I had a professor in Seminary, who while teaching through I Peter chapter 5, told us that Satan is all bark and no bite. He got this from I Peter 5:8 which says, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” I had no where near the Bible knowledge that man had. But when he said this, in my simple little mind, I thought, "if he is all roar and no bite or of no real danger to the believer, then why did Peter say we must be of "sober spirit and be on the alert" re: him? And if he is "seeking someone to devour" doesn't that imply he can devour?
Many years later I can say that Satan has plenty of bite. His hatred of us and our God, and Israel and the church is beyond what any of us can fathom. And His cunningness is the same, though in Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit we can prevail over him and his attacks.
Sun Tzu, the author of "The Art of War" says this about our enemy in warfare: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
Thankfully the Holy Spirit has revealed much to us about our enemy in Scripture. To the end of knowing him well, I submit the following to you.
Satan – I Chron. 21:1 “Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.” (14 x’s in O.T.; 33’s in N.T.) first occurrence in the Old Testament. Satan is always seeking to tempt leaders of God’s people to get greedy, or ambitious, or concerned about their reputation, or consumed with their success, etc.
Devil – Matt. 4:1 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (23 x’s in N.T.)
Accuser of the brethren– Rev. 12:10 “…Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.” (1x in N.T.). Satan lives to accuse and condemn us and try to get us to feel that we are worthless and hopeless.
tempter – Matt. 4:3 “And the tempter came and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” (two x's in N.T.) cf. I Thess. 3:5
serpent – Gen. 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made….”; (5 x's in O.T. & 5 x's in N.T.)
dragon - Rev. 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” (13 x's in Revelation)
ruler of this world – John 12:31 “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”,(3 x's in John's Gospel) cf. 14:30, 16:11;
god of this world - II Cor. 4:4 “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (1 x)
Prince of the power of the air – Eph. 2:2 “in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (1 x)
(as) an Angel of light – II Cor. 11:14 “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (1x)
Adversary,– I Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 x)
(like) a roaring lion - I Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 x)
Liar/father of lies – John 8:44 “….He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (1x)
Murderer – John 8:44 “….He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (1x)
The Evil One – Matt. 13:19 “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. ….” (10 x’s in N.T.)
Belial – II Cor. 6:15 “Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?” (1x)
Beelzebub – Matt. 10:25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!” (7x's in gospels)
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