The Life of Jesus in Harmony | Index

Satan

(sa'tan; Heb. satan, Gk. Satanas, an "adversary, opponent"). The chief of fallen spirits.

Satan is also called the devil, the dragon, the evil one, the angel of the abyss, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the god of this world, Apollyon, Abaddon, Belial, and Beelzebub. But Satan and the devil are the names most frequently given.

Satan is mentioned first in the book of (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7). He appears with the sons of God (angels), among whom he no longer has any rightful place; he arbitrarily roams about and seeks his own but is still used as a servant by God, on whom he remains dependent. His independent activity in this passage is mainly that of the spy of evil, of the accuser of man to God.

Job was delivered into the hands of Satan for testing. Satan's intention was to prove that Job had strings attached to his love for God. Job was faithful.

In the OT Satan never appears openly as the enemy of God Himself. One scholar said it this way, "Though he has his special purposes and aims, he is yet the servant of God for punishment or trial, the asserter or executor of the negative side of the divine justice."

In the NT there is mention of many evil spirits, with Satan as their head (Mt 8:28; 9:34; 12:26; Lk 11:18-19). Jesus said the enemy is the devil (13:19,39; Mark 4:15), and that Satan was a murderer from the beginning (Jn 8:44), the enemy and falsifier of God's Word (Mt 13:19,39); that he aroused hatred to Jesus and put treason into the heart of Judas (Jn 13:27, 6:70; Lk 22:53); that the prince of this world is already judged by Christ, or, as Luke puts it, Satan falls "from heaven like lightning" (10:18).

God will allow rebelion to run its full course and defeat it.