Christians: The Nature of Satan. Can you explain?

Question

Yes or No is fine

1) Can Satan move physical objects in the world
2) Can Satan come to Earth and walk around like you or I
3) Can Satan implant thoughts into your head
4) Can Satan reduce the free will of animals
5) Can Satan reduce the free will of people
6) Can Satan create matter out of nothingness
7) Can Satan cause you to have auditory hallucinations

Answer 1

Hi XXL,

I don't know why, but after I read your question last night (which at fisrt I had decided to not answer), I felt impressed to do some addtional reading around the abilties of Satan on this earth. I went to a linked and searchable d-base that I have access to that not only contains several translations of the bible but over 2000 works of various translated records, books, scholorly commentary and such related to various theistic themes. I spend vary little time exploring topics of the sort of understanding Lucifer has so this was unusual for me. After several hours of viewing, and consdering many references (a lot of which I had come across at some point before) I was indeed inclined to consider a couple of attributes about Satan that I had not before given much thought to.

In answer to your specific points:

1) Can Satan move physical objects in the world

Yes, there is enough recorded from various sourses that would indicate that Lucifer's knowledge (which is not shrouded like ours is in this state) is sufficiently advanced to allow him some effect on the elements of the earth. How great an effect, I am not sure but there is some indication that he can in some ways effect weather, as such I would have to consider that he can move objects.

2) Can Satan come to Earth and walk around like you or I

Yes and No. Satan, as a spirit, does not have a body of flesh and bone. As such he is able not limited on this earth as we in our mortal state are. As such I have to consider that he has the power of that of other spirits and indeed there are many references that spirits can appear in their "human" like form although they have not tangible substance. The idea that they may appear as tangable beings is an area that I have trouble getting my mind around as I have had no experience to suggest this does occur either of Satan or of angels of light. I have often read instances of Satan's "appearance of an angel of light to decieve man" as the temptation of men who then accept and portray his ideology as thruth, thus decieving others. I now, however, have to at least consider that with his unbridled knowledge (at what ever level of progression it is, could possibly afford him the ability to actually appear to and act as a man would on earth, although I could not find any reference that would substanciate the ability to assume an actual tangible form (that of flesh and blood) that Satan or his followers have evidenced as ever having as their own. They have posesed the bodies of other willing participants, that is sure.

3) Can Satan implant thoughts into your head

Yes, this I know. Satan does not know our thoughts and desires but obviously has a great deal of experience in observation and assesing the behaviour of men in our current state. He has the ability to cause thought. We have the ability to act upon or to cast off such thought. For this purpose were we given conscience (the light of Christ) that we may be able to decern good from evil. Good and evil can be manifest in many ways, including thought. One thing that we do know is that Satan, while he is cunning and may at times try to use methods that approximate those of truth, is always active in his efforts to decieve and lead us away from truth. For this reason it is necessary not only to consider thought, but to search, study, & ponder those things that may seem like truth but do not follow that which we have previously confirmed as truth.

4) Can Satan reduce the free will of animals
&
5) Can Satan reduce the free will of people

Satan can not effect the Free Agency of any tangable life form.
People, however, can be bound by Satan as a result of their own willingness to dpart from truth. Through our own action and rationalization we can allow Satan to bind us. It is not in his ability to do of his own volition but it is within our ability to make ourselves subject to his will. That is the effect of emnity which we are free to void, if we so choose through our departure from truth. I do not know enough about the spirts of animal forms to comment on Satan's interaction with them.

6) Can Satan create matter out of nothingness

No. I do not know of any reference of this concept either in relation to God or angels including those who were cast out (Satan and his followers).
God organized matter that it became substance and took on form. This may be a terminology difference to you, but I do not belive in the creation of something from nothingness. It is not consistant with any teaching of the word of God or even consitant with that which as been proven of man.

7) Can Satan cause you to have auditory hallucinations

Yes. Although the definition of an auditory hallucination could be debated, it is sufficient to acknowlege that Saten has sufficient knowlege to have certian elemental control and can cause thought to occur. As such he would be able to effect our sensory abilities.

While I do not like to spend a great deal of time in this area, I wanted to thank you for this question as it has served as a caytelist that has caused me to clarify some things that were, for me fuzzy or grey. Not that I now claim to have a full understanding of the nature of Satan, but I more fully apreciate that his knowlege and ability as an inteligent son of God, unbridled by the constraints of this our second estate, is (as is ours when freed from this proving period) great indeed.

His choice, to use that knowledge to the end of his ability to thwart our progerss to become like our Father is indeed a powerful concept for us to comprehend. It should give us all pause.

Answer 2

Satan can possess the bodies of people who are willing to let him in, and then move around. Satan himself has no physical body. In and of himself, he cannot move physical objects or move around, he can only do so by either tempting someone and having them do it, or else possess the person (again, only if the person is willing) and do it by proxy. That answers the following questions:

1) Not by himself
2) Only by possession
3) Yes, it's called temptation
5) Only if the person is willing to give him power
7) Only if the person is willing to give him power

6) Satan has no power of creation and thus cannot create matter out of nothingness.

4) In the Bible, there is a passage where Satan's demons enter into swine and say "My name is Legion, for we are many." Satan and his angels can possess animals just as well as they can people.

Satan is often called "the fallen angel", "rebel", or "son of the morning" in the Bible because like everyone, Satan was once a son of God. When God wouldn't let him control the free will of His children, he rebelled and was cast out of God's presence and took one third of the spirit children of God with him. These "demons" (or fallen angels) never received physical bodies and long for the chance to feel, touch, taste, etc... The rest of God's children shouted for joy (Job 38:6-7) when the foundations of the world were created and they knew they would come to Earth to receive bodies and be tried to prove they were worthy to return to live with God and be glorified, to be co-heirs (Rom 8:16-18) with Christ of all that the Father hath. Everyone that lives, has ever lived, or will ever live on Earth falls into this second category, and the first category of those demons who followed Satan out of God's presence are without bodies and want to tempt us to foil God's plan. That is what Satan (the serpent) thought he was doing in tempting Adam and Eve to take the fruit, but he didn't know that God had already prepared His Son to be our Savior.

Answer 3

Satan will exist only if you believe in it.
Satan is the result of derivating from the way of light and the strong belief in the material world.
No one can influence your thoughts nor move objects besides you.Only You can do it.
Have you ever read about telekynesis?
It is true as long as you believe in it,so if you concentrate on a object and think : may be Satan could move this thing, it will move not because of satan but because of you; you believed in it strongly enough to make it move. Congrats! you are psychic!
The same goes for the rest of the examples you gave.
Don't accord an inexistent thing alot of important otherwise it will exist and you will have to prepare yourself for trouble :-p

Answer 4

1.) Nope, unless his spirit goes into another person, and influences them to do so.
2.) Yes if his spirit goes into another person, or animal. Otherwise he probably floats around.
3.) Yes he can implant thoughts into your mind
4.) Yes, but he is not interested in becoming an animal.
5.) Well not entirely. If they decide to give their souls to Satan, then he then will be dominate in their mind, but still not in complete control.
6.) No Satan is a creation not a creator
7.) Yes he can cause you to have auditory hallucinat ions

Answer 5

1.yes
2.yes
3.yes
4.yes
5.yes
6.yes
7.yes
2 things Satan can't do is tell the truth and heal

Answer 6

1)Yes
2)Yes
3)Yes
4)Yes?
5)No
6)No?
7)Yes

Despite these he's nothing against Jesus!:) We can do anything in Jesus' name and the devil is powerless against it. The devil can only influence and persuade. Our faith protects us from him. God Bless!:D