"Everywhere the New Testament sees a great conflict between the forces of God and of good, on the one hand, and those of evil led by Satan, on the other. This is not the conception of one writer or another, but is common ground. . . . The witness of the New Testament then is clear. Satan is a malignant reality, always hostile to God and to God's people."-"The New Bible Dictionary."
WHY, then, do many who profess Christianity-and who claim to believe the Bible-reject the idea that a real Devil exists? Because, in truth, they do not accept the Bible as God's Word. (Jeremiah 8:9) Bible writers, they say, reflected the philosophies of the nations around them and did not accurately convey the truth from God. A Catholic theologian, for example, writes: "Mythological ideas of Satan with legions of devils . . . penetrated from Babylonian mythology into early Judaism and from there into the New Testament."-On Being a Christian.
2006-12-03 15:25:08 · 9 answers · asked by I speak Truth 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
Thank you all of you for taking the time to answer my question I apreciate your efforts to answer it I do know what the answer is but I wanted to know how many of you think the same way.Thanks again and enjoy your week all of you Thanks again and God Bless you all
2006-12-03 18:28:35 · update #1
Satan is alive and well in our society today. I truly believe that the BIBLE is GOD's HOLY WORD. It was written over a 1500 year period by 40+ writers most of whom didn't know one another. Satan was independently written about by many of those writers and he caused SIN to come into this world. GOD is the Father of man. He is the creator and can not lie. We are crazy to believe otherwise! If a so-called Christian does not believe in Satan how can he/she believe in GOD? I have included a citation below that believes you and I are both correct. I believe that satan has injected the ideas above from mythology and the Catholic theologian's view. PLease do NOT believe that these are a majority of the Christian Views out there! It IS NOT!!
Most people don't think about the subject of Satanism unless there is a grizzly murder, and satanic symbols are found at the crime scene. Many who believe in the devil, usually think of him as being the darkest of figures. What they don't realize is that the Bible tells us that he can also manifest himself as an "angel of light." In reference to false converts within the Church, the Bible says:
For such men are false apostles [spurious, counterfeits], deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ... And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness... 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (Amplified Bible).
Satan is incredibly subtle. We are warned that he uses professing men of God (ministers of righteousness) to deceive the Church. The Bible calls him "the god of this world," and says that he blinds the minds of unbelievers. Jesus called him "the prince of this world," and "the father of lies."
The Scriptures continually warn the Church against his wiles (his methods), using words such as "be not deceived," and telling us to "be vigilant." Well, has Satan had any influence on you and me? Is there any deception with the Church? That's what we are going to look at closely. We are going to look at perhaps the greatest and most subtle of Satan's deceptions.
You may not be familiar with the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son, so let's take a moment to consider what it says. The Prodigal Son asked his father for his inheritance, then went into a far country and spent all his cash on parties and prostitutes. He enjoyed "the pleasures of sin." But after a famine hit the land, his money ran out, and the only job he could get was feeding pigs.
He became so hungry that he found himself desiring the food that the pigs were eating. Suddenly, he "came to himself"--he came to his senses. Realizing that even his father's servants had it better than he did, he decided to return and say, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. Take me on as a hired servant." So he got up out of the pigsty and went back to his father.
His father was looking for his son's return, and the Bible says that "he saw him while he was yet a great way off." He ran to his son, fell upon him, kissed him, and rejoiced that he had returned. He freely forgave him and returned him to his former state.
This is a picture of every person before they come to Christ. We turned from God to serve the devil and the pleasures of sin. The Bible says that there is a "spirit" that works in the children of disobedience. 1 John 3:8 says "He that commits sin is of the devil..." Jesus even told the religious hypocrites of His day that their father was the devil:
You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44
Unsaved people live in the Kingdom of Darkness. It's as simple as this, if we are serving sin, we are serving Satan. Our appetites are unclean. We desire pig food. Consider what we crave. Think of the contents of the average soap opera or prime time television show -- adultery, jealously, lust, fornication, rape, gossip, and greed. Or the average movie today with its violence, filthy language, explicit sex, and graphic murder.
