Catholic view of Satan?

[kern]

What is the Catholic view of Satan? Is he a real being, or a symbolic representation of evil? Is there a strict dichotomy -- either something is of God, or of Satan? If I'm tempted to do something, does that mean that Satan (or a demon of Satan's) is literally standing there tempting me?

-Chris

 

[Anise]

Satan is a real spirit being of Limited powers. I suppose he may have some sybolism applied to him in some poeple's minds (red, horns), but that does not affect that he is real (and is not red).

The dichotomy you ask about, I don't know how to interpret your words. If you are asking if there are two gods, a good one, and an evil one, and is everything that is either from one or the other...the Catholic answer is resoundingly no. But maybe you are more asking, if our will is to do something against the will of God in a partucular instance, then who out there would be likely to approve of that? Then Satan is a good choice.

I personally don't think temptation requires a demon sitting there on your shoulder as the source. My disordered will seems sufficient. But I do think holy writ establishes that demons do prowl around and influence people. There were some persons who speculated that there was a demon to tempt each person, but that is not part of "the faith". To me, it seems unlikely.

 

[kern]

I meant that if you are going to do something against God's will, is that because Satan is literally in the room with you tempting you to do the deed. This seems to be what some people believe, although I can't speak for them.

(In my opinion that tends to make humans seem completely helpless to do anything -- if they do a good deed it's because of God, if they do an evil deed it's because of Satan. But opinions are like...something that there's a lot of, I don't remember the analogy. )

-Chris

 

[Anise]

LOL! I know just the analogy you mean, but now I can't think of the words either. Maybe some surfer will step in to our rescue!

Sorry I didn't put two and two together about your dichotomy question. I agree, some people do think that about Satan, and will "rebuke" him daily. This is not a typical Catholic thing. I'll look for a Catechism reference, but I'm not too good at finding stuff in it.

Do you think a guardian angel would be an encroachment on free will?

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

An angel that wanted to be equal to Christ, so he rebelled and became the devil.

 

[VOW]

To Kern:

Ahhhhhhhh, the old "Devil made me do it" line, huh?

That's up there with, "I had a deprived childhood, it's not MY fault!"

I'd say MOST sin is of the Free Will, Glory-to-Self variety. Of course, Satan can be the INSTIGATOR in the Glory-to-Self way of thinking, but it's basically just the internal struggle of what WE want versus what GOD wants.

I think when Satan gets directly involved, it's much more sinister. To me, that's when someone starts playing with Wicca, Ouija, astrology, seances, runes, tarot. That's more than just trying to get rid of the "Selfish Self"...you've opened a door into your soul, and you are inviting nasty stuff inside.


Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[seebs]

Originally posted by kern
What is the Catholic view of Satan? Is he a real being, or a symbolic representation of evil? Is there a strict dichotomy -- either something is of God, or of Satan? If I'm tempted to do something, does that mean that Satan (or a demon of Satan's) is literally standing there tempting me?

While he's not Catholic, C. S. Lewis has some astoundingly good material on what "temptation" is about; read Screwtape Letters.

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

Originally posted by VOW
To Kern:

Ahhhhhhhh, the old "Devil made me do it" line, huh?

That's up there with, "I had a deprived childhood, it's not MY fault!"

I'd say MOST sin is of the Free Will, Glory-to-Self variety. Of course, Satan can be the INSTIGATOR in the Glory-to-Self way of thinking, but it's basically just the internal struggle of what WE want versus what GOD wants.

I think when Satan gets directly involved, it's much more sinister. To me, that's when someone starts playing with Wicca, Ouija, astrology, seances, runes, tarot. That's more than just trying to get rid of the "Selfish Self"...you've opened a door into your soul, and you are inviting nasty stuff inside.


Peace be with you,
~VOW

I would agree with this basically, but Satan also uses more subtle tools than these witchcraft type things that you mentioned. Anytime we argue with an athiest, for example, that could be Satan's influence trying to instill doubt in our minds. Just an example.

 

[LilyLamb]

Regarding temptation ... in the book of James it reads ...

"Never, when you are being put to the test, say, 'God is tempting me'; God cannot be tempted by evil, and he does not put anybody to the test. Everyone is put to the test by being attracted and seduced by that person's own wrong desire. Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin reaches full growth, it gives birth to death." (James 1:13-15, NJB)

The footnote in this Bible (New Jerusalem) states ...

See 1 Co 10:13f. One who allows himself to be drawn into evil must not blame the fault on God who cannot desire evil. Sin comes from within, Rm 7:8, and culminates in a state wholly opposed to the crown of life. v.12; Rm 6:23.

1 Corinthians 10:13 "None of the trials which have come upon you is more than a human being can stand. You can trust that God will not let you be put to the test beyond our strength, but with any trial will also provide a way out by enabling you to put up with it."

(Aside note: Mother Teresa said something like the following, "I know God will not put more on me than I can handle, but I wish He didn't think I was so strong.")

Back to footnotes ...

... testing is initiated by external circumstances, or by the Devil, the 'Tempter' (I Cor. 7:5) ... or by greed (I Tim 6:9) which gives the word the sense of a seduction, an attraction towards evil, over which, however, the faithful can triumph with God's help ....

 

[Anise]

There seems to be no mention of Satan actually being there personally tempting (or a demon minion) each man in each tempting situation, but there is this overall sort of effect of his influence (begin snips):


2852 "A murderer from the beginning, . . . a liar and the father of lies," Satan is "the deceiver of the whole world."165 Through him sin and death entered the world and by his definitive defeat all creation will be "freed from the corruption of sin and death."166 Now "we know that anyone born of God does not sin, but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one."167

409 This dramatic situation of "the whole world [which] is in the power of the evil one"302 makes man's life a battle:

The whole of man's history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. Finding himself in the midst of the battlefield man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to himself, and aided by God's grace, that he succeeds in achieving his own inner integrity.303

end of snips

 

[Wolseley]

For a superb overview of angelic and demonic powers, I strongly recommend Peter Kreeft's book Angels (and Demons)---What Do We Really Know About Them? (Ignatius Press 1995, ISBN 0-89870-550-9).

 

[jukesk9]

He's real, he's cocky, he's bad. And he is the Prince of Air. Only with Christ can someone stay free of his control. I have no doubt that he exists along with demons, his fellow fallen angels.