Satan exercises his malignant influence and power on Earth through lies and deceptions, all designed to enable him to usurp the sovereignty and right of God and Christ to rule. He is the great deceiver and liar - Jesus clearly warned religious people who prided themselves on obeying God that their father was the devil, and they had his lusts, as in John 8:44. The men he spoke to studied the scriptures but were politically compromised due to wanting to get rid of the hated Roman rule. That blinded them to the spiritual kingdom of God, and its King, Christ Jesus, who said:
"My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." John 18:36
Christians are to pray for those who have the rule over them, that freedom to spread the gospel will be granted by the authorities. It is God's will that those national governments "bear the sword" to punish law-breakers etc. (Romans 13:1-13). When governments violate their authority, they will answer to God for that. But Christians are to be ambassadors for Christ in this world (2 Cor.5:20); neutral (in other words) when in the world as aliens living in another country. They obey the laws of whatever land they are living in, unless those laws violate God's laws. Then they have to stand up for God, whatever the punishment those rulers inflict on them. They choose God as ruler, rather than men (Acts 5:29).
Revelation 20:3 speaks of "...the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan" being bound (confined, restricted) "that he should deceive the nations no more until..." a later time when he will be loosed for a little season. Whatever differing interpretations of Revelation Christians have, the prophecies show Satan perpetrating a huge, global deception that will get huge numbers worshipping "the image of the beast" that is set up, which beast gets its power and authority from Satan, this monstrous red dragon detailed in chapter 12.
Another way of putting this is that Satan is the Puppet-master, pulling the strings of those below, but they do not know that. He keeps hidden, being an evil spirit creature who (if manifested to visible sight) would appear as horrifying as that red dragon with 7 heads, and 10 horns, and 7 crowns upon his head. Of course, that is symbolic language. Satan will not appear visibly. But he causes the beast out of the sea, then the beast out of the earth to arise, which people obey and adore. Those are symbols of Satan's earthly agencies. Again, people do not see that for they have no idea of the demonic activity in spiritual places, all designed to get the nations into the battle of Armageddon. But the Bible is clear that it is God who sovereignly overrules everything, to defeat Satan and his minions, at his time, and in his way. From Genesis 3:15 to Revelation 20:15 the Bible shows this.
Unfortunately, there is such a massive body of literature from scholars and commentators, on all the texts given as examples, it is impossible to analysze them into an answer for this site. For every example given, someone else could give a counter-example, for there is no solid, single Christian doctrine within their assorted ranks. It all boils down to interpretation and how various related texts are mingled (or omitted). All the texts relevant to this topic run into hundreds. Even on the Christianity site, only one group could be selected to give an over-view. It is too vast a topic to deal with here, given such a general question.
This answer deals with a general sense in which Satan is "ruler of this world". Yes, he works through lots of governments, and institutions, and individuals, yet there are also Christians in governments and institutions and individuals who he cannot control for his own ends. They belong to Christ. But let any of them start lying themselves, then they risk opening the door to Satan and his invisible influences, as with the religious zealots Jesus warned had the devil as their "father". Lying is Satan's hallmark, which goes hand in glove with deception. Wherever we find lying and deception, Satan is up there, pulling the strings, unbeknown to those who have even unwittingly aligned themselves with him. Is that not clearly what Jesus said in John 8:44? Is that not clearly the simplest possible answer to the question?
Answer from Anne on Stack ExchangeIn what sense is Satan the “ruler of this world” in passages like John 12:31 — does this mean he rules through human governments? - Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange
Is Satan the ruler of this world?
exegesis - What does it mean that Satan is "god of this world"? - Christianity Stack Exchange
Luke 4:6-7 How do we read that Satan receives authority over the kingdoms of the world? - Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange
Satan exercises his malignant influence and power on Earth through lies and deceptions, all designed to enable him to usurp the sovereignty and right of God and Christ to rule. He is the great deceiver and liar - Jesus clearly warned religious people who prided themselves on obeying God that their father was the devil, and they had his lusts, as in John 8:44. The men he spoke to studied the scriptures but were politically compromised due to wanting to get rid of the hated Roman rule. That blinded them to the spiritual kingdom of God, and its King, Christ Jesus, who said:
"My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." John 18:36
Christians are to pray for those who have the rule over them, that freedom to spread the gospel will be granted by the authorities. It is God's will that those national governments "bear the sword" to punish law-breakers etc. (Romans 13:1-13). When governments violate their authority, they will answer to God for that. But Christians are to be ambassadors for Christ in this world (2 Cor.5:20); neutral (in other words) when in the world as aliens living in another country. They obey the laws of whatever land they are living in, unless those laws violate God's laws. Then they have to stand up for God, whatever the punishment those rulers inflict on them. They choose God as ruler, rather than men (Acts 5:29).
