His Name is Satan.

[Quoth]

I really wish we'd talk about him more. Yeah, I know, he's the Voldemort of the Bible. He who shall not be named. He's a scumbag and a loser and that guy who never made you do it because you need to own up to your mistakes. He's a guy who randomly shows up in the Bible to trick Eve, tempt Jesus, and then he gets his just desserts at the end of time.

If you follow certain interpretations of the Bible, his name was once Lucifer. He was the best and brightest of God's created angels, and he bit the dust because of pride. That's when he earned his new name, which we all know. We know it, and I think if we're honest, it scares us. Rather, the guy behind the name scares us.

I will be the first to admit that despite all my foolishness, I don't ever want to see another demon ever again. I don't know that I've ever seen one, to be honest, but I think I've seen the effects of them. If one ever popped up in its ugly form to say hello, I would indeed need a change of pants and I'd be praying for a good pair of running shoes.

Is that fear? Yes, yes it is. I personally believe Satan owns this world, prowls it like a lion, and I believe he will devour just about anyone and everyone he can get his claws into. In some ways, I've often wondered if I'm oppressed (not possessed) by a demon. Some people call it superstition, but perhaps the old saying is true: the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist.

We are to fear God. I believe, based on my experiences, that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Just like I believe that the guy who brings a gun to a knife fight has the odds leaning in his favor. Does that mean I'm going to taunt the guy with the knife? No, though we do it on a daily basis.

How much do we really know about Satan? We know the Bible stories, but do we really grasp how scary he is? I think there's a distinct reason God tells us not to tangle with Satan. Even if we're the vessel God uses, God deals with him directly, not us. We're not meant to face him, and we're given instruction in Jude not to even insult him.

I think that part of the reason we're not to taunt the Devil is that he likes to play games. He enjoys tricks and traps, and he doesn't exactly have a reputation to save that keeps him sticking to his word. Just take your worst traits and amplify them, and he's worse. That isn't mocking him; that's speaking the truth about him. And not mocking him isn't showing him respect, but rather it's showing a healthy recognition of his capability. He is capable of causing us, Christians, great harm and distress.

Honestly I wish I knew more about him. About how to recognize him. How to really prepare against him. We focus on focusing on God, and people say that's enough, but how's an American soldier to learn about the Afghani people by studying American culture? He might learn a little bit, but as Tsung Tsu said, it helps to "know thyself" and "know thy enemy".

 

[kevlite2020]

The only thing that scares me about satan is that people use him as an excuse or scapegoat. I've heard so many people be like, satan is ruining my life or satan is causing me to do whatever. People need to take ownership of their lives, not look for excuses or reasons for how they think or act.

 

[Tamara224]

Honestly I wish I knew more about him. About how to recognize him. How to really prepare against him. We focus on focusing on God, and people say that's enough, but how's an American soldier to learn about the Afghani people by studying American culture? He might learn a little bit, but as Tsung Tsu said, it helps to "know thyself" and "know thy enemy".

The thing is.... Scripture doesn't tell us very much at all about him.

Most of what people think they know about Satan comes from works of fiction, like Dante's Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost.

Even the stuff people think Scripture says is really just an interpretation (e.g. Isaiah 14:12 and Lucifer being his name).

I figure that if it were our battle to fight, God would have given us the information we need to fight it. Only the general needs to know his enemy, anyway. The soldiers in the field just follow orders.

As far as demons... Jesus has authority over them and he delegates it to us. We don't have to understand them or their goals to tell them to go away.

 

[Allen1901]

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

[Quoth]

The only thing that scares me about satan is that people use him as an excuse or scapegoat. I've heard so many people be like, satan is ruining my life or satan is causing me to do whatever. People need to take ownership of their lives, not look for excuses or reasons for how they think or act.

Yes, people do use him as a scapegoat. However, I don't believe Job was the only instance wherein Satan messed with someone.

Also, speaking from personal experience, witnessing true spiritual warfare is horrifying. I mean the kind of thing where your friend goes up out of his chair five feet in the air and gets thrown back ten feet or so because he's messing with a ouija board. That sort of thing does more than send chills down your spine.

 

[Quoth]

Sooo...we're all good then.

"Thanks but no thanks, Satan. Shoo now."

G'luck with that.

 

[Im_A]

Stop throwing my name around. I have to be sure I can deceive easily.

 

[SweetDee]

I like to give satan the middle finger of grammar by spelling his name with a lower case s.


Also, I could only think of the song "His name is lola...he was a show girl" when I read the title of this thread So I got completely distracted and didn't read the entire OP...

 

[Cyax]

Well, satan, sadly he makes me think a lot of myself.

