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一般人想到「魔鬼撒旦」，馬上聯想到的都是青面獠牙、凶神惡煞的形象。自古以來，各種文化以及宗教信仰都有魔鬼的概念。文學作品魔鬼的例子比比皆是，電影劇作中的恐怖片更是令人不寒而慄。
讓我們來看看聖經中對「撒旦」（Satan)和「魔鬼」(Devil) 的整體提及，並比較對這兩者重視的程度和觀點。
聖經主要是由舊約組成，其文字佔了整本聖經的79.34%，而新約則只佔了20.66%。鑒於此分布，我們可能會預期「撒旦」和「魔鬼」的提及次數在舊約中比例，相等的也會比新約高出至少三倍以上。然而依據計數的顯示，事實並非如此。「撒旦」在舊約中僅提了15次，而在新約中卻提及34次；「魔鬼」在舊約中只出現了4次，而在新約中共出現102次！換句話說，舊約總共提數為19次（15個撒旦+4個魔鬼），與新約的136次（34個撒旦+102個魔鬼）相比，從比例上來說，新約提及撒旦魔鬼的次數竟然是舊約的七倍多！（註：以上之比較是以英文版聖經做基準）若以舊約和新約的篇幅來衡量，它們之間的不對稱就更加明顯。光以這個數據來看，就算沒有讀過聖經的人也能夠下一個結論：這不是只有數據之不同，基督教跟猶太教對「撒旦魔鬼」的著重有非常顯著之不同。
所以新舊約對撒旦的描述到底是如何不同？讓我們根據幾個不同的標準來比較一下：
論撒旦的角色
根據基督教的教導，撒旦是上帝的主要對敵。牠的目標是阻撓神的計劃，並盡全力用詭計欺騙人類，讓人遠離神。雖然基督徒口口聲聲宣稱：「如果撒旦沒有上帝的允許，牠根本無法實施牠的計劃。」但基督徒卻經常提到「屬靈爭戰」，並強調「擊敗黑暗勢力」的理念（請參部落格：二元論）。這種認為邪靈會干預人類生活種種事物的理念都來自新約聖經的教導。
新約聖經將撒旦形容為「吼叫的獅子，遍地遊行，尋找可吞吃的人」（彼得前書 5:8）；“不法的隱意”（帖撒羅尼迦後書2:7）；“大龍、古蛇”（啟示錄12:9）；“仇敵”（路加福音10:19）；“充滿你的心”（使徒行傳5:3）；像蛇一樣 “心思受到敗壞”（哥林多後書11:3）; “空中掌權者的首領，就是現今在悖逆之子心中運行的邪靈”（以弗所書2:2 ）及“鬼王”（馬太福音12:24）。這些描述總體上將撒旦呈現為一個普遍存在的邪惡勢力，積極地在與上帝及其創造物作對。因此，使徒保羅在以弗所書第六章詳細地闡述這場爭戰以及如何通過穿上上帝的全副軍裝來低檔克服這惡者。
相形之下，撒旦在猶太教中扮演的角色大不相同。據希伯來聖經（或稱舊約聖經）的記載，撒旦並沒有獨立的權力。牠的存在與行動都在上帝旨意的框架之內：牠只是一個僕人、一個天使代理人。牠在世的目的不是要與上帝敵對，因為他根本無法敵對神，牠在世就是要測試人類對神的信心。這個觀點在約伯記—這本因探討苦難問題而著稱的書中，有極為明確的闡述。在約伯記裡，撒旦扮演了“檢察官”的角色，並在極端的逆境下質疑約伯的正義。牠在上帝的允許下考驗約伯對上帝的忠誠。上帝讓撒旦奪走約伯的一切，包括他的兒女、財富和健康，這一切的作為都是為了要誘惑約伯詛咒上帝。然而，撒旦的最終目的在於測試約伯信仰堅定與否，而不在於引導他遠離上帝。這與基督教的教義相反，基督教教導撒旦是上帝的主要褻瀆者和敵人，要引誘人們遠離上帝。
