Some people don't believe Satan exists. They think he is just a made-up character to explain all of the evil in this world. Late evangelist Billy Graham warned people not be fooled by this thought.

While it is true that "Satan is not like you or me," Graham wrote in The Kansas City Star, the fact that he exists should not be discounted "because Satan is not only real, but he is far greater than we are, so great that we should have every reason to fear him."

Graham explained that he knows for certain that Satan is real because Jesus Christ engaged in battle with him.

"At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, Satan did everything he could to turn Jesus away from the work God had given Him. Satan knew that Jesus was the divine son of God, sent into the world to deliver us from sin and death and hell — in other words, to deliver us from Satan's power," he said.

Jesus triumphed over Satan when he refused all the temptations that were presented before Him. Graham said Jesus wasn't fighting a "fictional idea," since His conflict with Satan was real.

"I also know Satan is real by looking at the world around me, and even within my own heart," continued Graham. "How else can we explain terrorism, or racism, or injustice, or a hundred other examples of evil and destruction and brokenness? Satan, the Bible tells us, 'was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him' (John 8:44)."

The late evangelist encouraged people not to be deceived and misled by Satan's false promises, and instead face their need for God's forgiveness and help. Jesus Christ is the only one who can help people defeat Satan, said Graham, for "He alone is 'the way, the truth, and the life.'"