Editing Satan (section)

==Christianity==
{{Main|Devil in Christianity}}
===Names===
[[File:Paradise_Lost_12.jpg|thumb|upright|Illustration for [[John Milton|John Milton's]] “[[Paradise Lost]]“, depicting the "Fall of Lucifer"]]
The most common English synonym for "Satan" is "[[devil]]", which descends from [[Middle English]] ''devel'', from [[Old English]] ''dēofol,'' that in turn represents an early [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] borrowing of [[Latin]] ''diabolus'' (also the source of "diabolical"). This in turn was borrowed from [[Greek language|Greek]] ''diabolos'' "[[Defamation|slanderer]]", from ''diaballein'' "to slander": ''dia-'' "across, through" + ''ballein'' "to hurl".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=devil| title=American Heritage Dictionary: Devil| access-date=2006-05-31}}</ref> In the New Testament, the words ''Satan'' and ''diabolos'' are used interchangeably as synonyms.{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|Willem|1999|page=731}}<ref>{{bibleverse|Revelation|12:9}}</ref> [[Beelzebub]], meaning "Lord of Flies", is the contemptuous name given in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament to a [[Philistine]] god whose original name has been reconstructed as most probably "Ba'al Zabul", meaning "[[Baal]] the Prince".{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|Willem|1999|pages=154–155}} The [[Synoptic Gospels]] identify Satan and Beelzebub as the same.{{sfn|van der Toorn|Becking|Willem|1999|page=731}} The name [[Abaddon]] (meaning "place of destruction") is used six times in the Old Testament, mainly as a name for one of the regions of [[Sheol]].{{sfn|Guiley|2009|page=1}} {{bibleverse|Revelation|9:11|9}} describes Abaddon, whose name is translated into Greek as ''Apollyon'', meaning "the destroyer", as an angel who rules the [[Abyss (religion)|Abyss]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Revelation|9:11|9}}</ref> In modern usage, Abaddon is sometimes equated with Satan.{{sfn|Guiley|2009|page=1}}

===New Testament===
====Gospels, Acts, and epistles====
[[File:Ary_Scheffer_-_The_Temptation_of_Christ_(1854).jpg|thumb|upright|The Devil depicted in ''The Temptation of Christ'', by [[Ary Scheffer]], 1854]]
The three Synoptic Gospels all describe the [[temptation of Christ]] by Satan in the desert ({{bibleverse|Matthew|4:1–11|9}}, {{bibleverse|Mark|1:12–13|9}}, and {{bibleverse|Luke|4:1–13|9}}).{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=88–95}} Satan first shows Jesus a stone and tells him to turn it into bread.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=88–95}} He also takes him to the pinnacle of the [[Second Temple|Temple]] in Jerusalem and commands Jesus to throw himself down so that the angels will catch him.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=88–95}} Satan takes Jesus to the top of a tall mountain as well; there, he shows him the kingdoms of the earth and promises to give them all to him if he will bow down and worship him.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=88–95}} Each time Jesus rebukes Satan{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=88–95}} and, after the third temptation, he is administered by the angels.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=88–95}} Satan's promise in {{bibleverse|Matthew|4:8–9|9}} and {{bibleverse|Luke|4:6–7|9}} to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth implies that all those kingdoms belong to him.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=95}} The fact that Jesus does not dispute Satan's promise indicates that the authors of those gospels believed this to be true.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=95}}

Satan plays a role in some of the [[parables of Jesus]], namely the [[Parable of the Sower]], the [[Parable of the Tares|Parable of the Weeds]], [[The Sheep and the Goats|Parable of the Sheep and the Goats]], and the [[Parable of the Strong Man]].{{sfn|Beekmann|Bolt|2012|page=99–102}} According to the Parable of the Sower, Satan "profoundly influences" those who fail to understand the gospel.{{sfn|Beekmann|Bolt|2012|page=99–100}} The latter two parables say that Satan's followers will be punished on [[Judgement Day]], with the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats stating that the Devil, his angels, and the people who follow him will be consigned to "eternal fire".{{sfn|Beekmann|Bolt|2012|page=100–101}} When the [[Pharisees]] accused Jesus of exorcising demons through the power of Beelzebub, Jesus responds by telling the Parable of the Strong Man, saying: "how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house" ({{bibleverse|Matthew|12:29|9}}).{{sfn|Peterson|2012|page=428}} The strong man in this parable represents Satan.{{sfn|Beekmann|Bolt|2012|page=102}}

