Satan
Satan (from the Hebrew "ha-satan", "accuser") was a member of the divine council of God referenced in the Old Testament in Job. 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 in the lake of fire and they seek to take as many humans as possible with them. Those who worship Satan are called Satanists.
History and Goals
In many denominations of Christianity 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.
In the Book of Job, Satan listens to God speak highly of Job and claims before God the host of angels that Job praises God only because he is blessed and would curse God if he was forced to suffer. God challenges Satan to cause Job to suffer to test his faith. Satan inflicts various punishments on Job including poverty, painful illness and the death of his family. When Job remains faithful to God throughout the trials, God restores his health and financial success - though not the dead family.
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. The Catholic church officially believes that priests (and sometimes only bishops) are able to exorcise this possession through Jesus, but exorcism is no longer practiced by the church.
In the New Testament, Satan tries to tempt Jesus in the desert, and fails. Jesus warns extensively to beware of Satan as does Paul.
Satan, is also called by several different names (the Devil, deceiver, Bealzebub, Beelzebul, Lucifer, Asmodeus, Abaddon, "Old Scratch," the Crooked One, etc).
Satan is often portrayed as a 'head demon' commanding minions, or as the ruler of Hell, though some denominations dispute Satan's current status and believe either he never existed, or is now trapped in Hell undergoing eternal punishment.
In particular, evangelical churches are more likely to see Satan as an active force, meddling directly in the world to cause harm and particually to lead Christians away from God and into sin. Most denominations, including the the Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches, give Satan only a very minor role in their teaching - rarely even mentioning him.
Lucifer
Lucifer literally "Son of the Morning" is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 14:12). He is cast down from heaven to hell after making 5 pronouncements initiating a rebellion against God by believing that he was equal or superior to God and would take power for himself.
- 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
Luficer is usually equated with satan in Christian tradition. And so, this gives more history of what caused satan's downfall. While satan would be more of the title, Lucifer would be the proper name.
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.