In the Bible, Satan is referred to by several names and nicknames that describe him and his intentions. He was created by God as an angel of light, “Lucifer,” which means “light-bearer.” He was a being whose wings covered God’s glory.
Descriptions of his creation, his job, and his fall are spoken of in just a few places. Isaiah 14:12-14 describes his defiance and his casting out. In Luke 10:18, Jesus calls him Satan. In Revelation 12:4, 9, he is pictured as a dragon and called Satan and the devil.
The word “Satan” means adversary and the word “devil” means false accuser, both of which are accurate descriptions of who Satan is in relation to God and man.
Here are some other Scriptures that describe Satan:
- Satan is a murderer and the father of lies.
“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). - Satan is a thief.
- “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10a).
- Satan is an adversary.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). - Satan is an enemy.
“The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels” (Matthew 13:39). - Satan is an accuser.
“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down’” (Revelation 12:10). - Satan is a tempter.
“For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain” (1 Thessalonians 3:5).
