Arthur W. Pink

Thirty-five times [Satan] is denominated “the devil,” which means “the accuser” or “slanderer”—accusing the saints before God and traducing¹ the character of God before men. Fifty-two times, he is called “Satan,” which means “enemy” or “adversary.” He is God’s enemy and man’s adversary. “Satan” refers to his character: the malignant Adversary of all good—in God or His creatures. “Devil” refers to his mode of carrying out his evil designs: by lying slanders, false accusations, evil traducings. He is termed “The Prince of this world” (Joh 14:30), which defines his position in relation to our earth. He is named “Beelzebub” (Mat 12:27), which regards him as the head of the demons. He is spoken of as the “Wicked One” (Mat 13:19) which refers to him as the prime mover of all wickedness. He is styled “Apollyon,” that is “Destroyer” (Rev 9:11), which links him with the bottomless pit. He is referred to as “The prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), which points to his present home and sphere of operations (cf. Eph 6:12). He is termed “Lucifer,” which means “Morning Star” (Isa 14:12), a title that seems to have belonged to him before his apostasy. He is called “The god of this world” (2Co 4:4) because he is the inspirer and director of all spurious² religion. He is termed “Liar, and the father of it” (Joh 8:44) because he is the inveterate opposer of the truth. These and other titles of Satan are meaningless unless he is a personal being.

2. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS ARE PREDICATED OF HIM.

Intelligence: His temptations are spoken of as “the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:11); while in Revelation 2:24 we read of “The depths of Satan” (Greek, “deep things”). Further, in Revelation 12:9 he is termed “That old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.” To deceive implies design; and design is the product of intelligence, and intelligence is inseparable from personality.

Memory: In his conflict with our Lord, he quoted from the Old Testament Scriptures (Mat 4:6). A mere abstraction could not do this.

Knowledge: In Revelation 12:12, we are told he has “great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” But that which is impersonal cannot be said to “know.”

Will: “…that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2Ti 2:26). “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! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation” (Isa 14:12-13). That Satan possesses a will or the power of choice is further proof that he is a personal being.

Moral character: Satan is spoken of as a “deceiver,” “liar,” “murderer,” “tempter,” all of which are terms implying moral character—i.e., that of which duty or obligation, and right and wrong may be predicted.

Speech: He is represented as talking with God (Job 1:9-10), arguing with our Lord, and as “accusing” the brethren. This is a further indication that Satan possesses the same characteristics as ourselves.

Emotions: He desired Peter that he might sift him as wheat (Luk 22:31). Pride is spoken of as “the condemnation of the devil” (1Ti 3:6). While in Revelation 12:12 we read, “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath.” But pride and anger cannot be predicated of the law of gravitation—they are inseparable from personality.

Executive and organizing ability: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels” (Rev 12:7). “Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle” (Rev 20:7-8). Here we find Satan marshaling³ his legions to engage in warfare. Ephesians 6:12 more than hints that he is the head of graduated and organized forces.

3. PERSONAL ACTS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO HIM.

He tempts. The first time this mysterious being is introduced to us in the Word of God, he appears in this capacity, inciting our first parents to disobey their Maker. In Matthew 4:3, he is expressly termed “the tempter.” Again, in 1 Corinthians 7:5 and 1 Thessalonians 3:5, the saints are warned against his machinations.⁴ To tempt implies design and argues intelligence and moral qualities, and these are inseparable from personality.

He accuses. To “accuse” unquestionably argues a conscious and rational entity. “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” (Rev 12:10). This verse affords us a glimpse into the Unseen, and presents our Enemy maliciously impugning the saints before God. Two striking illustrations of this part of his work are furnished in Scripture. In Job 1:9-11 we find him charging the old patriarch; and, in Zechariah 3:1-5, he is seen standing before God to resist Joshua the high priest. Upon these interesting passages, we cannot now comment. Blessed it is to know that Satan’s efforts in this direction are all in vain—“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth” (Rom 8:33).

He makes war. We have already quoted Revelation 12:7, and 20:8-9 in another connection. We do not comment further on them now except to say that they furnish another proof that Satan is an intelligent, and albeit, malignant being.

He performs miracles. This opens up a wide subject in itself, into which we cannot now enter at length. We content ourselves with two scripture references. When Moses and Aaron wrought their miracles before Pharaoh as credentials of their divine commission, we read that “Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments” (Exo 7:11, etc.). Again, we read concerning the “Man of Sin” (Antichrist) that his coming shall be “after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (2Th 2:9).

He causes bodily sufferings. The first two chapters of the book of Job clearly intimate that all the trials and afflictions which came upon Job were directly caused by the malignant assaults of the devil. When vindicating Himself for healing a sufferer on the Sabbath day our Lord said, “Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” (Luk 13:16). Again; after the apostle Paul had been caught up to the third heaven, an affliction was sent him lest he should be exalted above measure at the abundance of the revelations which he had received, and this affliction is described as “a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan” (2Co 12:7).

He works in and through the wicked. Just as we read that “it is God which worketh in you [the believer] both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phi 2:13), so, also, we read that Satan is “the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2:2). Another evidence of his activities is furnished in Matthew 13. In imitation of our Lord who scattered the “good seed” in the field, Satan went and sowed tares.

4. THE TEMPTATION OF OUR LORD PROVES SATAN TO BE A PERSONAL BEING.

No unbiased mind can read carefully the fourth chapter of Matthew without coming to the conclusion that we have recorded there a real conflict between two persons—our Lord Jesus Christ and Satan. If we deny that the latter is there definitely brought before us as a person, we must logically affirm the same of the former. To say, in reply, we admit that Christ there is a real person but that “the devil” must be regarded as a personification of evil, is blasphemy; for it impugns the character of our blessed Lord.

Unlike every fallen son of Adam who is shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin, the Lord Jesus Christ was sinless. He is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Heb 7:26). “In him is no sin” (1Jo 3:5). He is “the Holy One of God” (Mar 1:24). He declared, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me” (Joh 14:30). As then there was no evil in our blessed Savior, the one who tempted Him must have been external and personal.

To deny that Matthew 4 presents Satan as a personal entity is either to traduce our Lord’s character or to reduce the entire narrative to meaningless jargon. Everything that is said of Satan in this chapter indicates and intimates that he is as real and actual a person as the Lord Jesus Himself. The tempter “came to him.” He spoke, yea, reasoned and argued. He took Christ up into the holy city. He quoted to Him from the Psalms. He showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. He sought worship from the Savior. At His word, “he departed from him for a season.” All of which is proof positive—to one that believes in the divine inspiration of the Scriptures—that Satan is a living person.

5. HE IS AN ACCOUNTABLE BEING.

Finally, the fact that the Word of God announces that Satan shall yet be cast into the bottomless pit, and afterwards into the lake of fire, argues that he is an accountable being. A mere abstraction cannot be punished. That which is nothing more than a negation could not be tormented. That which was incorporeal and intangible could not be “cast into the Lake of Fire.” The fact that the Scriptures declare that Satan shall be punished is conclusive evidence that he is a person, and a person endowed with moral responsibility.
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From Satan and His Gospel, available as a small booklet from CHAPEL LIBRARY

A.W. Pink (1886-1952): Pastor, itinerate Bible teacher, author of numerous books and articles; born in Nottingham, England.

1 traducing – speaking badly of or telling lies about someone to damage his reputation.
2 spurious – false; fake.
3 marshaling – arranging soldiers in order to fight.
4 machinations – plots and schemes, especially for doing harm

Courtesy of Chapel Library