Difference between revisions of "Satan"

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[[Image:GustaveDoreParadiseLostSatanProfile.jpg|right|thumb|Gustave Doré's depiction of Satan from John Milton's Paradise Lost.]]
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{{twootheruses|the concept of Satan|the concept of "devil"|Devil}} 
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'''Satan''' also known as the '''[[Devil]]''', is the embodiment of [[evil]].  Satan plays a major role in [[Christian]] theology, classical literature, and in other religions under different names.  He is the tempter and spiritual enemy of mankind. He is the adversary of [[God]], although subordinate to Him and able to act only by his sufferance, and is represented frequently as the leader or [[prince]] of all the fallen, apostate [[angel]]s, and as ruler of [[hell]].
  
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[[Image:GustaveDoreParadiseLostSatanProfile.jpg|260px|thumb|[[Gustave Doré]]'s depiction of Satan from [[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]''.]]
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[[Leftist]] [[Saul Alinsky]] dedicated his ''Rules for Radicals'' to Lucifer, which is another name for Satan. Satan and the Devil are often in rock music.<ref>https://www.ranker.com/list/songs-about-the-devil/ranker-music</ref> Satan is even mentioned three times in ''God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen''.<ref>https://www.metrolyrics.com/god-rest-you-merry-gentlemen-lyrics-christmas-carols.html</ref>  [[Shakespeare]] mentions Satan 8 times and the [[Devil]] 270 times in his plays; ''[[Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]'' vividly mentions Satan 3 times; ''[[The House of the Seven Gables]]'' mentions the devil about a half-dozen times and Satan twice.
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'''Satan''' ([[Standard Hebrew]] '''Satan'el''', [[English language|English]] ''accuser'') is a term that originates from the [[Abrahamic faiths]], being traditionally applied to an [[angel]] in [[Judeo-Christian]] belief, and to a [[Genie|jinn]] in [[Islamic]] belief.
 
  
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While Hebrew ha-Satan is "the accuser" and Satan itself means "to overcome" &mdash; the one who challenged the religious faith of humans in the books of [[Book of Job|Job]] and [[Book of Zechariah|Zechariah]] &mdash; Abrahamic religious belief systems other than [[Judaism]] relate this term to a [[demon]], a rebellious [[fallen angel]], [[devil]], minor god and [[idolatry|idol]], or as an [[allegory]] for [[knowledge]] or the enlightenment of mankind.
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"Satan is the force that loves to find the guilt and weakness in people, to humiliate them with it, to convince them that, because they are not good, God cannot [[love]] them."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/258360/iritei-stuff-satan-prosecutor-mike-potemra|title=The Rite Stuff: Satan as Prosecutor|author=Mike Potemra|accessdate=March 12, 2020}}</ref> [[Liberal]]s today try to deny the existence of Satan, or at least depersonify him into "more a force than an actual being."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.christianpost.com/voices/yes-i-believe-in-the-devil.html|title=Yes, I believe in the devil|date=March 11, 2020|accessdate=March 12, 2020|publisher=The Christian Post}}</ref>
  
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==Etymology==
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==Old Testament==
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[[Image:Codex Gigas devil.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Satan]] as seen in [[Codex Gigas]].]]
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Satan was once a member of the divine council of God referenced in the [[Old Testament]]. He is referenced 11 times in [[Job]] and 4 other times in the Old Testament. The [[New Testament]] mentions Satan 34 times in all, starting with the first book [[Matthew]] and ending with the last [[Revelation]]. In the [[Christianity|Christian]] tradition, he rebelled against God and is now the enemy of God and man alike.  He is the father of lies, and no good is found in him.  He leads a host of fallen angels, or [[demon]]s, who know their days are numbered before they will be cast into the lake of fire, so they seek to take as many humans as possible with them.
  
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The word 'Satan', and the [[Arabic]] ''شيطان'' "shaitan", may derive from a Northwest Semitic root ''{{unicode|śṭn}}'', meaning "to be hostile", "to accuse."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/S301.html| title=American Heritage® Dictionary: Semitic roots: sn| accessdate=2006-05-31}}</ref> An alternative explanation is provided by the Hebrew in {{bibleverse||Job|1:7|HE}}. When [[God]] asks him whence he has come, Satan answers: "From wandering (''{{unicode|mi'ŝuṭ}}'') the earth and walking on it" (מִשּׁוּט בָּאָרֶץ, וּמֵהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּה). The root ''{{unicode|ŝuṭ}}'' signifies wandering on foot or sailing. 'Satan' would thus be "the Wanderer".
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== New Testament==
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In the [[New Testament]], Satan tries to tempt [[Jesus]] in the desert, and fails. Jesus warns extensively to beware of Satan, as does [[Paul]].
  
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'Satan' is {{unicode|שָׂטָן}} ''Satan'' in [[Standard Hebrew]], ''{{unicode|Śāṭān}}'' in [[Tiberian Hebrew]], {{unicode|סטנא}} ''{{unicode|Sāṭānā'}}'' in [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]], Σατανάς ''Satanás'' in [[Koine Greek]], {{unicode|شيطان}} ''{{unicode|Šeytân}}'' in [[Persian language|Persian]], {{unicode|شيطان}} ''{{unicode|Šayṭān}}'' in [[Arabic language|Arabic]], {{unicode|ሳይጣን}} ''{{Unicode|Sāyṭān}}'' in [[Ge'ez alphabet|Ge'ez]], ''{{unicode|Şeytan}}'' in [[Turkish language|Turkish]], and {{unicode|شيطان}} ''{{unicode|Shāitān}}'' in [[Urdu language|Urdu]].
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In [[Christian]] theology, Satan's goal is to lead people away from the love of God, by tempting or tricking them. The only sources of supernatural power in the world are from either God (good) or Satan (evil).  In the book of [[Genesis]], Satan takes the form of a snake and tempts Eve with fruit from a tree.  This causes sin to come into the world.  Kelly (2006) demonstrates how assumptions—such as the identification of the Eden serpent with Satan, probably first made by Justin Martyr in the second century—have hardened into fact.
  
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==In Judaism==
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Satan, in the [[Book of Job]], listens to God speak highly of Job and accuses Job to God before the host of angels that Job praises God only because he is blessed and would curse God if he was forced to suffer. God allows Satan to do what he will except to spare his life, and Satan causes Job to suffer immensely.  (Job remained true to God through his hardships; Satan accused him further and punished him further, but could not get Job to break).
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===In the Hebrew Apocrypha===
 
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[[The Apocrypha]] are religious writings which are not generally accepted as scripture by [[Judaism]] and many modern-day Protestant sects of [[Christianity]]. These works usually bore the names of ancient Hebrew worthies in order to establish their validity among the true writers' contemporaries. To reconcile the late appearance of the texts with their claims to primitive antiquity, alleged authors are represented as "shutting up and sealing" (Dan. XII. 4:9) the works until the time of their fulfillment had arrived; as the texts were not meant for their own generations but for far-distant ages (also cited in [[Assumption of Moses]] I. 16:17).
 
