Is Satan Real?

What’s the Difference Between Wicca and Satanism?
 
            One of the most common questions we receive from Christians is, “Don’t all Wiccans worship Satan?” Actually, no. Most Wiccans and proponents of other New Age religions will be quick to tell you that they do not believe in absolute evil. In fact, they do not believe that Satan exists at all; they consider him to be part of the Christian tradition. Wiccans believe that by admitting that Satan exists, they name evil and allow it to have power over them.
           Truth is, however, Satan does exist. He is alive and well in the world, seeking to lead people astray and destroy them. To put it simply, Satan counterfeits God. He seeks to usurp God’s power and glory, and he tries to distract and mislead people from recognizing God as the one true and holy God. Interestingly, the Scriptures tell us that we can have power over Satan's evil by clearly naming it and rebuking it in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:18; 19:13; Matthew 4:10).
            The New International Version of the Bible includes 47 verses that specifically mention Satan by name. What types of actions does Satan perform in the world? The following chart lists some of them.
 
Satan…                                   Scripture Reference





convinced King David to take a (prideful) census of the nation of Israel.


1 Chronicles 21:1




presented himself before the Lord along with all the other angels.


Job 1:6; 2:1




told God that he had been “roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”


Job 1:7; 2:2




suggested that Job worshiped God only because God protected and favored him.


Job 1:8–9




afflicted Job with painful sores.


Job 2:7




stood at the right hand of Joshua to accuse him.


Zechariah 3:1




was rebuked by the Lord.


Zechariah 3:2




tempted Jesus in the wilderness.


Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13




was personally rebuked and sent away by Jesus.


Matthew 4:10




caused some people to say that Jesus’s power was from Satan rather than from God, which was blasphemy.


Matthew 12:26; Mark 3:23–26; Luke 11:18




caused Peter to prioritize the things of men over the things of God.


Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33




will be cast into eternal fire.


Matthew 25:41




takes away the Word of God sown in some people’s hearts before it can take root.


Mark 4:15




fell like lightning from heaven.


Luke 10:18




prompted Judas to betray Jesus.


John 13:2




can get a foothold in our lives if we do not control our anger.  


Ephesians 4:27




schemes to destroy people; we must put on the full armor of God to protect ourselves.


Ephesians 6:11




lays traps for God’s people.


1 Timothy 3:7; 2 Timothy 2:26




holds the power of death.


Hebrews 2:14




causes people to harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in their hearts.


James 3:14–15




will soon be crushed underneath our feet by the God of peace.


Romans 16:20




masquerades as an angel of light.


2 Corinthians 11:14




displays all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders.


2 Thessalonians 2:9




is our enemy; he prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.


1 Peter 5:8




leads the whole world astray; will eventually be destroyed.


Revelation 12:9




will be bound for a thousand years.


Revelation 20:2, 7




will be thrown into the lake of fire forever.


Revelation 20:10



 
Satan does have some measure of power as the "prince of this world." However, God's power is far greater. Let me know your thoughts! Thank you.