What Does Satan Do?

How does the Bible describe the devil and what he does? I’ve included the first instance of each description below.

 

• Can incite people to do things (1 Chronicles 21:1)

• Presents himself to the Lord and must get permission what he does (Job 1:6)

• Roams the earth (Job 1:7)

• Can call fire down from the heavens (Job 1:16)

• Can call a powerful wind (Job 1:18-19)

• Can afflict people with sores (Job 2:7)

• Accuses people (Zechariah 3:1)

• Tempts people (Matthew 4:1)

• Can take people places (Matthew 4:5, 4:8)

• Incites people to swear oaths (Matthew 5:37)

• God can deliver us from him (Matthew 6:13) and protect us from him (John 17:15)

• Is the prince of demons (Matthew 12:24)

• Does not drive out demons (Matthew 12:26)

• Keeps people from believing the truth (Luke 8:12)

• Can make people cripples (Luke 13:10-15)

• Can enter into people (Luke 22:3)

• Was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44)

• Always lies (John 8:44)

• Is the prince of this world (John 12:31)

• Can fill people’s hearts with wrong desires (Acts 5:3)

• God will crush him under the believers’ feet (Romans 16:20)

• Can destroy a person’s flesh (1 Corinthians 5:5)

• Wants to keep people from forgiving others (2 Corinthians 2:5-11)

• Is not in harmony with Christ (2 Corinthians 6:15)

• Masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)

• Can send a demon to torment people with physical problems (2 Corinthians 12:7)

• Is the ruler of the kingdom of the air (Ephesians 2:2)

• Is at work in those who disobey God (Ephesians 2:2)

• Can prevent us from carrying out our plans (1 Thessalonians 2:18)

• Uses signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9)

• Is conceited (1 Timothy 3:6)

• Holds the power of death (Hebrews 2:14)

• Will flee from those who resist him (James 4:7)

• Prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8)

• Has been sinning from the beginning (1 John 3:8)

• Cannot cause Christians to sin (1 John 5:18)

• Controls the world (1 John 5:19)

• Disputed with Michael about the body of Moses (Jude 1:9)

• Can cause people to persecute Christians (Revelation 2:10)

• Deceives people into thinking they have “secret knowledge” (Revelation 2:24)

• Is the ancient serpent (Revelation 12:9)

• Will be bound for a thousand years, then released, then cast into Hell (Revelation 20)