Revelation 20:3 speaks of "...the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan" being bound (confined, restricted) "that he should deceive the nations no more until..." a later time when he will be loosed for a little season. Whatever differing interpretations of Revelation Christians have, the prophecies show Satan perpetrating a huge, global deception that will get huge numbers worshipping "the image of the beast" that is set up, which beast gets its power and authority from Satan, this monstrous red dragon detailed in chapter 12.
Another way of putting this is that Satan is the Puppet-master, pulling the strings of those below, but they do not know that. He keeps hidden, being an evil spirit creature who (if manifested to visible sight) would appear as horrifying as that red dragon with 7 heads, and 10 horns, and 7 crowns upon his head. Of course, that is symbolic language. Satan will not appear visibly. But he causes the beast out of the sea, then the beast out of the earth to arise, which people obey and adore. Those are symbols of Satan's earthly agencies. Again, people do not see that for they have no idea of the demonic activity in spiritual places, all designed to get the nations into the battle of Armageddon. But the Bible is clear that it is God who sovereignly overrules everything, to defeat Satan and his minions, at his time, and in his way. From Genesis 3:15 to Revelation 20:15 the Bible shows this.
Unfortunately, there is such a massive body of literature from scholars and commentators, on all the texts given as examples, it is impossible to analysze them into an answer for this site. For every example given, someone else could give a counter-example, for there is no solid, single Christian doctrine within their assorted ranks. It all boils down to interpretation and how various related texts are mingled (or omitted). All the texts relevant to this topic run into hundreds. Even on the Christianity site, only one group could be selected to give an over-view. It is too vast a topic to deal with here, given such a general question.
This answer deals with a general sense in which Satan is "ruler of this world". Yes, he works through lots of governments, and institutions, and individuals, yet there are also Christians in governments and institutions and individuals who he cannot control for his own ends. They belong to Christ. But let any of them start lying themselves, then they risk opening the door to Satan and his invisible influences, as with the religious zealots Jesus warned had the devil as their "father". Lying is Satan's hallmark, which goes hand in glove with deception. Wherever we find lying and deception, Satan is up there, pulling the strings, unbeknown to those who have even unwittingly aligned themselves with him. Is that not clearly what Jesus said in John 8:44? Is that not clearly the simplest possible answer to the question?
To make sense of Satan's role in Scripture, it is essential to understand his attributes, what he can do and cannot do, and how he operates within the spiritual realm.
- Satan is a spiritual entity - Satan is not a physical being. Ephesians 6:12 describes him as part of the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places," affirming his nature as a spiritual entity. In Job 1:6-7, Satan first appears in Scripture as a celestial being, presenting himself before the Lord - further evidence of his non-corporeal existence.
- Satan's Limitations - Satan is not omniscient, not omnipresent, and not omnipotent. Job 1:7-12 shows Satan "roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it," which implies he is not omnipresent - he can only be in one place at a time. His unsuccessful accusation against Job reveals that he is not all-knowing. The fact that Satan must ask God for permission to act demonstrates that he is not all-powerful. Because of these limitations, Santan cannot read minds; his presence is localized, not universal; and his power is restricted, meaning his influence can be resisted.
- Satan's Tactics and Influence - Though limited, Satan's influence is real and dangerous. As note in the BibleTools Commentary: "He affects people's attitudes by moving our reasoning processes toward satisfaction of the self.....pushing us toward making ourselves greater or more important than righteousness or truth."
This influence is spiritual, not physically. Its tactics matches the OP's statement on the second paragraph: "a spiritual sense - such as influencing human hearts, cultures, or ideologies."
ruler of this world
Satan is called ruler of this world not because he governs physically, but because he corrupts the minds of those in power through his deception and spiritual manipulation.
god of this age
This title reflects Satan's ability to veil the hearts of unbelievers, leading them worship false ideologies rather than God. As 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
prince of power of the air
In Ephesians 2:2, Paul call Satan "the prince of the power of the air," emphasizing his spiritual domain. His power is substantial but limited, and it can be overcome through faith in Christ. As Paul continues in Ephesians 2:4-5: "4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."
