Satan​—Is He Real?

DO YOU believe that Satan exists? If so, it seems you are part of a dwindling minority. “By the 1980s belief in the Devil had disappeared except among conservative Catholics, charismatics, conservative Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, Muslims​—and a few occultists.” So states the book Mephistopheles​—The Devil in the Modern World, by Jeffrey Burton Russell.

Not everyone, though, has stopped believing that Satan is real. “The devil is still alive and at work in the world,” said Pope John Paul II in a recent speech in Italy.

Is the pope correct? If so, Satan is in a good position to do what he wants in the world. If people do not believe in his existence, they will not oppose him. No wonder Cardinal Ratzinger, a foremost Vatican authority on doctrine, stated: “The devil can take refuge in his favorite element, anonymity.”

Does Satan really exist? If we believe the Bible, we have to answer yes! Satan is referred to many times by name in that inspired record. For example, the Bible writer Paul, warning of “false apostles” and “deceitful workers” in the ranks of the Christian congregation, wrote: “And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light.” Paul viewed Satan as an intelligent, deceptive personage.​—2 Corinthians 11:13, 14.

Why is it, then, that Satan’s existence is not taken seriously by most people today? Likely, it is a reflection of the spirit of the age. Living as we do in what some have called the post-Christian era, atheism, hedonism, materialism, and communism have replaced religious faith in many societies. Millions of people no longer believe in God, viewing his existence as unnecessary to their personal philosophies. And they have discarded Satan along with God. Some religious people in Christendom, even though they claim to believe in God, feel that belief in Satan is out-of-date in this 20th century.

It is noteworthy, however, that rejecting God is by no means new. Some 3,000 years ago, the Hebrew poet David wrote: “The senseless one has said in his heart: ‘There is no Jehovah.’ They have acted ruinously, they have acted detestably in their dealing.” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1) In another place he stated: “The wicked one according to his superciliousness makes no search; all his ideas are: ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 10:4) Even back then, people acted as if God did not exist. And the logical conclusion must have been that if there is no God, there can be no Satan.

Some Still Believe

As already noted, however, some do still accept the belief in a literal Devil. There are those who believe the ancient Zoroastrian teaching of dualism, saying that good and evil, God and the Devil, must always have existed side by side. Others even say that good and evil are both facets of the Godhead. And there are still many in Christendom and Islam who believe in Satan’s existence. Indeed, for many of these, he still exists as a winged spirit entity with horns and tail who supervises the destiny of those “immortal souls” assigned to “hellfire,” much as depicted in works by the famous French illustrator Gustave Doré.

In fact, for some, belief in Satan goes even further. They worship him​—either by name or by means of satanic or demonic rites. For millenniums, witchcraft and sorcery have been identified with Satan worship. Even in our modern, skeptical age, Satanism still flourishes. Hence, before we discuss what the Bible says about Satan himself, let us consider some facts about modern Satanism.

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A Buddhist portrayal of a satanic “hell”

Satan Worship in Our Time

THERE is no doubt that Satan wants to be worshiped. When tempting Jesus, he offered to give him a huge reward on just one condition: “If you fall down and do an act of worship to me.” (Matthew 4:9) Jesus, of course, refused, but not everyone has followed his example. Satan worship is widespread in our modern world.

For example, in Canada The Calgary Herald ran a series of articles under the title “Devil’s Disciples.” The paper quoted a police investigator’s report, saying: “Through interviews I have learned that Satanism is not exclusive to any particular group in society. Intelligence gathered by the Calgary Police Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police reveals that in Calgary alone there are supposedly 5,000 practising Satanists.”

Other press reports show that the Satan cult, in different forms, is surfacing across the United States and Europe. Even the police show an interest in Satanism. Why? Because in many cases they are finding links between crimes and satanic cults. Just recently, a police detective was quoted as saying: “What we are dealing with is a religion and people who believe in it as others believe in Christianity, Judaism or Islam. What you are seeing are not crimes for crime’s sake, but crimes for the sake of a religion.”

One outstanding example was the murders by the Manson clan in California back in 1969. According to history professor Jeffrey Russell, “Manson claimed to be both Christ and Satan. . . . Manson’s follower Tex Watson announced, when he came to murder Sharon Tate, ‘I am the devil; I’m here to do the devil’s work.’” But Satanism is not always as overt as this.

