Talking to Satan

Tellyontellyon said:

Hello, I'm a Buddhist but not sure what to believe at the moment, but I'm exploring Christianity and praying for Jesus to guide me. I'm trying to be open minded.
I read in the Bible that Jesus was talking to Satan in the desert...
When praying it is usually about talking to God/Jesus and listening for an answer.

But should we also talk to, remonstrate with Satan. Should we say to Satan that we've seen what he's up to, and identify his activities as a way to avoid getting sucked into something wrong?
Is that something you usually do in Christianity?

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No, that's not something a Christian does.

If a person were to "talk to Satan" the answers would be lies. When we see good, such as giving to the poor, Satan represents the opposite, such as stealing from the poor. When we show mercy as good, mercy for evil is the opposite.

There's too much of that going around as it is.

Tellyontellyon said:

Hello, I'm a Buddhist but not sure what to believe at the moment, but I'm exploring Christianity and praying for Jesus to guide me. I'm trying to be open minded.
I read in the Bible that Jesus was talking to Satan in the desert...
When praying it is usually about talking to God/Jesus and listening for an answer.

But should we also talk to, remonstrate with Satan. Should we say to Satan that we've seen what he's up to, and identify his activities as a way to avoid getting sucked into something wrong?
Is that something you usually do in Christianity?

Click to expand...

There are a good many Christians like myself who regard Satan metaphorically. We say, in essence, that "We have met The Enemy and he is us."

If you could talk to Satan, he wouldn't tell you anything helpful. He'd try to deceive and manipulate you.

Tellyontellyon said:

Would you please say more about this.

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God didn't create Satan, man did. Satan (ha'shaitan) occurs by name in the Old Testament in the parable we call the Book of Job, and here it's clear that the angel Satan is not the Devil! The Devil is supposedly banished from the presence of God, yet in Job, Satan is allowed to talk with and to come and go from God's presence and on a mission for God yet! What's going on? Satan here is not "the Devil" but sort of God's prosecuting attorney, an unwelcome character but not an evil one. There is a very common perception that the 'Lucifer' in Isaiah 14:12ff refers to Satan, the supernatural personification of evil. This misconception comes from two sources. The first is wishful thinking in the sense that it is nice to think that 'the Enemy' will get his come-uppance eventually. The second has to do with the old caution that scripture is to be read only 'in context'. This requires going back and reading all of Isaiah 13 and the earlier verses in Isaiah 14. When this is done we suddenly realize that scripture is not speaking of a supernatural Satan at all but of a Babylonian king with an immense ego. Read Isaiah 14: " 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:" What follows is a long rant against this oppressive king filled with numerous reference to his human nature like Isaiah 14: "16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, 17 the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?" This passage is in no way a reference to Satan or the devil. The Jews did not originally believe in devils but they picked up this concept during the Babylonian Exile from the Persians who followed Zoroastrianism. The Zoroastrians believed in both a god of good (Ahura-Mazda) and a god of evil (Ahrulman) engaged in a cosmic struggle. The Jews picked up and ran with this idea. It was easy to cast YHWH in the role of the God of good. They took also the angel ha'shaitan (Satan) in the book of Job and recast that character as Satan the near divine force of evil. Up to that time, their concept of God was of a being responsible for everything, both good and evil. Isaiah 45:”7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” is just one quote that demonstrates this. The Jews never connected Satan to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. It was the second-century Christian martyr, Justin of Samaria, who was first to argue that Satan appeared as a serpent to tempt Adam and Eve to disobey God. It was also the third-century Christian philosopher Origen of Alexandria who was the first to suggest that Lucifer actually was Satan or the devil.

Aside from all this, I take full responsibility for whatever evil I have done without excuse or effort to share the blame.

We can quote Scripture against his lies, i do all the time, that works well. See satan can easily manipulate your reality to make you experience lies. Scripture protects us from him on all fronts. The truth is who we love, the lie is what we hate.

It is best to ignore satan as much as possible he is very able to turn our inner reality against us. Looking at him is usually all it takes for us to fall.

A loving faith in Jesus wins the day against unbelief and doubt and exposes the works of satan in our lives and sets us free from them.

Be of good courage.

JackRT said:

There are a good many Christians like myself who regard Satan metaphorically. We say, in essence, that "We have met The Enemy and he is us."

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Hi Jack, so from the POV of Christians such as yourself, Matthew 4 amounts to the Lord talking to and being in a spiritual battle .. with Himself? Does that also mean that you believe the Lord Jesus Christ is both God ~and~ Satan?

Here's the passage that I am referring to:

Thanks!

--David

..

Tellyontellyon said:

Hello, I'm a Buddhist but not sure what to believe at the moment, but I'm exploring Christianity and praying for Jesus to guide me. I'm trying to be open minded.
I read in the Bible that Jesus was talking to Satan in the desert...
When praying it is usually about talking to God/Jesus and listening for an answer.

