Applying God's Attributes to Understanding Satan's Character
Satan's character emerges in Scripture not as a divine attribute inverted, but as a created being whose nature has become wholly opposed to God's purposes. The Hebrew term satan means "adversary" [1], appearing in contexts where it describes opposition to God's work and slander against both God and humanity [2]. This adversarial role defines his essence: he is "the accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10) [4], standing at the right hand of Joshua the high priest "to be his adversary" (Zechariah 3:1) [5].
Created, Not Eternal
Unlike God, whose attributes include aseity and eternality, Satan is a creature. The Job narrative depicts him presenting himself before Yahweh among "God's sons" [7, 8], indicating his status within the created order. Calvin observes that Satan's "whole nature is depraved, mischievous, and malignant," with a mind "bent on assailing the glory of God and the salvation of man" [9]. This depravity is not an attribute of being but a corruption of created nature—what John's epistle identifies when it says Satan "sinneth from the beginning" (1 John 3:8), marking him as "the author, leader, and contriver" of sin [9].
Limited Authority
Where God possesses absolute sovereignty, Satan operates under divine permission and temporal constraint. His authority is described as lasting "forty-two months" in Revelation's symbolic chronology [12], and his power over humanity is "founded on sin" rather than inherent right [10]. Calvin illustrates this subordination through the Chaldean raid on Job's possessions, where Satan's hand is evident yet operates within boundaries God has established [11]. The New Testament titles—"the prince of this world" (John 12:31), "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4) [3]—describe usurped dominion, not original authority.
Spiritual Pollution
Satan's work extends beyond physical affliction to spiritual corruption. Demons under his influence are marked by the epithet "unclean" [6], indicating their power to pollute spiritually as well as to afflict bodily. His strategy involves involving "minds of men in error," stirring "hatred" and "strife" to "overthrow the kingdom of God" [9]. This contrasts sharply with God's holiness and truth. Where divine attributes reflect perfect being, Satan's character manifests as parasitic opposition—he accuses (Revelation 12:10) [4], slanders God to humanity (Genesis 3) [2], and imputes selfish motives to the righteous (Job 1:9-10) [2], his refutation coming only through the self-sacrifice of those "who loved not their own lives unto death" [2].
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Satan — The word itself, the Hebrew satan, is simply an "adversary," and is so used in (1 Samuel 29:4; 2 Samuel 19:22; 1 Kings 6:4; 11:14,23,25; Numbers 22:22,33; Psalms 109:6) This original sense is still found in our Lord's application of the name to St. Peter in (Matthew 16:23) It is used as a proper name or title only four times in the Old Testament, vis. (with the article) in (Job 1:6; 12; 2:1; Zechariah 2:1) and without the article in (1 Chronicles 21:1) It is with the scriptural revelation on the subject that we are here concerned; and it is clear, from this si”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Devil — (slanderer). The name describes Satan as slandering God to man and man to God. The former work is of course, a part of his great work of temptation to evil and is not only exemplified but illustrated as to its general nature and tendency by the narrative of Gen. 3. The other work, the slandering or accusing men before God, is the imputation of selfish motives, (Job 1:9,10) and its refutation is placed in the self-sacrifice of those "who loved not their own lives unto death." [[430]Satan; [431]Demon]”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Satan — Adversary; accuser. When used as a proper name, the Hebrew word so rendered has the article "the adversary" (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7). In the New Testament it is used as interchangeable with Diabolos, or the devil, and is so used more than thirty times. He is also called "the dragon," "the old serpent" (Rev. 12:9; 20:2); "the prince of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30); "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2); "the god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4); "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2). The distinct personality of Satan and h”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Accuser — Satan is styled the "accuser of the brethren" (Rev. 12:10. Comp. Job 1:6; Zech. 3:1), as seeking to uphold his influence among men by bringing false charges against Christians, with the view of weakening their influence and injuring the cause with which they are identified. He was regarded by the Jews as the accuser of men before God, laying to their charge the violations of the law of which they were guilty, and demanding their punishment. The same Greek word, rendered "accuser," is found in John 8:10 (but omitted in the Revised Version); Acts 23:30, 35; 2”
- Zechariah “He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before Yahweh’s angel, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. -- Zechariah 3:1”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Demon — In the Gospels generally, in (James 2:19) and in Reve 16:14 The demons are spoken of as spiritual beings, at enmity with God, and having power to afflict man not only with disease, but, as is marked by the frequent epithet "un-clean," with spiritual pollution also. They "believe" the power of God "and tremble," (James 2:19) they recognized the Lord as the Son of God, (Matthew 8:29; Luke 4:41) and acknowledged the power of his name, used in exorcism. In the place of the name of Jehovah, by his appointed messengers, (Acts 19:15) and looked forward in terror to t”
- Job “Again, on the day when the God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, Satan came also among them to present himself before Yahweh. -- Job 2:1”
- Job “Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, Satan also came among them. -- Job 1:6”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 30: minds of men he involves in error; he stirs up hatred, inflames strife and war, and all in order that he may overthrow the kingdom of God, and drown men in eternal perdition with himself. Hence it is evident that his whole nature is depraved, mischievous, and malignant. There must be extreme depravity in a mind bent on assailing the glory of God and the salvation of man. This is intimated by John in his Epistle, when he says that he “sinneth from the beginning,” ( 1 John 3:8 ), implying that he is the author, leader, and contriver ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 110: to chains and darkness. The third form of the theory is, that as the right and power of Satan over man is founded on sin, he exceeded his authority when he brought about the death of Christ, who was free from all sin; and thus justly forfeited his authority over men altogether. This general theory that Christ’s great work, as a Redeemer, was to deliver man from bondage to Satan, and that the ransom was paid to Him and not to God; or that the difficulty in the way of our salvation was the right which Satan had acquired to us as slaves, wh”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 40: purpose of illustration, let us refer to the calamities brought upon holy Job by the Chaldeans. They having slain his shepherds, carry off his flocks. The wickedness of their deed is manifest, 172 172 The French adds, “Car quand nous voyons des voleurs, qui ont commis quelque meurtre ou larrecin, nous ne doutons point de leur imputer la faute, et de les condamner.”—For when we see robbers who have committed some murder or robbery, we hesitate not to impute the blame to them, and condemn them. as is also the hand of Satan, who, as t”
- Revelation (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Revelation 13:5: 13:5-8 The four characteristics of the beast are that he (1) blasphemes God, (2) has authority for a limited time, (3) makes war against God’s people, and (4) rules the world. But God is in control. 13:5 The forty-two months are the three and a half years of persecution and evil domination (see study note on 11:2-3).”