Myth #6: Satan is the ruler of hell.
The portrayal of Satan as the king of hell is huge in pop culture. When we think of Satan, we usually picture a grotesque, horned demon sadistically torturing souls in hell. It's generally assumed that his job is to rule the underworld and torment evildoers. However, this depiction of Satan is a product of our culture and not substantiated by the Bible. Shockingly, Satan's home is not hell, but rather the earth.
Job 1:6-12 shows that Satan inhabits the earth, roaming "back and forth on it." This passage also shows that Satan is in submission to God's authority and power.
Revelation 20 tells of how Satan will be defeated and thrown into hell to be "tormented day and night for ever and ever." It's clear that Satan will be a prisoner of hell, not the ruler of it.
Whereas today we tend to portray Satan as a red, horned, obviously evil villain, the Bible has a much different picture. He is a very skillful deceiver (2 Thessalonians 2:9 and Revelations 12:9). He "masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). He even quoted Scripture in an attempt to convince Jesus to sin (Matthew 4:1-11).
The worst thing about evil is that it's hard to detect. Jesus had this to say about Satan: "When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). 1 Peter 5:8 warns Christians, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
Liars are convincing, and clever, and hard to detect. Liars don't have horns.
Scripture quoted from the NIV.
Comic from www.unearthedcomics.com
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