Witchcraft, Spiritism, and Sorcery

Indeed, Satan worship is not limited to direct worship of Satan by name. The apostle Paul warned: “The things which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:20) And demon worship is really the same as Satan worship, since Satan is called “the ruler of the demons.” (Mark 3:22) What practices of “the nations” can be identified as demon worship, or worship of Satan? God’s words to Israel give us some examples: “There should not be found in you . . . anyone who employs divination, a practicer of magic or anyone who looks for omens or a sorcerer, or one who binds others with a spell or anyone who consults a spirit medium or a professional foreteller of events or anyone who inquires of the dead. For everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah.”​—Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

Thus, we are warned against the blood sacrifice and spirit communion practiced by the voodoo priests in Brazil or by the houngans and the mambos of Haiti. And we are warned against the very similar practices of Santeria, observed by some exiled Cubans in the United States. We are warned, too, against sorcerers who claim to communicate with dead souls to inspire fear in the living.​—Compare 1 Samuel 28:3-20.

Witchcraft is prevalent in different parts of Africa. In South Africa, for example, witch doctors exert great power, and people take them very seriously. Recent cases reported in the press were of mobs burning alive people who were accused of causing lightning to strike fellow villagers! The local witch doctors accused innocent victims of these “unnatural” acts and then tied them to a tree to be burned. Such belief in sorcery or magic is likewise a worship of demons.

However, witchcraft is not confined to Africa. In 1985, Herbert D. Dettmer, serving a prison sentence at a correctional center in Virginia, U.S.A., was granted the right by the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to have access to clothing and articles so that he could practice his religion in prison. And what was his religion? According to the court record, he was a member of “the Church of Wicca (more commonly known as witchcraft).” Consequently, Dettmer had the legal right to use in his worship sulfur, sea salt, or uniodized salt; candles; incense; a clock with an alarm; and a white robe.

Yes, according to the indications, witchcraft is widespread in the West. The British newspaper Manchester Guardian Weekly reported: “Five years ago, there were thought to be some 60,000 witches in Britain: today [1985] the number is estimated by some witches to have grown to 80,000. Prediction, the monthly magazine for astrology and the occult, has a circulation of 32,000.”

Satanism and Music

Professor Russell, in his book Mephistopheles​—The Devil in the Modern World, draws our attention to another way in which the purposes of Satan are being furthered. He writes: “Overt Satanism faded rapidly after the 1970s, but elements of cultural Satanism continued into the 1980s in ‘heavy metal’ rock music with its occasional invocation of the Devil’s name and considerable respect for the Satanic values of cruelty, drugs, ugliness, depression, self-indulgence, violence, noise and confusion, and joylessness.”​—Italics ours.

Perhaps the musicians who incorporated elements of Satanism into their music were not being serious. They may just have been trying to shock or to be outlandish. Nevertheless, some impressionable individuals were strongly affected. Professor Russell notes that the “constant semiserious propaganda for evil has had decomposing effects on silly and weak minds. One result has been a rash of appallingly degenerate crimes, including the violation of children and the mutilation of animals.”

A recent case startled New Yorkers. According to a newspaper report, a 14-year-old boy, “obsessed by Satanism,” stabbed his mother to death and then committed suicide. A Canadian family counselor stated, as reported in Maclean’s magazine, that a growing number of troubled teenagers confessed to practicing “satanism, often in combination with drugs and the more oppressive varieties of heavy-metal rock music.”

Not Just a Fad

A fad sweeping the United States right now is called channeling. People often pay several hundred dollars to participate in sessions in which a “channel,” that is a medium, claims to put herself (channels are usually women) in communication with the spirit of a long-dead person. In the case of one channel, the press reported, sessions “are periodically relayed by a television satellite hookup to thousands of people at once in half a dozen cities.” This trend is in manifest disobedience to the Bible’s counsel to avoid spirit mediums and professional foretellers of events. Thus, it is the kind of worship that can be identified as demon worship. And like all spiritism, it is based on the satanic lie that the human soul is immortal.​—Ecclesiastes 9:5; Ezekiel 18:4, 20.

The Devil’s Influence in a World Full of Hate

The appalling situation of mankind in this 20th century makes us wonder whether Satan’s influence does not reach even further. Professor Russell touches on this when he states: “At present, with arsenals of nuclear weapons estimated at seventy times the quantity needed to kill every living vertebrate on earth, we are stubbornly making preparations for a war that will profit no individual, nation, or ideology but will condemn thousands of millions to a horrible death. What force urges us down a path that is daily more dangerous? To whose advantage is the nuclear destruction of the planet? Only that force which from the beginning has with infinite cruelty and malice willed the destruction of the cosmos.”

