e., a creature of pure energy not hindered by a physical body. Around him are gathered millions of other ‘energy beings’ who can kill, mutilate or possess the bodies and minds of human beings. This vast horde of extradimensional energy-beings constitute the forces behind occult phenomena.”[1]
In many cases, Scripture explicitly cites Satan or his demons as the reality behind occult involvement, idolatry, and false religion (Deuteronomy 32:16,17; Psalm 106:35-40; Acts 16:16-19; 1 Corinthians 10:19-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:9,10; 1 Timothy 4:1).
Extracted from John Ankerberg, John Weldon, Facts on the Occult.
- Robert A. Morey, Reincarnation and Christianity (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany, 1980), p. 25. ↑
