God created the spirit being we know as Satan. The prophet Isaiah indicates he was once known as “Lucifer.” (see Isaiah 14:12 – KJV uses the term “Lucifer”) He calls him “son of the morning,” but other translations (of the Bible) say “star of the morning,” implying he was bright and beautiful, like a light in heaven.
Lucifer was given the task of watching over Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. (see Ezekiel 28:14) But tragically, he had a pride problem. Isaiah (14:13,14, NLT) tells us, “For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars…I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’” He wanted to be like God! So instead of being a blessing to our first parents, he took the form of a snake and deceived Eve with a lie, because he wanted power and authority – to rule over God’s creation.
Jesus, in his pre-human existence, saw him fall away from God because of his pride. In Luke, he says, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” (Luke 10:18, NKJ)
After God cast Lucifer out of heaven, he was called by a new name – Satan. (see 1 Chronicles 21:1, Job chapters 1 and 2, Matthew 4:10) In the book of Matthew, where he tried unsuccessfully to tempt Jesus into disobeying God, he is also called “the tempter,” and “the devil.” (see Matthew 4:1,3,5)
In Ephesians (see 2:2, NASB translation), Paul called Satan “the prince of the power of the air” because he is permitted – for now – to live invisibly in our atmosphere where he encourages mankind to do evil things. In John, Jesus referred to Satan as the “ruler of this world.” (see John 12:31, NKJ translation) In 2 Corinthians (4:4, NLT), the Apostle Paul called Satan the “god of this world,” and said we are not unaware of his evil schemes. (2:11)
Jesus described Satan’s character in John: (John 8:44, Berean Study Bible) “He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Satan is dangerous, and his goal is to turn people away from God, so we must be careful. Peter says, (1 Peter 5:8, NIV) “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Satan is sneaky and deceitful. Paul says (2 Corinthians 11:14, NLT), “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” This means that witchcraft can appear to be harmless, or ungodly actions like evil speaking can somehow seem ok. Fortunately, James gives us excellent advice: (James 4:7, NKJ) “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
So, what does the Bible say about Satan? He is a prideful, dangerous spirit being that God cast out of heaven. He now lives invisibly in our atmosphere, doing all he can to disrupt God’s plan. However, he will eventually be destroyed. (see Revelation 20:10) In the meantime, let’s be on our guard from ALL evil influences and do our best to follow God’s righteous principles.