The Old Testament Declares Satan is Real

Scripture declares the reality of Satan from Genesis to Revelation. The third chapter of Genesis (Gen. 3:1-5) tells the story of the serpent tempting and lying to Eve in the Garden of Eden. That encounter, followed by Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, led to the fall of man. Because of Adam’s fall, death, hardship, and suffering entered the world (Gen. 3:17-19), affecting not only man, but all creation (Rom. 8:19-21).

Two main objections to this being a plain teaching of the reality of Satan have been offered. First, just as many deny the reality of Satan, many deny that Adam and Eve were real historical figures. The reasons given for this denial are many and varied, with arguments based on such things as scientific theory, ancient creation myths, and religion studies. Some of the arguments seem reasonable at first blush.

The problem is, all are based on man’s imagination, not Biblical revelation. There is no suggestion in Genesis or the rest of the Bible that the story of creation and man’s fall from grace is myth, allegory, symbolism, or in any other way something other than historical truth. To reject the creation story is to reject the Bible as God’s truth. It’s not the purpose of this book to defend the Bible as the Word of God. That fact is taken as a given.

A second objection to the view that the serpent in the Garden of Eden is a plain teaching of the reality of Satan is that the serpent is called “the serpent,” not “Satan.” How do we know that the serpent and Satan are one and the same?

First, it “fits” with other Biblical teaching regarding Satan. The serpent’s sophisticated ways of deception, with the goal of separating Adam and Eve from God through their spiritual death, are in perfect accord with Satan’s motives and methods as revealed elsewhere in the Bible.

Second, in places Scripture implies that the serpent and Satan are the same. For example, God told the serpent:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”(Genesis 3:15)

This is widely accepted as foretelling the relationship between Jesus and Satan. Satan would hurt Jesus, like a blow to one’s heel is harmful but not fatal. But Jesus would destroy Satan, like a blow to one’s head, which is often fatal. This was played out on the cross, where Jesus suffered and died, but rose again, victorious over Satan. Jesus arose in glory, but Satan was judged, found guilty, and awaits an eternity in Hell.

Third, we know that the serpent and Satan are the same being because the Apostle John links them. Foretelling a future war in heaven between the archangel Michael and his angels against Satan his angels, John says:

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:9)

Clearly, the serpent in the Garden of Eden was the”serpent of old,” Satan.

In addition to the Garden of Eden story there is other evidence of the reality of Satan in the Old Testament. He’s mentioned by name in three places, all of which plainly indicate a real person is in view. The first is 1 Chronicles 21:1, which says Satan “incited” David, the king of Israel, to have the number of his warriors counted:

Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. (1 Chronicles 21:1)

This displeased God because David’s counting his warriors showed he was trusting in the strength of his army to fight his battles. Israel was to rely on God’s strength for victory, not its own. That Satan “moved” David to number Israel didn’t relieve David of his responsibility in the matter. God counted it as a sin by David. As punishment He sent a deadly pestilence on Israel (Chron. 21:7-14).

The second place Satan is mentioned by name in the Old Testament is in the book of Job. It includes two conversations between God and Satan (Job 1:6-2:7) presented as literal.

The third place Satan is mentioned by name in the Old Testament is in the book of Zechariah. In a vision, one of the ways God revealed truth to prophets, Zechariah saw Satan accusing Joshua before God. Though a vision, it revealed reality:

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:1–2)

The New Testament declares Satan is real as well. We’ll see that in the next post.