  
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In the [[Book of Wisdom]], the devil is represented as the being who brought death into the world.<ref>"But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world" - Book of Wisdom II. 24</ref>
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==Possession==
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[[Jesus]] makes references to demonic possession on multiple occasions that He then casts out.  Some believe that Satan is able to possess and control living humans on Earth even today. Even more, some others believe that Satan actually has done this in the past as well. Specifically, Satan is said to have entered Judas during [[The Last Supper]] ([[John, Chapter 13|John 13:27]]). The [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] church believes that priests (and sometimes only bishops) are able to [[Exorcism|exorcise]] this possession through Jesus.
  
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The 2nd Book of Enoch, also called the [[2 Enoch|Slavonic Book of Enoch]], contains references to a Watcher [[Grigori]] called Satanael.<ref>[[2 Enoch]] 18:3</ref> It is a [[pseudepigraphic]] text of an uncertain date and unknown authorship. The text describes Satanael as being the prince of the Grigori who was cast out of heaven<ref>"And I threw him out from the height with his angels, and he was flying in the air continuously above the bottomless" - [[2 Enoch]] 29:4</ref> and an evil spirit who knew the difference between what was "righteous" and "sinful".<ref>"The devil is the evil spirit of the lower places, as a fugitive he made Sotona from the heavens as his name was Satanail, thus he became different from the angels, but his nature did not change his intelligence as far as his understanding of righteous and sinful things" - [[2 Enoch]] 31:4</ref> A similar story is found in the book of [[1 Enoch]]; however, in that book, the leader of the Grigori is called [[Samyaza|Semjâzâ]].
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==Terms==
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The word ''Satan'' derives from the [[Hebrew]] "ha-satan", meaning the "accuser", "tempter", "persecutor", "calumniator", or "adversary". He "was a liar and a murderer from the beginning." (John 8:44)  Synonyms include '''Lucifer, The Devil, Mephistopheles, Mephisto,  Beelzebub, the Evil One, the Tempter,''' '''The Prince of Darkness''' and '''the angel of light'''. The term "demon" generally refers to one of the fallen angels who join in Satan's attempt to overthrow God.
  
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In the apocryphal literature, Satan rules over a host of angels.<ref>''[[Martyrdom of Isaiah]]'', 2:2; ''[[Vita Adæ et Evæ]]'', 16)</ref> [[Mastema]], who induced God to test Abraham through the sacrifice of Isaac, is identical with Satan in both name and nature.<ref>[[Book of Jubilees]], xvii. 18</ref>
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The adjectives include "devilish," "demonic", and "diabolic". Those who worship Satan are called [[satanism|Satanists]], Satan-worshippers, devil-worshippers, or demonists.
  
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For the [[Chasidic Jew]]s of the eighteenth century, Ha-satan was ''Baal Davar''.<ref>The Dictionary of Angels" by Gustav Davidson, © 1967</ref>
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=== Lucifer ===
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'''Lucifer''' is a name literally meaning "Son of the Morning" (or "Light-Bearer"), and is mentioned in the [[Bible]] only in the [[book of Isaiah]] ([[Isaiah, Chapter 14|Isaiah 14:12]]). Though in Christian tradition Lucifer is equated with Satan, the immediate context of the passage is Isaiah's prophecy against the king of Babylon, [[Nebuchadnezzar]], and the name "Lucifer" was not present at all in the original manuscripts (in the Latin Vulgate, the phrase "Son of the Morning" was transliterated as a proper name).
  
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The [[Book of Enoch]] contains references to [[Satariel]], thought also to be [[Sataniel]] and [[Satanel|Satan'el]] (entomology dating back to [[Babylonian]] origins). The similar spellings mirror that of his angelic brethren [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]], [[Raphael (angel)|Raphael]], [[Uriel]] and [[Gabriel]], previous to his expulsion from Heaven.
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Whomever Lucifer may be, the [[Book of Isaiah]] issued a strong prophecy against him, condemning him for 5 pronouncements:
  
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===As the "accuser"===
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* I will ascend into [[heaven]]
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Where Satan does appear in the Bible, he plays the role of the Accuser.
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* I will exalt my throne above the stars of God
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* I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north
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* I will ascend above the heights of the clouds
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* I will be like the most High
  
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According to the article on 'Satan' in the [[Jewish Encyclopedia]], Satan's role as the accuser is found:
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Those who take this passage to be a reference to Satan believe that it gives more history of what caused his downfall, that he was created by God as one of His most powerful angels (possibly a [[Seraphim|Seraph]]), but that he fell from grace after he in his pride rebelled against his Creator. Some, however, believe that there is no grounding to interpret the passage as a history of Satan, citing that the passage uses highly figurative and poetic language that was meant as a prophecy against Babylon and nothing more.
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{{bquote|in the prologue to the Book of Job, where Satan appears, together with other celestial beings before the Deity, replying to the inquiry of God as to whence he had come, with the words: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' (Job 1:7) Both question and answer, as well as the dialogue which follows, characterize Satan as having the evil purpose of searching out men's sins and appearing as their accuser. He is, therefore, the celestial prosecutor, who sees only iniquity; for he persists in his evil opinion of Job even after the man of Uz has passed successfully through his first trial by surrendering to the will of God, whereupon Satan demands another test through physical suffering. (ib. ii. 3-5.)}}
 
  
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{{bquote|Yet it is also evident from the prologue that Satan has no power of independent action, but requires the permission of God, which he may not transgress. He cannot be regarded, therefore, as an opponent of the Deity; and the doctrine of monotheism is disturbed by his existence no more than by the presence of other beings before the face of God. This view is also retained in Zech. 3:1-2, where Satan is described as the adversary of the high priest [[Joshua]], and of the people of God whose representative the hierarch is; and he there opposes the 'angel of the Lord' who bids him be silent in the name of God.}}
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[[Image:Paradise Lost 12.jpg|right|thumb|''The fall of Lucifer'' by Gustave Doré.]]
  
