All The Times The Devil Pops Up In The Bible - It's Not As Many As You Think
In The Book Of Genesis, The Devil Appears As The Serpent In The Garden Of Eden
Photo: Henry Fuseli / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainPerhaps the most well-known and oft-cited appearance of Satan takes place in Genesis 3:1-13 when he appears to Eve as a serpent in the Garden of Eden:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will [perish].'" "You will not certainly [perish],” the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The man said, "The woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
One thing to note is that Satan isn't mentioned by name in the text, which leads some biblical scholars to point out that the serpent may just be that: an animal God rebukes. Later interpretations cast Satan as a disguised serpent tempting man.
The Gospels Of John And Luke Say Satan 'Entered' Judas
Photo: Benoît-Hermogaste Molin / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainThe story of Judas betraying Jesus before the Last Supper serves as another key biblical appearance for Satan. Luke 22:3-5 offers a reason for Judas's betrayal: "Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present."
In John 13:27, there is another reference to Judas being filled with Satan: "As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, 'What you are about to do, do quickly.'"
In The Book Of Job, Satan Tests Job
Photo: William Blake / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainSatan plays a significant role in the Book of Job. According to the Bible, Job is a God-fearing man tested by Satan to prove his faithfulness to God. Job's servants are struck down in the fields, his livestock are wiped out, and his children meet their end in a collapsed house. Job maintains his faith and prayers to God, but Satan soon appears again. This time, Satan questions Job's faith in the face of disease. In Job 2, the devil gets God's permission to test the man and places sores all over Job's body.
In 1 Chronicles, Satan Encourages David To Take A Census Of Israel
In 1 Chronicles 21:1, Satan persuades King David to count all the citizens of Israel: "Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, 'Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.'"
Taking the census is not a sin in itself; however, because the intention behind the census is to boost David's ego and wealth, it displeases God. Once the count is completed, David repents and throws himself on the mercy of God. David gets to choose from three punishments: three years of famine, three months of loss at the hands of his enemies, or three days of plague in Israel. David chooses the plague and later builds an altar to God.
In The Book Of Zechariah, Satan Accuses Joshua
Photo: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainZechariah 3:1-5 recounts a vision of the high priest Joshua meeting Satan and an angel of God. Satan criticizes the priest's dirty clothing and God basically tells the devil to back off:
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?" Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you." Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.
In The Gospel Of Matthew, Satan Tempts Jesus Three Times In The Desert
Photo: Félix Joseph Barrias / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainWhile Jesus is wandering in the desert in the Gospel of Matthew, Satan tempts him three different times. In Matthew 4:1-11, the devil attempts to convince the starving Jesus to turn rocks into food and then throw himself from the top of a temple. The devil finally promises to give Jesus all of the world and its people if he turns away from God:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
In The Gospel Of Luke, Jesus Watches Satan Fall From Heaven
Photo: William Blake / Wikipedia Commons / Public DomainIn the Gospel of Luke, Jesus sends 72 of his followers out into the world in pairs to preach. Luke 10:17-18 describes what those followers reported when they came back: "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, 'Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.' He [Jesus] replied, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven...'"
Biblical scholars debate what Jesus actually meant when he claimed to see the devil fall. Some believe it was a premonition of Satan's future fall from power, while others think it was a vision of the moment Satan was first expelled from Heaven.
In The Book Of Revelation, Satan Is Hurled To The Earth
Photo: Gustave Doré / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainThe Book of Revelation deals with Jesus's visions of the future. In Revelation 12, a pregnant woman appears alongside a seven-headed dragon ready to eat her child as soon as she gives birth. The child is swept into safety with God while the mother gets to hide in the wilderness.
Revelation 12:7-9 reveals the dragon to be Satan: "Then [conflict] broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him."
In Isaiah, Satan Is Called Lucifer During His Fall From Heaven
Photo: Alessandro Vellutello / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainIsaiah 14 begins with a discussion of Babylon falling while the Lord forgives the chosen people of Israel. The text calls the devil Lucifer, which means "son of the morning" or "star of the morning." This is supposedly an allusion to Satan's time in Heaven and his desire to be God. Isaiah 14:9-12 talks of Satan's jealousy and fall:
The realm... below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you - all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones - all those who were kings over the nations. They will all respond, they will say to you, “You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.” All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you. How you have fallen from heaven, morning star [Lucifer in the King James version], son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
Ephesians Reminds Mankind To Protect Themselves From Satan's Schemes
Photo: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainEphesians 6 speaks on the importance of honoring mothers and fathers and advises parents to raise children in the ways of the Lord. Ephesians 6:11-16 speaks of Satan and his evil minions attempting to turn the Lord's followers astray:
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
In Jude, The Devil Fights With The Archangel Michael
Photo: Anonymous / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainThe Book of Jude speaks about the sinners and the punishment they receive for embracing evil. It specifically warns of ungodly men attempting to turn the faithful away from the Lord. It also mentions angels cast down to spend eternity chained in darkness.
Jude 1:9-10 describes the archangel Michael battling with Satan: "But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct - as irrational animals do - will [harm] them.
Peter Warns The Faithful That The Devil Walks Among Them
Photo: Charles Deas / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainPeter 5 reminds the faithful to lead others through by example. It also speaks of deferring to elders and remaining humble in action and thought. 1 Peter 5:8-9 warns about Satan's tendency to prey upon the weak: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
