Satan facts for kids

"Satan before the Lord"

Satan (meaning "the enemy" or "the trouble-maker" in Hebrew), sometimes called the Devil, is a figure found in the writings of the Abrahamic religions. Muslims, Christians and Jews believe that he tempts people to do bad things. His role is to question and tempt people's faith. They also say that he was once an angel named Lucifer.

In Satanism, Satan is thought to be just a metaphor for what humans want. In Theistic Satanism, Satan is considered to be a good force.

In the Quran

In Islam, a shayṭān is any sort of evil creature. The Qu'ran describes Satan as arrogant. The story about him begins in surah Baqarah. It states that Satan views himself as a greater entity than Gods' other creations because he was created from fire. After this, the Qu'ran states:

(Allah) said: "What prevented thee from prostrating when I commanded thee?" He said: "I am better than he: Thou didst create me from fire, and him from clay.

In the Bible

• In the Hebrew Bible (also called the Old Testament in Christianity), Satan is responsible for several acts opposed to God's way; these are some examples:
  • Thought to be the one who talked Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit (though his name is not used)
  • God let Satan make Job suffer
  • Caused King David to go against God's wishes and count the people of Israel
  • Accused God's servant Joshua, the high priest

• In the New Testament:
  • Jesus was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit to fast, and to be tested by the devil. Satan tempted Jesus three times. Jesus stood against him by using the Scriptures.
  • Revelation tells of a final battle between God and Satan, with God winning over the powers of evil

Many people believe that Satan was first an angel called Lucifer that left Heaven and took many other angels with him. He did this because he thought he was as powerful as God.

Images for kids

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  Balaam and the Angel (1836) by Gustav Jäger. The angel in this incident is referred to as a "satan".

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  The sound of a shofar (pictured) is believed to symbolically confuse Satan.

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  St. Michael Vanquishing Satan (1518) by Raphael, depicting Satan being cast out of heaven by Michael the Archangel, as described in Revelation 12:7–8

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  The Genius of Evil (1848) by Guillaume Geefs

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  Illustration from a manuscript of Abu Ali Bal'ami's Persian translation of the Annals of al-Tabari, showing the devil (Iblis) refusing to prostrate before the newly created man (Adam).

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  Muhammad Siyah Qalam, depiction of Iblis, appearing as a black man wearing a headcover.

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  A stoning of the Devil from 1942

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  A depiction of Santa Muerte

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  Early 6th century Byzantine mosaic Art, depicting Jesus separating the sheep from the goats. The blue angel is possibly the earliest artistic depiction of Satan.

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  Ancient Roman mosaic showing a horned, goat-legged Pan holding a shepherd's crook. Much of Satan's traditional iconography is apparently derived from Pan.

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  Tartini's Dream (1824) by Louis-Léopold Boilly

See also

In Spanish: Satanás para niños