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{{bquote|In both of these passages Satan acts only under permission; but in I Chron. 21:1 he appears as one who is able to provoke [[David]] to destroy Israel. The Chronicler (third century B.C.) regards Satan as an independent agent, a view which is the more striking since the source whence he drew his account (II Sam. 24:1) speaks of God Himself as the one who moved David against the children of [[Israel]]. Since the older conception refers all events, whether good or bad, to God alone, (I Sam. 16:14; I Kings 22:22; Isa. 45:7; etc) it is possible that the Chronicler, and perhaps even [[Zechariah (Hebrew prophet)|Zechariah]], were influenced by [[Zoroastrianism]], even though in the case of the prophet Jewish [[monism]] strongly opposed [[Iran]]ian [[dualism]]. (Stave, ''Einfluss des Parsismus auf das Judenthum,'' pp. 253 et seq.) An immediate influence of the Babylonian concept of the 'accuser, persecutor, and oppressor' (Schrader, ''K. A. T.'' 3d ed., p. 463) is impossible, since traces of such an influence, if it had existed, would have appeared in the earlier portions of the Bible."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=270&letter=S|title=Jewish Encyclopaedia}}</ref>}}
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===Beelzebub===
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Literally "lord of the flies," this is believed to be a deliberately insulting perversion of the name "Beelzebul."<ref name="oxfordbiblicalstudies.com">http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com/article/opr/t94/e242</ref>
  
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==In Christianity==
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===Beelzebul===
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{{main|Devil in Christianity}}
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Literally "Lord of Heaven" or "Lord of the House," this name is believed to have originated from the name Baal-Zebul, and may refer to the god of Ekron (see 2 King. 1:2-3).<ref name="oxfordbiblicalstudies.com"/>
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{{seealso|War in Heaven}}
 
  
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In Christianity, terms that are synonymous with 'Satan' include:
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== Jewish Views ==
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* The most common English synonym for 'Satan' is 'Devil', which descends from [[Middle English]] ''devel'', from [[Old English]] ''dēofol'', that in turn represents an early [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] borrowing of Latin ''diabolus'' (also the source of 'diabolical'). This in turn was borrowed from Greek ''diabolos'' "slanderer," from ''diaballein'' "to slander": ''dia-'' "across, through" + ''ballein'' "to hurl."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bartleby.com/61/94/D0179400.html| title=American Heritage® Dictionary: Devil| accessdate=2006-05-31}}</ref> In the [[New Testament]], 'Satan' occurs more than thirty times in passages alongside ''Diabolos'' (Greek for "the devil"), referring to the same person or thing as Satan.<ref>{{bibleverse||Revelation|12:9}}</ref>
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In the Jewish tradition, Satan is an angel who faithfully serves God as a prosecuting attorney &#8212; one who accuses men of wickedness and impiety. At the direction of God, Satan may be permitted to test these accusations, such as in Job. In this view, Satan's goal is not to lead men away from their faithfulness to God, but merely to reveal the true depths of their devotion, although in [[I Chronicles]] 21:1 Satan provoked [[David]] to take a [[census]] of the people of Israel against the will of God and 70,000 men are slain because of it. [[II Samuel]] 24:1 supports the view of Satan as God's prosecuting attorney by reporting that it was the Lord Who moved David to take the census; the two passages can easily [[Scripture interprets Scripture|be reconciled]] if Satan acted as God's agent.
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* [[Lucifer]] is sometimes used in Christian theology to refer to Satan, as a result of identifying the fallen "son of the dawn" of Isaiah 14:12 with the "accuser" of other passages in the Old Testament.
 
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* [[Beelzebub]] is originally the name of a [[Philistine]] god (more specifically a certain type of [[Baal]], from ''Ba‘al Zebûb'', lit. "Lord of Flies") but is also used in the New Testament as a synonym for Satan. A corrupted version, "Belzeboub," appears in [[The Divine Comedy]].
 
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* "The dragon" and "the old serpent" in the [[Book of Revelation]] 12:9, 20:2 have also been identified with Satan, as have "the prince of this world" in the [[Book of John]] 12:31, 14:30; "the prince of the power of the air" also called Meririm, and "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" in the [[Book of Ephesians]] 2:2; and "the god of this world" in [[2 Corinthians]] 4:4.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|2:2}}</ref>
 
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* [[Leviathan]] is described as "that crooked serpent," which is also used to describe Satan in Revelation 12:9. 'Sar ha Olam,' a possible name for [[Metatron]], is described as Satan by [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]], [[Jehoel]] and [[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]].
 
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[[Image:Gustave Dore Inferno34.jpg|thumb|left|235px|Satan as depicted in [[Cocytus|the Ninth Circle of Hell]] in [[Dante Alighieri]]'s ''[[Divine Comedy|Inferno]]'', illustrated by [[Gustave Doré]].]]
 
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In mainstream Christianity's understanding of the holy Hebrew scriptures, the [[Torah]], Satan is a synonym for the [[Devil]]. For most Christians, he is believed to be an [[angel]] who rebelled against [[God]]— and also the one who spoke through the [[serpent (symbolism)|serpent]] and seduced Eve into disobeying God's command. His ultimate goal is to lead people away from the love of God — to lead them to fallacies which God opposes. Satan is also identified as the accuser of [[Book of Job|Job]], the tempter in the [[Gospels]], the secret power of lawlessness in {{bibleverse|2|Thessalonians|2:7}}, and the dragon in the [[Book of Revelation]]. Before his alleged insurrection, Satan was among the highest of all angels and the "[[Lucifer|brightest in the sky]]." His pride is considered a reason why he would not bow to God as all other angels did, but sought to rule heaven himself. The popularly held beliefs that Satan was once a prideful angel who eventually rebels against God, however, are barely portrayed explicitly in the Bible and are mostly based on inference. Moreover, in mainstream Christianity he is called "the ruler of the demons" (Matt. 12:24), "the ruler of the world" and even "the god of this world." (2 Cor. 4:4). The Book of Revelation describes how Satan will be cast out of Heaven, down to the earth, having "great anger" and waging war against "those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of [[Jesus]]". Ultimately, Satan is thrown into the "lake of fire" ({{bibleref|Revelation|20:10}}), not as ruler, but as one among many, being tormented day and night for all eternity.
 
  
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In other, non-mainstream, Christian beliefs (e.g. the beliefs of the [[Devil in Christianity#Christadelphians|Christadelphians]]) the word "satan" in the Bible is not regarded as referring to a supernatural, personal being but to any 'adversary' and figuratively refers to human sin and temptation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/devil.htm |title=Do you Believe in a Devil? He is a saint. |accessdate=2007-05-29 }}</ref>
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==Jehovah's Witnesses==
  
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==In Islam==
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[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] believe that Satan was at one time an [[angel]] who lived among the many millions of Angels that existed before the [[world]] was created. They believe that at some point he developed the desire to be worshiped by [[humans]] and other angels and so set himself in opposition to worship of [[Jehovah]], his [[God]] and Father. This they believe occurred in the Garden of Eden, and not prior to the Earths creation. [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] teach that Satan used a serpent as his mouthpiece, the same way a ventriloquist uses a dummy, to bring the first [[human]] couple under his control.
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{{main|Shaitan|Iblis}}
 
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''Shaitan'' (شيطان) is the equivalent of Satan in [[Islam]].
 
