Do Seventh-day Adventists believe in actual devils?

Answer 1

Yes, though the definition of "devil" is not a red-skinned being with horns, a tail, and a pitchfork in its hand. For Adventists, Satan is the only person conventionally referred to as "the Devil." But his minions may also take the term, even though "demon" is a more common word for them among Adventists. These beings (Satan included) are merely fallen angels. They have the capability of appearing in many forms, including as angels of light or in the appearance of dead friends and relatives, by which they can confuse people regarding the state of the dead (Adventists believe in what is called "soul sleep", which is the idea that people who die do not go directly to heaven or hell, nor do they hang out on earth as ghosts or transform into angels, but instead "sleep" or cease to exist until the Second Coming when Jesus will raise the saved back to life or until the end of the millennium when the lost will be raised to judgment.)