God vs. the Devil

[newton3005]

Toward the beginning, God created man and woman. In Genesis 1:28 He commands them to “be fruitful and multiply.” What was God’s intent but to see his creation spread on the earth. And in later passages in the Bible, He anticipates man continuing for thousands of generations. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations...” It takes about 20 years to make a generation, so a thousand of such generations amounts to 20,000 years. God then presumes his commandments will be kept 20,000 years after He gave the Law to Moses. So, we still have about 14,000 years to go.

God provided living quarters along with an infrastructure in Eden for Adam and Eve, including food, to make a decent start. And in Genesis 2:15, God puts Adam in Eden to work the ground and he makes Eve fertile.

The devil, out of his hatred of God, attempts to thwart God’s good intentions. And from the time that the devil first fell to earth, he wrestles God over the soul of man. His first deed was to trick Adam and Eve into eating from the Tree of Good and Evil, something the Lord forbade them to do. Thus, Adam and Eve committed the first sin of man.

From then on, the earth was the devil’s domain, and he unleashed lightning bolts of temptation upon man, even among those who strive for righteousness, to thwart God’s good intentions. To this day, the devil tempts us to do things like destroy the earth’s ability to sustain life. Many have fallen for this temptation. There are other temptations, all designed to counter God’s wish that He keep his love for man to a thousand generations.

Anything that goes against God is evil and plays into the hands of the devil. The poet John Donne, in his poem For Whom the Bell Tolls, says “Each man’s death diminishes me.” To paraphrase him, each man’s actions of evil diminishes us. In God’s name, then, it is up to us to counter the evil that manifests itself on others and to rid the affected ones of the evil within.

A cynic may ask, ‘Where in the Bible does it say for me to rescue others from their evil pursuits?’ Good question. It stems from Jesus’ second commandment, which is to love your neighbor as you love yourself. As you yourself would strive to avoid evil, you love your neighbor by encouraging him to do the same. But if that sounds too obtuse, the following passages may help:

1 Timothy 2:1- First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

Romans 15:1- We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak...

Galatians 6:1- Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness...

God did not create us to be islands unto ourselves. Our actions affect others in ways that are good or evil. What is the goodness of God increases us and what is the evil of the devil diminishes us.

 

[childeye 2]

Toward the beginning, God created man and woman. In Genesis 1:28 He commands them to “be fruitful and multiply.” What was God’s intent but to see his creation spread on the earth. And in later passages in the Bible, He anticipates man continuing for thousands of generations. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations...” It takes about 20 years to make a generation, so a thousand of such generations amounts to 20,000 years. God then presumes his commandments will be kept 20,000 years after He gave the Law to Moses. So, we still have about 14,000 years to go.

God provided living quarters along with an infrastructure in Eden for Adam and Eve, including food, to make a decent start. And in Genesis 2:15, God puts Adam in Eden to work the ground and he makes Eve fertile.

The devil, out of his hatred of God, attempts to thwart God’s good intentions. And from the time that the devil first fell to earth, he wrestles God over the soul of man. His first deed was to trick Adam and Eve into eating from the Tree of Good and Evil, something the Lord forbade them to do. Thus, Adam and Eve committed the first sin of man.

From then on, the earth was the devil’s domain, and he unleashed lightning bolts of temptation upon man, even among those who strive for righteousness, to thwart God’s good intentions. To this day, the devil tempts us to do things like destroy the earth’s ability to sustain life. Many have fallen for this temptation. There are other temptations, all designed to counter God’s wish that He keep his love for man to a thousand generations.

Anything that goes against God is evil and plays into the hands of the devil. The poet John Donne, in his poem For Whom the Bell Tolls, says “Each man’s death diminishes me.” To paraphrase him, each man’s actions of evil diminishes us. In God’s name, then, it is up to us to counter the evil that manifests itself on others and to rid the affected ones of the evil within.

A cynic may ask, ‘Where in the Bible does it say for me to rescue others from their evil pursuits?’ Good question. It stems from Jesus’ second commandment, which is to love your neighbor as you love yourself. As you yourself would strive to avoid evil, you love your neighbor by encouraging him to do the same. But if that sounds too obtuse, the following passages may help:

1 Timothy 2:1- First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

Romans 15:1- We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak...

Galatians 6:1- Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness...

God did not create us to be islands unto ourselves. Our actions affect others in ways that are good or evil. What is the goodness of God increases us and what is the evil of the devil diminishes us.

The evil of Satan that diminishes us is the false imagery of god that returns evil for evil and promotes a do it to them before they do it to you attitude based on cynicism and distrust. The goodness of God that upholds us is the True Image of God that returns good for evil in agape love, and promotes a see others as yourself and love others as yourself attitude.

 

[BobRyan]

The Bible presents man and the devil at war with each other in Ephesian 6 and presents God as having given mankind supernatural weapons based in scripture to resist the devil. (Along with the holy Angels at war with Satan Rev 12)

2 Cor 10:4 calls the devil "the god of this world".

Matt 4 and Luke 4 present the devil as telling Christ "This world has been handed over to me and I give it to whomever I wish".

Rev 12 points to the devil as losing the war in heaven and cast out -

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Matt 7 says that at the end of the world "only the few" will be saved - and Rev 13 shows all the world following after the devil at the end - just before Christ's appearing in Rev 19.

In Rev 16 the devil gathers all nations to make war against the devil's foe.
Inn Rev 19 we see that war with God and the armies of heaven appearing in the sky - while all the armies of Earth are assembled to fight back (as that chapter states).

At the end of Rev 19 --- all the lost are killed.

1 Thess 4:13-18 (And Matt 24) tell us that at that appearing of Christ in Rev 19 - all the saints are taken (raptured) to heaven.

What is left on earth in that case? Jeremiah 4 says Earth is left desolate , no humans on earth and all the cities in ruins. That is the home of Satan for the 1000 years of Rev 20. After that we see the "second resurrection" event in Rev 20 where all the lost are resurrected and surround the city of God - but at that point God judges all the lost and casts them into the lake of fire - along with the devil/Satan

 

[The Righterzpen]

And in later passages in the Bible, He anticipates man continuing for thousands of generations. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations...”

Well this is an interesting passage. Yet if you look at the Hebrew "to a thousand generations" doesn't automatically predicate that history is going to make it in this time and space "to a thousand generations" either.

I suspect this phrase is like unto "1000 years millennia reign". (We are now nearly an extra 1000 years past a literal 1000 years.) Granted there are various interpretations of that; but I would not automatically assume it's a literal 1000 generations.

The devil, out of his hatred of God, attempts to thwart God’s good intentions. And from the time that the devil first fell to earth, he wrestles God over the soul of man.

More like Satan throws temper tantrums over "the souls of men". God is the One and only who is sovereign in salvation. Not exactly an even match!

His first deed was to trick Adam and Eve into eating from the Tree of Good and Evil, something the Lord forbade them to do.

Scripture states though that Adam was not deceived. (1 Timothy 2:14) Now what could have been going through Adam's head; I suppose is up to speculation. But it certainly could not be said to be a case of "the devil made me do it".

God did not create us to be islands unto ourselves. Our actions affect others in ways that are good or evil. What is the goodness of God increases us and what is the evil of the devil diminishes us.

Here's an interesting verse:
John 17:9
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.