如果以法律制度作為類比來做總結：基督教的撒旦被描繪成上帝的主要對手，積極與神、與人作對。牠就像一個反叛和阻撓的被告；而在猶太教中，撒旦則在上帝的旨意下運作。牠是一個指控者或檢察官，測試人類的信仰和忠誠，但牠不會獨立行動，也不會對抗上帝。
論自由意志
基督教教導，天使與人類一樣，皆擁有自由意志。天使是上帝所創造的靈體，他們除了有情感與智力之外，他們還崇拜上帝（路加福音 2:13-14）。天使可分為兩類：神聖的天使和墮落的天使。神聖的天使為順服上帝的天使，他們傳遞信息給人類（路加福音 1:26-38），是執行神旨意的使者和僕人；墮落的天使則是背叛上帝的天使，其中最著名的是路西弗 (Lucifer)，牠在叛變上帝後成為撒旦（以賽亞書 14:12-15；以西結書 28:12-17）。我們通常會將這些天使與邪惡、與反對上帝的旨意聯想在一起。尤其在啟示錄12:9 中提到，由於驕傲的撒旦想要像上帝一樣，因而被神「摔在地上」。
在猶太教信仰中，撒旦是上帝創造的天使之一，他們負責履行特定的任務。這個任務包括考驗人類並挑戰他們的道德是否正直。牠並不是一個獨立的惡勢力代理人，而是依照神授權的安排來運作。天使不單無法與上帝對抗， 他們是完全沒有自由意志的創造物，因此他們沒有叛逆的能力，更不可能會有「墮落天使」之存在。其實路西弗作為墮落天使的概念主要來自基督教對以賽亞書 14:12-15的解讀。根據猶太教的講解，這段經文的墮落者指的是巴比倫國王。他在此只不過是將之墮落比喻性地解釋為「晨星」（原文路西弗）的墮落，根本和撒旦無關。「撒旦」是一個頭銜、是一個角色，不是指一個具體特定的人物。「撒旦」（שָּׂטָן）希伯來文的意思是「對手」，這個形容詞不僅用來描述天使，也可以用來描述人類的對手。而人類不同於天使的是，我們不僅生來就有行善或作惡的能力，還被賦予自由意志來選擇善惡。人類若沒有選擇作惡的可能，那選擇行善就無太大的意義。
總結來說，在基督教中，神賦予所有生物自由意志，包括撒旦。這自由意志允許牠做出自己要的選擇。雖然上帝將撒旦創造為天使，撒旦卻選擇濫用這個禮物並叛變了神。上帝並沒有促使撒旦犯罪，是撒旦選擇去濫用牠自由意志的恩賜；在猶太教的教義中，撒旦就是天使。他們沒有選擇的餘地，只能遵循指令，因為他們不具備自由意志。
論光明與黑暗
在基督教教義中，上帝並未創造邪惡，因為「上帝是光，在他裡面毫無黑暗」（約翰一書 1:5）；「神不是叫人混亂」（哥林多前書 14:33）；他不可能以任何方式成為邪惡的作者，因為撒旦是「鬼王」（馬太福音 12:24），被逐出天堂：「我曾看見撒旦像從天上墜落，像閃電一樣」（路加福音 10:18）。基督徒認為光明與黑暗是截然不同且對立的勢力。也因為這樣，光明與黑暗絕對不可能共存；它們是互相排斥的。光明與黑暗之間的關係是一種「非此即彼」的情況，其中一方的存在會驅散另一方。
在猶太教教義中，上帝參與宇宙中的一切，包括光明與黑暗。在希伯來聖經裡，沒有任何一位先知提到撒旦反叛上帝，或被逐出天堂。反之，撒旦在上帝的天庭中占有顯赫的地位（約伯記 1:6-7 ；撒迦利亞書 3:1-2）。「我造光，又造暗，我施平安，又降災禍。照做這一切的，是我耶和華」（以賽亞書 45:7）。可惜的是，大多數基督教聖經的譯者將這節經文中的希伯來詞語的「rah」（רַע）錯誤地翻譯為「災禍」或「自然災害」，正確的翻譯應該是～「不好的」或「邪惡」。上帝創造了善與惡，並將這兩種強大的勢力放在人類面前，讓人類自由去選擇自己想要走的屬靈的道路。