5,400 people, more than ten per cent of the residents in the city of Segovia have signed a petition calling for plans for the bronze sculpture to be scrapped.
It shows Satan with a smile on his face and taking a selfie with a smartphone to which local Christians have objected.
The petition says that because the devil is shown in a "jovial" way, with a phone in his hand, it "exalts evil" and is therefore "offensive to Catholics".
It adds that Satan is supposed to be "repulsive and despicable - not kind and seductive, like that of the 'good-natured devil' without malice" that has been proposed.
A judge has now ordered the artwork to be put on hold while he looks into whether it is offensive to Christians.
The artist, José Antonio Abella has said he is surprised by the furore. He says he is making the sculpture as a gift to his adopted city after living there for the past three decades.
City Councillor Claudia de Santos has called the campaign "unfair and disheartening".
She told El Pais newspaper that she would try to ensure that the sculpture goes ahead as planned.
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