Satans Great Strength

Anthony7 said:

Interesting thoughts. I think satan's greatest strength is deceit, and being able to occupy us with empty or foolish things, i.e.: distractions, busyness, etc. satan is very much an already defeated foe, but that doesn't mean he isn't still hard at work until he is finally removed.

Mankind puts so much effort into determining what the purpose of life is, and what is truly of value. Yet, they fail to reach a conclusion because they leave God out of the equation. God tells us plainly that our purpose is simply to know Him (John 17:3): to love Him, glorify Him and to search out His wonders. I do believe that's what we'll be doing in Heaven for eternity - it'll be an infinite chase of the glories of God.

We keep pushing for advancements in technology and what's perceived to be possible, yet fail to address the underlying questions of life and the human condition. Deep down, we know there's so much more.

/my musings

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why does Deception work?

look
think
figure out

how hard is that?

and if it is hard to figure something out at least you know, and know to be wary

Deception only works when people are mentally lazy

offer that Sloth is perhaps humanity's greatest weakness?

Bob Crowley said:

Along a similar line, I was driving in the city the other day, and I stopped at traffic lights at an intersection. It was a four way crossing, which means that the pedestrians can cross at any angle. There were a lot of them.

As I watched them crossing, I assumed most of them were heading to or from work, university, Central (Railway) Station, shopping etc. But I also wondered how much time they give to God, with all their collective busyness.

I think the answer, if I'm anything to go by myself, would be "not much, if any."

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supposedly God in heaven gives earthlings maximum priority

timothyu said:

The world of me, me, me , me and gain at the expense of others.

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thinking that they are a "one person army", so to speak, that they are self sufficient on their own

but even one entire planet cannot stand the Might of Heaven

NIV Study Bible Notes

genesis 4:1–26 How human sin progressed from murder of a brother in the second generation to arrogant assertion of independence from God and a claim of total self-sufficiency in the seventh generation.
[before The Flood]

4:23 killed a man for wounding me. Violent and wanton destruction of human life by one who proclaimed his complete independence from God by taking vengeance with his own hands (see Dt 32:35 and note). Lamech proudly claimed to be master of his own destiny, thinking that he and his sons, by their own achievements, would redeem themselves from the curse on the line of Cain. This titanic claim climaxes the catalog of sins that began with Cain’s unworthy offering and the murder of his brother.

VMaeLove said:

I think nature is the closest we have to God outside our mind and I do not think it is all corrupt. I believe it is the most pure thing we have left. God is visible in all the details and beauty

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This, and the truly saintly purify the nature around them. It's pretty common that the greatest saints and monastics had special relationships with nature and animals. I lived in a monastery in WV and there is a theory that Irish monks were among the first Europeans to sail across the sea and some ended up in up in Appalachia (carvings left behind). There were some Ruins left behind in the area and some places in the woods felt especially peaceful and holy. We always wondered if they were places monks had prayed and sanctified.

This verse comes to mind sadly..

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

I am reminded of the story of Martha and Mary. Mary sat at the Master's feet, while Martha ran around playing host, doing all the "work." "Martha, Martha..." said the Lord. I can just see him shaking his head. This is the world we live in. The world full of distractions. Full of people walking around with their cell phones (still think iPhones are the mark of the beast.) Social media is the devil. Internet is the new tower of Babel. The enemy wants us distracted like Martha. When the devil had his claws in me for the longest time, I did anything and everything I could to bury my head in the sand, while my entire life burned around me. The ol' rope-a-dope might be the greatest strength of Satan. "Look over here, while I tear your life to pieces."

On a side note, I too have sat around and thought about what birds talk about all day. As for me, I make time for the Lord every day. I unplug and go for hour long walks in the evening, and my thoughts are often on God. I commune with the Holy Spirit, preach to the angels, talk to God. Whatever you want to call it. Make time for the Lord. Sit at the feet of the Master. Be a Mary, not a Martha.

Yes is it the Satan who getting us to think about so many unimportant things......Yet it is also the Satan who, after we have found time to get away from the chatter, makes us talk about the ones who are still in it....making us feel superior.

His greatest strength? making us feel that we are holy and on the right path and, therefore, need not work any longer on our own salvation, but should now focus on the salvation of those around us....

I have almost always found that I feel closer to God in nature than anywhere else. If the beauty of the earth is this rich now, what will it be like on the new earth when we once again experience Eden?
Yes, most people seem to live on a surface level of "What do I have to do today?" or "What will I do this weekend to have fun?" I just can't believe that they never contemplate the big questions. Perhaps they do, but don't feel free to talk about them. After all, you never know what someone will find offensive in today's world.
I work alone a lot and my mind is usually thinking about theology or some subject that is deeper than the surface stuff. This is good and bad I think. It can make me distant at times with people close to me, but it keeps me from going nuts with the routines of life.

