Editing Devil (section)

=== Christian Bible ===
[[File:Backer Judgment (detail).JPG|thumb|Horns of a [[goat]] and a [[Sheep|ram]], goat's fur and ears, nose and canines of a [[pig]]; a typical depiction of the devil in [[Christian art]]. The goat, ram and pig are consistently associated with the devil.<ref>{{cite book| last = Fritscher| first = Jack| title = Popular Witchcraft: Straight from the Witch's Mouth| year = 2004| publisher = Popular Press| isbn = 0-299-20304-2| page = 23| quote = The pig, goat, ram—all of these creatures are consistently associated with the Devil. }}</ref> Detail of a 16th-century painting by [[Jacob de Backer]] in the [[National Museum, Warsaw|National Museum]] in [[Warsaw]].]]
==== Old Testament ====
The Devil is identified with several figures in the Bible including the [[Serpents in the Bible#Eden|serpent in the Garden of Eden]], [[Lucifer]], [[Satan]], the [[Temptation of Christ|tempter of the Gospels]], [[Leviathan]], and the [[Serpents in the Bible#Ancient serpent|dragon]] in the [[Book of Revelation]]. Some parts of the Bible, which do not refer to an evil spirit or Satan at the time of the composition of the texts, are interpreted as references to the Devil in Christian tradition.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=13}} [[Book of Genesis|Genesis 3]] mentions the [[Serpents in the Bible#Eden|serpent in the Garden of Eden]], which tempts [[Adam and Eve]] into eating the forbidden fruit from the [[tree of the knowledge of good and evil]], thus causing their [[The Fall of Man|expulsion from the Garden]]. The Babylonian myth of a rising star, as the embodiment of a heavenly being who is thrown down for his attempt to ascend into the higher planes of the gods, is also found in the Bible and interpreted as a fallen angel (Isaiah 14:12–15).<ref>{{Bibleverse|Isaiah|14:12–15}}</ref>{{sfn|Theißen|2009|p=251}} 

[[Ezekiel's cherub in Eden]] is thought to be a description of the major characteristic of the Devil, that he was created good, as a high ranking angel and lived in Eden, later turning evil on his own accord:<ref>''The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament'', p. 1283 John F. Walvoord, Walter L. Baker, Roy B. Zuck. 1985 "This 'king' had appeared in the [[Garden of Eden]] (v. 13), had been a guardian [[cherub]] (v. 14a), had possessed free access ... The best explanation is that Ezekiel was describing Satan who was the true 'king' of Tyre, the one motivating."</ref>

{{blockquote|You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl. Gold work of tambourines and of pipes was in you. In the day that you were created they were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers: and I set you, so that you were on the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.|source=Ezekiel 28:13–15<ref>{{bibleverse|Ezekiel|28:13–15}}</ref>}}

The [[Hebrew]] term {{transliteration|he|śāṭān}} ({{langx|he|שָּׂטָן}}) was originally a common noun meaning "accuser" or "adversary" and derived from a verb meaning primarily "to obstruct, oppose".<ref>ed. [[George Arthur Buttrick|Buttrick, George Arthur]]; ''The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, An illustrated Encyclopedia''</ref>{{Sfn|Farrar|2014|p=10}} Satan is conceptualized as a heavenly being hostile to humans and a personification of evil 18 times in Job 1–2 and Zechariah 3.{{sfn|Farrar|2014|p=7}} In the [[Book of Job]], [[Job (biblical figure)|Job]] is a righteous man favored by God.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=21}} Job 1:6–8<ref>{{bibleverse|Job|1:6–8|HE}}</ref> describes the "[[sons of God]]" ({{transliteration|he|bənê hā'ĕlōhîm}}) presenting themselves before God.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=21}} Satan thinks Job only loves God because he has been blessed, so he requests that God tests the sincerity of Job's love for God through suffering, expecting Job to abandon his faith.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=21–22}} God consents; Satan destroys Job's family, health, servants and flocks, yet Job refuses to condemn God.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=21–22}} 

