Satan is not currently in hell, but he will be banished in the lake of fire for eternity when Jesus returns (Revelation 20:10). Right now, Satan is roaming the earth, seeking to destroy people and keep them, believers and non-believers alike, from following Christ. Peter warned, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
Satan is constantly lying and attempting to deceive people, by masquerading as good. He pretends like he is on people's side when, really, he wants to destroy them. Jesus called him the "father of lies" (John 8:44). Satan attempts to get the worship and glory that is due God for himself, which is the motivation for his lies and deceits. He even attempted to bribe Jesus into sinning (Matthew 4:9). As believers, we need to be on guard and aware of Satan's schemes for "even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).
The apostle Paul describes Satan as: "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). Jesus also referred to Satan as a prince, the "prince of this world" (John 14:30). In his poem Paradise Lost, John Milton refers to Satan as the "Prince of Darkness." Because Satan is the ruler of this world, if one lives according to the world's standards, rather than God's, they are not of God: "whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4; see also 1 John 3:10).
Satan may be the prince of darkness in this world, but God is sovereign over everything. Satan's days on this earth are numbered; the rightful King is coming. Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. When He returns and assumes His rightful place as King, Satan will be sent to hell once and for all (1 Timothy 6:14–16; Revelation 19:16). Revelation 20:10 prophecies, "the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
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