Satan is a real, existing being, working among people, In the Holy Scripture he appears as early as the Book of Genesis, as the serpent. It is he who persuades the first people to be disobedient to God and thus leads them to their fall. The devil is a cunning tempter who leads away from obedience to God. From then on his work is identified with the spreading of sin, suffering and death. In the book of Job, Satan’s impudence, his power over the physical world and his perversity are shown. The tempting of Jesus Christ depicts the evil spirit as a usurper. It is visible in biblical scenes of exorcism. The devil, tempting through greed, induces Judas to denounce Jesus to the Pharisees.
Devil and hell
Does Satan really exist and is he capable of harming people? After death, can you go to… hell? This and other questions are answered by the Holy Scripture. Therefore, we recommend that you read the following texts, biblical quotes, documents of the Church and studies. Some of these articles have not yet been translated. Why?
Satan’s power
Satan’s power is not unlimited. (CCC 395). The evil spirit cannot directly influence human will and intellect, nor does he know the secrets of the human conscience. He cannot interrupt the construction of the Kingdom of God. His actions are limited by God’s Providence and man’s good will.
Catechism: satan and hell
Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls “a murderer from the beginning”, who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father.273 “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”274 In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God.