What is Satan like?

from the old testament

• Satan is a created spiritual being who opposes God. Satan was created by God and is not God's equal or rival but is subject to God's authority (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7).
• While passages like Isaiah 14:12–15 and Ezekiel 28:11–19 primarily address earthly kings, many see them as also reflecting Satan's pride and rebellion. Satan wanted to be like God—ultimately to be God—and therefore sinned and became a fallen angel. 
  
• Satan is the deceiver who tempts people to distrust God. Satan first appears in Scripture as the serpent in the Garden of Eden, where he questioned God's Word, distorted the truth, and tempted Eve to doubt God's goodness and wisdom (Genesis 3:1–7). His strategy from the beginning has been to lead people away from trusting and obeying God.
• The name "Satan" means "adversary" or "accuser." In Job, Satan accuses Job before God, claiming his faithfulness exists only because God has blessed him (Job 1:8–11; 2:3–5). In Zechariah's vision, Satan stands ready to accuse Joshua the high priest, but God rebukes him (Zechariah 3:1–2).
• Satan influences people toward sin but remains under God's authority. For example, Satan incited David to take a sinful census of Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1). Yet throughout the Old Testament, Satan's activity is always limited by God's sovereign rule. He cannot act apart from God's permission or beyond the boundaries God sets (Job 1–2).
• God promised Satan's ultimate defeat. After humanity's fall, in what is called the protoevangelium, God declared that the offspring of the woman would one day crush the serpent's head, even though the serpent would bruise His heel (Genesis 3:15). This first promise of redemption points forward to Christ's ultimate victory over Satan.

from the new testament

• The New Testament identifies Satan as the devil, the evil one, the tempter, and the ruler of this world in a temporary sense (Matthew 4:1–11; John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2).
• Satan actively opposes God's work and seeks to turn people away from Christ. Satan is a liar and deceiver. Jesus described Satan as "a liar and the father of lies" who has been "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44).
• Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and deceives people through false teaching, false prophets, and counterfeit truth (2 Corinthians 11:13–15; Revelation 12:9). Satan, though a spiritual being, is limited. He is not omnipotent or omnipresent, and he cannot read our minds. He is neither God's equal nor an equal enemy.
• Satan tempts people to sin and seeks to destroy them. Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11), entered Judas before Jesus' betrayal (Luke 22:3), and sought to influence Ananias to lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). Peter warns that the devil prowls like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
• Satan blinds unbelievers and opposes the spread of the gospel. He works to keep people from understanding and believing God's truth. Jesus compared him to the one who snatches away the seed of God's Word (Matthew 13:19), and Paul says Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).
• Satan accuses believers but cannot separate them from Christ. Revelation calls Satan "the accuser of our brothers" who accuses God's people day and night (Revelation 12:10). Yet because of Jesus' death and resurrection, believers are forgiven, justified, and no accusation against them can ultimately stand (Romans 8:33–34).
• The New Testament describes Satan as "the ruler of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4), and "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). These titles do not mean Satan is equal to God or has ultimate authority. Rather, they describe the significant influence God has temporarily allowed him to exercise over a fallen world. Satan works through the world's sinful systems, values, and rebellion against God, blinding unbelievers to the truth of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4) and influencing those who live in disobedience (Ephesians 2:2–3). Yet his authority is limited, temporary, and always subject to God's sovereign rule.
• Jesus defeated Satan through His death and resurrection. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Through the cross, He disarmed the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15), broke Satan's power over death (Hebrews 2:14–15), and secured victory for all who trust in Him.
• Although Satan continues to oppose God today, his defeat is guaranteed. One day he will be thrown into the lake of fire and judged forever, while Christ's kingdom will endure for all eternity (Revelation 20:10).

implications for today

From horror movies to Halloween costumes, the devil is often portrayed as either someone to laugh at or someone to fear. The Bible presents a very different picture. Satan is real, dangerous, and actively works to deceive, tempt, and pull people away from God, but he is not equal to God, and he is not in control. Because Jesus has already defeated Satan through the cross and resurrection, believers do not have to live in fear of him. Instead, Scripture calls us to be spiritually alert, put on the armor of God, and resist the devil, trusting that "he will flee from you" (James 4:7; Ephesians 6:10–18; 1 Peter 5:8–9).

That means we don't need to obsess over Satan or blame him for every struggle, but we also shouldn't ignore his schemes. When temptation comes, when lies creep into your mind, or when following Jesus feels difficult, remember that your victory is found in Christ, not in your own strength. Stay close to God through prayer, His Word, and living in community, and trust that the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Rather than living in fear of the enemy, live with confidence in the Savior who has already won the final victory.