But should we also talk to, remonstrate with Satan. Should we say to Satan that we've seen what he's up to, and identify his activities as a way to avoid getting sucked into something wrong?
Is that something you usually do in Christianity?

Click to expand...

We don't really talk to Satan. I mean, some people do out of anxiety mumble things at him (like I have), but we don't spend time conversing with him. It would be a strange thing to do regardless.

Tellyontellyon said:

But should we also talk to, remonstrate with Satan. Should we say to Satan that we've seen what he's up to, and identify his activities as a way to avoid getting sucked into something wrong?
Is that something you usually do in Christianity?

Click to expand...

No because we are not Jesus Christ.

Add to this that the last humans who conducted a conversation with Satan ended up getting us all cursed.

....

Well, the disciples and Jesus both spoke to demons. We can rebuke evil forces, always through Jesus' name, claiming his blood on our behalf. It's not something I do all the time, but it's helpful when under spiritual attack.

Personally I keep my eyes on Jesus. If I'm being harassed by demons then I pray more but keep my focus on God.

redleghunter said:

No because we are not Jesus Christ.

Add to this that the last humans who conducted a conversation with Satan ended up getting us all cursed.

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Ah, but Muhammad and Joseph Smith had some strange "encounters" with two different "angels." One wonders!

Tellyontellyon said:

Hello, I'm a Buddhist but not sure what to believe at the moment, but I'm exploring Christianity and praying for Jesus to guide me. I'm trying to be open minded.
I read in the Bible that Jesus was talking to Satan in the desert...
When praying it is usually about talking to God/Jesus and listening for an answer.

But should we also talk to, remonstrate with Satan. Should we say to Satan that we've seen what he's up to, and identify his activities as a way to avoid getting sucked into something wrong?
Is that something you usually do in Christianity?

Click to expand...

The only thing that ever needs to be said to the devil is "Go away".

-CryptoLutheran

Tellyontellyon said:

Hello, I'm a Buddhist but not sure what to believe at the moment, but I'm exploring Christianity and praying for Jesus to guide me. I'm trying to be open minded.
I read in the Bible that Jesus was talking to Satan in the desert...
When praying it is usually about talking to God/Jesus and listening for an answer.

But should we also talk to, remonstrate with Satan. Should we say to Satan that we've seen what he's up to, and identify his activities as a way to avoid getting sucked into something wrong?
Is that something you usually do in Christianity?

Click to expand...

No. Satan in his very nature is more intelligent than man, and any discussion with him will lead to you being manipulated by him.

Tellyontellyon said:

Hello, I'm a Buddhist but not sure what to believe at the moment, but I'm exploring Christianity and praying for Jesus to guide me. I'm trying to be open minded.
I read in the Bible that Jesus was talking to Satan in the desert...
When praying it is usually about talking to God/Jesus and listening for an answer.

But should we also talk to, remonstrate with Satan. Should we say to Satan that we've seen what he's up to, and identify his activities as a way to avoid getting sucked into something wrong?
Is that something you usually do in Christianity?

Click to expand...

Since satan is a liar and the father of lies, I would pass when it comes to chatting with him. But I wouldn't think a Buddhist would acknowledge a personal evil being...or would he?

Tellyontellyon said:

Hello, I'm a Buddhist but not sure what to believe at the moment, but I'm exploring Christianity and praying for Jesus to guide me. I'm trying to be open minded.
I read in the Bible that Jesus was talking to Satan in the desert...
When praying it is usually about talking to God/Jesus and listening for an answer.

But should we also talk to, remonstrate with Satan. Should we say to Satan that we've seen what he's up to, and identify his activities as a way to avoid getting sucked into something wrong?
Is that something you usually do in Christianity?

Click to expand...

Generally not. Jesus was refuting lies and temptations that were audibly being given to him by Satan. Since Satan likes attention and can utilize that to deceive and otherwise harm people, don't give that level of attention to him. He doesn't deserve it, and you don't need it.

SE

It's possible that the tempter was an actual, conscious spirit-being; but it's also possible that these were simply the human thoughts that would occur to someone who's mulling over what it means to be the embodiment of God on earth. I lean toward the latter.J[/QUOTE]
Interesting!

As I believe someone asked earlier in this thread, do you believe that anything in the Bible is actual/real, or is it all myth and allegory?

I guess I should also ask, if you believe that at least some things in the Bible are real/exist, but you don't believe that demons/fallen angels exist, do you believe that there is a Heavenly Host, that elect/holy angels exist (and if so, why do you believe that they do)?

Finally, assuming that you consider at least some of the Bible to be about events that actually took place, and about people who actually lived, how do you decide which parts of it are true, and which parts are mythical instead?

Thanks!

--David