Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  4000 Creation  »  4100 Supernatural beings  »  4120 Satan  »  4125 Satan, agents of

Satan works in this world through people and through those spiritual beings who acknowledge his authority. His agents oppose God's will and purposes.

Satan works through people

Satan's human agents pursue his evil desires

John 8:44 Jesus Christ speaking of the relationship of some unbelieving Jews to Satan. See also Acts 13:10; 1 John 3:8-10,12

Satan works through people to oppose God's purposes

Acts 5:1-9 Ananias and Sapphira; Matthew 16:23 pp Mark 8:33 Simon Peter

Judas Iscariot:

Luke 22:3; John 6:70; John 13:2,27 Acts 13:8-10 Elymas, the sorcerer

Examples of people doing Satan's work

False prophets

Deuteronomy 13:5; Jeremiah 23:26-27; Jeremiah 28:15; Jeremiah 29:21; Ezekiel 13:6-9; Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:24; 2 Peter 2:1-3

Others who lead people away from God

Deuteronomy 13:13; 2 Kings 21:9-26 Manasseh and his son, Amon; Proverbs 7:21 the adulteress; Isaiah 3:12; Jeremiah 50:6; 2 Peter 2:18-19

Satan works through his spiritual agents

Satan's angels

Matthew 25:41 See also 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:7 “angel” and “messenger” are the same word in Greek

Satan's demons

Luke 13:11-16 See also Matthew 12:22; Luke 11:14-15

Satan's agents are identified by various images and titles

The little horn

Daniel 8:9-12 This probably represents Antiochus Epiphanes.

The prince of Persia

Daniel 10:13 probably representing a demon with influence over the Persian kingdom

The king of the North

Daniel 11:28 probably representing Antiochus Epiphanes

The antichrist

1 John 4:1-4; 2Jn 7

The man of lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:3-10

The beast

Revelation 11:7; Revelation 13:1-8,11-18; Revelation 14:9-11; Revelation 16:13; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10

The false prophet

Revelation 16:13; Revelation 19:20

The prostitute or Babylon the Great

Revelation 14:8; Revelation 16:19; Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 18:1-10,18; Revelation 19:2

See also

4116  angels opposed to God
4131  demons, kinds of
4195  spirits
4609  beast, the
7774  prophets, false
9115  antichrist, the