devil, (from Greek diabolos, “slanderer,” or “accuser”), the spirit or power of evil. Though sometimes used for minor demonic spirits, the word devil generally refers to the prince of evil spirits and as such takes various forms in the religions of the world.
In the monotheistic Western religions, the devil is viewed as a fallen angel who in pride has tried to usurp the position of the one and only God. In Judaism, and later Christianity, the devil was known as Satan. In the Old Testament, Satan is viewed as the prosecutor of Yahweh’s court, as in Job, chapters 1 and 2, but he is not regarded as an adversary of God. In postbiblical Judaism and in Christianity, however, Satan became known as the “prince of devils” and assumed various names: Beelzebub (“Lord of Flies”) in Matthew 12:24–27, often cited as Beelzebul (“Lord of Dung”), and Lucifer (the fallen angel of Light).
In Christian theology the devil’s main task is that of tempting man to reject the way of life and redemption and to accept the way of death and destruction. The leader of the angels who have fallen from heaven because of pride, Satan has as his main adversary in Christian thought, legend, and iconography the archangel Michael, leader of God’s heavenly hosts.
Islāmic theology is rich in references to Iblīs, the personal name of the devil, who is also known as ash-Shayṭān (“The Demon”) and ʿaduw Allah (“Enemy of God”). In the Qurʾān, Iblīs first appears in the story of the creation of the world. He alone of the angels refuses God’s order to bow before Adam, the first man. He is then cursed by God; his punishment is to come on the Day of Judgment, but until then he is empowered to tempt the unfaithful (but not true believers). Iblīs next appears as the tempter of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In Islāmic theology, Iblīs is described as an angel, a jinn (spiritual creature capable of good or evil), or an angel who was the leader of the jinni. The questions of his sins of pride and disobedience are especially important in the Ṣūfī traditions, in which he is sometimes presented as a true monotheist who would bow only to God.
The devil was also an important figure in certain syncretic religions. In Gnosticism the devil was often called the Demiurge (the Creator) and in Manichaeism the Prince of Darkness, as well as other names.
The devil, as the great power of evil, has been much depicted in religious and secular literature and art. At various intervals in history, devil worship becomes significant for certain individuals dissatisfied with existing religious institutions, and exorcism is often consequently reinstated by these institutions.