In essence, Satan does not rule physically through human surrogates. His power lies in deception, temptation, and the manipulation of unbelievers - elevating pride and lust to steer humanity towards destruction.
However, believers are protected by the Holy Spirit and are not under Satan's dominion. His tactics may be cunning, but they are limited, and his influence can be overcome through faith in Jesus Christ. In contrast, unbelievers remain vulnerable to his attacks - easy prey for the enemy, as warned in 1 Peter 5:8:
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (NIV)
u/Imaginationbuilder, u/Belsoe
Yes, Luke 4:5–7:
“And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, ‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’”
Satan claimed to have the authority of all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus didn't directly contradict this proposition. In fact, Jesus acknowledged this claim in John 12:
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Jesus referred to Satan as the ruler of this world. I interpret it as Jesus casting Satan's rulership out of the believers but not out of the world altogether. By the Cross, Jesus would cast Satan's authority out of the believers. Later, before he went to the cross, Jesus again mentioned the title in John 14:
30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming.
After the cross, 1 John 5 affirmed this claim:
19 The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
2 Corinthians 4:
4 In their case the god of this world
i.e., Satan
has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Is Satan the ruler of this world?
I think so. But he does not rule us, believers. His influence is particularly strong on the unbelievers, 2 Timothy 2:
26 they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Satan holds the power of death, Hebrews 2:
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—
For the believers, Matthew 28:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Jesus is greater than Satan. Satan's power was permitted for trials and testing of the believers. This is consistent with the development of satan from the beginning. God is using Satan to test everyone. This is why Satan is still around until the end, Revelation 20:
10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Here is the good news, 1 John 5:
4a for everyone born of God overcomes the world.
Is Satan the ruler of this world?
Yes, he rules the world but not the believers. Jesus is our ruler and king.
If Jesus already defeated Satan, why is he still active? In what sense did the Cross defeat Satan?
Satan thought that by killing Jesus on the Cross, he had emerged victorious. To his surprise, the opposite was true. However, while Jesus assures the final outcome, spiritual warfare continues between humanity and Satan. But there is a significant difference now. Jesus' death on the Cross allowed the Paraclete/Spirit to dwell within believers. With the Paraclete’s assistance, we can combat Satan. Our indwelling Spirit assures us that we will ultimately prevail.
See also
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The world has been DELIVERED to the devil
You know, this is a good question. Even though I understand the concept instinctively, I wasn't able to put it into words myself.
The closest I can come in my own words is to give a bullet list of concepts that tie together to answer the question.
- The Bible speaks of several "gods", none of whom are the true God
- A god (idol) is anything (a being, a concept) who is worshiped and obeyed instead of the one true God.
- In this sense, your god could be your money, the television, the Internet - anything you count to be more important than God.
- "This world" is largely anti-God. We are more concerned with earthly pleasures than we are in God and what He wants from us.
- When we disobey God, we are obeying and following Satan, wittingly or unwittingly. We are, in effect, worshiping him.
However, that looks completely unsatisfying when I look at it on the screen, so I cheated. I found a better answer elsewhere.
How is Satan god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)? | GotQuestions.org
This article says everything I was trying to articulate but couldn't.
Here are two excerpts that say it MUCH better than I did:
The phrase “god of this world” (or “god of this age” [NKJV]) indicates that Satan is the major influence on the mind-set expressed by the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His areas of influence also encompass the world’s philosophies, education, and commerce. The thoughts, ideas, speculations and false religions of the world are under his control and have sprung from his lies and deceptions.
...
So, when the Bible says that Satan is the "god of this world," it is not saying that he has ultimate authority. It is conveying the idea that Satan rules over the unbelieving world in a specific way. In the case of 2 Corinthians 4:4, the unbeliever follows Satan's agenda. According to 2 Corinthians 4:4, the "god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ." Satan's agenda includes pushing a false philosophy onto the unbelieving world—a false philosophy that blinds the unbeliever from the truth of the Gospel. Satan’s philosophies are the fortresses in which people are imprisoned, needing to be set free and brought captive to Christ in obedience to the truth.
When we seek to give glory to God, to hold God up so others can see by the light that shines from God, through us, and we work to love God and others as Jesus commanded, then if we are concerned with earthly concerns, such as amassing wealth or having fashionable clothes, we have chosen to conform to the world. We are not in a place where we can stand apart from the world, and talk about how great God is, as there is no real difference between us and everyone else.