Who or what is that force? The professor gives his own answer in these words: “The Devil has been defined as the spirit that seeks to negate and destroy God’s cosmos to the extent of his power. May not the force urging us to deploy nuclear weapons be the same force that has always striven to negate being itself? In this uttermost crisis of our planet, we cannot dismiss the possibility.” Christians certainly do not dismiss the possibility! Jesus himself showed Satan’s great influence on this world when He called him “the ruler of this world.” (John 12:31) Describing Satan’s mental attitude today, the book of Revelation says that he has “great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” (Revelation 12:12) Referring to what Satan is trying to accomplish in our time, that same book says that he is using demonic propaganda to gather the rulers of this world “together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” (Revelation 16:14) No, we cannot rule out the influence of Satan the Devil when we try to understand the reason for mankind’s insanely self-destructive course.

The apostle Paul called Satan “the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit that now operates in the sons of disobedience,” and “the god of this system of things.” (Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4) Little wonder that many ask if all the atrocities of this “enlightened” scientific age​—two world wars, genocides in Europe and Kampuchea, politically motivated famine in Africa, deep worldwide religious and racial divisions, hatred, murder, systematic torture, the criminal subversion of mankind by drugs, to name just a few—​could not be following the master plan of some powerful, evil force that is bent on driving mankind away from God and perhaps even to global suicide.

Who, then, is Satan? What is he really up to? What can we as individuals do about it? We invite you to consider the discussion of these questions in the following two articles.

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Shunning satanic music, God’s people seek wholesome entertainment

Unmasking the Serpent

“Now it came to be the day when the sons of the true God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and even Satan proceeded to enter right among them.”​—JOB 1:6.

 1. (a) What are the origin and the meaning of the name Satan? (b) How many times does “Satan” appear in the Scriptures, and what questions arise?

WHAT is the origin of the name Satan? What does it mean? In its Biblical setting, it is formed from the three Hebrew characters ש (Sin), ט (Tehth), and נ (Nun). With their vowel points, these letters form the word “Satan,” which, according to scholar Edward Langton, is “derived from a root which means ‘to oppose,’ or ‘to be or to act as an adversary.’” (Compare 1 Peter 5:8.) Although the name Satan appears more than 50 times in the Bible, it occurs only 18 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and then only in the books of 1 Chronicles, Job, and Zechariah. So the questions arise, When did man become conscious of Satan’s rebellion and activity? When is Satan first clearly revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures?

 2. What question was not answered immediately after the rebellion of Adam and Eve?

² The Bible explains in simple but profound terms how sin and rebellion came to exist on earth, in what was a paradise garden in the Middle East. (See Genesis, chapters 2 and 3.) Although the promoter of the disobedience of Adam and Eve is identified as a serpent, no immediate clue is given as to who was the real power and intelligence behind the voice emitted by the serpent. Nevertheless, Adam had a long time to reflect on the events in Eden that led to his expulsion from the paradise park.​—Genesis 3:17, 18, 23; 5:5.

 3. Although not deceived, how did Adam sin, and what was the result to humankind?

³ Obviously, Adam knew that animals do not speak with human intelligence. He also knew that God had not spoken to him through any animal prior to Eve’s temptation. So who had told his wife to disobey God? Paul says that even though the woman was thoroughly deceived, Adam was not deceived. (Genesis 3:11-13, 17; 1 Timothy 2:14) Perhaps Adam realized that some invisible creature was offering an alternative to obedience to God. Yet, although he himself was not approached by the serpent, he chose to go along with his wife in disobedience. Adam’s deliberate and willful act of disobedience broke the mold of perfection, introduced the defect of sin, and led to the foretold condemnation of death. And thus, using the agency of the serpent, Satan became the original manslayer.​—John 8:44; Romans 5:12, 14.

 4, 5. (a) What prophetic judgment was given against the serpent? (b) What enigmas were embraced by that prophecy?

⁴ The rebellion in Eden resulted in a prophetic judgment from God. That judgment involved a “sacred secret” that it would take thousands of years completely to unlock. God said to the serpent: “I shall put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel.”​—Ephesians 5:32; Genesis 3:15.

⁵ This vital prophecy embraces several enigmas. Who was really meant by “the woman”? Was it Eve, or was it a symbolic woman of greater significance than Eve? Also, what was meant by ‘the seed of the woman’ and the ‘seed of the serpent’? And who really was the serpent whose seed would be at enmity with the woman’s seed? As we will discuss shortly, Jehovah evidently determined that these questions would get a fuller answer in his due time.​—Compare Daniel 12:4 and Colossians 1:25, 26.

