he-man,
You and I have been through this in the PAST. And it only goes to PROVE the point that I made in the opening of this thread.
With ALL that is offered concerning the ENTITY called Satan, the Devil, Lucifer, Mammon, etc, etc, etc,,,,,,,,,,,, you have somehow been able to convince yourself that he doesn't exist. With ALL that the Bible explains so far as HIS POWER, HIS DOMINION, with ALL the detail offered concerning the Devil, YOU still insist that he does NOT exist.
The opening of the gospels DEALS with the temptation BY THE DEVIL of Christ in the dessert.
The man that was called LEGION was possessed of THOUSANDS of Satan's demons.
the LAST BATTLE will be a battle between Satan and Christ.
When Satan LOOSES this battle, he will be LOCKED UP for a thousand years, (separated from mankind).
With ALL this information offered in the Bible, YOU CONTINUE to insist that there is NO DEVIL.
And this is EXACTLY what I have offered on numerous occasion: Satan's most POWERFUL WEAPON is the ability to get people to DENY his very existence.
Now, for your sake, and anyone else reading this, (many don't even NEED to hear it but I'm going to offer it to ALL), let me state this clearly:
"I KNOW SATAN PERSONALLY". I LIVED FOR Satan for a large portion of my life. Or, let me rephrase that: I KNOW SATAN through his DEMONS. Either way, I am as SURE of the existence and power of Satan as I am of the existence of God and His Son.
And he-man, NO 'church' has taught me ANYTHING concerning his existence. I did NOT come to my understanding THROUGH ANY CHURCH. I didn't even come to my understanding through the Bible. I have come to my understanding through being HONEST with myself and OPENING MY EYES.
Some people have HEARD or READ about what it is like to suffer a Migraine Headache. But without having EXPERIENCED it, it is IMPOSSIBLE to actually UNDERSTAND. I suffered Migraine Headaches for many years and I KNOW EXACTLY what it FEELS like to suffer one. It is NO different with Satan so far as MY experience is concerned. I have not only READ or HEARD about Satan, I HAVE KNOWN HIM.
So, the only other explanation that you could offer is that the BIBLE is UTTERLY corrupted BY the Church to the point that EVERYTHING offered in it concerning Satan is fabricated. And I am just MAKING UP or what I say or am merely DELUDED. You choose to see it whatever way you choose. But I KNOW what I KNOW and it isn't from ANY book or what ANY 'Church' has TOLD ME. I KNOW what I KNOW through DIRECT EXPERIENCE.
But if you CHOOSE to insist that there is NO Satan, then THAT, my friend, is YOU offering that God has been UNABLE to preserve HIS WORD. And THAT, my friend, would perfectly illustrate EXACTLY what I have offered: There are those that PROFESS to be followers that don't even BELIEVE that God has the POWER to preserve His OWN WORD. And if you do not BELIEVE that God has the power to preserve His own Word, you certainly can't REALLY and TRUTHFULLY claim to be a Believer in and or FOLLOWER of His Word.
You OBVIOUSLY do NOT believe in the words offered in the Bible. So, from a Biblical perspective, you and I could not possibly come to any SEMBLANCE of agreement concerning OUR theology. And this is the EXACT POINT of this thread. How is it possible that you and I have read the SAME book but you don't even believe what it says concerning God's adversary?
You and I, (from reading what you post), often AGREE on certain aspects of our theology. But in the respect of the existence of Satan, you and I couldn't have a more DIFFERENT understanding.
And let me ask you this: If you DENY his very existence, what POWER do YOU have to defend yourself AGAINST HIM? How does one defend themselves against an ENEMY that they refuse to even acknowledge exists?
That is exactly how the Muslims are invading America. The MAJORITY of Americans don't even recognize them as THEIR ENEMY. Because of the DENIAL of the TRUTH, most Americans believe that Islam is JUST ANOTHER RELIGION. Refusing to accept the TRUTH that it is NOT 'just' another religion, but a complete and utter 'way of life' that DICTATES that their effort MUST BE to: convert, subdue or DESTROY any and everyone that does not FOLLOW this 'way of life'.
And let me offer this: I have NEVER ONCE made a Muslim MY enemy. It is the very concept of their 'way of life' that makes THEM choose to be MY enemy. For I have not labeled MYSELF an infidel. Me merely refusing to accept and follow THEIR way of life dictates that I am an infidel from THEIR perspective.
So too would I offer that any and everyone that denies the very existence of Satan is obviously under HIS INFLUENCE. For to deny his very existence is to put oneself in the position to be UNABLE to defend themselves against him.
Fault me if you will, but I am ONLY able to KNOW what it is that I KNOW. Other than that, I can offer nothing else. I am a FIRM believer that the Bible is the Word of God. PERFECT? It doesn't need to be. For it is ONLY THROUGH the Spirit that we come to any TRUE understanding of the words contained within it's pages. Not through trying to RE-TRANSLATE it or by trying to CHANGE or ALTER the words, but by placing our FAITH in The Spirit to GUIDE us to understanding regardless of the individual words or their meanings. And THAT is HOW I have come to MY understanding. NOT through trying to make the Bible FIT what I CHOOSE to believe, but by BELIEVING what has been revealed through The Spirit.
Can I PROVE any of this? Don't NEED to. The obviousness is clear to those that UNDERSTAND. To the rest, I don't know what else to offer. Except the CONCEPT that we have ALL been duped into a FALSE understanding of the TRUTH. For if we all KNEW the truth, then at least SOME would be FOLLOWING in TRUTH. I haven't MET ONE YET. Only those that SAY they are followers. But when witnessing their WALK, I have YET to meet ONE who's WALK reflects the TRUTH. Only what they SAY, but what they DO? Not even ONE that is CLOSE.
James 2:
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man
say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith,
if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and
I will shew thee my faith by my works.
So, when compelled to JUDGE the works of those whom I have met throughout my ENTIRE LIFE, I have YET to meet ONE that I could judge according to RIGHTEOUSNESS by their 'works' ALONE. Many TALK 'a good game', but when you get to actually KNOW them, their WORKS certainly do not MATCH their TALK.
And BEFORE anyone starts trying to tell me about 'judgement':
1 Corinthians 2:15
But he that is spiritual
judgeth all things, yet he himself is
judged of no man.
Blessings,
MEC