A few random devil thoughts today. Does your talk about the devil accurately depict his level in creation or have you made him an equal with God? The devil is a created being, he was Lucifer, an arch angel. If you must compare him to someone, he is an equal to Michael and Gabriel, other archangels.
The devil is not everywhere. This is not Biblical theology. God is, and only God is omni-present. To speak of the devil as if he is an equal with God is not only not true, but what we end up doing is spending our time glorifying evil instead of glorifying God.
If you are depressed, it is probably not because you are being oppressed by the devil. Humans get depressed sometimes. If your home really has demons in it, you could not live there. It would be like the Amityville Horror.
We get into the habit of speaking of evil in ways that are not Biblical. The result is that we spend too much time fighting enemies imagined instead of glorifying God. Is your home a place where God is King and Jesus is Lord, or is your home a place where the devil and his helpers reside. You must decide what you believe.
I will probably write more about this in the days to come. Your comments and questions are welcome of course. I just wanted to get you started thinking today about whose world it is. It is God's world, we are his children and the sheep of his pasture. Lets not cower in darkness, but let us live in the light of his glory and presence.
It is God's world, and it is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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6 comments:
This topic is one that puts me in the minority here in the midwest. My God, my creator, the most ultimate father, would not design an entity that would punish his children for eternity if they didnt act right. This notion of a being, that we have humanized to have horns and a tail (or whatever) and reign over certain people souls for eternity doesnt fit in my logic. In studying the bible, I am most interested in what Jesus had to say. I would like to know what passages we have to study that quote Jesus on this topic. I am less apt to blindly believe passages that were handed down from tribe to tribe,family to family orally, and translated 10 times before I got the print. What did Jesus have to say about this?
This is a good subject to cover, Jeff. So many people seem to refer to the devil as if he is always causing their problems or even causing them to make poor choices. Although I may want to place the blame on the devil or someone else, truth is...usually the fault or problem is caused by myself or simply a set of circumstances, nothing more.
Also along this same subject, I received a note from a friend recently that suggested that God had chosen to deprive them of something. I personally believe (perhaps I'm wrong) that God doesn't cause our pain in life. Life just happens to us all. I prefer to believe that God walks us through each and every circumstance we encounter along life's way. We need only to place our trust in Him. It has never been easy for me to turn it over to Him, however, I can never seem to resolve a problem without first going to him in submission and trust.
I must admit that there are times when I simply wish I didn't have to go through something uncomfortable or concerning or "bad" before I feel Him responding back to me. It is during those times that I realize that I can't do it without Him. ...And I can't!!!
PTL from m.a.
That is a point I was going to make...while we all believe in God our Father , many folks refuse to believe in Satan and Hell. Of course many people pick and choose what they want out of the bible...believing what they want...some folks say the Ark never happened..some folks say the red sea did not part...Jonah was not swallowed by a whale....if you believe the bible is the word of God you must accept it all as the word of God not just what suits you or makes you feel good. That of course is just my opinion. (but its the right opinion) I believe we are all tempted by evil..... Satan Tested Jesus during his 40 days and nights. Jesus spoke to Satan during this time on many occasions.
I believe we too are tempted...tempted to drink, tempted to take drugs, tempeted to look at pornography, tempted to cheat on our spouse, tempted to do anything that does not glorify God...and when we give in to temptation..satan wins, but JUST that one battle ,because Thankfully we have a loving father who will forgive us and as we strugle for spiritual purification while human we have our father to forgive us and to protect us, if we will but allow him to do so.
Your thoughts about how we can focus so much on the devil and evil that we miss the power and glory of God may make some folks mad or uncomfortable. But hopefully, even if they get mad, it will make them think more deeply and not just allow superstitions or long held childhood beliefs continue to rule them.
I am glad you will be writing more about this. It has taken me a long time to turn my brain and spirit around to see that God is love and grace instead of being fearful that the devil was going to get me. It has taken more then just one attempt.
As I read the posts on the devil and evil Paul's words in Romans 8:37-39 filled my mind. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. . . nor angels. . . will be able to seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I consider if Paul should or could have included "nor myself" when talking about being seperated from Christ Jesus? We are our own worst enemy or so it has been said. Peace :)
I was intrigued by the comment that God would not create a being to reign over or punish souls for eternity. My wife also struggles with the concept of God allowing people to go to hell. I think a lot of us struggle with that fact, but the unfortunate reality is it is a fact. What exactly is hell anyway? Revelation talks about the lake of fire, but remember that Revelation is a book of imagery written in first century apocalyptic style.
My personal opinion is that hell is a place that God has set aside where those who do not accept the sacrifice of Christ are separated from Him for eternity. Without God there is no love, sin will be rampant and it will result in torment, an eternity without God's love, grace and mercy. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. (2 Chronicles 15:3-4) Souls will be in distress.
This is why it is so important for us to spread the good news of Christ and bring people to Him.
So what about satan (little "s")? Ultimately his goal since Adam and Eve has been to lead man away from God and God makes it clear in His Word the results of that path. It's God's providence, not satan's. According to Revelation satan will not preside over anything in eternity. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10).
There is no doubt that satan exists - he is a created being of God. At some point satan challenged God and was removed from heaven for eternity. satan is angry with God and is trying to exact revenge by taking His beloved children. To accomplish his goal of stealing souls the "prince of the world” tempted Adam & Eve, Christ & continues to tempt humanity. There is no doubt he has power here on earth but his power is limited and certainly does not approach the power of his Creator. Remember that satan is defeated, Christ knew exactly who he is, how he operates and what it would take to defeat him. Our shield against satan is the spilled blood of Jesus Christ.
But Christ's sacrifice doesn't stop our sinful nature. I think a lot of evil in the world that is attributed to satan is really caused by human sin. Sin ultimately traces back to satan but evil in the world is perpetuated by our human nature, not satan’s power. satan has no power, he’s simply stealing souls where he can until he is cast into the pit. Which brings me back to the importance of winning those souls to Christ. It’s up to us, God has equipped us with the armor to stand up to satan and diminish his impact on eternity.
My two dollars and fifty cents on the subject.
DT
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