Further Evidence of Rebellion in the Heavens

 6. What indication of a rebellion in the heavens was seen just before the Flood?

⁶ As Bible history develops, another indication of a rebellion at a higher level of life than that of humans is revealed just before the Flood, some 1,500 years after man’s fall into sin. The Bible account tells us that “the sons of the true God began to notice the daughters of men, that they were good-looking; and they went taking wives for themselves, namely, all whom they chose.” The hybrid offspring of these unnatural unions were known as “Nephilim,” “mighty ones who were of old, the men of fame.” (Genesis 6:1-4; compare Job 1:6 for the identity of “the sons of the true God.”) Some 2,400 years later, Jude briefly commented on this event when he wrote: “And the angels that . . . forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.”​—Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4, 5.

 7. In spite of man’s badness, what intriguing omission do we find in many of the historical books of the Bible?

⁷ At this point before the Flood “the badness of man was abundant in the earth and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only bad all the time.” Nevertheless, Satan was not specifically identified in the inspired book of Genesis as the powerful influence behind the angelic rebellion and man’s wickedness. (Genesis 6:5) Indeed, all through the history of the nations of Israel and Judah, with their constant relapses into idolatry and false worship, Satan is never named in the inspired Bible books of Judges, Samuel, and Kings as the invisible influence behind these events​—this despite Satan’s own admission that he was “roving about in the earth.”​—Job 1:7; 2:2.

 8. Was Job initially aware of the part played by Satan in his suffering? How do we know?

⁸ Even when we consider the significant account of Job and his trials, we see that Job never attributes his tests to the adversary, Satan. Evidently, he was unaware at the time of the issue that hung on the outcome of his conduct. (Job 1:6-12) He did not realize that Satan had precipitated the crisis by challenging Job’s integrity before Jehovah. Thus, when Job’s wife reprimanded him with the words: “Are you yet holding fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” he simply answered: “Shall we accept merely what is good from the true God and not accept also what is bad?” Without knowing the true source of his trials, he apparently viewed them as coming from God and therefore something to be accepted. Thus, this became a very severe test of Job’s integrity.​—Job 1:21; 2:9, 10.

 9. What reasonable question can be raised regarding Moses?

⁹ Now a question arises. If, as we believe, Moses wrote the book of Job and therefore knew that Satan was roving about in the earth, why is it that he does not speak of Satan by name in any of the books of the Pentateuch, which he also wrote? Yes, why is Satan mentioned so seldom in the Hebrew Scriptures?a

Satan’s Limited Exposure

10. How was Satan given only limited exposure in the Hebrew Scriptures?

¹⁰ Even though denouncing demon-inspired activities, Jehovah in his wisdom evidently had good reasons for ensuring that his Adversary, Satan, should be given only limited exposure in the Hebrew Scriptures. (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 18:10-13; 32:16, 17; 2 Chronicles 11:15) Thus, although the Hebrew writers must have had some knowledge of Satan and his rebellious role in the heavens, they were inspired only to define and expose the sins of God’s people and of the nations around them and to exhort against their wickedness. (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 18:9-13) Satan’s name was rarely mentioned.

11, 12. How do we know that the Hebrew Bible writers were not ignorant of Satan and his influence?

¹¹ In view of the events in Eden, the degradation of “the sons of the true God,” and the record in the book of Job, the inspired Hebrew Bible writers were not ignorant of the evil, supernatural influence of Satan. The prophet Zechariah, who wrote in the late sixth century B.C.E., had a vision of the high priest Joshua with “Satan standing at his right hand in order to resist him. Then the angel of Jehovah said to Satan: ‘Jehovah rebuke you, O Satan, yes, Jehovah rebuke you.’” (Zechariah 3:1, 2) Also, the scribe Ezra, writing the history of Israel and Judah in the fifth century B.C.E., stated that “Satan proceeded to stand up against Israel and to incite David to number Israel.”​—1 Chronicles 21:1.

¹² Thus, by the time of Zechariah, holy spirit was letting Satan’s role become clearer in the Scriptures. But another five centuries would pass before this evil creature would be totally exposed in the Word of God. With Bible basis, what reason can we deduce for this timing in fully exposing Satan?

The Key to the Enigma

13-15. (a) What basic truths are the key to understanding why Satan was given limited exposure in the Hebrew Scriptures? (b) With the coming of Jesus, how was Satan brought out into the open?

¹³ For the Christian with faith in God’s Word, the basic key to these and previous questions we have raised is not to be found in higher criticism, as if the Bible were merely a literary masterpiece, solely the product of human genius. The key is revealed in two basic Bible truths. First, as King Solomon wrote: “The path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.” (Proverbs 4:18; compare Daniel 12:4; 2 Peter 1:19-21.) Truth is revealed gradually in God’s Word at God’s time, in accordance with the need and his servants’ ability to absorb such truth.​—John 16:12, 13; compare 6:48-69.

