The Names of Satan Vs. The Name of Jesus


As I studied what the Bible had to say about good and evil angels for The Angel Answer Book, I was astonished at all the names given in Scripture to describe our enemy. The great fallen archangel Lucifer is given many names and titles, including: The evil one (Matthew 5:37), the enemy (1 Peter 5:7), the accuser of our brothers and sisters (Revelation 12:10), Apollyon (Revelation 9:11) Abaddon (Revelation 9:11), the destroyer (Revelation 9:11), murderer, liar, and the father of lies (John 8:44), the ruler of the kingdom of the air (Ephesians 2:2), the spirit now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2), the great dragon (Revelation 12:9), the tempter (Matthew 4:3), the thief (John 10:10), the enemy (Matthew 13:39), the ancient serpent (Revelation 12:9), the prince of this world (John 12:31), Beelzebul, the prince of demons (Matthew 12:24), and, of course, the devil—a word that means accuser or slanderer.

But he is not God, nor is He the opposite of God. God is eternal; Satan had a beginning. God is limitless in His attributes; Satan, though powerful, is limited in all his properties. It’s more accurate to think of Satan as the opposite of, say, the archangels Gabriel or Michael. Among other things, this means Satan cannot be everywhere at once. Like all angels, he can only be at one place at a time. Since there are innumerable demons, we have to assume there is a demonic network blanketing the globe, providing Satan with up-to-date intelligence about all that’s going on. But he is not omnipresent (all present). That quality belongs to God alone. Nor is he omnipotent (all powerful) or omniscient (all knowing).

Nor can he outwit the Lord Jesus Christ. When our Lord died on the cross, Satan surely thought he had emerged as the victor in his epic struggle against God, but three days later the tables were turned. Jesus is victor! As Christians, we’re included in Christ’s resurrection victory over the forces of evil. Colossians 2:13-15 says, “God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

–Adapted from The Angel Answer Book