A Brief Study of Angels
What is Satan like?
If we accept that Satan was originally an angel, specifically a cherub, who at some point fell from the state of holiness, it follows that he possesses the same basic attributes as angels in general. The same was seen to be true with demons. To avoid belaboring the point too much, we can simply say, then, that he is a spirit being with personality. He is not an impersonal cosmic force of evil which is the necessary opposite of that which is good in the universe.
To be sure, this is the testimony of the Bible concerning him. We have previously seen that the hallmarks of personality are the possession of intelligence, emotion, a will, and self-awareness. We see that Satan has the ability to think in II Corinthians 11:3 (where he is referred to as “the serpent”) and Ephesians 6:11 (“the devil”) where Satan is described as being very clever in his schemes. Such planning in an effort to manipulate and deceive requires a keen intellect. In Matthew 4:5,6 we see that He has knowledge of and can quote passages of Scripture. Satan knows things.
However, we must quickly add that he does not know all things. Remember, since he is a created angel, he is finite, not infinite; he has limitations. Some mistakenly think that Satan can see into our minds or know the future. This is not true. In Job 1:9-11 Satan claims to know Job’s motives for serving God and also know what Job would do if hardship came upon him. In both cases he was wrong (2:3). We must respect Satan’s power for what it is, but we must not give him credit for more than what he can really do.
We also see that Satan has feelings about things. The emotion we see most clearly in the Word of God is his vindictive anger. In Job 1,2 we see Satan’s negative feelings toward Job as he seeks to discredit Job to God and open him up to attack. In Revelation 12 we see his anger referred to twice as he is cast out of heaven to earth (v. 12) and as his efforts to destroy “the woman” (probably meaning Israel) are thwarted (v. 17).
His ability to choose a course for himself can be seen in Isaiah 14:13-14 where (assuming we attribute these statements to Satan) Lucifer says five times what he plans to do in dethroning God and taking His place. But even if we reject that these were said by the devil, Paul states clearly in II Timothy 2:26 that Satan has a will to which he desires to subject others. Again let us quickly remember that Satan’s will is not supreme. Referring back to Job 1:11-12; 2:4-6 we see that Satan is limited in his power to exert his will. He had to get permission from God to assault Job and,
even then, he was restricted in how far he could go. I like the way Robert Lightner puts it: “...God alone is in control and sovereign. Satan is like a dog on his master’s leash. He cannot do anything anywhere, anytime, to anybody, without God’s permission” (Angels, Satan, and Demons, p. 66).
We can see a good example of the self-awareness of Satan in Matthew 4:8-9 where Satan shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world and promises, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Note the personal pronouns which tell us that Satan thought of himself as a person. There are certainly many other examples of all these attributes throughout the Bible, but these should suffice to prove that Satan is a personal being doing what he does because of the kind of person that he is.
Perhaps the best way to understand the kind of character Satan possesses and his capabilities is to examine the different terms that are used to refer to him throughout the Bible. The following is a chart of most of his various names:
| Name or Title | Meaning | Bible Reference |
| Satan (used 50+ times) | Adversary | Matthew 4:10 |
| Devil (used 30+ times) | Slanderer | Matthew 4:1 |
| Beelzebub | Lord of the flies, Ruler of demons | Matthew 12:24 |
| Wicked one (or evil one) | Intrinsically evil | Matthew 13:19 (John 17:15) |
| Enemy | Opponent | Matthew 13:39 |
| Murderer | Causes death | John 8:44 |
| Liar (Father of) | Perverts truth | John 8:44 |
| Ruler of this world | Power/influence in present world system | John 12:31 |
| God of this age | Worshipped by many, philosophy followed | II Cor. 4:4 |
| Prince of the power of the air | Control over unbelievers | Ephesians 2:2 |
| Tempter | Solicits people to sin | I Thess. 3:5 |
| Roaring lion | Brutal and powerful | I Peter 5:8 |
| Angel of the bottomless pit | Emphasizes control of other demons | Revelation 9:11 |
| Abaddon, Apollyon | Destroyer | Revelation 9:11 |
| Dragon | Powerful, destructive creature | Revelation 12:7 |
| Accuser | Opposes believers before God | Revelation 12:10 |
| Serpent | Original deceiver | Revelation 20:2 |
This list may not be exhaustive but it is very representative of who Satan really is. He is a powerful, crafty foe who seeks to tempt and deceive humans so as to control them and finally bring about their destruction. He hates everything that God loves and seeks to undo it. He is the ultimate enemy of us all.