I don't understand how one could turn so evil, then I look at myself.

Satan himself answers to God, he has no authority. And one day he'll be eliminated for all of eternity. James 4:1-10

The demons are many in number also, the bible refers to them as legions, if you know anything about roman culture a legion consists of 5,000 men I believe. But they all answer to God, and those of God are untouchable. Luke 9:37-45

To fight against satan, the bible says we should "armor" ourselves. I'd like to refer you to Ephesians 6:10-18.

Theres much to learn when Jesus walked in flesh and got tempted by satan. Urge you to read Matthew 4:1-11.

One day all the suffering and pain will be eternal song, a song so perfect. The devil will try to ruin this, because he knows that this is a melody he will never have. Deny him this pleasure, turn to God, spit in satans face.

 

[Verve]

Well, satan, sadly he makes me think a lot of myself.

I don't understand how one could turn so evil, then I look at myself.

Satan himself answers to God, he has no authority. And one day he'll be eliminated for all of eternity. James 4:1-10

The demons are many in number also, the bible refers to them as legions, if you know anything about roman culture a legion consists of 5,000 men I believe. But they all answer to God, and those of God are untouchable. Luke 9:37-45

To fight against satan, the bible says we should "armor" ourselves. I'd like to refer you to Ephesians 6:10-18.

Theres much to learn when Jesus walked in flesh and got tempted by satan. Urge you to read Matthew 4:1-11.

One day all the suffering and pain will be eternal song, a song so perfect. The devil will try to ruin this, because he knows that this is a melody he will never have. Deny him this pleasure, turn to God, spit in satans face.

That's a very good point about self. How could satan have turned evil?
It's all about pride. There is a definite line between patting yourself on the back for a job well done and believing that you can do the job that God alone is able to do.

On a personal note. I don't like demons or "bad spirits" as some pagans call them. I've experienced messed up stuff that usually goes into movies with cheesy special effects that only mock actual events. I will say that based in my experience I very much believe in the war going on beyond what is normally seen.

I can also say that the most reassuring thing of it all was my experience of the power of God throughout those moments.

They exist, don't take it lightly because that's how very un-fun things happen.

 

[kevlite2020]

The thing is, satan can't make us do anything bad or do anything that can hurt us...


unless we let him. At the end of the day, we make the decisions that hurt or help us, from a physical level all the way up to a spiritual level. Just like eve. It wouldn't matter how much satan talked up that apple. At the end of the day, she's the one that took it.

 

[Verve]

The thing is, satan can't make us do anything bad or do anything that can hurt us...


unless we let him. At the end of the day, we make the decisions that hurt or help us, from a physical level all the way up to a spiritual level. Just like eve. It wouldn't matter how much satan talked up that apple. At the end of the day, she's the one that took it.

Very true, though physical harm can be a temporary situation. Mostly they'll just try to mess with your mind because they know they're not that strong. If you're ever stuck in a bad situation it's either because you or someone close to you was messing with something they shouldn't have.

 

[He.Loves.You]

He can sift someone like wheat, and sometimes God lets him. He has the power to drop any number of things on someone (see Job) but he doesn't usually have totally free exercise of that power, due to the restraining power of the holy spirit.

 

[Isambard]

I've always found Satan the most interesting character in Christian mythology. More than anyone else, who he is, what he is, intentions, and even whose side he's on changes wildly among Christian groups seemingly by the decade. I think this explains why he seems the more popular figure for artists to depict.

 

[Lord Herdsetk]

As far as the last question Isambard, the name Satan means adversary. Its a name used to describe someone or something against what you stand for. Seeing as Jesus describes the devil with the name Satan, its clearly used as a term to define him as His enemy.

My point is, key in on the fact that the name Satan means adversary.

 

[Revived]

From a bible study (sorry it's so long but this will explain how/why satan is still a servant to God) ...

Twice in Scripture, we are shown that satan was an angel who was not content to be near God ... he had to be above God. Lucifer was not satisfied to give God worship ... he wanted to occupy God's throne. According to Ezekiel, both Satan's beauty and evil were unequaled among the angels:

You were an example of what was perfect,

full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You had a wonderful life,

as if you were in Eden, the garden of God.
Every valuable gem was on you . . .

You walked among the gems that shined like fire.
Your life was right and good

from the day you were created,

until evil was found in you. // Ezek. 28:12-15

The angels, like humans, were made to serve and worship God. The angels, like humans, were given free will. Otherwise how could they worship? Both Isaiah and Ezekiel describe an angel more powerful than any human, more beautiful than any creature, yet more foolish than any being who has ever lived. His pride was his downfall.

