Does Christianity require the Devil to exist?

[Jaxxi]

I have much studying to do? You are the one asking an absurd question! I know the answer...and no Jesus covered our debt so we could return to God once we left our earthly bodies but Satan was given power over earth and humans. He was not conquered and will always exist. he is an immortal being. Even when defeated by Jesus he will be cast into the abyss for a 1000 years then will be let loose for a time. Rev. 20:3
Do you see that? What Bible is your reference?

 

[AmericanChristian91]

Allow me to show you the obvious.
First, In Isaiah 14:12 in the KJV we read: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”

That quote is not proof that it is referring to the Devil.

For the rest of it......

"How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: 'Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?'"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer#Etymology.2C_Lucifer_or_morning_star

Your quote does make sense in the context of a Babylonian King. Babylonian's saw their King as God and so did the King himself.

 

[Jaxxi]

Morning star in Latin is Lucifer. So who is Lucifer? Its all right there. Youre just looking for a reason to argue.

 

[Gottservant]

Another way of saying this, is: can the law be fulfilled, without there being someone who inevitably breaks the law.

As a possibility, this is true - as a reality, this is (still currently) false.

 

[Imagican]

2KnowHim,
There is NO scripture that you would accept as describing Satan's fall or you would have already found it yourself.
The Bible is NOT an instruction manual. It is a story that give us an introduction to the TRUTH. There is a TON of scripture that has led those that understand it to CLEARLY SEE that Satan was INDEED the most accomplished of angels. And that at some point he rebelled against God and a third of the angels in heaven as well. And after a 'battle', Satan and the angels that followed him in his rebellion were DEFEATED and cast DOWN to their Earth.
While you've obviously chosen to ignore or alter the words that explain this, that doesn't mean that they don't exist. It only means that "SOMETHING" has altered YOUR ability to receive them in understanding. Either that, or you are being deliberately deceptive.
You know, there are MANY that worship Satan yet deny his very existence. One of Satan's most powerful tools is DENIAL. Convincing others that he doesn't even exist. And he uses his minions, both demons and mortals to perpetuate this concept in the eyes and hearts of MANY.
So, let me offer again: There is OBVIOUSLY no scripture you would accept as offering that Satan was an angel cast down from heaven. But the scripture IS there to any and all that read it and understand it.

Blessings,

MEC

 

[Imagican]

Yes, how about ever question I ask you.
And the scriptures that you quoted never mentions Satan, or an angel, or being pushed out of heaven or free will.

They do however say in Isa. that it is "A Man" and is addressing "The king of Babylon." And Eze. is addressing "The Prince of Tyre". And as far as your ref. to Rev. I see no "shooting in the head" or a resurrection after 3 days either.

I don't mean to be blunt but I think you have much studying to do yet.
Those things are taught by the Churches and men, not by The Holy Spirit.

Blessings

Since you have chosen to be so bold, allow me to offer that it is MY belief that it is YOU that need to 'study more'. For it would seem that U 2 have chosen a path of confusion instead of enlightenment. It is not a MAN that is referenced in these scripture but a MAN influenced by Satan in the same manner that Satan was inspired. And any and everyone that has ever read it and understood it knows that it is a comparison, not a statement MADE directly to A MAN.
You have bought a bag of dried up and empty shells. I've heard the same tinkling over and over by those that refuse to acknowledge that Satan is a REAL and practicing ENTITY. Makes one WONDER where the INFLUENCE comes from? Certainly not GOD. For God has warned us about the existence of this 'ENTITY' through almost every prophet, His OWN Son and the apostles.

Blessings,

MEC

 

[2KnowHim]

It is not a MAN that is referenced in these scripture but a MAN influenced by Satan in the same manner that Satan was inspired. And any and everyone that has ever read it and understood it knows that it is a comparison, not a statement MADE directly to A MAN.

Isa 14:4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
Isa 14:16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

I agree as far as The King being influence by something other than God, and yes is referred to as, the serpent, the devil, etc...
But this is talking about a Man, and a King, and not of Satans fall, but The King of Babylon's fall.

Dan 4:29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
Dan 4:30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
Dan 4:31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
Dan 4:33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

Eze 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
Eze 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

Again another King who raises himself above the one who put him as king. Not talking about Satan but the one influenced by the spirit that can be referred to as satan.

There is NO scripture that you would accept as describing Satan's fall or you would have already found it yourself.

Sure there is...
Luk 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Luk 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Eph_2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

This spirit of disobedience is none other than the carnal mind of men, brought on by none other than Adam himself.

Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity (Enemy) against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

This is the ONLY Enemy against God and it is The Carnal mind of men, it is also Death as God sees it.

 

[Albion]

Do you think Christianity being true, requires also that the Devil, the first evil creature (an angel) that predates the universe, has to exist.

Yes.

Or......

Hypothetically speaking, what if there was no ultimate evil intelligence. The Devil in Christian Tradition.......never existed.......

How would that affect the truth of Christianity, and also the nature of sin?

This supposes that what the Bible teaches about Satan would be different. If the revelation and the record revealed something other than it does, of course that would change things. Hypothetically, evil could exist, in that case, without a literal Devil.

 

[willbill]

I beginning to believe the devil is a metaphor, but cannot help noticing how the Bible begs to differ. Jesus Himself refers to a being known as satan. But then again, when Peter tells Christ to not allow Himself to get killed, Jesus says, "Get behind me satan." The Bible also says satan took 1/3 of God's angels - how can that be a metaphor for anything? I just believe that when we say, "satan!" we take the focus off ourselves and blame it one someone else - kind of like how we did at the Garden of Eden. ohhhhh humansssss....