Who is the devil in Leo Tolstoy's "How Much Land Does a Man Need," or what does the Devil signify in the story?

We need to be careful about reading this story and
assuming that it has a literal meaning. This story is an excellent example of an
allegory, which is a tale which operates on both the literal and the symbolic level. The
characters and events of an allegory can be therefore understood to both stand for what
they are, but also for abstract principles which they are shown to represent. Let us
note the role that the devil plays at the beginning of the story before working out the
abstract principle that he represents. Note what the devil says, having overheard
Pahom's plea for more land:

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"All right," thought the Devil. "We will have a
tussle. I'll give you land enough; and by menas of that land I will get you into my
power."

The "tussle" between
Pahom and the devil takes the form of Pahom's constant dissatisfaction with the
ever-increasing amounts of land he manages to obtain. His greed is shown to be provoked
by the devil, which therefore indicates that we can associate the devil with
representing the abstract principle of human weakness. If we think of Pahom as
representing the human soul, a kind of arena where humanity can be tested, this supports
the representation of the devil.