  
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While Shaitan (شيطان, from the root {{unicode|šṭn شطن}}) is an [[adjective]] (meaning "astray" or "distant", sometimes translated as "devil") that can be applied to both [[man]] ("al-ins", الإنس) and [[Genie|Jinn]]. [[Iblis]] ({{pronounced|ˈibliːs}}) is the personal name of the Devil who is mentioned in the [[Qur'an]]ic account of [[Genesis]].<ref>[http://www.themystica.org/mystica/articles/i/iblis.html Iblis<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
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Jehovah's Witnesses teach that God has allowed Satan to rule mankind for several reasons such as:
  
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Whenever the Qur'an refers to the creature who refused to prostrate before [[Adam and Eve|Adam]] at the time of the latter's creation, it refers to him as [[Iblis]]. The Islamic view of Iblis has both similarities and differences with Christian and Jewish views. The character of Satan is generally similar to the one presented in Judeo-Christian thought. However, according to Islamic belief, Satan is not considered to be a 'fallen' angel, but a [[Genie|jinn]] who was among the ranks of angels due to his wisdom and piety; in Islamic belief, angels always follow God's commands, but jinns (like humans) have free will, which explains why Satan was able to rebel against God's command of bowing to Adam<ref>{{quran-usc|17|61}}; {{quran-usc|2|34}}</ref>.
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*Satan has challenged God's Right to rule his creations, not his power....  
  
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==Other instances of Satan==
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*Satan accuses God of bribing Humans for their loyalty with protection and blessings....  
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Although some other faiths may have an evil figure or entity ''likened'' to Satan (see [[Devil]]), few have a figure actually named 'Satan'.
 
  
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===Yazidism===
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*Satan has accused Humans of being loyal to God out of selfish reasons....  
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An alternate name for the main deity in the tentatively Indo-European pantheon of the [[Yazidi]], Malek Taus, is Shaitan.<ref>Drower, E.S. The Peacock Angel. Being Some Account of Votaries of a Secret Cult and their Sanctuaries. London: John Murray, 1941. [http://www.avesta.org/yezidi/peacock.htm]</ref>
 
  
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===In the Bahá'í Faith===
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*Satan claims that he can rule mankind better than God....  
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In the [[Bahá'í Faith]], 'Satan' is not regarded as an independent evil power as he is in some faiths, but signifies the "base nature" of humans. [[`Abdu'l-Bahá]] explains: "This lower nature in man is symbolized as Satan -- the evil ego within us, not an evil personality outside."<ref>From The Promulgation of Universal Peace p. 470 [http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PUP/pup-96.html]</ref></blockquote>
 
  
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===In Satanism===
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Jehovah's Witnesses teach also that [[God]] decided that time, rather than a display of force, is needed to settle these issues. This, they believe, has given Satan thousands of years to prove that Mankind is better off without God, that He (Satan) can rule Mankind successfully, and that the Humans that Do serve God do so only out of selfish reasons.
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{{main|Satanism|LaVeyan Satanism}}
 
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Much "Satanic" lore does not originate from actual Satanists, but from Christians. Best-known would be the [[medieval]] [[folklore]] and [[theology]] surrounding [[demons]] and [[witches]]. A more recent example is the so-called [[Satanic ritual abuse]] scare of the 1980s; beginning with the memoir ''[[Michelle Remembers]]'' – which depicts Satanism as a vast conspiracy of elites with a predilection for [[child abuse]] and [[human sacrifice]]. This genre regularly describes Satan as actually appearing in person in order to receive worship. Claims of Satanic child-molesting or murder rings are largely unsubstantiated.
 
  
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People claiming to be Satanists – or outsiders claiming to describe Satanism – ascribe a wide variety of beliefs to this movement. These range from the literal worship of a spiritual being ([[Theistic Satanism]]); to a kind of subversive ritual performance stressing the mockery of Christian symbols (most notably the [[Black Mass]]); to the claimed rediscovery of an ancient but misunderstood religion (e.g. [[Setianism]], which conflates Satan with the Egyptian god [[Set (mythology)|Set]]).
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Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Satan does not live in any kind of [[Hell]] or world of the dead, but on the [[Earth]] as its current ruler, along with as many as a third of the Angels of [[Heaven]]. They teach that Satan had lived in Heaven up until 1914, when Jesus and his Angels cast him out of Heaven, bringing woe to the Earth. this is their reasoning on Why the world has experienced two World wars, increasing lawlessness, an increase in disease and pollution, and the overall conditions on earth today.
  
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The most prominent and widely known Satanist in recent years was [[Anton Szandor LaVey]], who founded the [[Church of Satan]] in 1966. LaVey wrote ''[[The Satanic Bible]]'' (1969) and other works which remain highly influential (though controversial) among avowed Satanists. LaVey rejects the Black Mass, cruelty to animals, or a literal belief in (or worship of) Satan, instead considering Satan as the human instinct within ourselves, which is what [[LaVeyan Satanism]] celebrates. Instead he supports a view of human beings as animals and rejects many social structures that he believes inhibit human instincts.
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Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Satan delegates authority to each Demon as he sees fit, and over what he sees fit, sometimes including whole Nations and kingdoms. They believe that Satan and his demons are in every way the enemy of God, rather than working alongside him. They teach that Satan will continue to rule the world until [[Armageddon]], when Jesus Christ and his heavenly Angels come to earth and bind him, eventually killing him and freeing the world of all opposition towards True worship.
  
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==Images of Satan==
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==Defense==
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In art and literature, Satan has been depicted in numerous ways throughout history. According to one interpretation of the book of ''[[Genesis]]'', Satan is identified as the [[snake|serpent]] who convinced [[Eve (Bible)|Eve]] to eat the forbidden fruit; thus, Satan has often been depicted as a serpent. (However, some care to argue that [[Lilith]] was the one who persuaded Eve to take this act upon herself.) This interpretation goes back at least as far as the time of the writing of the book of Revelation, which specifically identifies Satan as being the serpent (Rev. 20:2). In truth, Genesis makes no direct reference to the serpent having another identity, Satan or any other. It has been postulated by many Biblical scholars that Eden's snake is just a snake, able to speak, reason, and tempt Eve because it serves the explanatory purpose.
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The Spirit of God is the only defense against Satan. Application of this defense by the spirit-filled believer includes:
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* the [[Holy Spirit]], meaning "The Advocate" (i.e., defense lawyer), or the ''Armor of God''.<ref>Ephesians 6:1-17</ref>
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* Giving glory to God, and quoting His word (activities which Satan despises)
 +
* mockery, which Satan cannot withstand due to his [[pride]].<ref>According to [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude+1%3A8-10&version=RSVCE Jude 8-10] only arrogant and [[blasphemy|blasphemous]] individuals ruled by instinct and passion like animals dare to mock Satan. See [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/jude/1-9.htm biblical commentaries on Jude 9]. [[Martin Luther]] who famously rejected the inspiration of Jude along with Hebrews, James and Revelation, and railed against the Popes and the Catholic Church, heartily recommended mockery against the Devil. “The best way to drive out the devil ... is to jeer and flout him ...” – Luther. From Martin Luther’s ''Tischreden'' (Table Talk). The oldest source for this quote is Joannes Aurifaber’s edition, first published in 1566 (facsimile reprint 1968), Chapter 25, “Vom Teufel und seinen Werken” (“Of the Devil and his Works”, Fol. 278-307), cited by Arend Smilde in [http://lewisiana.nl/screwtapequotes/ Quotations and Allusions in C. S. Lewis, ''The Screwtape Letters'', compiled by Arend Smilde (Utrecht, The Netherlands)]. However, according to many biblical commentators, the import of Jude 9 is "as if the apostle had said, If the angel did not rail even against the devil, how much less ought we against men in authority, even supposing them in some things to behave amiss? To do it, therefore, when they behave well, must be a wickedness yet much more aggravated." [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/jude/1.htm  — Doddridge, Benson Commentary, Jude 1:9].</ref> He knows he is a literal loser, but cannot stand when the believer points that fact out.
 +
 