The Synoptic Gospels identify Satan and his demons as the causes of illness,{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=95}} including [[fever]] ({{bibleverse|Luke|4:39|9}}), [[leprosy]] ({{bibleverse|Luke|5:13|9}}), and [[arthritis]] ({{bibleverse|Luke|13:11–16|9}}),{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=95}} while the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] describes the Devil as "him who holds the power of death" ({{bibleverse|Hebrews|2:14|9}}).{{sfn|Bass|2014|page=113}} The author of [[Luke-Acts]] attributes more power to Satan than either Matthew and Mark.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=95–96}} In {{bibleverse|Luke|22:31|9}}, Jesus grants Satan the authority to test [[Saint Peter|Peter]] and the other [[Apostles in the New Testament|apostles]].{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=102, 142}} {{bibleverse|Luke|22:3–6|9}} states that [[Judas Iscariot]] betrayed Jesus because "Satan entered" him{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=95–96}} and, in {{bibleverse|Acts|5:3|9}}, Peter describes Satan as "filling" [[Ananias and Sapphira|Ananias]]'s heart and causing him to sin.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=106}} The [[Gospel of John]] only uses the name ''Satan'' three times.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=107}} In {{bibleverse|John|8:44|9}}, Jesus says that his Jewish or Judean enemies are the children of the Devil rather than the children of Abraham.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=107}} The same verse describes the Devil as "a man-killer from the beginning"{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=107}} and "a liar and the father of lying."{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=107}}{{sfn|Almond|2004|page=11}} {{bibleverse|John|13:2|9}} describes the Devil as inspiring Judas to betray Jesus{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=109}} and {{bibleverse|John|12:31–32|9}} identifies Satan as "the [[Archon (Gnosticism)|Archon]] of this Cosmos", who is destined to be overthrown through Jesus's death and resurrection.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=112}} {{bibleverse|John|16:7–8|9}} promises that the [[Holy Spirit in Christianity|Holy Spirit]] will "accuse the World concerning sin, justice, and judgement", a role resembling that of the Satan in the Old Testament.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=112–113}}

{{bibleverse|Jude|9|9}} refers to a dispute between [[Michael (archangel)|Michael the Archangel]] and the Devil over the body of [[Moses]].{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=128–129}}<ref name="DavidsMoo2016"/><ref name="LucasGreen2014"/> Some interpreters understand this reference to be an allusion to the events described in {{bibleverse|Zechariah|3:1–2|9}}.<ref name="DavidsMoo2016">{{cite book|author1=Peter H. Davids|author2=Douglas J. Moo|author3=Robert Yarbrough|title=1 and 2 Peter, Jude, 1, 2, and 3 John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=opOGCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT240|year=2016|publisher=Zondervan|isbn=978-0-310-53025-1|page=240}}</ref><ref name="LucasGreen2014">{{cite book|author1=R. C. Lucas|author2=Christopher Green|title=The Message of 2 Peter & Jude|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sbadAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT168|year=2014|publisher=InterVarsity Press|isbn=978-0-8308-9784-1|pages=168–}}</ref> The classical theologian [[Origen]] attributes this reference to the non-canonical [[Assumption of Moses]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf04.vi.v.iv.iv.html|title=Philip Schaff: ANF04. Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Part Fourth; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen, Parts First and Second - Christian Classics Ethereal Library|website=www.ccel.org}}</ref>{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=129}} According to [[James H. Charlesworth]], there is no evidence the surviving book of this name ever contained any such content.<ref name="OTP">James Charlesworth ''Old Testament Pseudepigrapha'', p. 76, [https://books.google.com/books?id=eRQ9AAAAIAAJ&q=Jude+Moses&pg=PA76 Google books link]</ref> Others believe it to be in the lost ending of the book.<ref name="OTP"/><ref>The Assumption of Moses: a critical edition with commentary By Johannes Tromp. p. 270</ref> The second chapter of the pseudepigraphical [[Second Epistle of Peter]]{{Sfn|Kelly|2006|page=130}} copies much of the content of the Epistle of Jude,{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=130}} but omits the specifics of the example regarding Michael and Satan, with {{bibleverse|2 Peter|2:10–11|9}} instead mentioning only an ambiguous dispute between "Angels" and "Glories".{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=130}} Throughout the New Testament, Satan is referred to as a "tempter" ({{bibleverse|Matthew|4:3|9}}),{{sfn|Campo|2009|page=603}} "the ruler of the demons" ({{bibleverse|Matthew|12:24|9}}),{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=271}}{{sfn|Campo|2009|page=603}} "the God of this Age" ({{bibleverse|2 Corinthians|4:4|9}}),{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=66}} "the evil one" ({{bibleverse|1 John|5:18|9}}),{{sfn|Campo|2009|page=603}} and "a roaring lion" ({{bibleverse|1 Peter|5:8|9}}).{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=271}}

