The Bible’s Viewpoint
Who Is Satan? Is He Real?
SOME modern scholars say that Satan is not a real person. They claim that he was merely created in the imagination of men. This controversy is nothing new. “The Devil’s deepest wile,” wrote 19th-century poet Charles-Pierre Baudelaire, “is to persuade us that he does not exist.”
Is Satan a real person? If so, where did he come from? Is he the unseen power behind the problems plaguing our world? How can you avoid his evil influence?
Is Satan the unseen power behind the problems plaguing our world?
What the Bible Says
The Bible describes Satan as a real person who exists in the invisible spirit realm. (Job 1:6) It tells us about his vicious and ruthless qualities as well as his evil actions. (Job 1:13-19; 2:7, 8; 2 Timothy 2:26) It even records conversations that Satan had with God and with Jesus.—Job 1:7-12; Matthew 4:1-11.
Where did such an evil being come from? Long before man existed, God created his “firstborn” Son, who eventually came to be known as Jesus. (Colossians 1:15) In time, other “sons of God,” called angels, were created. (Job 38:4-7) All were perfect and righteous. However, one of those angels would become Satan.
Satan was not his given name at the time of his creation. It is a descriptive name, which means “Adversary; Enemy; Accuser.” He came to be called Satan because he chose a life course in opposition to God.
Feelings of pride and rivalry toward God grew within this spirit creature. He wanted others to worship him. When God’s firstborn Son, Jesus, was on the earth, Satan even attempted to get Jesus to “do an act of worship” to him.—Matthew 4:9.
Satan “did not stand fast in the truth.” (John 8:44) He implied that God was a liar, when, in fact, he was the liar. He told Eve that she could be like God, whereas he wanted to be like God. And through his deceitful ways, he achieved his selfish desire. To Eve, he made himself higher than God. By obeying Satan, Eve accepted Satan as her god.—Genesis 3:1-7.
By fomenting rebellion, this once trusted angel made himself Satan—an adversary and enemy of God and man. The designation “Devil,” which means “Slanderer,” was also added to this wicked one’s description. This leader of sin eventually influenced other angels to disobey God and join his rebellion. (Genesis 6:1, 2; 1 Peter 3:19, 20) These angels did not make mankind’s situation better. Because of their imitating Satan’s selfish ways, “the earth became filled with violence.”—Genesis 6:11; Matthew 12:24.