 +
Note that Satan lacks self-restraint, which often leads him to failure.  In addition, Satan delights in [[deceit]], even to the point of causing his downfall.
 +
 
 +
==Dante, Milton, Goethe and others==
 +
Some national literary depictions of Satan have become highly regarded classics, but by a strange coincidence of causes are presented by their authors, to a man, in their native language rather than a Classical language.
 +
 
 +
*The first part of Medieval Italian [[Dante Alighieri]]'s three-part poem, ''[[The Divine Comedy]]'' (1320), known to all in the set phrase "[[Dante's Inferno|Dante's ''Inferno'']]" (pronounced Dan-tay). 
 +
 
 +
*[[John Milton]]'s English poem, ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' (1667).
 +
 
 +
*[[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]]'s German play ''[[Faust (Goethe)|Faust]]'' (1831).
 +
 
 +
These three are considered among the greatest poems of their respective literatures.
 +
 
 +
*[[Christopher Marlowe]]'s English play, ''The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus'' (1604).
 +
 
 +
*''Lucifer'' (1654), play by Dutch author Joost van den Vondel.
 +
 
 +
In Western art and popular culture the devil is used to represent evil influences or motivations.
 +
 
 +
==Similarity to Prometheus==
 +
Some writers have pointed out that a few popular depictions of Satan are similar to that of [[Prometheus]].<ref>Werblowsky, Raphael Jehudah Zwi. Lucifer and Prometheus: A Study of Milton's Satan. Routledge, reprinted 1999 and 2001; originally published 1952.
 +
</ref> others like [[John Milton]] in his book [[Paradise Lost]] re-imagined him as a complex [[anti-hero]]
 +
 
 +
== Atheism and satanism ==
 +
 
 +
''See also:'' [[Atheism and satanic deception]]
 +
 
 +
Pew Research reports:
 +
{{Cquote|When asked who comes to mind when they think about [[atheism]], though, Americans are much less likely to name a well-known figure. While 6% say Satan, 4% say [[Richard Dawkins]] and 4% say [[Madalyn Murray O'Hair|Madalyn Murray O’Hair]], one-in-ten respondents just name themselves or another personal acquaintance such as a relative, friend or roommate. And roughly half (51%) say “no one” or “don’t know” or do not answer the question.<ref>[https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/17/when-americans-think-about-a-specific-religion-here-are-some-of-the-first-people-who-come-to-mind/ When Americans think about a specific religion, here are some of the first people who come to mind], Pew Research</ref>}}
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
−
* [[Yazdânism]]
 
−
* [[Morgoth]]
 
−
* [[God]]
 
−
* [[Yama]]
 
−
* [[Satanism]]
 
−
* [[Hail Satan]]
 
−
 
−
==References==
 
−
===Notes===
 
−
{{reflist}}
 
  
−
===Bibliography===
+
* [[Devil]]
−
<div class="references-small">
+
*[[Spiritual warfare]]
−
* {{cite book
+
* [[Satanic ritual abuse]]
−
| last = Bamberger | first = Bernard J.
+
* [[Revelation, Book of (historical exegesis)]]
−
| authorlink = Bernard J. Bamberger
+
* [[Salem Witch Trials]]
−
| title=Fallen Angels: Soldiers of Satan's Realm
 
−
| publisher=Jewish Publication Society of America
 
−
| year= 2006
 
−
| id=ISBN 0-8276-0797-0
 
−
}}
 
−
* {{cite book
 
−
| last = Forsyth | first = Neil
 
−
| authorlink = Neil Forsyth
 
−
| title=The Old Enemy: Satan & the Combat Myth
 
−
| publisher=Princeton University Press; Reprint edition
 
−
| year=1987
 
−
| id=ISBN 0-691-01474-4
 
−
}}
 
−
* {{cite book
 
−
| last = Forsyth | first = Neil
 
−
| authorlink =
 
−
| title=The Satanic Epic
 
−
| publisher=Princeton University Press; Reprint edition
 
−
| year=1987
 
−
| id=ISBN 0-691-11339-4
 
−
}}
 
−
* {{cite book
 
−
| last = Gentry | first = Kenneth L. Jr
 
−
| authorlink = Kenneth L. Jr. Gentry
 
−
| title=The Beast of Revelation
 
−
| publisher=American Vision
 
−
| year=2002
 
−
| id=ISBN 0-915815-41-9
 
−
}}
 
−
* {{cite book
 
−
| last = Graves | first = Kersey
 
−
| authorlink = Kersey Graves
 
−
| title=Biography of Satan: Exposing the Origins of the Devil
 
−
| publisher=Book Tree
 
−
| year=1995
 
−
| id=ISBN 1-885395-11-6
 
−
}}
 
−
* {{cite book
 
−
| last = Pagels | first = Elaine
 
−
| authorlink = Elaine Pagels
 
−
| title=The Origin of Satan
 
−
| publisher=Vintage; Reprint edition
 
−
| year=1995
 
−
| id=ISBN 0-679-72232-7
 
−
}}
 
−
* {{cite book
 
−
| last = Rudwin | first = Maximilian
 
−
| authorlink = Maximilian Rudwin
 
−
| title=The Devil in Legend and Literature
 
−
| publisher=Open Court
 
−
| year=1970
 
−
| id=ISBN 0-87548-248-1
 
−
}}
 
−
* {{cite book
 
−
| last = Russell | first = Jeffrey Burton
 
−
| authorlink = Jeffrey Burton Russell
 
−
| title=The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity
 
−
| publisher=Cornell University Press; Reprint edition
 
−
| year=1977
 
−
| id=ISBN 0-8014-9413-3
 
−
}}
 
−
* {{cite book
 
−
| last = Russell | first = Jeffrey Burton
 
−
| authorlink =
 
−
| title=The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History
 
−
| publisher=Cornell University Press; Reprint edition
 
−
| year=1992
 
−
| id=ISBN 0-8014-8056-6
 
−
}}
 
−
* {{cite book
 
−
| last = Russell | first = Jeffrey Burton
 
−
| authorlink =
 
−
| title=The Birth of Satan : Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots
 
