Despite the muted emphasis on demons and possession in
John compared to the synoptics, the figure Satan has a prominent role in the
fourth gospel. The title å Σαταnας
only appears once (13:27), but other designations including å διάβολος (“the
devil,” 8:44; 13:2) and å αρχωn
του κόσmου τούτου (“the ruler
of this world,” 12:31; 16:11; cf. 14:30) denote a supernatural evil being who
is an active adversary of Jesus.127 Many scholars consider the conflict between
Jesus and Satan to be at the heart of the gospel, and the overthrow of Satan is
explicitly tied to Jesus’ death on the cross in 12:31. (Michael J. Morris, Warding
Off Evil: Apotropaic Tradition in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Synoptic Gospels [Wissenschaftliche
Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe 451; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2017],
244-45)
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