==== New Testament ====
The Devil figures much more prominently in the [[New Testament]] and in [[Christianity|Christian]] [[theology]] than in the Old Testament.<ref>Caldwell, William. "The Doctrine of Satan: III. In the New Testament." The Biblical World 41.3 (1913): 167–172. page 167</ref> The Devil is a unique entity throughout the New Testament, neither identical to the demons nor the fallen angels,{{sfn|Kelly|2004|p=17}}<ref>H. A. Kelly (30 January 2004). The Devil, Demonology, and Witchcraft: Christian Beliefs in Evil Spirits. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 9781592445318. p. 104</ref> the tempter and perhaps rules over the kingdoms of earth.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mango |first1=Cyril |title=Diabolus Byzantinus |journal=Dumbarton Oaks Papers |date=1992 |volume=46 |pages=215–223 |doi=10.2307/1291654 |jstor=1291654 }}</ref> In the [[temptation of Christ]] (Matthew 4:8–9 and Luke 4:6–7),<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|4:8–9}}; {{bibleverse|Luke|4:6–7}}</ref> the devil offers all kingdoms of the earth to Jesus, implying they belong to him.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=95}} Since Jesus does not dispute this offer, it may indicate that the authors of those gospels believed this to be true.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=95}} This event is described in all three [[synoptic gospel]]s, (Matthew 4:1–11,<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|4:1–11|NIV}}</ref> Mark 1:12–13<ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|1:12–13|NIV}}</ref> and Luke 4:1–13).<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|4:1–13|NIV}}</ref> Some Church Fathers, such as [[Irenaeus]], reject that the Devil holds such power, arguing that, since the devil was a liar since the beginning, he also lied here and that all kingdoms belong to God, referring to Proverbs 21.<ref>{{bibleverse|Proverbs|21}}</ref>{{sfn|Grant|2006|p=130}}

Adversaries of Jesus are suggested to be under the influence of the Devil. {{bibleverse|John|8:40}} speaks about the [[Pharisees]] as the "offspring of the devil". John 13:2<ref>{{bibleverse|John|13:2}}</ref> states that the Devil entered [[Judas Iscariot]] [[Kiss of Judas|before Judas's betrayal]] (Luke 22:3).<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|22:3|NIV}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pagels |first1=Elaine |title=The Social History of Satan, Part II: Satan in the New Testament Gospels |journal=Journal of the American Academy of Religion |date=1994 |volume=62 |issue=1 |pages=17–58 |doi=10.1093/jaarel/LXII.1.17 |jstor=1465555 }}</ref> In all three [[synoptic gospel]]s (Matthew 9:22–29,<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|9:22–29}}</ref> Mark 3:22–30<ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|3:22–30}}</ref> and Luke 11:14–20),<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|11:14–20}}</ref> Jesus himself is also accused of serving the Devil. Jesus's adversaries claim that he receives the power to  cast out demons from [[Beelzebub]], the Devil. In response, Jesus says that a house divided against itself will fall, and that there would be no reason for the devil to allow one to defeat the devil's works with his own power.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pp=82–83}}

According to the [[First Epistle of Peter]], "Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).<ref>{{Bibleverse|1 Peter|5:8|NRSV}}</ref> The [[Authorship of the Petrine epistles|authors]] of the [[Second Epistle of Peter]] and the [[Epistle of Jude]] believe that God prepares judgment for the devil and his fellow fallen angels, who are bound in darkness until the [[Divine retribution]].<ref name="Conybeare1896">{{cite journal |last1=Conybeare |first1=F. C. |title=The Demonology of the New Testament. I |journal=The Jewish Quarterly Review |date=1896 |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=576–608 |doi=10.2307/1450195 |jstor=1450195 }}</ref> In the [[Epistle to the Romans]], the inspirer of sin is also implied to be the author of death.<ref name="Conybeare1896" /> The [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] speaks of the devil as the one who has the power of death but is defeated through the [[death of Jesus]] (Hebrews 2:14).<ref>{{Bibleverse|Hebrews|2:14|NRSV}}</ref>{{sfn|Kelly|2006|p=30}} In the [[Second Epistle to the Corinthians]], [[Paul the Apostle]] warns that Satan is often disguised as an angel of light.<ref name="Conybeare1896" />

In the [[Book of Revelation]], a [[Serpents in the Bible|dragon/serpent]] "called the devil, or Satan" [[War in Heaven|wages war]] against the [[Michael (archangel)|archangel Michael]] resulting in the dragon's fall. The devil is described with features similar to [[Chaos (cosmogony)|primordial chaos]] [[Chaos gods|monsters]], like the [[Leviathan]] in the Old Testament.{{sfn|Kelly|2004|p=17}} The identification of this serpent as Satan supports identification of the serpent in Genesis with the devil.{{sfn|Tyneh|2003|p=48}}