If you aren't on God's side does that put you on satans side?

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Interestingly, all that is against God's creation, not against God. Where does Satan shake his fist at God? Where does Satan refuse to believe in God?

For that matter, where does Satan actually even disobey God? When does God say, "Satan go..." and Satan says, "No?" Why even into the New Testament do we see Satan still needing to ask God's permission to act?

If you have or had many children,
and your neighbor played up to you,
but sought to seriously , very seriously injure your sons and daughters,
even to kill them,

would that one doing that be your enemy ? Or would you just pat him on the back ?

 

[RDKirk]

If you have or had many children,
and your neighbor played up to you,
but sought to seriously , very seriously injure your sons and daughters,
even to kill them,

would that one doing that be your enemy ? Or would you just pat him on the back ?

However, the point of the OP sets Satan up in direct opposition to God, as though Satan had inherent power to oppose God. That is erroneous.

Satan does not have a "side" in opposition to God. Man is in opposition to God--Satan is on man's side in that opposition. Satan enables and encourages man's opposition to God.

It's important for people, particularly Christians, to understand that "The devil made me do it" is false. The evil we do is out of our own nature. Satan is merely an enabler.

 

[Robban]

It just occurred to me as I read this just now, this is so very true,
yes, so very true.

Oh, Yahweh Elohim, Yahweh Echad did not change , of course not - He never changes.

But the 'god' of this world, the god religions get all mixed up by and about, yes, became more powerful/ over more people, by the world's government.

Only now did it just occur to you?

 

[Rajni]

Interestingly, all that is against God's creation, not against God. Where does Satan shake his fist at God? Where does Satan refuse to believe in God?

For that matter, where does Satan actually even disobey God? When does God say, "Satan go..." and Satan says, "No?" Why even into the New Testament do we see Satan still needing to ask God's permission to act?

This is something to consider.

There's the passage in Job 1, where God actually gives Satan a project: "Have you considered Job?"

In fact, there's a conflation in verses 11 and 12 from God stretching out His hand and striking everything Job has and Satan being given that assignment.

Satan doesn't do squat without God's permission. As a lover of God myself, that takes a good chunk of the "spiritual warfare" melodrama out of the picture.

I'm more in the Bill Hicks camp: "It's just a ride."

-

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Only now did it just occur to yoi?

Not in life. The truth has always been truth, unchanged.

"Only now" Posting simply as related to the post quoted just as I read it.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Satan is merely an enabler.

Hmmm..... well, as an 'enabler', MERELY!?!? , he certainly 'enabled' a lot of posters on this site,
and all over the world,
to their doom
apart from Christ
and opposed to Christ.

 

[Phil 1:21]

Satan doesn't do squat without God's permission. As a lover of God myself, that takes a good chunk of the "spiritual warfare" melodrama out of the picture.

Interesting perspective. The fact that God is sovereign means He has the ultimate authority over the power of satan; that satan can only do what he does because God allows him the power to do it. It's the same irony whereby those who mock and deny God are only capable of doing so because He gives them the ability to make that decision.

Of course, that isn't to say God is making them mock and deny Him anymore than He makes satan do the things he does. Just because He gives someone the power to make decisions does not necessarily mean He makes those decisions for them. If I give my son the keys to my car and he decides to drive it into a tree, it's not because I told him to hit the tree.

 

[RDKirk]

Interesting perspective. The fact that God is sovereign means He has the ultimate authority over the power of satan; that satan can only do what he does because God allows him the power to do it. It's the same irony whereby those who mock and deny God are only capable of doing so because He gives them the ability to make that decision.

Of course, that isn't to say God is making them mock and deny Him anymore than He makes satan do the things he does. Just because He gives someone the power to make decisions does not necessarily mean He makes those decisions for them. If I give my son the keys to my car and he decides to drive it into a tree, it's not because I told him to hit the tree.

God is more than that. He didn't just wind Satan up and let him go.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Satan continues to exist only because God continually wills him to exist. If God "forgot" Satan, Satan would cease to exist.

 

[Phil 1:21]

Satan continues to exist only because God continually wills him to exist. If God "forgot" Satan, Satan would cease to exist.

Well, that's not really what I said, but okay.

 

[Robban]

Not in life. The truth has always been truth, unchanged.

"Only now" Posting simply as related to the post quoted just as I read it.

Have changed my post, I do not type in bold text.

Not that I care, just wondering.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Have changed my post, I do not type in bold text.

Not that I care, just wondering.

So , you don't understand underlining and highlighting to show the emphasis being replied to ?
Continue to wonder - it might be good.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Well, that's not really what I said, but okay.

Happens a lot on the forum, and yes, it is always(almost) permitted, because it cannot be avoided, such is the understanding of people so mixed up...

Even or also remember, the disciples got things wrong, and Jesus corrected them, and even rebuked them at times, and chastised them,
as
Yahweh directs our correction also, (Hebrews chapter 11ff)
which is not pleasant at the time,
but always for our best good as Yahweh Knows Perfectly.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

If God "forgot" Satan, Satan would cease to exist.

So ? How does that affect anyone or everyone ?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Only now did it just occur to you?

Perhaps this is better ?
"Only now" yes, it just occurred to me to reply to the post.
The information, though, I've known for much longer. So not "only now".

Happy ?

 

[Blood Bought 1953]

Interestingly, all that is against God's creation, not against God. Where does Satan shake his fist at God? Where does Satan refuse to believe in God?

For that matter, where does Satan actually even disobey God? When does God say, "Satan go..." and Satan says, "No?" Why even into the New Testament do we see Satan still needing to ask God's permission to act?

The only reason that Satan is not ruler of the universe is because his power is less powerful than God.God remains God not because of His love.....God is God because of His power....the love of God is icing on the cake....Satan has much power and is ruler of this fallen world....butGod has him on a short leash

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

The only reason that Satan is not ruler of the universe is because his power is less powerful than God.

Perhaps God set him up as the ruler of the universe....
God sets up who He wants to,
God brings down who He wants to,
all orchestrated by God, as God Says, in God's Time, Perfectly !

 

[Blood Bought 1953]

Yes. I am a heretic, I have devoted my life to opposing christ. I long for the days when the Sleeping God will awake, bringing his faithful into his sacred house in R'lyeh. Long live Evil! Long live the Great Cthulhu!

You opposing Christ is like an ant shaking his fist at an oncoming freight train.....good luck with that....I bet youAre a lot of fun at parties!

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

You opposing Christ is like an ant shaking his fist at an oncoming freight train.....good luck with that....I bet youAre a lot of fun at parties!

umm..... a tiny ant (or bug) can derail a freight train today... (let's see if someone knows how)... (it has happened a few times, or something just as dramatic) ...

so there might be a better analogy ....

 

[RDKirk]

So ? How does that affect anyone or everyone ?

One is hardly an effective "enemy" when one's very existence depends on the positive will of the other. Satan is not an "enemy" of God (at least not from God's point of view), when Satan depends on God's positive will for his very existence.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

One is hardly an effective "enemy" when one's very existence depends on the positive will of the other. Satan is not an "enemy" of God (at least not from God's point of view), when Satan depends on God's positive will for his very existence.

What church teaches that way ? - I've seen many many different teachings and where they are from,
but not this one.