I was always taught that Lucifer was just an archangel, albeit a fallen one. So it always puzzled me as to why people who claimed to have much greater religious and biblical knowledge than I did, gave Satan/Lucifer credit for so much power. I would say, "But he's not God. He was created by God." And I would just get the "tut-tuts" that I didn't understand. 

But I think you've hit the nail on the head in this post. WE are responsible for the troubles in the world. And that's a hard thing for many to admit. So, they invent the "boogeyman" and imbue him with a great deal of power. Like witchcraft accusations on a much larger scale.