Satan in The Bible

Full list of Satan references in the Bible – By term and book

I’ll group by the main names/titles and list the key passages, so you can actually use this as a study guide.

A. “Satan” in the Old Testament (Hebrew śāṭān)

As a supernatural accuser (with the article “the”):

• Job: Job 1:6–9, 12; 2:1–4, 6–7
• Zechariah: Zechariah 3:1–2
• 1 Chronicles: 1 Chronicles 21:1

As a human or generic adversary (same word, not always “the Satan”):

• Numbers 22:22, 32 (the angel of the Lord as an “adversary”)
• 1 Samuel 29:4
• 2 Samuel 19:22
• 1 Kings 5:4; 11:14, 23, 25
• Psalm 109:6

B. “Satan” in the New Testament (Greek Satanas)

Gospels:

• Matthew: 4:10; 12:26; 16:23; Mark 1:13; 3:23, 26; 4:15; 8:33; Luke 4:8; 10:18; 11:18; 13:16; 22:3, 31

Acts & Epistles:

• Acts 5:3; 26:18
• Romans 16:20
• 1 Corinthians 5:5; 7:5
• 2 Corinthians 2:11; 11:14; 12:7
• 1 Thessalonians 2:18
• 2 Thessalonians 2:9 (implicitly)
• 1 Timothy 1:20; 5:15
• Revelation: 2:9, 13, 24; 3:9; 12:9; 20:2, 7

C. “Devil” (Greek diabolos)

Gospels:

• Matthew: 4:1, 5, 8, 11; 13:39; 25:41
• Luke: 4:2–3, 6, 13; 8:12

John:

• John 6:70; 8:44; 13:2

Acts & Epistles:

• Acts 10:38
• Ephesians 4:27; 6:11
• 1 Timothy 3:6–7, 11; 2 Timothy 2:26; Titus 2:3 (sometimes human “slanderers,” same word)
• Hebrews 2:14
• James 4:7
• 1 Peter 5:8
• 1 John 3:8, 10
• Jude 9 (implicitly in the dispute with Michael)
• Revelation 2:10; 12:9, 12; 20:2, 10

D. “The evil one” (ho ponēros) clearly referring to Satan

• Matthew 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38
• John 17:15
• 2 Thessalonians 3:3
• 1 John 2:13–14; 3:12; 5:18–19

E. Other titles clearly linked to Satan

Serpent / ancient serpent / dragon:

• Genesis 3:1–5, 13–15 (identified with Satan in Rev 12:9; 20:2)
• Revelation 12:3–4, 7–9, 13, 15–17; 20:2

Tempter:

• Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5

Accuser of the brethren:

• Revelation 12:10

God of this age / ruler of this world / prince of the power of the air:

• John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11
• 2 Corinthians 4:4
• Ephesians 2:2; 6:12

Belial (as Satan):

• 2 Corinthians 6:15

Apollyon/Abaddon (destroyer, closely related to satanic imagery):

• Revelation 9:11

That’s the backbone of every explicit Satan/devil reference in Scripture.

Timeline of Satan’s development from Genesis to Revelation

Think of this as a character arc across the whole Bible and surrounding literature.

Stage 1: The serpent in Eden (Genesis 3)

• Not called “Satan” in Genesis, just “the serpent.”
• Later, Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 explicitly identify this serpent as “the devil and Satan.”
• Role: deceiver, tempter, enemy of God’s purposes, bringing death and curse into the world.

Stage 2: The adversary in the divine court (Job, Zechariah)

• In Job 1–2 and Zechariah 3, haśśāṭān (“the adversary”) appears as a heavenly prosecutor.
• He accuses Job and Joshua the high priest, testing their faithfulness.
• He operates under God’s sovereignty—he must receive permission.

Stage 3: Independent hostile power (1 Chronicles, later OT hints)

• 1 Chronicles 21:1: “Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number Israel.”
• Here Satan appears more as an independent hostile agent, not just a courtroom role.
• Intertestamental literature (1 Enoch, Jubilees, Dead Sea Scrolls) expands this into a cosmic enemy leading evil spirits.