−
| publisher=Palgrave Macmillan
 
−
| year=2005
 
−
| id=ISBN 1-4039-6933-7
 
−
}}
 
  
−
</div>
+
==Further reading==
 +
* Caldwell, William. "The Doctrine of Satan: I. In the Old Testament," ''The Biblical World,'' Vol. 41, No. 1 (Jan., 1913), pp.&nbsp;29–33 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3142352 in JSTOR]
 +
* Caldwell, William. "The Doctrine of Satan: II. Satan in Extra-Biblical Apocalyptical Literature," ''The Biblical World,'' Vol. 41, No. 2 (Feb., 1913), pp.&nbsp;98–102 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3142425 in JSTOR]
 +
* Caldwell, William. "The Doctrine of Satan: III. In the New Testament," ''The Biblical World,'' Vol. 41, No. 3 (Mar., 1913), pp.&nbsp;167–172 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3142755 in JSTOR]
 +
* Empson, William. ''Milton's God'' (1966)
 +
* Jacobs, Joseph, and Ludwig Blau. "Satan," ''The Jewish Encyclopedia'' (1906) [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=270&letter=S&search=Satan#ixzz0UQlw0zPS online] pp 68–71
 +
* Kelly, Henry Ansgar. ''Satan: A Biography.'' (2006). 360 pp. [https://books.google.com/books?id=gPIpQg0lRbMC&pg=PA12&dq=intitle:satan+inauthor:kelly&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=&f=false excerpt and text search] ISBN 0-521-60402-8, a study of the Bible and Western literature
 +
* Kent, William. "Devil." ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' (1908)  Vol. 4. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm online older article]
 +
* Osborne, B. A. E. "Peter: Stumbling-Block and Satan," ''Novum Testamentum,'' Vol. 15, Fasc. 3 (Jul., 1973), pp.&nbsp;187–190 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1560340 in JSTOR] on "Get thee behind me, Satan!"
 +
* Rebhorn Wayne A. "The Humanist Tradition and Milton's Satan: The Conservative as Revolutionary," ''Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900,'' Vol. 13, No. 1, The English Renaissance (Winter, 1973), pp.&nbsp;81–93 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/449871 in JSTOR]
 +
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton. ''The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity''  (1987) [https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Perceptions-Antiquity-Christianity-Paperbacks/dp/0801494095/ref=pd_sim_b_1 excerpt and text search]
 +
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton. ''Satan: The Early Christian Tradition'' (1987) [https://www.amazon.com/Satan-Christian-Jeffrey-Burton-Russell/dp/0801494133/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c  excerpt and text search]
 +
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton. ''Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages'' (1986)  [https://www.amazon.com/Lucifer-Devil-Middle-Cornell-Paperbacks/dp/080149429X/ref=pd_sim_b_1 excerpt and text search]
 +
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton. ''Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World'' (1990) [https://www.amazon.com/Mephistopheles-Modern-Jeffrey-Burton-Russell/dp/0801497183/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c excerpt and text search]
 +
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton. ''The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History'' (1992) [https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Darkness-Radical-Power-History/dp/0801480566/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255995689&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
 +
* Schaff, D. S. "Devil" in ''New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge'' (1911), [[Mainline]] Protestant;  vol 3 pp 414–417 [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc03.d.iii.html online]
 +
* Scott, Miriam Van. ''The Encyclopedia of Hell'' (1999) [https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Hell-Miriam-Van-Scott/dp/0312244428/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b excerpt and text search] comparative religions; also popular culture
 +
* Wray, T. J. and Gregory Mobley. ''The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots'' (2005) [https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Satan-Tracing-Devils-Biblical/dp/1403969337/ref=pd_sim_b_1 excerpt and text search]
  
−
==External links==
+
== References ==
−
{{wiktionary}}
+
{{reflist}}
−
{{wikiquote}}
 
−
* [http://www.churchofsatan.com/ Church Of Satan]
 
−
* [http://www.thebaptist.org/Lucifer.htm Lucifer - Know His Devices] a Baptist Christian perspective
 
−
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia]
 
−
* [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=270&letter=S&search=Satan Jewish Encyclopedia]
 
−
* [http://www.secweb.org/index.aspx?action=viewAsset&id=310 Internet Infidels - The Implausibility of Satan] by Paul Doland
 
−
* [http://www.sacred-texts.org Sacred Texts site] hosts texts--scriptures, literature and scholarly works--on Satan, Satanism and related religious matters
 
−
* [http://knol.google.com/k/lev-regelson/satan-and-antichrist/1i7aar4mqflvt/8#.htm Bible Texts about Satan a. Antichrist]
 
  
−
[[Category:Abrahamic mythology]]
+
== External links ==
−
[[Category:Individual angels]]
+
*[http://www.1timothy4-13.com/files/teach/accuser.html The accuser of the brethren - commentary on Revelation 12:7-12] - Dr. J.B. Buffington
−
[[Category:Demons in Christianity]]
+
*[https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/30460-antifa-witches-a-glimpse-into-the-source-of-the-demonic-rage-surging-about-us “Antifa Witches”: A Glimpse Into the Source of the Demonic Rage Surging About Us], by William F. Jasper of ''[[The New American]]''
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[[Category:Fallen angels]]
 
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[[Category:Satanism]]
 
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[[Category:Hell]]
 
  
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[[ar:الشيطان في اليهودية]]
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[[Category:Abrahamic Religions]]
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[[bg:Сатана]]
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{{DivineComedy}}
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[[ca:Satan]]
 
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[[cs:Satan]]
 
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[[da:Satan]]
 
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[[de:Satan]]
 
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[[et:Saatan]]
 
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[[es:Satanás]]
 
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[[eo:Satano]]
 
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[[fa:شیطان]]
 
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[[fr:Satan]]
 
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[[fur:Satane]]
 
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[[gl:Demonio]]
 
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[[ko:사탄]]
 
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[[hi:शैतान]]
 
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[[hr:Sotona]]
 
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[[id:Setan]]
 
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[[it:Satana]]
 
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[[he:שטן]]
 
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[[la:Satanas]]
 
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[[lt:Šėtonas]]
 
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[[hu:Sátán]]
 
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[[ms:Syaitan]]
 
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[[nl:Satan]]
 
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[[ja:サタン]]
 
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[[no:Satan]]
 
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[[nn:Satan]]
 
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[[pl:Szatan]]
 
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[[pt:Satanás]]
 
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[[ro:Satan]]
 
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[[qu:Saqra]]
 
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[[ru:Сатана]]
 
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[[simple:Satan]]
 
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[[sk:Satan]]
 
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[[szl:Šatan]]
 
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[[fi:Saatana]]
 
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[[sv:Satan]]
 
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[[ta:சாத்தான்]]
 
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[[th:ซาตาน]]
 
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[[tr:Şeytan]]
 
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[[uk:Сатана]]
 
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[[zh:撒旦]]
 

Latest revision as of 22:39, October 24, 2025

Gustave Doré's depiction of Satan from John Milton's Paradise Lost.

