Dragons fill pages of fantasy novels, movies, and television shows. Modern special effects have given us majestic images of these creatures.
The fascination with dragons isn’t new. From medieval Europe to East Asia, different cultures have included dragons in their mythology and stories. Something about dragons activates the imagination and inspires epic narratives.
Christianity also includes dragons within its imagery and symbolism. Let's take a look at what the Bible has to say about dragons.
Does the Bible Mention Dragons?
Although the word “dragon” itself appears in translations like the King James Version, modern translations may use terms like “serpent” or “monster” instead.
Within the first few chapters of Genesis, a serpent figure lies to Eve and tempts the first humans to disobey God (Genesis 3), beginning this theme of a serpent or dragon bringing chaos and opposing God. After Adam and Eve were exiled from the Garden of Eden, God brings judgment upon the serpent, prophesying how a son of Eve would ultimately crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).
In Isaiah 27:1, the prophet speaks of God’s judgment upon Leviathan: “In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing serpent, even Leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.” Here, Isaiah describes Leviathan as a dragon-like creature, representing an evil God will defeat. Psalm 74:13-14 mentions Leviathan in the context of God’s power. “Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength; thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces.” The Psalms point to the dragon as a symbol of chaos or death, often linked to the sea or ocean.
The book of Job gives another powerful dragon-like image when describing Leviathan: “Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron” (Job 41:19-21). God uses the fearsome Leviathan to prove to Job how only the Lord can control such a massive and fire-breathing beast.
In certain translations of Isaiah 6, the angels in the temple, known as seraphim, could be seen as serpents or dragon-like due to the meaning of the Hebrew word seraphim, which implies “fiery ones” or “burning ones.” Elsewhere, the Bible uses the root word seraph with serpents, such as in Numbers 21:6, where fiery serpents (or poisonous snakes) afflict the Israelites. In ancient Near East culture, winged serpents were commonly linked to supernatural realms. Thus, some scholars suggest the seraphim in Isaiah 6 may have had a dragon-like appearance. However, these winged beings had a different purpose—to praise God—rather than embody evil or chaos.
The most prominent dragon in the New Testament appears in Revelation 12:3-9, where the author John writes, “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.” This dragon isn’t a literal creature but represents Satan, who embodies lies and warring against God’s Kingdom. Revelation 20:2 further refers to Satan as “the dragon” during his defeat at the very end of time, fulfilling God’s judgment upon the serpent in Genesis 3:15.
How Does the Bible Use Dragon Imagery?
The Bible uses dragons to represent spiritual forces, like the angels in Isaiah 6, but mainly evil beings representing the narrative of good versus evil, chaos versus order, and God’s ultimate victory. Through these examples, Scripture emphasizes God’s authority over all powers.
The dragon imagery in Isaiah 6 reveals how these powerful celestial beings bow before God in honor and worship. If these seraphim are also a type of serpent, this makes sense. The Scripture describes the Devil and other demons as fallen angels. Satan can masquerade as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). The lying serpent could be a deceitful angel, revealing to us the larger unseen battle in the spiritual realms.
Overall, however, the dragon images teach us about God’s power over chaos, death, and gigantic spiritual forces of evil. In Isaiah 27:1, the dragon is more than just a mythical creature. It reflects the ongoing struggle between God’s people and the chaotic and dangerous powers rising against them. Leviathan symbolizes nations or entities that resist God’s holy kingdom. However, Isaiah clearly gives the message that God will defeat them. The dragon represents both physical and spiritual threats that God will conquer.
For the ancient Near East, the conflict between peoples also included a fight between their gods. When God called Moses to confront Egypt, he had to prove the victory of Yahweh over their gods. In one scene, Moses threw down his staff, and it instantly turned into a serpent before Pharaoh. Pharaoh's magicians also turned their staffs into serpents, but Moses’ serpent devoured the magicians' serpents, demonstrating God’s supreme power (Exodus 7:10-12). God always wins the spiritual battle, no matter the deception or opposition.
