Where is Satan in the Bible? How does he become the devil or Satan?
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The word “Satan” is mentioned forty-nine times in the King James Version of the Bible and is found in both Old and New Testaments. The word means “adversary” or “accuser.” The word “devil” means slanderer and is found thirty-two times in the New Testament only. Satan, the devil, and the serpent are identified as the same person in Revelation 12:9: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” The same identification is made in Revelation 20:2: “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.”
We first come across the serpent in Genesis 3:1-5. This is where Eve was deceived into eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The word “Satan” first appears chronologically in chapters 1 and 2 of the book of Job where he is seen among the sons of God. Satan challenges God to permit Job to be tested to see if Job’s faith is pure. God permits the test, but puts definite limits on what Satan may and may not do to Job. First Chronicles 21:1 says that Satan provoked David to number Israel. This resulted in a great plague being sent by God as punishment for David’s actions. Satan is mentioned in Psalm 109:6 as standing at the right hand of a wicked man, and in Zechariah 3:1-2 as an enemy of God and His high priest.
Satan is mentioned much more often in the New Testament and called by the name “devil” as well. Satan directly tempts Jesus to sin in Matthew 4:1-10 and Luke 4:1-8. Jesus acknowledges the existence of Satan and his desire to own Peter in Luke 22:31. The Bible also says that Satan entered into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus (John 13:27). Ananias and Saphira lied to the Holy Spirit due to the work of Satan (Acts 5:3). Satan is said to have power (Acts 26:18), the ability to tempt us (1 Corinthians 7:5) and transform into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Peter also tells us that the devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). However, Jesus has overcome him (Hebrews 2:14) and God has prepared a place for him and his angels (Matthew 25:41).
We don’t know exactly how Satan became what and who he is today. He must have been created by God as a good being since God can only create that which is good (James 1:17). He must have been given free choice like humans have free choice and chosen to oppose God at some point instead of be obedient to Him. We know that at one time he held a prominent position before God and was a constant accuser of men. Revelation 12:1-11 discusses Satan’s expulsion from heaven after Jesus ascended to the right hand of the throne of God. Some people believe that Isaiah 14 discusses the fall of Satan since Isaiah 14:12 mentions the word “Lucifer”, which really means “light bringer,” but in context, the passage is a prophecy against the King of Babylon and has nothing to say about the origins of Satan.