Stage 4: Fully developed personal enemy in the Gospels

• By the time of Jesus, Satan is:
  • the tempter in the wilderness (Matthew 4; Luke 4)
  • the enemy sowing tares (Matthew 13)
  • the ruler behind demonic oppression (Luke 10:18)
• Jesus speaks of Satan as a personal, intelligent, malicious being.

Stage 5: Theological deepening in the Epistles

• Paul and others describe Satan as:
  • “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
  • “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2)
  • one who blinds minds, deceives, tempts, accuses, and schemes
• Satan is both:
  • defeated in principle at the cross (Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14)
  • still active until the final judgment.

Stage 6: Apocalyptic dragon and final defeat (Revelation)

• Revelation fuses all earlier imagery:
  • serpent of Eden
  • dragon of chaos
  • accuser of the brethren
• He persecutes the saints, deceives the nations, and is finally:
  • bound (Revelation 20:1–3)
  • released briefly (20:7–9)
  • thrown into the lake of fire forever (20:10)

So the arc is: serpent → adversarial prosecutor → independent enemy → cosmic ruler of a dark age → apocalyptic dragon doomed to destruction.

Comparison of Satan in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Now let’s zoom out and see how three major traditions talk about the same dark figure.

A. Judaism

• Hebrew Bible:
  • Satan is mostly a role (“the adversary”), not always a proper name.
  • Evil is often framed as human sin and divine judgment more than a single cosmic villain.
• Second Temple literature (1 Enoch, Jubilees, Dead Sea Scrolls):
  • Satan/Belial/Mastema emerges as a chief of evil spirits, leading fallen angels and demons.
  • Cosmic dualism intensifies: “sons of light” vs. “sons of darkness.”
• Rabbinic Judaism:
  • Satan is an accuser, tempter, and angel of death—but still ultimately under God’s authority.
  • Emphasis remains on human responsibility and Torah obedience.

In short: Judaism sees Satan as real but subordinate, and focuses heavily on human moral choice.

B. Christianity

• New Testament:
  • Satan is a personal, supernatural enemy: tempter, deceiver, accuser, ruler of this world.
  • Identified with:
    • serpent of Eden
    • dragon of Revelation
    • “evil one,” “devil,” “god of this age.”
• Theology:
  • Satan leads demons, opposes God’s kingdom, blinds unbelievers, and persecutes the church.
  • Christ’s death and resurrection decisively defeat Satan, though his final destruction is future.
• Tradition:
  • Church Fathers connect Satan with “Lucifer” (Isaiah 14) and “fallen star” imagery.
  • Medieval art and literature (Dante, Milton) shape the popular image of Satan as ruler of hell, though biblically hell is his punishment, not his throne.

In short: Christianity presents Satan as a defeated but active enemy, central to spiritual warfare and eschatology.

C. Islam

• Name: Iblīs (إبليس), also called al‑Shayṭān (الشيطان, “the Satan”).
• Qur’anic story:
  • Iblīs is a jinn (or sometimes seen as an angelic being) who refuses to bow to Adam.
  • His refusal is rooted in pride: “I am better than him; You created me from fire and him from clay.”
  • He is cast out but granted respite until the Day of Judgment.
• Role:
  • Tempter and whisperer, leading humans astray from God’s path.
  • Has no coercive power—only suggestion (waswasa).
• Theology:
  • Strict monotheism: Satan is a created being, absolutely not God’s rival.
  • Humans are fully responsible for their choices; Satan is an instigator, not an excuse.

In short: Islam sees Iblīs as a proud rebel and tempter, powerful in influence but utterly subordinate to God.

D. Shared threads and sharp differences

Shared:

• A personal or quasi-personal evil figure who:
  • rebels against God
  • tempts humans
  • will ultimately face judgment
• Themes of pride, deception, accusation, and spiritual warfare.

Different:

• Judaism: more restrained, less systematized; Satan is real but not central.
• Christianity: Satan is central to the drama of sin, redemption, and final judgment.
• Islam: Iblīs is a tempter and rebel, but God’s absolute sovereignty is emphasized; no dualism.