====Book of Revelation====
[[File:Le Grand Saint Michel, by Raffaello Sanzio, from C2RMF retouched.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[St. Michael Vanquishing Satan]]'' (1518) by [[Raphael]], depicting Satan being cast out of heaven by [[Michael (archangel)|Michael the Archangel]], as described in {{bibleverse|Revelation|12:7–8|9}}]]
The [[Book of Revelation]] represents Satan as the supernatural ruler of the [[Roman Empire]] and the ultimate cause of all evil in the world.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=144}} In {{bibleverse|Revelation|2:9–10|9}}, as part of the letter to the church at [[Smyrna]], [[John of Patmos]] refers to the Jews of Smyrna as "a [[synagogue of Satan]]"{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=142}} and warns that "the Devil is about to cast some of you into prison as a test [''peirasmos''], and for ten days you will have affliction."{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=142}} In {{bibleverse|Revelation|2:13–14|9}}, in the letter to the church of [[Pergamum]], John warns that Satan lives among the members of the congregation{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=143}} and declares that "Satan's throne" is in their midst.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=143}} Pergamum was the capital of the [[Asia (Roman province)|Roman Province of Asia]]{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=143}} and "Satan's throne" may be referring to the monumental [[Pergamon Altar]] in the city, which was dedicated to the Greek god [[Zeus]],{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=143}} or to a temple dedicated to the Roman emperor [[Augustus]].{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=143}}

{{bibleverse|Revelation|12:3|9}} describes a vision of a [[Serpents in the Bible#Ancient serpent|Great Red Dragon]] with seven heads, ten horns, seven crowns, and a massive tail,{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=149–150}} an image which is likely inspired by the vision of the [[Four kingdoms of Daniel|four beasts from the sea]] in the [[Book of Daniel]]{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=150}} and the [[Leviathan]] described in various Old Testament passages.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=150–151}} The Great Red Dragon knocks "a third of the sun... a third of the moon, and a third of the stars" out the sky{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=151}} and pursues the [[Woman of the Apocalypse]].{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=151}} {{bibleverse|Revelation|12:7–9|9}} declares: "[[War in Heaven|And war broke out in Heaven]]. Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon. The Dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in Heaven. Dragon the Great was thrown down, that ancient serpent who is called Devil and Satan, the one deceiving the whole inhabited World – he was thrown down to earth, and his angels were thrown down with him."{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=151–152}} Then a voice booms down from Heaven heralding the defeat of "the Accuser" (''ho Kantegor''), identifying the Satan of Revelation with the satan of the Old Testament.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=152}}