I sort of started a thread a couple month's ago about something I realized about Satan's rebellious nature. However, to answer the question asked in this thread, I think his great strength is in hiding. The Bible states that he and his demons live in the middle heavens (atmosphere) or out in space. He is "god of the world and prince of the power of the air." Non-believers want evidence of God and we all blame God if something seems to go wrong. How do you swear and cuss when things don't go your way? No one says dam Satan!

Here's what I realized about Satan's rebellious nature in that he contradicted everything that God said in the Bible. This is through different scientists since the ancient times. It doesn't even have to deal with science. However, showing Satan exists is not a winning argument. Satan wants to hide and he will. He is too strong with his lies, trickery, and ability to tempt us.

"... when you add all the contradictions up, is this evidence for Satan? Does this convince you that Satan is causing it? Bad stuff usually does not happen by coincidence.

Here are some things that are opposite off the top of my head.

GOD >>>>> SATAN
Said it first (can't change) >>>>> Said it throughout the years (hypothesis and theories can change)
Universe >>>>> Multiverse
Creation ex nihilo (supernatural creation in 6 days) >>>>> Universe ex nihilo, i.e. big bang (defies laws of physics, infinite temp and density, all is set up in 20 mins); Before this, it was eternal universe
6,000 yrs old Earth and universe >>>>> 4.5 B yrs old Earth and 13.7 B yrs old universe
Created Adam and Eve >>>>> Humans evolved from monkeys
Created birds 4th day; dinosaurs 5th day >>>>> birds evolved from dinosaurs
Clear explanation of how universe and Earth formed and science backs it up >>>>> Wild hypothesis of infinitely hot and dense unseen particle called singularity; Some event called big bang triggered a cosmic expansion in microseconds that formed the basis for our universe; not clear explanation of what happened
Life can only create life >>>>> Life forms through abiogenesis (based on spontaneous generation that was proven false by creation scientist Dr. Louis Pasteur)
Started with void >>>>> Started with infinitely hot and dense unseen quantum particle
God is timeless and spaceless >>>>> Quantum particles pop in and out of existence
God is light, i.e. EMS or light >>>>> Things happen through dark energy, dark matter
Universe is bounded and has a center >>>>> Universe is boundless and does not have a center
Earth is special >>>>> There is nothing special about the Earth
Heaven (upward direction) >>>>> Hell (downward direction)

Sorry for the poor formatting. It did not take my spaces/tabs."

Satan's greatest strength is making us afraid that we aren't saved. Rather than live happy, care free, exciting lives, full of joy, and enjoying one another and experiencing the beauty in the world that God made to the fullest, SECURE IN OUR SALVATION, where anyone who wasn't a Christian would say, "I want to be a part of that," we worry and fret, judge others, make even more rules for living than what is in scripture, and don't live our lives to the fullest in praise of our Creator and Redeemer.

Our "religion" drives people away from God, rather than sucking them into everlasting peace and joy, and Satan smiles.

VMaeLove said:

I was thinking for a while before now what is Satans best strength? What he has over us and the world that it is so difficult some time to be our best for God?

Have you noticed how much we can talk about? I go to the market and a lot of people are there and they talk about everything. Celebrities, movies, technology, politics, vehicles, food, party, friends, gossip, drama, clothes, if it is a thing someone is talking about it! I went to a church and the pastor talked about football and his new vehicle. At work we talk more about everything that is not work! On social media we talk about a recent trends and and their dogs and how they stubbed a toe while cooking breakfast.

We talk much about such little.
Where is God in our mind??

I have a lot of obligation in life and it has me with not a lot of free time. When I have free Time I am so tired of socials that I often go to a park or another part of nature with my dogs. Today i was laying in grass with my pup thinking about my purpose. Sound brooding I know lol
I was listening to birds chirping and wondered if what they talk about. Maybe latest drama with Thomas eating too many worms.
Maybe not.
Maybe they are just doing what God made them to do. Like the squirrels gathering nuts and bugs pollen the flowers and fish clean the water and plants make oxygen. Listening and watching nature around me and loving the experience.

Maybe that is my purpose as human?
To enjoy Gods art.
To thank Him for the art.

Art that is missed because of endless distractions that surround us.

Distractions.
Satan must love them.

