Ask most people to describe Satan and they will describe a red-skinned, horned devil, perhaps carrying a pitchfork, who lures humans into sin.
A theologian told DailyMail.com it is completely wrong and not supported by scripture. In fact the truth is much more terrifying.
‘I think culture just got so obsessed with this idea of this little red devil on your shoulder haunting you at all times,’ said Jared Brock, author of A Devil Named Lucifer.
Brock explained that the real devil is a spiritual, not physical being, and is likely to appear in highly attractive forms to tempt people, instead of a nightmarish demon showcased in movies.
‘There’s two words in the Bible for the devil. One means accuser, and one means adversary. Nothing is saying the devil can be in all places at all times. He’s not omnipresent like God is.’
Another misconception, according to Brock, is that the devil breathes fire upon the souls of Hell. In fact, the Book of Revelations states he actually spews water.
‘The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood,’ reads Revelation 12:15.
The Bible is also quite confusing on the actual form of Hell, Brock said – with five or six different places mentioned as the ‘underside of the afterlife’.
A misconception, according to Brock, is that the devil breathes fire upon the souls of Hell as the Book of Revelations states he spews water
‘Are these physical? Are they spiritual? Are they forever? Are they for a limited period of time? And the answer to all of that is we just don’t know,’ he said.
Christian faith states that Satan was once a powerful angel in Heaven, but his pride and desire to be like God led to his banishment.
Revelation 12:7-9 reads: ‘And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they [a]did not prevail, nor was a place found for [b]them in heaven any longer.
‘So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’
And while many people refer to Satan as ‘Lucifer,’ Brick highlighted that the name only appears once in scripture.
Isaiah 14:12 reads: ‘How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!’
The verse has been theorized to discuss when the devil falls from heaven, which is why people assume Lucifer is his true name.
The number ‘666’ is also not really ‘the devil’s number’, Brock said.
Revelation 13:18 states: ‘Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.’
‘The number itself could refer to Goliath (six pieces of armor, his height and the weight of his spear) or be connected to King Nebuchadnezzar, or be a code used to refer to Emperor Nero,’ Brock explained.
Brock is a devout Christian who has directed PBS documentaries and written five books
‘It’s vital we know what the devil really looks like—in both a material and spiritual sense—so we can more easily spot him at work in the world around us,’ said Brock.
‘He rarely appears as the water-spewing dragon. Fear is not nearly as powerful as seduction.’
Brock is a devout Christian who has directed PBS documentaries and written five books
Brock said that the idea Satan is in charge of armies of demons is not Biblical because there are ‘only a handful’ of demons mentioned in the scripture.
However, the Bible states that the devil took took one-third of the angels with him when he was kicked out of heaven (Revelation 12:4).
Brock claimed to have spoken to dozens of people who have had a demonic spiritual experience, and believes that there are spiritual forces at work in the world, one of which is ‘mammon’, an Aramaic word used by Jesus to refer to money.
But Brock also believes that people are always responsible for evil.
‘We’ve all heard the phrase The devil made you do it. The devil has never made anyone do anything. The devil, the devil can’t make you pull the trigger and shoot someone,’ he said.
