Sunday, October 13, 2024

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The names of Satan

The Bible gives many names for Satan

Each of the names of Satan provides us with more information regarding his nature and his activities.

The names for Satan used in the Old Testament

  • Ezekiel referred to Satan as the King of Tyre.

“Mortal man,” he said, “grieve for the fate that is waiting for the king of Tyre. Tell him what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying: You were once an example of perfection. How wise and handsome you were! (Eze 28:12 GNB)

  • Before his rebellion, one of the names for Satan was “anointed cherub.”

You were the anointed cherub that covers, and I had put you in the holy height of God where you were; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (Eze 28:14 MKJV)

  • Another of the names for Satan was Lucifer (“the morning star”).

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (Isa 14:12 KJVR)

This was actually a name stolen from Jesus, who is the true morning star.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches – I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”  [Rev 22:16 ESV]

The names for Satan used in the Gospels (the first four books of the New Testament.)

  • The apostle John used the name “Satan,” meaning “adversary” or “opposer.” 

As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Hurry and do what you must!” (Joh 13:27 GNB)

  • Matthew called him “Beelzebub,” also translated as “Beelzebul” (the Lord of the Flies).

When the Pharisees heard this, they replied, “He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebul gives him power to do so.” (Mat 12:24 GNB)temptationruler

  • The most common of the names for Satan is “the Devil” (slanderer).

Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1Pe 5:8 GNB)

Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the Devil.(Mat 4:1 GNB)

  • Other names for Satan are “murderer”, “liar,” and “father of lies.”

You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father’s desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies. (Joh 8:44 GNB)

 

Less familiar names for Satan are “the prince”, “the chief, “and “the ruler” of the demons

Some teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem were saying, “He has Beelzebul in him! It is the chief of the demons who gives him the power to drive them out.” (Mar 3:22 GNB)

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons. (Mar 3:22 MKJV)

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” (Mar 3:22 NAB)

names of Satan

  • Among all of the names for Satan, the least familiar is “the ruler of this world.”

Now is the time for this world to be judged; now the ruler of this world will be overthrown.  (Joh 12:31 GNB)

and they are wrong about judgment, because the ruler of this world has already been judged. (Joh 16:11 GNB)

I cannot talk with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me, (Joh 14:30 GNB)

  • Another of the names for Satan is simply “the enemy.”

and the enemy who sowed the weeds is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvest workers are angels. (Mat 13:39 GNB)

  • The best description of the name for Satan is “the tempter.”

The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” (Mat 4:3 NAB)


The names for Satan are from the epistles (the New Testament letters to the churches.)

  • Peter called him the enemy or opponent.

Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1Pe 5:8 GNB)

Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour. (1Pe 5:8 NAB)

  • John called Satan the evil one.

We know that no children of God keep on sinning, for the Son of God keeps them safe, and the Evil One cannot harm them.   (1Jn 5:18 GNB)

  • Another name for Satan is Belial, meaning “worthlessness.”

What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? (2Co 6:15 NAB)

 

Paul referred to him using many different names.

  • The Snake.

I am afraid that your minds will be corrupted and that you will abandon your full and pure devotion to Christ—in the same way that Eve was deceived by the snake’s clever lies.  (2Co 11:3 GNB)

  • The Destroyer.

Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer.  (1Co 10:10 NAB)

  • The angel of death.

We must not complain, as some of them did—and they were destroyed by the Angel of Death.  (1Co 10:10 GNB)

  • The devil.  (It means “slanderer”.)

How can Christ and the Devil agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  (2Co 6:15 GNB)

  • The evil god of this world.

They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. (2Co 4:4 GNB)

 

Paul used even more names for Satan…

  • The prince of the power of the air.

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience; (Eph 2:2 MKJV)

  • The Tempter.

For this cause, when I could no longer endure, I also sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter may have tempted you and our labor may have been in vain.  (1Th 3:5 MKJV)

  • A Roaring Lion.

Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour. (1Pe 5:8 NAB)

  • Ruler of darkness.

For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age. (Eph 6:12 GNB)

  • The spirit that works in the children of disobedience:

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience; (Eph 2:2 MKJV)


The names for Satan from the Book of Revelation

  • Angel of the bottomless pit: the destroyer; Abaddon; Apollyon.

And they had a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in Greek his name is Apollyon. (Rev 9:11 MKJV)

  •  The dragon.

And another sign was seen in the heavens. And behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads! (Rev 12:3 MKJV)

  • The serpent, the devil, Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.

The huge dragon was thrown out—that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him. (Rev 12:9 GNB)

  • The accuser of the believers.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now God’s salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as King! Now his Messiah has shown his authority! For the one who stood before our God and accused believers day and night has been thrown out of heaven. (Rev 12:10 GNB)

Because of these names for Satan, we can learn more about him and his schemes.

Next Page: – Satan, the Serpent