¹⁴ The second basic truth is contained in what the apostle Paul wrote to the Christian disciple Timothy: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, . . . that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) God’s Son, Jesus, would expose Satan, and this would be recorded in Scripture, thus equipping the Christian congregation to stand fast against Satan in support of Jehovah’s sovereignty.​—John 12:28-31; 14:30.

¹⁵ On these grounds the enigmas of Genesis 3:15 have been slowly unveiled. Under the direction of God’s holy spirit, or active force, the Hebrew Scriptures supplied glimmers of light on the forthcoming Messiah, or Seed. (Isaiah 9:6, 7; 53:1-12) Parallel to this, they have contained brief flashes of light on the role of Satan as the Adversary of God and the enemy of humankind. But with the coming of Jesus, Satan was brought completely into the open as he took blatant and direct action against the promised Seed, Jesus Christ. As events developed in that first century of the Christian era, the roles of “the woman,” Jehovah’s heavenly spirit organization, and of the Seed, Jesus Christ, were clarified in the Christian Greek Scriptures. At the same time, the role of Satan, “the original serpent,” was brought more fully into the open.​—Revelation 12:1-9; Matthew 4:1-11; Galatians 3:16; 4:26.

Sacred Secret Unveiled

16, 17. What did “the sacred secret of the Christ” involve?

¹⁶ The apostle Paul wrote extensively about “the sacred secret of the Christ.” (Ephesians 3:2-4; Romans 11:25; 16:25) This sacred secret had to do with the true “seed” that would eventually crush the original serpent, Satan the Devil. (Revelation 20:1-3, 10) The secret involved the fact that Jesus was the first and primary member of that “seed” but that he would be joined by others, “joint heirs,” first from the Jews and then from the Samaritans and the Gentiles, to complete the number of that “seed.”​—Romans 8:17; Galatians 3:16, 19, 26-29; Revelation 7:4; 14:1.

¹⁷ Paul explains: “In other generations this secret was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by spirit.” And what was that secret? “Namely, that people of the nations should be joint heirs and fellow members of the body and partakers with us of the promise in union with Christ Jesus through the good news.”​—Ephesians 3:5, 6; Colossians 1:25-27.

18. (a) How does Paul show that time was needed to reveal the meaning of “the sacred secret”? (b) How would this revealing affect the understanding about “the original serpent”?

¹⁸ Paul was impressed that he of all people should be used to declare “the good news about the unfathomable riches of the Christ and should make men see how the sacred secret is administered which has from the indefinite past been hidden in God, who created all things.” Or as he put it to the Colossians: “The sacred secret that was hidden from the past systems of things and from the past generations. But now it has been made manifest to his holy ones.” Logically, if the secret regarding the “seed” was finally revealed, it would also involve the complete unmasking of the great Adversary, “the original serpent.” Evidently, Jehovah did not choose to make the issue with Satan paramount until the coming of the Messiah. And who better to unmask Satan than the Seed, Christ Jesus himself?​—Ephesians 3:8, 9; Colossians 1:26.

Jesus Exposes the Adversary

19. How did Jesus expose the Adversary?

¹⁹ Early in his ministry, Jesus roundly rejected the Tempter with the words: “Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’” (Matthew 4:3, 10) On a different occasion, Jesus exposed his slanderous religious enemies who had murderous intent toward him by denouncing their promoter and exposing him as the power behind the serpent in Eden, saying: “You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.”​—John 8:44.

20. What basis did Jesus have for exposing Satan?

²⁰ How could Jesus be so sure in his denunciation of Satan? How could he know him so well? Because he had coexisted with Satan in the heavens! Even before that one had proudly rebelled against the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, Jesus, as the Word, had known him. (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15, 16) He had observed his crafty actions through the serpent in Eden. He had seen his subtle influence upon the fratricidal Cain. (Genesis 4:3-8; 1 John 3:12) Later, Jesus was present in Jehovah’s heavenly court “when the sons of the true God entered . . . , and even Satan proceeded to enter right among them.” (Job 1:6; 2:1) Oh, yes, Jesus knew him to the core and was ready to expose him for what he was​—a liar, a murderer, a slanderer, and an adversary of God!​—Proverbs 8:22-31; John 8:58.

21. What questions remain to be answered?

²¹ With such a powerful enemy influencing mankind and its history, the questions now are: To what further extent is Satan exposed in the Christian Greek Scriptures? And how can we resist his crafty schemes and maintain our Christian integrity?​—Ephesians 6:11, Kingdom Interlinear.