這個大原則在申命記 30:14-19 中有清楚的表達：「這話離你甚近，就在你口中，在你心裡，使你可以遵行。看哪，我今日將生與福，死與禍陳明在你面前。我今日所吩咐你的，是要愛耶和華你的上帝，遵行他的道，謹守他的誡命、律例和典章，使你可以存活，人數增多，耶和華你上帝就必在你所要進去得為業的地上賜福於你。倘若你心裡偏離不肯聽從，卻被引誘去敬拜事奉別神，我今日明明告訴你們，你們必要滅亡，在你過約旦河進去得為業的地上，你的日子必不長久。我今日呼天喚地向你作見證，我將生死禍福陳明在你面前，所以你要揀選生命，使你和你的後裔都得存活。」請注意，這些看似對立的字眼——「生命、繁衍與祝福，死亡、毀滅和詛咒——都在上帝的創造範疇之內！
結論
新約中對「撒旦」和「惡」頻繁的提及，反映出他們對屬靈爭戰的強調，這也顯出基督徒在追求聖潔、避免罪惡的用心與竭力。不幸的是，許多基督徒花過多的時間和精力專注於對抗邪惡，導致忽視了建立信仰核心、在世行善和在正面靈性成長的重要性。有些基督徒總覺得需要不斷地宣告，不斷的奉耶穌之名來得勝、來得力量，才能讓自己感到信仰的安全感與確認感。這種錯誤的焦點可能導致恐懼、無休止的掙扎、焦慮、疲憊不堪，甚至成為自以為比別人屬靈，並開始對他人批評論斷。
相較之下，在希伯來聖經（或舊約）中對撒旦和邪惡的提及相對較少，反映出在猶太教信仰中，撒旦並不像在基督教中那樣突顯。猶太教教義的美妙之處在於接受上帝所創造的善與惡。通過承認這種善惡的二元性，我們學會有意識地去做明智的選擇。與其專注於“靈性戰爭”，我們應當更加專注於培養屬靈的成熟，追求持續的生命更新與品格塑造，並致力於與上帝建立更親密的關係。
最後，我想引用猶太學習研究所的莫謝·克拉斯尼安斯基拉比的話來結束本文：
「所有的美好事物，所有的偉大力量，都來自於掙扎，來自你自己的選擇。 “對邪惡的東西，我們應該避而遠之，否則會陷入它的魔爪而永遠迷失”～這不是猶太教的觀念。我們在生活中遇到的任何看似與我們對抗並試圖擊垮我們的東西，都是考驗。這都只是上帝給我們提供克服挑戰的機會。邪惡的傾向並非壞事。撒旦不是壞天使也不是壞元素。他們只是幫助我們變得更好、更強大，因此他們最終的目的是好的。當我們從這個角度來看待他，就有助於我們克服這個問題的癥結。上帝並沒有創造任何本質上邪惡之物。」
Scary Satan
When most people think of “Satan” or “Devil”, they are immediately associated with a fearsome, green-faced, ferocious figure. Since ancient times, the concept of the devil has been present in various cultures and religious beliefs. Literature is filled with references to the devil, and horror movies featuring devils are particularly chilling.
Let’s take a look at the overall mention of “Satan” and “Devil” in the Bible and compare their emphasis and views on these two entities.
The Bible is predominantly composed of the Old Testament (OT), accounting for 79.34% of the text, while the New Testament (NT) comprises only 20.66%. Given this distribution, one might expect the mentions of “Satan” and “Devil” to be at least three times higher in the OT. However, the actual counts tell a different story. “Satan” is mentioned only 15 times in the OT while 34 times in the NT; “Devil” appears 4 times in the OT while 102 times in the NT! In other words, the OT mentions these figures 19 times in total (15 Satans + 4 Devils) compared to the NT’s 136 times mentions (34 Satans + 102 Devils). Proportionally speaking, the NT mentions these figures more than seven times as often as the OT! This disproportionate ratio is quite astounding when considering the relative lengths of the OT and NT. Based on this data alone, even people who have not read the Bible can come to the conclusion that it is not just a difference in numbers. There is a very significant emphasis on Satan the Devil between Christianity and Judaism.
How does the New Testament portray Satan differently from the Old Testaments? Let’s compare them based on a few different criteria:
On Satan’s Role
According to Christian teaching, Satan is the chief opponent of God. His goal is to block God and His plans. He will use every trick and every scheme he possibly can to deceive us and turn us away from God. Although Christians claim Satan cannot carry out plans without God‘s permission, they constantly mention about their battles of the “spiritual warfare,” and advocate the concept of fighting against the work of evil forces (please refer to my blog post: Dualism). This teaching is based on the biblical belief that evil spirits intervene in various affairs in human lives. The New Testament calls Satan a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8); He is said as “the secret power of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:7); the “great dragon…ancient serpent” (Revelations 12:9); “enemy” (Luke 10:19); “power to fill your heart” (Acts 5:3); a serpent that “leads you astray” (2 Corinthians 11:3); “ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:2) and “prince of demons”(Mathew 12:24). These descriptions collectively present Satan’s role as a pervasive force of evil, actively working against God and His creation. Therefore, Apostle Paul elaborates in great detail in Ephesians chapter 6 on this battle and how to overcome it by putting on the armor of God."
In contrast, Satan plays a very different role in Jewish teaching. The Hebrew Scriptures (or the Old Testament) shows that Satan does not have independent power. His existence and actions are within the framework of God’s divine will, serving as a servant or angelic agent to test the faith of humans. In fact, he cannot oppose God. This perspective is clearly illustrated in the Book of Job, a book most known for addressing the questions of suffering. In which, Satan serves as a “prosecuting attorney” who challenges Job's righteousness under extreme adversities. With God's permission, Satan tests Job's devotion to God. God allows him to take everything away from Job, including his children, his wealth and health. All these were done in order to tempt Job to curse God. Rather than leading Job away from God, Satan was there to test his unwavering faith. This is contrary to Christian’s teaching that Satan is the chief blasphemer and enemy of God. He seeks to tempt people away from God.
Using the court system as an analogy to sum up: In Christianity, Satan is depicted as the chief opponent of God, actively working against Him and humanity. He is like a defendant who rebels and obstructs. In contrast, in Judaism, Satan functions within God's will as an accuser or prosecutor, testing human faith and loyalty but not acting independently or opposing God.
On Free Will
Christians teach that angels, like humans, have free will. They are spiritual beings created by God, possessing emotions and intellect, and they worship God (Luke 2:13-14). There are two kinds of angels, the Holy Angel, and the Fallen Angels: Holy Angels are angels who are obedient to God. They are messengers and servants who carry out God’s will, and deliver messages to humans ( Luke 1:26-38); Fallen Angels are angels who rebelled against God. The most notable fallen angel is Lucifer, who is believed to have become Satan after his rebellion (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-17). These angels are often associated with evil and opposition to God’s will. In the book of Revelation 12:9, it says Satan was “hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” because of his pride, and wanting to be like God so he was cast out of heaven.
