Can Satan Perform Miracles?

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I can't tell you the source of his authority, whatever of it he may have. We do have reference to him as various things such as "the ruler of this world" but I don't know how miracles work.

But we also know of lying signs and wonders - and those would not be from God as God does not lie.

I suppose in the end all "authority" comes from God, even it's just what He allows.

But I think Satan and demons have some ability to manipulate the physical realm, and since we don't see their activity as "normal" it might appear as "miraculous". I guess it depends on your definition of a miracle.

Certain things I think are only from the realm of God. Christ asked "does Satan cast out Satan?" so I think those things having to do with freeing one from the enemy, turning to God, and so forth would not be activities of Satan, but a counterfeit that fools for some time may be possible.
 
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rockytopva

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The devil can put sickness on people...

12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? - Luke 13

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. - 2 Corinthians 12:7

So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. - Job 2:7
 
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food4thought

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If so... by what authority (scripture)?

Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
(2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 NASB)

All authority is given by God, so Satan is allowed by God to perform certain "signs and false wonders". Why does God allow this? The next verses tell us:

and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
(2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 NASB)
 
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CrystalDragon

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The rest of the bible clears that up.


Where, exactly? I don't recall any concrete mention of the serpent being Satan.

Plus, it not being in the Book of Genesis is like giving a meaning to one of Shakespeare's works 400 years later that Shakespeare never intended.
 
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-57

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Where, exactly? I don't recall any concrete mention of the serpent being Satan.

Plus, it not being in the Book of Genesis is like giving a meaning to one of Shakespeare's works 400 years later that Shakespeare never intended.

Many christians see how these verses connect.

2 Cor 11:3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
 
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-57

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Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
(2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 NASB)

All authority is given by God, so Satan is allowed by God to perform certain "signs and false wonders". Why does God allow this? The next verses tell us:

and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
(2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 NASB)

I wonder about the use of "false wonders"....currently I can't be dogmatic about Satan being able to perform miracles.....there is the possibility he is a great magician. Faking miracles.
 
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CrystalDragon

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Many christians see how these verses connect.

2 Cor 11:3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.


The first one mentions the serpent deceiving Eve, but it's just a serpent. As for Revelation, not only is that heavy in symbolism and the last book to be added (and almost wasn't added at all), it's many centuries removed from the original writing of Genesis, so by then people had started applying a meaning to the text that wasn't there to start with. It's like taking Shakespeare's work and someone 400 years later saying that one character is really the same as a different character, while centuries earlier the two had almost no relation to one another. (Except with the serpent thing it's much longer than 400 years)
 
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Adstar

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If so... by what authority (scripture)?

If and When God allows Him to.. And only when it serves Gods eternal plan...

2 Thessalonians 2: KJV
2 "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. {3} Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; {4} Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. {5} Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? {6} And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. {7} For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. {8} And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: {9} Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, {10} And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. {11} And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: {12} That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
 
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AnticipateHisComing

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If 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 does not convince you.

Then look that Jesus said in the end times people will see such great signs that they think they are being done by Jesus returned.

Matthew 24:23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Read Revelation 13 to get a similar story with dramatic "imagery".

Revelation13:11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

All authority comes from God.

John 19: 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

And Satan was given authority.

Luke 4:5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.
 
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AnticipateHisComing

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I wonder about the use of "false wonders"....currently I can't be dogmatic about Satan being able to perform miracles.....there is the possibility he is a great magician. Faking miracles.
Understand that Satan was the most powerful of all angels. If you believe in the idea of guardian angels and pray in the Lord's prayer for God to protect us from evil, then you know the power of angels to affect the physical world.

If I have survived a miraculous fall from a roof, then Satan and his demons can do same miracles. Have you never heard a story of amazing feats of those demon possessed?
 
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-57

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The first one mentions the serpent deceiving Eve, but it's just a serpent. As for Revelation, not only is that heavy in symbolism and the last book to be added (and almost wasn't added at all), it's many centuries removed from the original writing of Genesis, so by then people had started applying a meaning to the text that wasn't there to start with. It's like taking Shakespeare's work and someone 400 years later saying that one character is really the same as a different character, while centuries earlier the two had almost no relation to one another. (Except with the serpent thing it's much longer than 400 years)

Long sigh.
 
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miknik5

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Where, exactly? I don't recall any concrete mention of the serpent being Satan.

Plus, it not being in the Book of Genesis is like giving a meaning to one of Shakespeare's works 400 years later that Shakespeare never intended.
Well that's exactly what the "snake" did

And continues to do

Especially to those who don't know GOD's WORD

If you read Shakespeare you would be able to spot the great imitator(s) when they say:
"Did Shakespeare really say?Shakespeare did NOT really say..."

Well the same applies
And from the moment the snake opened its mouth
 
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food4thought

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I wonder about the use of "false wonders"....currently I can't be dogmatic about Satan being able to perform miracles.....there is the possibility he is a great magician. Faking miracles.

That's possible, but I doubt that for two reasons.

First of all, look at the passage again... it says "all power and signs and false wonders". He has been given power to perform these things by God.

Second, as another poster noted, in Revelation 13:13 it is said that the false prophet will be able to call down fire from heaven. I seriously doubt any magician could pull that one off.
 
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miknik5

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That's possible, but I doubt that for two reasons.

First of all, look at the passage again... it says "all power and signs and false wonders". He has been given power to perform these things by God.

Second, as another poster noted, in Revelation 13:13 it is said that the false prophet will be able to call down fire from heaven. I seriously doubt any magician could pull that one off.
Remember the reason that he has powers st this given time is because of 2 Thessalonians 2
 
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