[Footnotes]

Stand Firm Against Satan’s Machinations

“Put on the complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations [Greek, “crafty acts”] of the Devil.”​—EPHESIANS 6:11.

 1. What evidence that Satan exists is provided by the temptations of Jesus?

DOES Satan really exist? Some people argue that in the Bible, “Satan” refers only to the evil within man. They deny his existence as a creature. But what do the Scriptures tell us? The Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke show that Christ Jesus was directly tempted three times by Satan, and each time Jesus rejected him, using Scripture. Why did Jesus answer him from the Hebrew Scriptures? Because Satan came to him misapplying those very Scriptures in order to make him sin and fail as the Son of God, the promised Seed.​—Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13.

 2. How do we know that Jesus did not imagine his encounters with Satan?

² Obviously, Jesus, a perfect man, did not imagine these encounters. (Hebrews 4:15; 7:26) He was confronted by the same one who was the power behind the serpent in Eden, his own former angelic brother who ages before had rebelled and now was out to thwart the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15. Satan wanted to break the integrity of the promised Seed. Wise to his crafty acts, Jesus firmly rejected the Tempter. What was Satan’s reaction? “So the Devil, having concluded all the temptation, retired from him until another convenient time.” Clearly, Jesus did not retire from himself! Satan, frustrated, left him, “and, look! angels came and began to minister to [Jesus].”​—Luke 4:13; Matthew 4:11.

 3. What does one historian say about the significance of the existence of the Devil to Christianity?

³ Reasonably, one historian comments: “To deny the existence and central importance of the Devil in Christianity is to run counter to apostolic teaching and to the historical development of Christian doctrine. Since defining Christianity in terms other than these is literally meaningless, it is intellectually incoherent to argue for a Christianity that excludes the Devil. If the Devil does not exist, then Christianity has been dead wrong on a central point right from the beginning.”a That conclusion presents a challenge for every person on earth today. Do you recognize the existence of an invisible enemy who is out to subvert God’s sovereignty and man’s allegiance?

Satan’s True Identity

 4. How did a perfect spirit creature become Satan?

⁴ Satan is a powerful spirit creature, originally created by God as an angel, a spirit son with access to Jehovah’s heavenly court. (Job 1:6) However, Satan exercised his free will in opposition to God; with cunning he led Eve and, through her, Adam into disobedience and death. (2 Corinthians 11:3) Thus, he became Satan, meaning “Adversary”​—a rebel, a demon, a manslayer, and a liar. (John 8:44) How appropriate is Paul’s expression that “Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light,” when in actual fact he is a ‘world ruler of this darkness’! (2 Corinthians 6:14; 11:14; Ephesians 6:12) By enticing other angels to rebel, he led them out of God’s light into his own darkness. He became “the ruler of the demons.” Jesus also identified him as “the ruler of this world.” Obviously, in order to be a ruler, he has to exist as a created spirit person.​—Matthew 9:34; 12:24-28; John 16:11.

 5. How clearly is Satan identified in the Christian Greek Scriptures?

⁵ While Satan is rarely mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, he is fully exposed in the Christian Greek Scriptures​—so much so that we encounter the name Satan there 36 times and the word Devil, 33 times. (See Comprehensive Concordance of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.) He is also identified under other names and titles. Two of these were used by John at Revelation 12:9: “So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth.”​—See also Matthew 12:24-27; 2 Corinthians 6:14, 15.

 6. What is the meaning of the word “Devil”?

⁶ Here in Revelation appears the Greek word di·aʹbo·los, translated “Devil.” According to Greek scholar J. H. Thayer, it literally means “a calumniator, false accuser, slanderer.” (Compare 1 Timothy 3:11; 2 Timothy 3:3, Kingdom Interlinear.) W. E. Vine describes the Devil as “being the malignant enemy of God and man.”b

 7. Why can Satan concentrate his efforts on Jehovah’s people?

⁷ The great Adversary is not idle. (1 Peter 5:8) Perhaps that is why a proverb says, “The Devil finds work for idle hands to do.” He is out to subvert all genuine Christians. (2 Timothy 3:12) And he can concentrate on Jehovah’s people for one simple reason​—he already has the rest of the world in his power! (1 John 5:19) Today’s world is Satan’s world. He is its ruler and god, whether people recognize it or not. (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4) As a consequence, he will resort to every crafty or subtle act or suggestion in order to subvert Jehovah’s people, either individually or collectively. Let us examine some of the ways he operates.​—Mark 4:14, 15; Luke 8:12.