In {{bibleverse|Revelation|20:1–3|9}}, Satan is bound with a chain and hurled into the [[Abyss (religion)|Abyss]],{{sfn|Garland|2006}} where he is imprisoned for [[Millennialism|one thousand years]].{{sfn|Garland|2006}} In {{bibleverse|Revelation|20:7–10|9}}, he is set free and gathers his armies along with [[Gog and Magog]] to wage war against the righteous,{{sfn|Garland|2006}} but is defeated with fire from Heaven, and cast into the [[lake of fire]].{{sfn|Garland|2006}} Some Christians associate Satan with the number [[666 (number)|666]], which {{bibleverse|Revelation|13:18|9}} describes as the [[Number of the beast|Number of the Beast]].<ref name=six>{{Cite news|url=http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201309/what-666-bible-27901|title=What is 666 in the Bible?|last=Schorn|first=Joel|publisher=[[Claretians#Publications|U.S. Catholic]]|date=October 2013|access-date=2018-01-02|language=en}}</ref> However, [[The Beast (Revelation)|the beast]] mentioned in Revelation 13 is not Satan,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/06/06/1655274.htm|title=Why 666 is a devil of a day|last=Skatssoon|first=Judy|publisher=[[ABC News and Current Affairs]]|date=2006-06-06|access-date=2018-01-02|language=en}}</ref> and the use of 666 in the Book of Revelation has been interpreted as a reference to the Roman Emperor [[Nero]], as 666 is the numeric value of his name in Hebrew.<ref name=six/>

===Patristic era===
{{CSS image crop|Image=Jan Brueghel de Oude en Peter Paul Rubens - Het aards paradijs met de zondeval van Adam en Eva.jpg|bSize=400|cWidth=200|cHeight=120|oTop=20|oLeft=10|Description=''[[The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man]]'' by [[Jan Brueghel the Elder]] and [[Pieter Paul Rubens]], c. 1615, depicting Eve reaching for the [[forbidden fruit]] beside the Devil portrayed as a [[Snake|serpent]]}}Christians have traditionally interpreted the unnamed serpent in the [[Garden of Eden]] as Satan due to {{bibleverse|Revelation|12:7|9}}, which calls Satan "that ancient serpent".{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=152}}{{sfn|Campo|2009|page=603}} This verse, however, is probably intended to identify Satan with the [[Leviathan]],{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=152}} a monstrous sea-serpent whose destruction by Yahweh is prophesied in {{bibleverse|Isaiah|27:1|9}}.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=150–151}} The first recorded individual to identify Satan with the serpent from the Garden of Eden was the second-century AD Christian apologist [[Justin Martyr]],{{sfn|Poole|2009|pages=7–8}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=176}} in chapters 45 and 79 of his ''[[Dialogue with Trypho]]''.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=176}} Other early [[Church Fathers]] to mention this identification include [[Theophilus of Antioch|Theophilus]] and [[Tertullian]].{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=117}} The early Christian Church, however, encountered opposition from pagans such as [[Celsus]], who claimed in his treatise ''[[The True Word]]'' that "it is blasphemy... to say that the greatest God... has an adversary who constrains his capacity to do good" and said that Christians "impiously divide the kingdom of God, creating a rebellion in it, as if there were opposing factions within the divine, including one that is hostile to God".<ref>{{cite book|author=Origen|title=Contra Celsum|at=Book 6. Ch 42|url=http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/origen166.html}}</ref>

[[File:Luzifer (Lucifer) painting by Franz von Stuck 1890 National Gallery in Sofia.jpg|thumb|left|upright|''[[Lucifer (Stuck)|Lucifer]]'' (1890) by [[Franz Stuck]]. Because of Patristic interpretations of {{bibleverse|Isaiah|14:12|9}} and [[Jerome]]'s Latin [[Vulgate]] translation, the name "[[Lucifer]]" is sometimes used in reference to Satan.{{sfn|Kohler|1923|pages=4–5}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=191–208}}]]