In the Jewish faith, Satan is one of the angels created by God to fulfill a specific purpose. This purpose involves testing humans and challenging their moral integrity. He is not an independent agent of evil but rather functions within the divine order. Angels are creations without free will. The lack of free will means they don’t have the ability to rebel, therefore there is no such thing as “fallen angels,” nor can they battle against God. The concept of Lucifer as a fallen angel primarily originates from Christian interpretations (Isaiah 14:12-15). According to the Jewish teaching, this passage in Isaiah refers to the downfall of a Babylonian king, which is interpreted metaphorically as the fall of a Lucifer (which means “morning star”). Satan is a title, a role, not a persona. The Hebrew word “Satan” (שָּׂטָן) simply means “adversary.” This adjective is not restricted to describing angels, a human being can very well be a “satan” too. On the other hand, humans are born with the ability to do both good and bad and were given the gift of free will to choose between good and evil. Without the option of choosing bad, choosing good would have little meaning.
To sum up, in Christianity, God grants all beings, including Satan, free will. This free will allows them to make their own choices. While God created Satan as an angel, it was Satan’s own choice to abuse this gift and rebel. God did not cause Satan to sin; rather, Satan chose to abuse the gift of free will; In Jewish teaching, Satan, who is considered to be angels, do not have choices, but to do what they are told, they do not possess any free will.
On light and darkness
In Christian teaching, God did not create evil because “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all”(2 John 1:5); “God is not the author of confusion”(1 Corinthians 14:33); He cannot, in any way be the author of evil because Satan is “the ruler of the demons”(Matthew 12:24) who was cast out of Heaven: “I was watching Satan fall from Heaven, like light”(Luke 10: 18). Christians hold to the teaching that light and darkness are distinct and opposing forces. According to this belief, light and darkness cannot coexist; they are mutually exclusive. The relationship between light and darkness is an "either-or" situation, where the presence of one dispels the other.
In Jewish teaching, God is involved in everything in the universe, that includes light and darkness. In fact, not a single prophet suggested that Satan rebel against God, or was banished from heaven. On the contrary, Satan appears preeminently in God’s heavenly court (Job 1:6-7 and Zachariah 4;1-2). “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.”(Isaiah 45:7) Unfortunately, translators of most Christian Bibles mis-translating the Hebrew word “rah” (רַע) in this verse as calamity” or “natural disaster” rather than “evil”. God created both good and evil and presented these two powerful forces to mankind, so that man could then freely choose his spiritual path. This cardinal principle is clearly expressed in Deuteronomy 3:14-19: “The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” Please note that these seemingly opposing entities—life, prosperity, and blessings versus destruction and curses—are all within the domain of God’s creation!
Conclusion
The disproportionate higher ratio mentions of Satan and evil in the New Testament reflect its emphasis on their intense spiritual battle against evil. It also highlights their striving for righteousness and their effort to avoid sin and moral corruption. Unfortunately, many Christians spend an excessive amount of time and energy focusing on combating evil rather than nurturing their faith, doing good deeds and fostering positive spiritual growth. Some Christians feel the constant need to claim the victory and power they have through the name of Jesus in order to feel secure and justified in their faith. This misguided focus can lead them to fear, relentless struggle, anxiety or even burnout. It may also result in self-righteousness and judgment.
The disproportionately lower mentions of Satan and evil in the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) reflect the fact that in Jewish faith, Satan is not as prominent a figure as in Christianity. The beauty of Jewish teaching lies in accepting that God created both good and evil. By acknowledging this duality, we learn to navigate our choices with intention and awareness. Rather than focusing on the “spiritual wars” we focus on cultivating a deeper sense of responsibility and committing to continuous personal and moral growth, and fostering a close relationship with God.
I would like to conclude this article by quoting Rabbi Moshe Krasnianski from Jewish Learning Institute:
“All good things, all great strength, come from struggle and the choices you make. The idea that there is something bad we should stay away from, that we get under its clutches and are lost forever, is not the Jewish idea. Anything we find in our lives that seems to be working against us and trying to bring us down is only a test. It’s only God giving us opportunities to overcome. The evil inclination is not bad. Satan is not a bad angel or element. They are just here to help us become better, become stronger, so the ultimate purpose is good. When we look at it that way, it helps us overcome these issues. Nothing inherently bad is created by God.”
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