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Q.
Is it true that the word “Satan” is never used in the Bible?
tried to assert himself as more powerful than God. The name is derived from
the Hebrew word ha-satan, which means “adversary” or “enemy” and was
expanded to mean “enemy of God.”
Other synonyms for Satan used in various Bible translations are evil one,
devil (from the Greek diabolos), Lucifer, son of the morning, Beelzebub, prince
of demons, prince of this world, false accuser, and slanderer.
Scriptural References
Genesis 3:1–7, 14–15; 2 Samuel 24:1; 1 Chronicles 21:1; Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7;
Psalm 109:6; Isaiah 14:12–15; Zechariah 3:1–7; Matthew 4:1; John 8:44;
2 Corinthians 4:4; 11:3; Ephesians 4:27; 6:11–18; Hebrews 2:14; James 4:7;
1 Peter 5:8–9; Revelation 12:9–10; 20:10
Suggested Additional Sources for Reading
- C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (HarperCollins, 2001).
- Gerald Massadie, A History of the Devil (Kodansha Globe, 1997).
- Dennis McCallum, Satan and His Kingdom: What the Bible Says and How It
Matters to You (Bethany House, 2009). - Elaine Pagels, The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans,
and Heretics (Vintage, 1996). - Jeffrey Burton Russell, The Prince of Darkness (Cornell Univ. Press, 1992).
- T. J. Wray and Gregory Mobley, The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil’s
Biblical Roots (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005).
Suggested Questions for Further Discussion/Thought
- Images of Satan abound in the church and in popular culture. What
image of Satan do you carry around with you? - Many Christians act as if Satan is omniscient, omnipresent, and
personally attacking them. Yet this idea is completely at odds with the
Old Testament account of the satan and with the limited powers and
presence of the New Testament Satan. Why is Satan given such infl uence
in today’s religious culture? - If every human being in the world were locked inside one big room,
would evil still exist on the other side of the door? Stated another way,
does evil exist independent of human agency?