The Identity Of Satan (Part 1)

Despite his prominence in Christian art, literature, and discussion, Satan is more of a background figure in the Bible than collective churchgoers seem to imply.  Satan is mentioned in the Old Testament, but not to the same extent as in some of the later books of the Bible.  In fact, one of his most renowned appearances is not even specified to actually be an appearance of Satan until the final book of the Bible.  One could read much of the Bible without ever actually coming across any of the ideas about the devil found in the church and in entertainment.

The sheer ambiguity of Old Testament information about Satan would probably surprise many Christians if it was more widely known.  The Old Testament is far more helpful, clear, and foundational than the New Testament when it comes to matters like moral revelation, but the identity of Satan is simply not a clear matter in the Old Testament.  Satan is referenced in the Old Testament, but it is not until the gospel accounts that the Bible begins to more fully describe his nature as a cosmic adversary of God.

After this, other New Testament books, such as Revelation, more frequently mention Satan by one of his alternative titles, such as "the devil."  In fact, it is Revelation 12 that finally reveals the identity of the serpent of Eden in Genesis 3--prior to this chapter, no details about the serpent are provided other than those provided in Genesis.  His manipulative craftiness, opposition to God, and selective acknowledgment of truth are all established in the narrative of Eden, but his identity beyond this is withheld until Revelation.

Satan, despite the aforementioned information provided in the Bible, is not as prominent of a figure in Biblical theology as many Christians and non-Christians seem to think.  For example, the exact story of his rebellion against God and his motivations for doing so are not clearly laid out anywhere in the Bible.  Miscellaneous information about Satan is given at various points, but there is no singular passage that explicitly develops the Christian theology behind Satan in the way many people imagine.

This does not mean that there is not enough for Christians to develop a Biblical theology of Satan.  On the contrary, Satan is an important figure in Christian theology!  He is merely in the background far more than popular ideas suggest.  It is not as if there would not be such a thing as sin without him, as humans are completely capable of sinning on their own.  Satan is never even implied to have the power to override human free will, much less cause all human sin and misery.  However, he is presented as an entity to take seriously, even if that means little more than acknowledging his somewhat ambiguous role within Biblical theology.