As terrible as the deeds of people like Cain, Balaam, Jezebel, and Judas were, the title for worst villain in the Bible belongs to Satan, our adversary. He is not a human like the other villains on this list, but a fallen angel who chose his path long before the fall of humankind. All of God’s creation was originally “very good” (Genesis 1:31). However, starting with Satan, sin began to worm its way in and corrupt what God had made. The devil was once an angel who served the Lord – he saw the beauty and glory of God, yet still he chose to turn away in rebellion. With other defiant angels who sided with him, Satan fell and became an enemy of the Lord (see Isaiah 14:12). He is the one who snuck into Eden to deceive Eve and Adam, causing more harm to the Lord’s good creation. That crafty serpent, Satan, lied by telling the first humans that they could become gods, and temptation was awakened (Genesis 3:1-5). Sin entered the world because of Adam and Eve’s decision to disobey God. Throughout the Bible, we find the devil working to thwart God’s plan of salvation. The book of Daniel shows us that spiritual forces are at work in the world, and Satan was surely behind the attempts to wipe out Israel and David’s lineage. People like Haman and Saul were sinners fueled by their own hatred and desire for power, but the devil certainly would have wanted to fuel the flames of sin to destroy Israel and the lineage through which the Messiah would come. The Seed of the Woman would crush his head, eventually, but he would still do all he could to strike the heel (Genesis 3:15). And Satan did; he watched with pleasure as Herod tried to snuff out the life of the newly born Christ. He tempted the Son of God in the wilderness, trying to get Jesus to bow down in worship of him (Matthew 4:1-11). Then, he entered one of the Messiah’s own followers – Judas – to betray the Lord and have him sentenced to death (Luke 22:3). The devil may have thought he had succeeded at Jesus’ death, but the tables had been turned. For at the cross, Satan was defeated. Christ had paid for the sins of all mankind, an earth-shaking event that changed the course of history. No more would the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve live in terror of death because of the devil or endure the weight of separation from God (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus had brought salvation, and all who believed in Him would be set free. His resurrection was proof of this truth. In the future, the old serpent will attempt again to thwart the Lord’s plan by pursuing God’s chosen people and persecuting the saints. He will seek to set himself as a god, and people will worship the dragon for a time (Revelation 13:4). But the devil will not prevail. His days are numbered and his fate in the Lake of Fire is assured (Revelation 12:12; 20:10). The dragon’s head will be crushed, and God’s never-ending Kingdom will be established, never to be hindered by sin or Satan again. Until then, we remain vigilant of the devil and his schemes, knowing that he seeks to devour us (2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Peter 5:8). We put on the armor of God to fight our true enemy, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12, NIV). Photo Credit: Created by Chat GPT
Sophia Bricker is a writer. Her mission is to help others grow in their relationship with Jesus through thoughtful articles, devotionals, and stories. She completed a BA and MA in Christian ministry which included extensive study of the Bible and theology, as well as an MFA in creative writing. You can read her thoughts about literature and faith at The Cross, a Pen, and a Page Substack, or visit the discipleship-based site Cultivate, where she writes with her sister.