Just my random thoughts. I need to go out more.
God bless

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Deception.

Maria Billingsley said:

Deception.

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Yes. Deception goes hand in hand with my post.

Satan to Eve: You will not surely die.
Satan to Christian: You may still die.

devin553344 said:

I find light communication with people to be pleasing and relaxing from the stress of the tempter.

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As long as the focus of the communication is on things that are "true, ... noble, ...right, ... pure, ... lovely, ... admirable ... excellent or praiseworthy" (Phil. 4:8)

I have found that "light communication" with some people can itself lead to "the stress of the tempter." Am reminded of "the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life."

One of the Deceiver's pre-eminent deceits is getting us to believe that we have figured out God, and how He does / has done things. And the second great lie he tells us, is that we have figured him out too. Or that everything WE are responsible for, is His fault - lifting his power over us to a higher degree than is true. He constantly causes disputes among us by getting our focus on "red herrings."

Satan has been defeated. The War is won, but it seems we're having a lot of difficulty with the "mopping up operations." And that mopping up must begin in our own hearts, minds and lives. That means I must open myself up first, in confession of sin to His Spirit and to let him "cleanse me from all unrighteousness."

"Without me you can do NOTHING!" (Jesus the Christ and Lord of all) (Satan tells us we can do anything we want)

"With God ALL things are possible." (Ditto) (Satan tries to demonstrate to us that God can't - and we believe him)

"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these (other) things will be added" (ditto) (And this is where Satan distracts us by enticing us to set other priorities)

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven..." (now, in this life, not in heaven after we die) (also Jesus Christ who told us "the kingdom is in you.") (Satan urges us to set out hope exclusively on all that will be wonderful "When we die and go to heaven" even as we pray that heaven will come to earth here and now. Satan's deception is in fact reinstating the thinking prominent in ancient Egypt, from whom He liberated His people

"Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me." (Jesus, whom we claim to be our LORD) (But we are convinced that we must maintain our "rights" - which is the basis of the 'righteousness' of this world, not the rigtheousness of God.)

TraceMalin said:

Satan's greatest strength is making us afraid that we aren't saved. Rather than live happy, care free, exciting lives, full of joy, and enjoying one another and experiencing the beauty in the world that God made to the fullest, SECURE IN OUR SALVATION, where anyone who wasn't a Christian would say, "I want to be a part of that," we worry and fret, judge others, make even more rules for living than what is in scripture, and don't live our lives to the fullest in praise of our Creator and Redeemer.

Our "religion" drives people away from God, rather than sucking them into everlasting peace and joy, and Satan smiles.

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I have to say I believe it to be the opposite. I think Satan tricks Christians into being lazy with their repentance. I don't think "religion" as you so put it drives people away from God, as the Traditional churches are among some of the fastest growing churches right now. We are told to recognize true Christians by their fruit. Traditional piety produces humility and selflessness. I think people respect that whereas I've heard many people give little credit to the evangelical movement as they see it as hypocritical and more based on entertainment and emotion then change in the individual.

VMaeLove said:

I think nature is the closest we have to God outside our mind and I do not think it is all corrupt. I believe it is the most pure thing we have left. God is visible in all the details and beauty

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I definitely agree. Nature is unaltered by mankind, and reveals God's characteristics (such as His creativity and intelligence). We have even discovered mathematical algorithms hidden in flowers and plants, and artists are often able to draw inspiration from nature.

I feel the closest to God when I'm able to withdraw from the world for awhile and spend time in nature.

This thread about Satan's greatest strength made me think about the idyllic childhood my friends and I had growing in a community that was almost entirely Christian. God's intent was that man enjoy living in a garden. When cast out due to sin, man entered a rough wilderness. The early church had to struggle to overcome a wilderness of sin and doubt. 2000 years later the dominance of Christianity made our region a bit of garden again. The more Christianity slips away, the more America is returning to a wilderness of sin and doubt where more teachings of the early church apply as Christians are once again persecuted

☦Marius☦ said:

I have to say I believe it to be the opposite. I think Satan tricks Christians into being lazy with their repentance. I don't think "religion" as you so put it drives people away from God, as the Traditional churches are among some of the fastest growing churches right now. We are told to recognize true Christians by their fruit. Traditional piety produces humility and selflessness. I think people respect that whereas I've heard many people give little credit to the evangelical movement as they see it as hypocritical.

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My traditional Presbyterian church abandoned God's word to appease the LGBT community and allow same sex marriages. I wasn't the one being lazy.

OSAS is the greatest lie ever told by the devil--okay, maybe second greatest.