Devil prowling around - In what way?

[Lord'sWarrior]

«Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.» 1 Peter 5:8

How does the devil prowl around. Is it through people? Does he incorporate people or take control and use people to prowl the sheep?
In what way does the devil prowl around?

 

[Sarah G]

As temptations leading us into sinful behaviour and thus, away from God. Satan can't control you if you are in Christ, which you are.

 

[Hall]

He prowls around in many ways, through an unsober mind we open a window for him to disturb our mind and spirit, he also uses worldly people around us to try to bring us down by putting thoughts in their minds to say certain ungodly things to us. He prowls around the sinful part of the internet, and ungodly tv shows. What we see, hear or say strongly affects us, we are mostly affected by our own thoughts and these thoughts can either become worldly or Godly. They become worldly by exposing ourselves to sinful things. Thoughts usually are followed by actions so we must try to be on guard at all times, analyze ourselves and such. The devil mostly tries to take control of our thoughts...

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi Guerrier, a collection of short stories by C.S. Lewis called, The Screwtape Letters is, IMHO anyway, your best bet of gaining the kind of understanding you're looking for concerning Satan, his minions, and how they operate in this world/in our lives.

It's written from the demons' POV, so when you see the word "Enemy", for instance, in this case, it's referring to God. Here's Lewis' preface to the original edition (it's important to read his intro as well if you decide to read the book):

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight. The sort of script which is used in this book can be very easily obtained by anyone who has once learned the knack; but ill disposed or excitable people who might make a bad use of it shall not learn it from me. Readers are advised to remember that the devil is a liar. Not everything that Screwtape says should be assumed to be true even from his own angle. I have made no attempt to identify any of the human beings mentioned in the letters; but I think it very unlikely that the portraits, say, of Fr. Spike or the patient’s mother, are wholly just. There is wishful thinking in Hell as well as on Earth. ~Lewis, C. S.. The Screwtape Letters: Annotated Edition (Kindle Locations 422-431). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. ​

I highly recommend the annotated edition (as there is far more explanation and history included in it) if you don't mind spending the money for it: https://www.amazon.com/Screwtape-Le...4&sr=1-1&keywords=screwtape+letters+annotated

Or you can read it online for free, here: The Screwtape Letters - PREFACE

Or here: http://www.samizdat.qc.ca/arts/lit/PDFs/ScrewtapeLetters_CSL.pdf

Enjoy! It is a Christian Classic as well a great read

Yours and His,
David

 

[CrystalDragon]

As temptations leading us into sinful behaviour and thus, away from God. Satan can't control you if you are in Christ, which you are.

Then why is it that many Christians sin? In fact I think many in prison are Christians?

Isn't it a possibility that it's just human psychological behavior. Even in the Bible Satan didn't explicitly do much. And people once thought diseases were caused by demons but now we know better. Can't it be the possibility that "sin" is just the same thing?

 

[RDKirk]

Then why is it that many Christians sin? In fact I think many in prison are Christians?

Isn't it a possibility that it's just human psychological behavior. Even in the Bible Satan didn't explicitly do much. And people once thought diseases were caused by demons but now we know better. Can't it be the possibility that "sin" is just the same thing?

Well, all behavior can be counted "psychological behavior." What does that mean? That it can't be changed or controlled? Not even psychologists believe psychology is immutable--they get paid all the time to change and control "psychological" behavior.

The current pop culture ethos is "natural is best" and "that's the way I am, I can't change the way I am."

Poppycock. Even the ancient Greeks, Chinese, and Indians knew that the mind should be transcendent over the natural urges of the body.

 

[Sarah G]

Then why is it that many Christians sin? In fact I think many in prison are Christians?

Isn't it a possibility that it's just human psychological behavior. Even in the Bible Satan didn't explicitly do much. And people once thought diseases were caused by demons but now we know better. Can't it be the possibility that "sin" is just the same thing?

The human heart is full of sin. We are sinners by nature. We could call that human psychological behaviour. Christians sinning doesn't mean that they are controlled by the devil.
Guerrier has mental health issues so I wouldn't like him to get the idea that the devil can control him.

 

[CrystalDragon]

Well, all behavior can be counted "psychological behavior." What does that mean? That it can't be changed or controlled? Not even psychologists believe psychology is immutable--they get paid all the time to change and control "psychological" behavior.

The current pop culture ethos is "natural is best" and "that's the way I am, I can't change the way I am."

Poppycock. Even the ancient Greeks, Chinese, and Indians knew that the mind should be transcendent over the natural urges of the body.

Of course psychological behavior can be influenced or controlled. And in fact there are some aspects of our nature that can't be controlled and are just the way that person is. Like sociopaths. I knew a sociopath and we tried to get them to change. They are incapable of changing.

What I'm saying is that many people can say things like "that person was influenced/possessed/manipulatedby the devil" when really it could just be part of their own behavior or whatever that the devil has nothing to do with.

Not to mention Satan barely explicitly did anything in the Bible, but I digress.

 

[RDKirk]

Of course psychological behavior can be influenced or controlled. And in fact there are some aspects of our nature that can't be controlled and are just the way that person is. Like sociopaths. I knew a sociopath and we tried to get them to change. They are incapable of changing.

What I'm saying is that many people can say things like "that person was influenced/possessed/manipulatedby the devil" when really it could just be part of their own behavior or whatever that the devil has nothing to do with.

Not to mention Satan barely explicitly did anything in the Bible, but I digress.

There is a huge difference between "influence" and "possessed."

If we accept that an intellectual, spiritual--and malevolent--being exists with a capacity to affect the material universe (as Satan is described clearly in scripture), there is no reason he could not have the ability to influence a person at least as well as commercial advertising.