Jumping forward into the New Testament, Revelation’s dragon seeks to devour the child destined to rule the nations (Revelation 12:4-5). This dragon epresents Christ’s adversary in the unseen battle between good and evil. Revelation, like much apocalyptic literature, uses vivid imagery to talk about spiritual realities. The great red dragon symbolizes Satan’s active resistance to God’s plan of salvation, which will be exposed in the last age. With its many heads, horns, and crowns, Revelation portrays the dragon as a formidable power over the world, the people, and the government, but God will defeat this red dragon, casting it down and binding him forever.
Whether Leviathan, Moses’ confrontation with the magicians, or Revelation’s red dragon, Scripture uses these images of dragons or serpents to assure God’s people of his ultimate victory and the establishment of the Father’s eternal Kingdom.
Why are Dragons Often Symbols or Representations of Evil?
First, Christians mainly face a spiritual battle, warring against often unseen forces. We have an enemy who longs to kill and destroy us and all God has deemed good. But because God loves us, the Bible reveals this war to us and warns us to take it seriously.
It's easy to become distracted with everyday concerns, but the Bible wants us to realize that we fight against something greater than humans or even worldly kingdoms. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Governments, organizations, and people can absolutely pose a danger; however, the evil powers behind those elements are bigger and more powerful.
We might be able to fight our neighbor or even wage war against a neighboring country, but we can’t beat fire-breathing dragons. These unseen spiritual forces prove far too mighty for us—this was true even in the Old Testament. This imagery of powerful dragons helps us see the real battle and, ultimately, our need for God. Who can beat dragons? Someone bigger and more powerful—God himself, who created these beings. We require His help. Without it, we’re doomed.
Remember, Jesus used stories (parables) to give us a hint of another unseen reality; namely, the Kingdom of God. Christ never gave an academic definition of the Kingdom of God. He would use various images and stories to describe and symbolize it: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like …”
Second, as we see with Moses and the magicians, this dragon imagery may have been based on actual animals. Fire-breathing dragons may not exist, but we have evidence of dinosaurs and massive sea creatures. Gigantic lizards, which existed in the world at one point, have become perfect symbols to use in narratives to describe the spiritual warfare God’s people are under.
Finally, when God defeats these dragon-like creatures, we find trust and peace in him. We can rely upon his salvation and deliverance, not only against the forces we can’t see but also the ones we can.
How Do Modern Ideas of Dragons Compare with the Bible?
Dragons appear in myths and legends around the world, often symbolizing forces of evil.
Western culture often depicts dragons as fearsome, fire-breathing creatures hoarding treasure or destroying human kingdoms. This image, prominent in European medieval mythology and influenced by Christianity, shows dragons as dangerous adversaries to be conquered by brave heroes. The Western dragon typically symbolizes destruction, greed, and hostility toward humanity.
The ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians also had dragon-like creatures in their mythology. In Mesopotamia, dragons symbolized chaos, linked to a primordial battle between gods and monsters. The Babylonian epic Enuma Elish features the goddess Tiamat, a chaos dragon. The god Marduk defeats the dragon, symbolizing the triumph of order over chaos.
The Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Babylonian dragons overlap the time of ancient Israel. Quite possibly, God’s people used common imagery of the time to teach the truth about God. Therefore, in the Bible, dragons are associated with rebellion and spiritual evil. Biblical dragons oppose God’s sovereignty and threaten humanity with death and destruction. Through these dragons, the writers reinforce the message of God’s ultimate triumph over sin, destruction, and the forces of evil. Further, these narratives teach us how God fights to protect and deliver us from unseen spiritual evil.
In Biblical literature, symbols like dragons communicate unseen, theological realities—the nature of evil, the reality of spiritual warfare, and the assurance that God always defeats all rebellion to establish his kingdom for His glory and our good.
Peace.
Further Reading
Are Dragons in the Bible? Real Meaning and Scripture Verses
Beasts, Dragons, and More: What Does Revelation 12 and 13 Mean?
Are There Dragons in the Bible?
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/serikbaib