Satan’s Subtle and Crafty Acts

 8. With what advantage may Satan be working against us?

⁸ Satan has had a long time to study human psychology, to analyze human nature with all its inborn and acquired defects. He knows how to play on our weaknesses and our vanity. Now, what is the situation if your enemy knows your weaknesses and you fail to recognize them yourself? Then you are ill-equipped to defend yourself, since you are not aware of the chinks in your spiritual armor. (1 Corinthians 10:12; Hebrews 12:12, 13) How appropriate the words of a Scottish poet: ‘O would some power the gift give us to see ourselves as others see us! It would from many a blunder free us.’

 9. What may be the unhappy result if we fail to analyze ourselves and change?

⁹ Are we willing to see ourselves as others see us​—especially as God or Satan might see us? That requires honest self-analysis and appraisal and the will to make a change. Self-deception is so easy. (James 1:23, 24) How we sometimes rationalize to justify our course of action! (Compare 1 Samuel 15:13-15, 20, 21, 24.) And how easy it is to say, “Well, nobody is perfect, you know!” That is just what Satan knows, and he takes advantage of our imperfection. (2 Samuel 11:2-27) How sad to reach middle age and come to realize that because of the despotic, impersonal, or unkind way one has dealt with others over the years, one has become friendless; or to realize that one has done little or nothing to make other people happy. With subtlety Satan has perhaps led us through life using our inborn selfishness to blind us. We have failed to capture the essence of the true mind of Christ​—love, compassion, and kindness.​—1 John 4:8, 11, 20.

10. What questions might we ask ourselves, and why?

¹⁰ Therefore, in order to resist Satan, we must examine ourselves. Do you have a weakness that Satan could exploit or is exploiting right now? Do you have an ego problem? Must you always be number one? Is pride your hidden motivating force? Does jealousy, envy, or love of money distort your personality? Do you have a chip on your shoulder? Are you cold and cynical? Or are you hypersensitive when offered suggestions or criticism? Do you resent or even refuse counsel? If we know ourselves, we can rectify such problems, provided we are humble. Otherwise, we are leaving ourselves open to Satan.​—1 Timothy 3:6, 7; Hebrews 12:7, 11; 1 Peter 5:6-8.

11. By what subtle means might Satan try to undermine our spirituality?

¹¹ Satan can also undermine our spirituality in a subtle, insidious way. Perhaps we get upset about the way things are being done in the congregation or the organization. Often we do not have all the facts, but we easily jump to conclusions. If our relationship with Jehovah is weak, then it is a short step to negative thinking and doubts about the truth. Some may look for a self-justifying way out of the responsibilities that the truth entails. Satan then puts disloyalty and treason into their hearts. Soon they are victims of apostasy, and Satan rejoices.​—Luke 22:3-6; John 13:2, 27; 2 John 9-11.

12. (a) How have some been emboldened by Satan? (b) How does Satan trap many into immorality?

¹² Others are emboldened by Satan not only to commit gross sins worthy of disfellowshipping but even to resort to lies and deception in order to try to fool the congregation elders. Like Ananias and Sapphira, they think they can deceive the angels and God’s holy spirit. (Acts 5:1-10) Many thousands in recent years have fallen into Satan’s trap of immorality. The Devil knows that mankind’s sexual impulses are powerful, and through his world system, he highlights, perverts, and distorts the role of sexuality. (Numbers 25:1-3) Unmarried Christians may be tempted into fornication or other sexual abuses. (Proverbs 7:6-23) If married Christians allow their minds and hearts to wander, they can easily fall into treasonable conduct, betraying the spouse to whom they vowed fidelity.​—1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:1-5; Hebrews 13:4.

13. (a) How could television shape our thinking? (b) How can we resist such influence?

¹³ We live in a world in which lies, deceit, and violent anger are commonplace. Satan makes full use of the media to put across this degraded mentality. Television serials or soap operas portray attractive-looking people living in a web of mutual deceit. If we allow that thinking to affect us, we can soon start giving way to “minor” sins, which become the thin edge of the wedge for “major” ones. Satan’s subtle suggestions easily insinuate themselves into our thinking. How can we resist such influences? Never “allow place for the Devil,” as Paul counseled. That also means to control whom you allow into your home through the television. Should we not abhor the intrusion of violent, immoral, foulmouthed persons who bring pollution into our living room?​—Ephesians 4:23-32.

How Can We Resist Satan and Remain Faithful to God?