That his influence uses a person's own psychology against that person is the entire point of Romans 6 and 7.

 

[CrystalDragon]

There is a huge difference between "influence" and "possessed."

If we accept that an intellectual, spiritual--and malevolent--being exists with a capacity to affect the material universe (as Satan is described clearly in scripture), there is no reason he could not have the ability to influence a person at least as well as commercial advertising.

That his influence uses a person's own psychology against that person is the entire point of Romans 6 and 7.

Here's the thing: I can't recall Satan explicitly doing anything in Scriptur, except making a bet with God in Job and showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. And moving David to take a census though earlier when the same story is told it's said that God did it.

Other than that, Satan is just described as "prowling around", "being like a lion", etc. but as far as I recall REALLY doesn't do anything.

 

[com7fy8]

«Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.» 1 Peter 5:8

How does the devil prowl around. Is it through people? Does he incorporate people or take control and use people to prowl the sheep?
In what way does the devil prowl around?

Well, if it meant literally that only Satan all by himself is prowling the whole earth and finding people everywhere whom he is devouring, this would mean he is moving very fast . . . among all seven billion or so of us humans on this planet.

I don't know how to explain the prowling part, then. But our Apostle Paul says there is "the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience", in Ephesians 2:2. So, I understand there is the spirit of evil which "works" in people to get people to disobey God. And lusts are dominating and dictatorial > lusts work very hard to drive people to do what disobeys God. And unforgiveness and arguing and complaining can be very controlling . . . working people the wrong way.

And people can be devoured by these evil and nasty and degrading things. Boredom and loneliness, also, can eat people alive, they can devour a soul.

So, we need to be "sober", in God's love which makes us immune against nasty angry reacting and unforgiveness and dominating and controlling passions for useless pleasure, and against fear (1 John 4:18, Hebrews 2:14-15) and worry (Philippians 4:6-7) which also can devour a person.

Our Apostle Paul says,

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

 

[Lord'sWarrior]

Well, if it meant literally that only Satan all by himself is prowling the whole earth and finding people everywhere whom he is devouring, this would mean he is moving very fast . . . among all seven billion or so of us humans on this planet.

I don't know how to explain the prowling part, then. But our Apostle Paul says there is "the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience", in Ephesians 2:2. So, I understand there is the spirit of evil which "works" in people to get people to disobey God. And lusts are dominating and dictatorial > lusts work very hard to drive people to do what disobeys God. And unforgiveness and arguing and complaining can be very controlling . . . working people the wrong way.

And people can be devoured by these evil and nasty and degrading things. Boredom and loneliness, also, can eat people alive, they can devour a soul.

So, we need to be "sober", in God's love which makes us immune against nasty angry reacting and unforgiveness and dominating and controlling passions for useless pleasure, and against fear (1 John 4:18, Hebrews 2:14-15) and worry (Philippians 4:6-7) which also can devour a person.

Our Apostle Paul says,

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." That's somewhat odd. I have not a sound mind. I have a mental illness. How can this be true?

 

[com7fy8]

I have not a sound mind. I have a mental illness. How can this be true?

Even if we are children of God, we still are not perfectly loving like Jesus. So, even if we have the spirit "of power and of love and of a sound mind" (in 2 Timothy 1:7), we still need to become mature and strong in this the way we can be. So, we still need more correction which only God can do in us > Hebrews 12:4-11.

In my case, I have noticed how my mental issues often have to do with how I am mainly concerned about my own self and getting recognition, and how I can react to not getting what I want.

I can be under the power of things I want, and this is not Biblical > our Apostle Paul says >

"I will not be brought under the power of any" (in 1 Corinthians 6:12).

It appears to me that many people's mental troubles are more or less connected to how they can be brought under the power of things around them and things they want. And this is partly because of how in their hearts . . . hearts which are spiritual . . . they have weakness of nature making them able to be destabilized by things . . . either real or imagined. But Jesus makes us strong so things can't get the better of us and be used to control us.

Instead of wishing for surroundings and things and methods and people to satisfy me, I need to become more real in first desiring to please and obey God in His peace > Colossians 3:15. And I need to become much more real in how Jesus has us relating with one another and caring for any and all people.

So, in case my mental issues involve selfish stuff and unloving ways of relating with people, this to me means I need more of how our Father corrects us to relate in His love.

So, my understanding is that if your mental illness includes things which have you mainly caring about your own self, or mainly trying to just use other people for what you want . . . then you need to get stronger in love, and this is why these things can still get the better of you. We all need how God changes our character so we do not give in to unloving things in us, and so things can't be used to control us.

And being sound in our minds includes becoming humble like Jesus > Philippians 2:1-11 tells us to have the mind of Jesus in us.

But . . . also . . . I think of this > we can be saying, oh I'm not like Jesus, I am so terrible, messed-up, failing < but this is not humble, but just criticizing ourselves and our failure . . . so we are not giving our attention to our Father who is able to succeed in us and have us mature in the mind of Christ and how God has us loving and caring for any and all people. So, in case we are not busy with finding out how God has us becoming in His way of loving, this can be why we still are more or less messed up.

Our character can make us weak so we keep giving in to distractions and violating things which keep our attention elsewhere. So, since this is me, in how my mind can function, I need to seek God for how He is able to succeed in us. Methods and control methods are not enough; we need how He cures our nature > Hebrews 12:4-11, 1 John 4:17.

 

[RDKirk]

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." That's somewhat odd. I have not a sound mind. I have a mental illness. How can this be true?

Paul also said: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

And he was certainly aware that there were people born crippled or even maimed and could not run a race. Yet, he still used that turn of phrase. Pretty bad, huh? How terribly unPC of him.