Satan also known as the Devil, is the embodiment of evil. Satan plays a major role in Christian theology, classical literature, and in other religions under different names. He is the tempter and spiritual enemy of mankind. He is the adversary of God, although subordinate to Him and able to act only by his sufferance, and is represented frequently as the leader or prince of all the fallen, apostate angels, and as ruler of hell.

Leftist Saul Alinsky dedicated his Rules for Radicals to Lucifer, which is another name for Satan. Satan and the Devil are often in rock music.[1] Satan is even mentioned three times in God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.[2] Shakespeare mentions Satan 8 times and the Devil 270 times in his plays; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde vividly mentions Satan 3 times; The House of the Seven Gables mentions the devil about a half-dozen times and Satan twice.

"Satan is the force that loves to find the guilt and weakness in people, to humiliate them with it, to convince them that, because they are not good, God cannot love them."[3] Liberals today try to deny the existence of Satan, or at least depersonify him into "more a force than an actual being."[4]

Old Testament

Satan was once a member of the divine council of God referenced in the Old Testament. He is referenced 11 times in Job and 4 other times in the Old Testament. The New Testament mentions Satan 34 times in all, starting with the first book Matthew and ending with the last Revelation. In the Christian tradition, he rebelled against God and is now the enemy of God and man alike. He is the father of lies, and no good is found in him. He leads a host of fallen angels, or demons, who know their days are numbered before they will be cast into the lake of fire, so they seek to take as many humans as possible with them.

New Testament

In the New Testament, Satan tries to tempt Jesus in the desert, and fails. Jesus warns extensively to beware of Satan, as does Paul.

In Christian theology, Satan's goal is to lead people away from the love of God, by tempting or tricking them. The only sources of supernatural power in the world are from either God (good) or Satan (evil). In the book of Genesis, Satan takes the form of a snake and tempts Eve with fruit from a tree. This causes sin to come into the world. Kelly (2006) demonstrates how assumptions—such as the identification of the Eden serpent with Satan, probably first made by Justin Martyr in the second century—have hardened into fact.

Satan, in the Book of Job, listens to God speak highly of Job and accuses Job to God before the host of angels that Job praises God only because he is blessed and would curse God if he was forced to suffer. God allows Satan to do what he will except to spare his life, and Satan causes Job to suffer immensely. (Job remained true to God through his hardships; Satan accused him further and punished him further, but could not get Job to break).

Possession

Jesus makes references to demonic possession on multiple occasions that He then casts out. Some believe that Satan is able to possess and control living humans on Earth even today. Even more, some others believe that Satan actually has done this in the past as well. Specifically, Satan is said to have entered Judas during The Last Supper (John 13:27). The Catholic church believes that priests (and sometimes only bishops) are able to exorcise this possession through Jesus.

Terms

The word Satan derives from the Hebrew "ha-satan", meaning the "accuser", "tempter", "persecutor", "calumniator", or "adversary". He "was a liar and a murderer from the beginning." (John 8:44) Synonyms include Lucifer, The Devil, Mephistopheles, Mephisto, Beelzebub, the Evil One, the Tempter, The Prince of Darkness and the angel of light. The term "demon" generally refers to one of the fallen angels who join in Satan's attempt to overthrow God.

The adjectives include "devilish," "demonic", and "diabolic". Those who worship Satan are called Satanists, Satan-worshippers, devil-worshippers, or demonists.

Lucifer

Lucifer is a name literally meaning "Son of the Morning" (or "Light-Bearer"), and is mentioned in the Bible only in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 14:12). Though in Christian tradition Lucifer is equated with Satan, the immediate context of the passage is Isaiah's prophecy against the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, and the name "Lucifer" was not present at all in the original manuscripts (in the Latin Vulgate, the phrase "Son of the Morning" was transliterated as a proper name).

Whomever Lucifer may be, the Book of Isaiah issued a strong prophecy against him, condemning him for 5 pronouncements:

  • I will ascend into heaven
  • I will exalt my throne above the stars of God
  • I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north
  • I will ascend above the heights of the clouds
  • I will be like the most High

Those who take this passage to be a reference to Satan believe that it gives more history of what caused his downfall, that he was created by God as one of His most powerful angels (possibly a Seraph), but that he fell from grace after he in his pride rebelled against his Creator. Some, however, believe that there is no grounding to interpret the passage as a history of Satan, citing that the passage uses highly figurative and poetic language that was meant as a prophecy against Babylon and nothing more.

The fall of Lucifer by Gustave Doré.

Beelzebub

Literally "lord of the flies," this is believed to be a deliberately insulting perversion of the name "Beelzebul."[5]

Beelzebul

Literally "Lord of Heaven" or "Lord of the House," this name is believed to have originated from the name Baal-Zebul, and may refer to the god of Ekron (see 2 King. 1:2-3).[5]

Jewish Views

In the Jewish tradition, Satan is an angel who faithfully serves God as a prosecuting attorney — one who accuses men of wickedness and impiety. At the direction of God, Satan may be permitted to test these accusations, such as in Job. In this view, Satan's goal is not to lead men away from their faithfulness to God, but merely to reveal the true depths of their devotion, although in I Chronicles 21:1 Satan provoked David to take a census of the people of Israel against the will of God and 70,000 men are slain because of it. II Samuel 24:1 supports the view of Satan as God's prosecuting attorney by reporting that it was the Lord Who moved David to take the census; the two passages can easily be reconciled if Satan acted as God's agent.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Satan was at one time an angel who lived among the many millions of Angels that existed before the world was created. They believe that at some point he developed the desire to be worshiped by humans and other angels and so set himself in opposition to worship of Jehovah, his God and Father. This they believe occurred in the Garden of Eden, and not prior to the Earths creation. Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Satan used a serpent as his mouthpiece, the same way a ventriloquist uses a dummy, to bring the first human couple under his control.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that God has allowed Satan to rule mankind for several reasons such as:

  • Satan has challenged God's Right to rule his creations, not his power....
  • Satan accuses God of bribing Humans for their loyalty with protection and blessings....
  • Satan has accused Humans of being loyal to God out of selfish reasons....
  • Satan claims that he can rule mankind better than God....