14. What twofold resolve is needed in order to resist Satan, and what does this require?

¹⁴ With such a powerful, superhuman enemy ranged against us imperfect human creatures, how can we keep our integrity? The key is found in James’ words: “Subject yourselves, therefore, to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) Notice that James’ counsel is twofold. While we oppose the Devil and his will, we must subject ourselves to God’s will. That involves loving God’s will and hating Satan’s. (Romans 12:9) Thus, James says: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you indecisive ones.” (James 4:8) Yes, in our resistance to Satan, there is no room for halfheartedness and indecision. We cannot afford to risk our integrity by seeing how close we can come to the line of demarcation from wickedness. We must thoroughly “hate what is bad.”​—Psalm 97:10.

15. Why is “the complete suit of armor from God” essential? Illustrate.

¹⁵ Outstanding counsel on resisting Satan is found in Ephesians chapter 6. How does Paul say we can resist Satan’s “craftiness,” “schemes,” or “tactics”? (Ephesians 6:11, Phillips, New International Version, The Jerusalem Bible) “Put on the complete suit of armor from God,” he counsels. This expression “complete suit” leaves no room for a sloppy attitude toward Christianity, any more than a Roman soldier could afford to be sloppy when preparing for battle. How would the soldier fare if he prepared himself with the entire suit of armor except the shield and the helmet? He could have thought, ‘That really is a large shield, and the helmet is so heavy. They weigh a lot, and I don’t really need them.’ Imagine the situation​—a Roman soldier armed to fight but without his main items of defense.​—Ephesians 6:16, 17.

16. (a) How must we follow Jesus’ example in using our “sword”? (b) How may we keep up our guard against Satan’s “burning missiles,” and with what result?

¹⁶ Imagine, too, a soldier without his sword. “The sword of the spirit” is a fine defense, as it is used to slash away the weaponry that Satan brings against the Christian. Our “sword” should be ever at the ready. It will be that way if we do not neglect our personal and family Bible study. But preeminently, this “sword . . . God’s Word” is our instrument of offense. Jesus used it both ways. (Matthew 4:6, 7, 10; 22:41-46) So must we. We must keep sharpening our appreciation of the truth. We cannot maintain our spirituality on the basis of what we learned in our first few months or years in the truth. If we failed to renew the spiritual circuits of our mind, our spiritual vision would become dimmed. Our zeal for Jehovah’s true worship would diminish. We would become spiritually feeble. We would no longer be able to repel the attacks of relatives, friends, companions, and apostates who may heap scorn upon our beliefs. But God will save us from the Devil and his “burning missiles” if we keep equipping ourselves with “the complete suit of armor from God.”​—Isaiah 35:3, 4.

17, 18. Against whom is our fight, and how can we win?

¹⁷ Yes, Paul emphasized the danger involved in the Christian fight when he wrote: “For our fight is not against human foes, but against cosmic powers, against the authorities and potentates of this dark world, against the superhuman forces of evil in the heavens.” (Ephesians 6:12, The New English Bible) How can we puny humans resist and win in such an uneven battle? Paul reiterates his point: “On this account take up the complete suit of armor from God, that you may be able to resist in the wicked day and, after you have done all things thoroughly, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:13) The key expression is: “After you have done all things thoroughly.” This again leaves no room for halfhearted or distracted Christianity.​—1 John 2:15-17.

¹⁸ Therefore, let us stand firm in the truth, loving Jehovah’s righteousness, preaching the good news of peace, holding fast with a strong faith in the salvation that Jehovah gives through Christ Jesus, while we rely on God’s Word as our mainstay. (Ephesians 6:14-17) Remember, God cares for us and will help us to triumph over the trials and anxieties that come our way in Satan’s system of things. May all of us heed the warning: “Keep your senses, be watchful. Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.” Yes, “take your stand against him, solid in the faith.”​—1 Peter 5:6-9.

19. (a) What further essential provision must we use in order to resist Satan? (b) What will eventually happen to Satan?

¹⁹ Let us not forget Paul’s essential addition to the “suit of armor.” He says: “While with every form of prayer and supplication you carry on prayer on every occasion in spirit. And to that end keep awake with all constancy and with supplication in behalf of all the holy ones.” (Ephesians 6:18) Our invisible enemy is so powerful that we need “every form of prayer and supplication.” How genuine and varied, then, our prayers must be! Our total reliance on Jehovah is vital if we are to win the fight and maintain integrity. Only he can supply “the power beyond what is normal” that will enable us to resist our relentless Adversary. What a comfort it is to know that our great Adversary will soon be abyssed and then finally annihilated forever!​—2 Corinthians 4:7; Revelation 20:1-3, 10.

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