Most scholars point to this passage as the description of satan's fall:

You told yourself,
"I will go up to heaven.
I will put my throne above God's stars.
I will sit on the mountain of the gods,

on the slopes of the sacred mountain.
I will go up above the tops of the clouds.

I will be like God Most High." // Isaiah 14:13-14

Notice the "I will ... I will ... I will ..." Because he sought to be like God, satan fell away from God and has spent history trying to convince us to do the same ... which is the strategy he used with Eve: "You will be like God" // Gen. 3:5

Satan hasn’t changed. He’s as self-centered now as he was then. He’s as foolish now as he was then. And he's just as limited now as he was then. Even when satan’s heart was good, he was inferior to God. All angels are inferior to God. God knows everything ... they only know what he reveals. God is everywhere; they can be in only one place. God is all-powerful; angels are only as powerful as God allows them to be. All angels, including Satan, are inferior to God. And this may surprise you:

Satan is still a servant to God.

He doesn’t want to be. He doesn’t intend to be. He would like nothing more than to build his own kingdom, but he can’t. Every time he tried to advance his cause, he ends up advancing God’s. Erwin Lutzer articulates this thought in his book The Serpent of Paradise:

The devil is just as much God’s servant in his rebellion as he was in the days of his sweet obedience ... We can’t quote Luther too often: The devil is God’s devil. Satan has different roles to play, depending on God’s counsel and purposes. He is pressed into service to do God’s will in the world; he must do the bidding of the Almighty. We must bear in mind that he does have frightful powers, but knowing that those can be exercised under God’s direction and pleasure gives us hope. Satan is simply not free to wreak havoc on people at will.
​

Does satan have to seek the permission of God? He’d much rather you be deceived into thinking of him as an independent force with unlimited power. But the fact is that satan has absolutely no power, except that power God permits. He’d rather you never hear the words of John: “God’s Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world” // 1 John 4:4. And he’d certainly rather you never learn how God uses satan as an instrument to advance the cause of Christ.

How does God use Satan to do the work of heaven? God uses Satan to:

1. Refine the faithful. Even the meekest among us have a tendency to think too highly of ourselves. Apparently the apostle Paul did. He was: a personal audience with Jesus, a participant in heavenly visions, an apostle chosen by God, an author of the Bible. He healed the sick, traveled the world, and penned some of history’s greatest documents. Few could rival his achievements. And maybe he knew it. Perhaps there was a time when Paul began to pat himself on the back. God, who loved Paul and hates pride, protected Paul from the sin. And he used satan to do it.

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given to me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me. // 2 Cor. 12:7

We aren’t told the nature of the thorn, but we are told its purpose ... to keep Paul humble. We are also told its origin ... a messenger of satan. The messenger could have been a pain, a problem, or a person who was a pain. We don’t know. But we do know the messenger was under God’s control. Please note what Paul says next:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” // vv. 8-9

Satan and his forces were simply a tool in the hand of God to strengthen a servant.

Another example of the devil as God’s servant is the temptation of Job. The devil dares to question the stability of Job’s faith, and God gives him permission to test Job. “All right then,” God says. “Everything Job has is in your power, but you must not touch Job himself” // Job 1:12

Note that God set both the permission and the parameters of the struggle. Job passes the test, and satan complains, stating that Job would have fallen had he been forced to face pain. Again God gives permission, and again God gives parameters. “Job is in your power,” he tells satan, “but you may not take his life” // 2:6.

Satan has no power except that which God gives him.

God also uses the devil to:

2. Awaken the sleeping. Hundreds of years before Paul, another Jewish leader battled with his ego, but he lost. Saul, the first king of Israel, was consumed with jealously. He was upstaged by David, the youngest son of a shepherding family. David did everything better than Saul: he sang better; he was more impressive with the women; he even killed the giants Saul feared. But rather than celebrate David’s God-given abilities, Saul grew insanely hostile. God, in an apparent effort to awaken Saul from this fog of jealousy, enlisted the help of his unwilling servant, satan. “The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he prophesied in his house” // 1 Sam. 18:10.

Observe a solemn principle: there are times when hearts grow so hard and ears so dull that God turns us over to endure the consequences of our choices. In this case, the demon was released to torment Saul. If Saul would not drink from the cup of God’s kindness, let him spend some time drinking from the cup of hell’s fury. “Let him be driven to despair that he might be driven back into the arms of God.”