The name ''Heylel'', meaning "morning star" (or, in Latin, ''[[Lucifer]]''),{{efn|The Latin [[Vulgate]] translation of this passage renders ''Heylel'' as "[[Lucifer]]"{{sfn|Kohler|1923|pages=4–5}} and this name continues to be used by some Christians as an alternative name for Satan.{{sfn|Kohler|1923|pages=4–5}}}} was a name for [[Attar (god)|Attar]], the god of the planet [[Venus]] in [[Canaanite mythology]],{{sfn|Day|2002|pages=171–172}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=191}} who attempted to scale the walls of the heavenly city,{{sfn|Caird|1980|page=225}}{{sfn|Day|2002|pages=171–172}} but was vanquished by the [[Shamash|god of the sun]].{{sfn|Caird|1980|page=225}} The name is used in {{bibleverse|Isaiah|14:12|9}} in metaphorical reference to the king of Babylon.{{sfn|Caird|1980|page=225}} {{bibleverse|Ezekiel|28:12–15|9}} uses a description of a [[Ezekiel's cherub in Eden|cherub in Eden]] as a polemic against [[Ithobaal II]], the king of Tyre.{{sfn|Patmore|2012|page=4}}

The [[Church Fathers|Church Father]] [[Origen|Origen of Alexandria]] ({{circa}} 184 – {{circa}} 253), who was only aware of the actual text of these passages and not the original myths to which they refer, concluded in his treatise ''[[On the First Principles]]'', which is preserved in a Latin translation by [[Tyrannius Rufinus]], that neither of these verses could literally refer to a human being.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=195–197}} He concluded that Isaiah 14:12 is an allegory for Satan and that Ezekiel 28:12–15 is an allusion to "a certain Angel who had received the office of governing the nation of the Tyrians", but was hurled down to Earth after he was found to be corrupt.<ref>Origen, [http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/04121.htm ''On the First Principles'' Book I], Chapter 5, Paragraphs 4–5</ref>{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=197}} In his apologetic treatise ''[[Contra Celsum]]'', however, Origen interprets both Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28:12–15 as referring to Satan.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=98}} According to Henry Ansgar Kelly, Origen seems to have adopted this new interpretation to refute unnamed persons who, perhaps under the influence of Zoroastrian radical dualism, believed "that Satan's original nature was Darkness."{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=198}} The later Church Father [[Jerome]] ({{circa}} 347 – 420), translator of the Latin [[Vulgate]], accepted Origen's theory of Satan as a fallen angel{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=202–206}} and wrote about it in his commentary on the Book of Isaiah.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=202–206}} In Christian tradition ever since, both Isaiah 14:12{{sfn|Kohler|1923|page=5}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=98, 199–208}} and Ezekiel 28:12–15 have been understood as allegorically referring to Satan.{{sfn|Patmore|2012|pages=52–53}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=199–208}} For most Christians, Satan has been regarded as an angel who rebelled against [[God in Christianity|God]].{{sfn|Ginther|2009|page=10}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=98, 199–208}}

According to the [[ransom theory of atonement]], which was popular among early Christian theologians,{{sfn|Eddy|Beilby|2008|page=86}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=215–217}} Satan gained power over humanity through [[Adam and Eve]]'s sin{{sfn|Eddy|Beilby|2008|page=86}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=215–216}} and [[Crucifixion of Jesus|Christ's death on the cross]] was a ransom to Satan in exchange for humanity's liberation.{{sfn|Eddy|Beilby|2008|page=86}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=216}} This theory holds that Satan was tricked by God{{sfn|Eddy|Beilby|2008|page=86}}{{sfn|Plantinga|Thompson|Lundberg|2010}} because Christ was not only free of sin, but also the incarnate Deity, whom Satan lacked the ability to enslave.{{sfn|Plantinga|Thompson|Lundberg|2010}} [[Irenaeus|Irenaeus of Lyons]] described a [[Prototype|prototypical]] form of the ransom theory,{{sfn|Eddy|Beilby|2008|page=86}} but Origen was the first to propose it in its fully developed form.{{sfn|Eddy|Beilby|2008|page=86}} The theory was later expanded by theologians such as [[Gregory of Nyssa]] and [[Tyrannius Rufinus|Rufinus of Aquileia]].{{sfn|Eddy|Beilby|2008|page=86}} In the eleventh century, [[Anselm of Canterbury]] criticized the ransom theory, along with the associated [[Christus Victor]] theory,{{sfn|Eddy|Beilby|2008|page=86}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=217}} resulting in the theory's decline in western Europe.{{sfn|Eddy|Beilby|2008|page=86}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=217}} The theory has nonetheless retained some of its popularity in the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]].{{sfn|Eddy|Beilby|2008|page=86}}

Most [[Early Christianity|early Christians]] firmly believed that Satan and his demons had the power to possess humans,{{sfn|Ferguson|2003|page=237}} and [[exorcism]]s were widely practiced by Jews, Christians, and pagans alike.{{sfn|Ferguson|2003|page=237}} Belief in [[demonic possession]] continued through the [[Middle Ages]] into the [[early modern period]].{{sfn|Almond|2004|pages=1–7}}{{sfn|Ferber|2004|pages=1–3}} Exorcisms were seen as a display of God's power over Satan.{{sfn|Ferber|2004|page=3}} The vast majority of people who thought they were possessed by the Devil did not suffer from hallucinations or other "spectacular symptoms", but "complained of anxiety, religious fears, and evil thoughts".{{sfn|Osborn|1998|page=213}}

===Middle Ages===
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| image1            = Silvester II. and the Devil Cod. Pal. germ. 137 f216v.jpg
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| caption1          = Medieval miniature depicting [[Pope Sylvester II]] consorting with Satan ({{circa|1460}})
<!-- Image 2 -->| image2            = Hans Memling - Hell - WGA14941.jpg
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| caption2          = Detail of Satan from [[Hans Memling]]'s ''[[Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation (Memling)|Triptych of Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation]]'' ({{circa}} 1485)
}}
Satan had minimal role in [[medieval Christian theology]],{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=8}} but he frequently appeared as a recurring comedic [[stock character]] in late medieval [[mystery play]]s, in which he was portrayed as a [[comic relief]] figure who "frolicked, fell, and farted in the background".{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=8}} [[Jeffrey Burton Russell]] describes the medieval conception of Satan as "more pathetic and repulsive than terrifying"{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=8}}{{sfn|Russell|1984|page=225}} and he was seen as little more than a nuisance to God's overarching plan.{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=8}} The ''[[Golden Legend]]'', a collection of saints' lives compiled in around 1260 by the Dominican Friar [[Jacobus de Voragine]], contains numerous stories about encounters between saints and Satan,{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=220–229}} in which Satan is constantly duped by the saints' cleverness and by the power of God.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=220–229}} Henry Ansgar Kelly remarks that Satan "comes across as the opposite of fearsome".{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=229}} The ''Golden Legend'' was the most popular book during the High and Late Middle Ages{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=219}} and more manuscripts of it have survived from the period than for any other book, including even the Bible itself.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=219}}

The ''[[Canon Episcopi]]'', written in the eleventh century AD, condemns belief in [[European witchcraft|witchcraft]] as heretical,{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=131}} but also documents that many people at the time apparently believed in it.{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=131}} Witches were believed to [[Broom#Magic|fly through the air on broomsticks]],{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=131}} consort with demons,{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=131}} perform in "[[Black Mass|lurid sexual rituals]]" in the forests,{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=131}} murder human infants and eat them as part of Satanic rites,{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=133}} and engage in [[Sexual intercourse|conjugal relations]] with demons.{{sfn|Poole|2009|pages=8–9}}{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=133}} In 1326, [[Pope John XXII]] issued the [[papal bull]] ''Super illius Specula'',{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=9}} which condemned folk divination practices as consultation with Satan.{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=9}} By the 1430s, the Catholic Church began to regard witchcraft as part of a [[Conspiracy theory|vast conspiracy]] led by Satan himself.{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=132}}

===Early modern period===
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| image1    = St. Francis Borgia Helping a Dying Impenitent by Goya.jpg
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| caption1  = Painting from {{circa|1788}} by [[Francisco Goya]] depicting [[Francis Borgia, 4th Duke of Gandía|Saint Francis Borgia]] performing an exorcism. During the [[early modern period]], exorcisms were seen as displays of God's power over Satan.{{sfn|Ferber|2004|page=3}}
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| image2    = Martin van Maele - La Sorcière 06.jpg
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| caption2  = During the early modern period, witches were widely believed to engage in sexually explicit Satanic rituals with demons,{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=131}} such as the one shown in this illustration by [[Martin van Maële]] in the 1911 edition of ''[[Satanism and Witchcraft (book)|Satanism and Witchcraft]]'' by [[Jules Michelet]].
}}

During the [[Early Modern Period]], Christians gradually began to regard Satan as increasingly powerful{{sfn|Poole|2009|pages=8–9}} and the fear of Satan's power became a dominant aspect of the worldview of Christians across Europe.{{sfn|Ferber|2004|page=3}}{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=8}} During the [[Protestant Reformation]], [[Martin Luther]] taught that, rather than trying to argue with Satan, Christians should avoid temptation altogether by seeking out pleasant company;{{sfn|Bainton|1978|page=377}} Luther especially recommended music as a safeguard against temptation, since the Devil "cannot endure [[Happiness|gaiety]]".{{sfn|Bainton|1978|page=377}} [[John Calvin]] repeated a maxim from [[Augustine of Hippo|Saint Augustine]] that "Man is like a horse, with either God or the devil as rider."{{sfn|Parker|1995|page=56}}

In the late fifteenth century, a series of witchcraft panics erupted in France and Germany.{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=9}}{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=132}} The German [[Inquisitor]]s [[Heinrich Kramer]] and [[Jacob Sprenger]] argued in their book ''[[Malleus Maleficarum]]'', published in 1487, that all ''[[Maleficium (sorcery)|maleficia]]'' ("sorcery") was rooted in the work of Satan.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|pages=262–263}} In the mid-sixteenth century, the panic spread to England and Switzerland.{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=9}} Both Protestants and Catholics alike firmly believed in witchcraft as a real phenomenon and supported its prosecution.{{sfn|Thomsett|2011|page=130}}{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=262}} In the late 1500s, the Dutch demonologist [[Johann Weyer]] argued in his treatise ''[[De praestigiis daemonum]]'' that witchcraft did not exist,{{sfn|Levack|2015}} but that Satan promoted belief in it to lead Christians astray.{{sfn|Levack|2015}} The panic over witchcraft intensified in the 1620s and continued until the end of the 1600s.{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=9}} Brian Levack estimates that around 60,000 people were executed for witchcraft during the entire span of the witchcraft hysteria.{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=9}}

The early English settlers of North America, especially the [[Puritans]] of [[New England]], believed that Satan "visibly and palpably" reigned in the [[New World]].{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=16}} [[John Winthrop]] claimed that the Devil made rebellious Puritan women give birth to [[Stillbirth|stillborn]] monsters with claws, sharp horns, and "on each foot three claws, like a young fowl".<ref name=db>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-american-christians-love-satan|title=Why American Christians Love Satan|last=Turner|first=Matthew Paul|website=[[The Daily Beast]]|date=2014-02-16|access-date=2018-01-02|language=en}}</ref> [[Cotton Mather]] wrote that devils swarmed around Puritan settlements "like the [[Plagues of Egypt|frogs of Egypt]]".{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=17}} The Puritans believed that the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] were worshippers of Satan{{sfn|Poole|2009|pages=15–16}} and described them as "children of the Devil".{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=16}} Some settlers claimed to have seen Satan himself appear in the flesh at native ceremonies.{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=17}} During the [[First Great Awakening]], the "[[Old and New Light|new light]]" preachers portrayed their "old light" critics as ministers of Satan.{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=37}} By the time of the [[Second Great Awakening]], Satan's primary role in [[American evangelicalism]] was as the opponent of the evangelical movement itself, who spent most of his time trying to hinder the ministries of evangelical preachers,{{sfn|Poole|2009|pages=37–43}} a role he has largely retained among present-day [[Christian fundamentalism#In the United States|American fundamentalists]].{{sfn|Poole|2009|pages=44–45}}

By the early 1600s, skeptics in Europe, including the English author [[Reginald Scot]] and the Anglican bishop [[John Bancroft (bishop)|John Bancroft]], had begun to criticize the belief that demons still had the power to possess people.{{sfn|Almond|2004|page=7}} This skepticism was bolstered by the belief that [[miracle]]s only occurred during the [[Apostolic Age]], which had long since ended.{{sfn|Almond|2004|page=8}} Later, [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] thinkers, such as [[David Hume]], [[Denis Diderot]], and [[Voltaire]], attacked the notion of Satan's existence altogether.{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=10}} Voltaire labelled [[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' a "disgusting fantasy"{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=10}} and declared that belief in [[Hell]] and Satan were among the many lies propagated by the Catholic Church to keep humanity enslaved.{{sfn|Poole|2009|page=10}} By the eighteenth century, trials for witchcraft had ceased in most western countries, with the notable exceptions of [[Poland]] and [[Hungary]], where they continued.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=264}} Belief in the power of Satan, however, remained strong among traditional Christians.{{sfn|Kelly|2006|page=264}}

===Modern era===
[[File:Lucifer Liege Luc Viatour.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|''[[Le génie du mal|The Genius of Evil]]'' (1848) by [[Guillaume Geefs]]]]
[[Mormonism]] developed its own views on Satan. According to the [[Book of Moses]], the Devil offered to be the redeemer of mankind for the sake of his own glory. Conversely, Jesus offered to be the redeemer of mankind so that his father's will would be done. After his offer was rejected, Satan became rebellious and was subsequently cast out of heaven.{{sfn|Davies|2010|page=158}} In the Book of Moses, [[Cain and Abel|Cain]] is said to have "loved Satan more than God"<ref>{{lds|Moses|moses|5|18}}</ref> and conspired with Satan to kill [[Cain and Abel|Abel]]. It was through this pact that Cain became a [[Master Mahan]].<ref>{{lds|Moses|moses|5|29–32}}</ref> The Book of Moses also says that [[Moses]] was tempted by Satan before calling upon the name of the "[[Monogenēs|Only Begotten]]", which caused Satan to depart. [[Douglas Davies]] asserts that this text "reflects" the temptation of Jesus in the Bible.{{sfn|Davies|2010|page=119}}

Belief in Satan and demonic possession remains strong among Christians in the United States{{sfn|Jordan|2013}}{{sfn|Stoddard|2007}}{{sfn|Poole|2009|pages=xvii–xix, 3}} and [[Latin America]].{{sfn|Faiola|2014}} According to a 2013 poll conducted by [[YouGov]], fifty-seven percent of people in the United States believe in a literal Devil,{{sfn|Jordan|2013}} compared to eighteen percent of people in Britain.{{sfn|Jordan|2013}} Fifty-one percent of Americans believe that Satan has the power to possess people.{{sfn|Jordan|2013}} W. Scott Poole, author of ''Satan in America: The Devil We Know'', has opined that "In the United States over the last forty to fifty years, a composite image of Satan has emerged that borrows from both popular culture and theological sources" and that most American Christians do not "separate what they know [about Satan] from the movies from what they know from various ecclesiastical and theological traditions".<ref name=db/> The Catholic Church generally played down Satan and exorcism during late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries,{{sfn|Faiola|2014}} but [[Pope Francis]] brought renewed focus on the Devil in the early 2010s, stating, among many other pronouncements, that "The devil is intelligent, he knows more theology than all the theologians together."{{sfn|Faiola|2014}}{{sfn|Rosica|2015}} According to the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', [[liberal Christianity]] tends to view Satan "as a [figurative] mythological attempt to express the reality and extent of evil in the universe, existing outside and apart from humanity but profoundly influencing the human sphere".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Satan|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Satan|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=December 22, 2017}}</ref>

[[Bernard McGinn (theologian)|Bernard McGinn]] describes multiple traditions detailing the relationship between the [[Antichrist]] and Satan.{{sfn|Cabinet|2001}} In the dualist approach, Satan will become incarnate in the Antichrist, just as [[Incarnation (Christianity)|God became incarnate in Jesus]].{{sfn|Cabinet|2001}} However, in [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christian]] thought, this view is problematic because it is too similar to Christ's incarnation.{{sfn|Cabinet|2001}} Instead, the "indwelling" view has become more accepted,{{sfn|Cabinet|2001}} which stipulates that the Antichrist is a human figure inhabited by Satan,{{sfn|Cabinet|2001}} since the latter's power is not to be seen as equivalent to God's.{{sfn|Cabinet|2001}}