Look at the covers of magazines in bookstores and supermarkets. They are "soft-core" pornography, which a few years ago was considered hard-core and hidden from young eyes. Think of video games that kids crave--many are extremely violent and sexually perverted. Think of some rock music, with its explicit sexuality, its blasphemy, and its dark Satanic side. Consider the Internet's multi-billion dollar hard-core porn industry, or how the average person uses filthy words and blasphemy in everyday speech. Life in the dirty pigsty is normal, natural, and completely acceptable.
Yes, Satan is the god of this world, and he has deceived millions. But his deception hasn't stopped there. It has moved into the Church. Despite what the Bible says, that Satan is real, that he's a deceiver, and the god of this world who blinds minds, look at what has happened--according to the Barna Research Group:
In 2004, an incredible 50% of those who profess to be "born again" actually deny Satan's existence.
That's unbelievable! Despite the revelation of Scripture, 50% of those who profess to be born again actually deny Satan's existence. And the scary thing about denying Satan, is that if you deny that he exists, you let your guard down--you let him bring in deception. The place to corrupt the Church is at the point of entry... to poison evangelistic message that brings people into the Kingdom of God.
Thank you,
Eds
2006-12-03 15:45:49 · answer #1 · answered by Eds 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Nice Girl The devil is not a myth or some evil iside each of us the devil is a real person and he is deceiving the wholw world of mankind with myths and lies as he has done right from the very begining of mankindthe whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one(1John5:19) and he is using this belief of his non-existence to fool more people to hies own ends so the more people don't believe that he exists the more easier they make it for him to mislead them!
2006-12-05 18:34:38 · answer #2 · answered by deeva4444 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Theres demons. I saw some flying around my brothers bed when I was four. I woke up trembling with fear there was a greenish light in the room I didn't wont to look over but I did, one looked at me and I screamed but no sound came out, I put my head down till the light went away. it was not a dream.they have influenced my brother ever since.when he dies they will drag him to hell. I was told that by someone that when they haunt a person like that they will stay with them till they die .he told me once that he was afraid he was going to hell when he dies.the Prince of the power of the air is in control of this world says the bible.but as for me I know the Spirit of God. I have excepted it into my life and ask its guidance and I actually listen for the answers and try my best to do Gods will.I trust in God totally without any doubt
2006-12-03 15:45:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
The devil is a myth. Every good story needs a antagonist to counter the protagonist. Without the devil or the persona that he stands for, you can't really define what is good. Think about it, every movie you see or story that you read has a "bad guy" in it, otherwise, it wouldn't be interesting. The devil is the scapegoat for everything that is wrong in this world, whether it'd be famine, murder or death.
The devil exist to define evil and refine goodness. Some people need that extra incentive to be good, and do no harm to another. What better reason than knowing in the back of your mind, that you'll go to hell and eternal damnation if you're a sinner?
God, Lucifer, heaven & hell are myths made up to keep the Roman cathlotic church in power after all these years.
2006-12-03 15:50:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋
Have you actually done a Bible search for references for "Devil" or "Satan"? Just go to Bible Gateway and search for Satan. He tempts, he argues with God, he is disrespectful of God but he's not such a bad entity if you read the Bible. He's just a smart a s s. He's not a felon.
2006-12-03 15:48:55 · answer #5 · answered by valcus43 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
No, the devil is not a myth.
I've heard it said before that the greatest (or most effective) thing the devil does is convince people he does not exist.
2006-12-03 15:47:38 · answer #6 · answered by Consuming Fire 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
No the devil is not a myth and hell is very much real whether people choose to believe it is or not.
2006-12-03 15:28:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Im the devil!
2006-12-03 15:28:01 · answer #8 · answered by big lad 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
No I don't think so I have, thank God, never seen him
2006-12-03 15:29:45 · answer #9 · answered by devora k 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