The New Testament refers to incidents where similar discipline was administered. Paul chastises the church in Corinth for their tolerance of immorality. About an adulterer in the church he says: “Then hand this man over to satan. So his sinful self will be destroyed, and his spirit will be saved on the day of the Lord” // 1 Cor. 5:5

Another example of such action is the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander, two disciples who had made a shipwreck of their faith and negatively influenced others. “I have given them to Satan,” Paul tells Timothy, “so they will learn not to speak against God” // 1 Tim. 1:20

As drastic as it may appear, God will actually allow a person to experience hell on earth, in hopes of awakening his faith. A holy love makes the tough choice to release the child to the consequences of his rebellion.

By the way, doesn’t this help explain the rampant evil that exists in the world? If God allows us to endure the consequences of our sin, and the world is full of sinners, then the world is going to abound in evil. Isn’t this what Paul meant in the first chapter of Romans? After describing those who worship the creation rather than the Creator, Paul says, “God left them and let them do the shameful things they wanted to do” // Rom. 1:26

Does God enjoy seeing the heartbreak and addictions of his children? No more than a parent enjoys disciplining a child. But holy love makes tough choices. Remember, discipline should result in mercy, not misery. Some saints are awakened by a tap on the shoulder, while others need a two-by-four to the head. And whenever God needs a two-by-four, Satan gets the call.

He also gets the call to:

3. Teach the church. Perhaps the clearest illustration of how God uses satan to achieve his purposes is found in the life of Peter:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to test all of you as a farmer sifts his wheat. I have prayed that you will not lose your faith! Help your brothers be stronger when you come back to me” // Luke 22:31-32

Again, notice who is in control. Even though satan had a plan, he had to get permission. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” Jesus explained, and this is proof // Matt. 28:18). The wolf cannot get to the sheep without permission of the Shepherd, and the Shepherd will only permit the attack if, in the long term, the pain is worth the gain.

The purpose of this test is to provide a testimony for the church. Jesus was allowing Peter to experience a trial so he could encourage his brothers. Perhaps God is doing the same with you. God knows that the church needs living testimonies of His power. Your difficulty, your disease, your conflict, etc. are preparing you to be a voice of encouragement to others if you'll let it happen.

 

[Isambard]

As far as the last question Isambard, the name Satan means adversary. Its a name used to describe someone or something against what you stand for. Seeing as Jesus describes the devil with the name Satan, its clearly used as a term to define him as His enemy.

My point is, key in on the fact that the name Satan means adversary.

I would say that Lucifer as Satan (adversary) is a later Christian conceptualization. Note that for many Jews, Lucifer, Sammael (death), and satan (only used as a general term for adversary) are all different figures. It was only after Christianity became centralized under oppression of certain Roman officials that the various antagonistically-perceived figures in the Bible converged to give rise to Satan, Ruler of Evil and antagonist.

 

[Verve]

The New Testament refers to incidents where similar discipline was administered. Paul chastises the church in Corinth for their tolerance of immorality. About an adulterer in the church he says: “Then hand this man over to satan. So his sinful self will be destroyed, and his spirit will be saved on the day of the Lord” // 1 Cor. 5:5

Another example of such action is the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander, two disciples who had made a shipwreck of their faith and negatively influenced others. “I have given them to Satan,” Paul tells Timothy, “so they will learn not to speak against God” // 1 Tim. 1:20

As drastic as it may appear, God will actually allow a person to experience hell on earth, in hopes of awakening his faith. A holy love makes the tough choice to release the child to the consequences of his rebellion.

Very true, there are specific outlines of how to handle those who are either not receptive to the word or are believers who are acting outside of it.
Tough love is the only explanation for the 40 years the Jews had to wander the desert before entering the Promised Land. Testing and trials are intended to help us grow to be more Christlike.

Does God enjoy seeing the heartbreak and addictions of his children? No more than a parent enjoys disciplining a child. But holy love makes tough choices. Remember, discipline should result in mercy, not misery. Some saints are awakened by a tap on the shoulder, while others need a two-by-four to the head. And whenever God needs a two-by-four, Satan gets the call.

My mom once told me that God lets us keep running into hazardous places until we start to realize that it's a bad idea.

Sometimes we do just need to be whacked by a clue by four to realize something.

The purpose of this test is to provide a testimony for the church. Jesus was allowing Peter to experience a trial so he could encourage his brothers. Perhaps God is doing the same with you. God knows that the church needs living testimonies of His power. Your difficulty, your disease, your conflict, etc. are preparing you to be a voice of encouragement to others if you'll let it happen.

This discussion has actually been taking place at the local 20-something get together from my area. If you don't acknowledge the trials you've been through, how can you share testimony? If you can't admit to being sick, why did you need a doctor?

 

[Apollo Celestio]

Omniscience?

 

[Verve]

Omniscience?

Omniscience - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia