Satan
Satan · The Adversary — Prince of Wrath, Accuser of Humanity
Chief demon of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The name is Hebrew for 'adversary' or 'accuser.' In the Book of Job he plays a celestial prosecutor accusing mortals in God's court; later Christianity merged him with Lucifer as the incarnate evil opposing God. Prince of Wrath among the Seven Deadly Sins. The one who tempted Christ in the wilderness.
Origin
Originally a heavenly office in Job (ha-satan = 'the adversary'), he was personified in the New Testament and apocrypha into the chief enemy of God. In Matthew 4 he tempts Christ in the desert; in Revelation he appears as the great dragon and is defeated by Michael.
Features
- Red skin or dark crimson scales
- Horns and a forked tail
- Trident or whip of fire
- The tempter — can take human form
Stories
Symbol of wrath, temptation, and trial. The archetypal demon driven out in exorcism rites. Theologically, he tests human free will — operating only under divine permission, as in the trial of Job.