So, if we choose to conform then we are not going to be following God, and if we are not listening to what God is saying to us, then what voice are we following?
We don't have to explicitly choose to be part of this world, by just standing by and watching brothers and sisters in Christ do actions that would pierce Jesus' heart is enough to show that we are conforming. This is probably what most Christians are guilty of, when we listen to ministers speak in ways that Christ would not agree with. For example, when persecution of any particular group, especially those that hate you and would be happy to see you dead, is espoused, rather than laughing, or just standing silently by, we should show what it means to be willing to die for that person, and speak up, even though it costs us friendships, or isolates us, as, we are moving toward God. If we choose to value our friendships, then we have turned away from God, and conformed.
So, Satan does not want to be alone in Hell, he wants as much company as possible, so he will work to ensure that we are thinking more about earthly issues than thinking about God, which is his role.
We see how strong he can be in the story of Job, as he made Job's life miserable, took everything away from him, but Job continued to lean on God, regardless.
So, the terrestrial bonds may keep us away from our heavenly Father, and that is what Satan, as the chief tempter, works to do, to keep us grounded, as we may not explicitly worship him, but the Bible stated that we can only follow one god, so if we are not keeping our eyes on God, and shining as a beacon for others, then we are following Satan, and we have covered up the light. Satan is the examples used as the opposite of God, in that we follow God in heaven or the god of this world, and when it comes down to it, that is what is meant by Satan being the god of this world.
What we must 1st understand about Satan is what Jesus says about him,
"He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.(John 8:44)
Therefore, we must not trust what comes out of a liar's mouth.
Since Jesus doesn't take issue with the devil's statement, we can conclude that the devil certainly 'exercised' authority over the kingdoms of the world, yet there is nowhere in Scripture that records the devil being given authority by God; that authority was given to Adam,(Gen. 1:28)
"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
God gave Adam dominion, which in Hebrew : רָדָה(radah) along with : כָּבַשׁ(kabash) means to "reign over and bring into submission". Therefore, man rightly exercising his authority before God, would bring into subjection and submission all of God's creation.
When Adam disobeyed God's commandment,(Gen. 3) they "gave" their dominion to Satan; by accepting his 'offer' to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and become like him, and he, being the "strong man"(Mark 3:27), was able to bring men into "dominion"(reign over and bring into submission). God extended man mercy, prophesying that one day the woman's seed would crush the head of Satan(Gen. 3:15), but until that time worldly government remained under Satan's dominion, although Godly men from time to time have ruled.
Men indeed have subjected themselves to Satan, worshipping him in idolatry and giving themselves over to perversions and evil, in violation of God's commands. Furthermore, as Jesus addressed the Jewish leaders, those that oppose Jesus are of the devil(John 8:44) and whoever is not for Jesus is against Him(Matt. 12:30)
In Summary: Satan obtained "dominion" by taking it away from Adam & Eve. The 2nd Adam, Christ(1 Cor. 15:47)
the second man is the Lord from heaven.
And the 2nd Adam will reign, undoing all the work of Satan(1 Cor. 15:24-25)
"Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet"
This is a good, piercing question that goes to the root of a lot. Unfortunately I have had to conclude [30 years or so of study] that we are not told the full answer to the question. First, there is nothing in the Genesis record that speaks plainly about a "Satan" being given authority over anything. Sticking to the text, we are told of a serpent who is a beast of the field. Answers above rightly underscore what Jesus said about Satan - in fact 90% of the revelation we have of the Malefactor comes from Jesus Himself, and apart from His illumination we would know next to nothing. YHWH put the "nations" [goy] under the authority of the "sons of God". Dr. Michael Heiser has done a better job than anyone of peeling the scriptures [the text - not conjecture and innuendo] on this topic [ http://www.thedivinecouncil.com/DT32BibSac.pdf ]. The implication is that the other "sons of God" lent or ceded their authority to "Satan" at some point for some reason/s but this is not revealed to us. Paul, Ephesians 6:12 speaks of such authority being spread amongst multiple entities. Benson's commentary does a fair job with this: http://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/ephesians/6.htm Heiser, again, does better, pointing out that all but one of the underlying terms for these malevolent beings is a term of turfdom; territorial authority.
I wish the whole issue were better revealed to us.
This isn’t a gotcha question as I’m reformed myself on soteriology, however it’s a very tricky question and to my limited knowledge I haven’t seen an explanation for it.
It’s something that has bothered my quite a bit lately.