Jehovah's Witnesses teach also that God decided that time, rather than a display of force, is needed to settle these issues. This, they believe, has given Satan thousands of years to prove that Mankind is better off without God, that He (Satan) can rule Mankind successfully, and that the Humans that Do serve God do so only out of selfish reasons.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Satan does not live in any kind of Hell or world of the dead, but on the Earth as its current ruler, along with as many as a third of the Angels of Heaven. They teach that Satan had lived in Heaven up until 1914, when Jesus and his Angels cast him out of Heaven, bringing woe to the Earth. this is their reasoning on Why the world has experienced two World wars, increasing lawlessness, an increase in disease and pollution, and the overall conditions on earth today.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Satan delegates authority to each Demon as he sees fit, and over what he sees fit, sometimes including whole Nations and kingdoms. They believe that Satan and his demons are in every way the enemy of God, rather than working alongside him. They teach that Satan will continue to rule the world until Armageddon, when Jesus Christ and his heavenly Angels come to earth and bind him, eventually killing him and freeing the world of all opposition towards True worship.

Defense

The Spirit of God is the only defense against Satan. Application of this defense by the spirit-filled believer includes:

  • the Holy Spirit, meaning "The Advocate" (i.e., defense lawyer), or the Armor of God.[6]
  • Giving glory to God, and quoting His word (activities which Satan despises)
  • mockery, which Satan cannot withstand due to his pride.[7] He knows he is a literal loser, but cannot stand when the believer points that fact out.

Note that Satan lacks self-restraint, which often leads him to failure. In addition, Satan delights in deceit, even to the point of causing his downfall.

Dante, Milton, Goethe and others

Some national literary depictions of Satan have become highly regarded classics, but by a strange coincidence of causes are presented by their authors, to a man, in their native language rather than a Classical language.

These three are considered among the greatest poems of their respective literatures.

  • Lucifer (1654), play by Dutch author Joost van den Vondel.

In Western art and popular culture the devil is used to represent evil influences or motivations.

Similarity to Prometheus

Some writers have pointed out that a few popular depictions of Satan are similar to that of Prometheus.[8] others like John Milton in his book Paradise Lost re-imagined him as a complex anti-hero

Atheism and satanism

See also: Atheism and satanic deception

Pew Research reports:

“ When asked who comes to mind when they think about atheism, though, Americans are much less likely to name a well-known figure. While 6% say Satan, 4% say Richard Dawkins and 4% say Madalyn Murray O’Hair, one-in-ten respondents just name themselves or another personal acquaintance such as a relative, friend or roommate. And roughly half (51%) say “no one” or “don’t know” or do not answer the question.[9] ”

See also

Further reading

  • Caldwell, William. "The Doctrine of Satan: I. In the Old Testament," The Biblical World, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Jan., 1913), pp. 29–33 in JSTOR
  • Caldwell, William. "The Doctrine of Satan: II. Satan in Extra-Biblical Apocalyptical Literature," The Biblical World, Vol. 41, No. 2 (Feb., 1913), pp. 98–102 in JSTOR
  • Caldwell, William. "The Doctrine of Satan: III. In the New Testament," The Biblical World, Vol. 41, No. 3 (Mar., 1913), pp. 167–172 in JSTOR
  • Empson, William. Milton's God (1966)
  • Jacobs, Joseph, and Ludwig Blau. "Satan," The Jewish Encyclopedia (1906) online pp 68–71
  • Kelly, Henry Ansgar. Satan: A Biography. (2006). 360 pp. excerpt and text search ISBN 0-521-60402-8, a study of the Bible and Western literature
  • Kent, William. "Devil." The Catholic Encyclopedia (1908) Vol. 4. online older article
  • Osborne, B. A. E. "Peter: Stumbling-Block and Satan," Novum Testamentum, Vol. 15, Fasc. 3 (Jul., 1973), pp. 187–190 in JSTOR on "Get thee behind me, Satan!"
  • Rebhorn Wayne A. "The Humanist Tradition and Milton's Satan: The Conservative as Revolutionary," Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, Vol. 13, No. 1, The English Renaissance (Winter, 1973), pp. 81–93 in JSTOR
  • Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity (1987) excerpt and text search
  • Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Satan: The Early Christian Tradition (1987) excerpt and text search
  • Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages (1986) excerpt and text search
  • Russell, Jeffrey Burton. Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World (1990) excerpt and text search
  • Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History (1992) excerpt and text search
  • Schaff, D. S. "Devil" in New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (1911), Mainline Protestant; vol 3 pp 414–417 online
  • Scott, Miriam Van. The Encyclopedia of Hell (1999) excerpt and text search comparative religions; also popular culture
  • Wray, T. J. and Gregory Mobley. The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots (2005) excerpt and text search

References

  1. ↑ https://www.ranker.com/list/songs-about-the-devil/ranker-music
  2. ↑ https://www.metrolyrics.com/god-rest-you-merry-gentlemen-lyrics-christmas-carols.html
  3. ↑ Mike Potemra. The Rite Stuff: Satan as Prosecutor. Retrieved on March 12, 2020.
  4. ↑ Yes, I believe in the devil. The Christian Post (March 11, 2020). Retrieved on March 12, 2020.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com/article/opr/t94/e242
  6. ↑ Ephesians 6:1-17
  7. ↑ According to Jude 8-10 only arrogant and blasphemous individuals ruled by instinct and passion like animals dare to mock Satan. See biblical commentaries on Jude 9. Martin Luther who famously rejected the inspiration of Jude along with Hebrews, James and Revelation, and railed against the Popes and the Catholic Church, heartily recommended mockery against the Devil. “The best way to drive out the devil ... is to jeer and flout him ...” – Luther. From Martin Luther’s Tischreden (Table Talk). The oldest source for this quote is Joannes Aurifaber’s edition, first published in 1566 (facsimile reprint 1968), Chapter 25, “Vom Teufel und seinen Werken” (“Of the Devil and his Works”, Fol. 278-307), cited by Arend Smilde in Quotations and Allusions in C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, compiled by Arend Smilde (Utrecht, The Netherlands). However, according to many biblical commentators, the import of Jude 9 is "as if the apostle had said, If the angel did not rail even against the devil, how much less ought we against men in authority, even supposing them in some things to behave amiss? To do it, therefore, when they behave well, must be a wickedness yet much more aggravated." — Doddridge, Benson Commentary, Jude 1:9.
  8. ↑ Werblowsky, Raphael Jehudah Zwi. Lucifer and Prometheus: A Study of Milton's Satan. Routledge, reprinted 1999 and 2001; originally published 1952.
  9. ↑ When Americans think about a specific religion, here are some of the first people who come to mind, Pew Research

External links

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