In Matthew, chapter 4, we read of the Lord being led of the Spirit into the wilderness to go without food and water for forty days.  During that time, He was tempted by the tempter…Satan.  We read in Matthew 4:5-7, “Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: FOR IT IS WRITTEN, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”  In this temptation, Satan quoted from Psalm 91:11-12.  Of course, Satan misapplied these verses for his own evil purposes. In no way do these verses teach that believers should put themselves in unnecessary danger and tempt the Lord.

Scripture is something you can know without truly understanding it.  Anyone can read and memorize the Bible, but understanding comes from the Holy Spirit as we read in John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”  While Satan is able to read the Bible, it is the Bible that is our weapon to be used against him.  Ephesians 6:17 says, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  In the Lord’s temptations in the wilderness, He used the Word of God to defeat Satan. (Matthew 4:4, 4:7, 4:10.) 

Satan believes in the existence of God.  How could he not, for he was once a very important angel.  We read in Ezekiel 28:12-15, “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the ANOINTED CHERUB that covereth; and I have set thee so: THOU WAST UPON THE HOLY MOUNTAIN OF GOD; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till INIQUITY WAS FOUND IN THEE.”

We also read in James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”  It is a good thing to believe there is one God, but even the demons believe that.  In fact, these fallen angels are agents of Satan, doing his bidding.  So, there is realization of God’s existence by Satan and his demons, but there is no understanding or belief in what the Lord says.  Simply believing in the existence of God does not give salvation.  It is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His death on the cross as payment of our sin debt that will give us salvation.  We read in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” 

It is obvious that Satan does not believe in his own eternal punishment.  We read in Revelation 12:10-12, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”  This ‘casting down’ was primarily fulfilled in part at Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Matthew 28:18), yet in the underlying sense, it refers to the eve of Christ’s second coming to the earth.  At this point, Satan finally realizes that his days are numbered.  He realizes that what was written of his judgment is about to come true.  At least, at this point, Satan knows and believes what the Bible says.  (CC)  (604.6)