How big is the devil?

[Classik]

How big is the devil that some Christians and others (including Sinners, and people from other religions) lay so much emphasis on him?

Is His presence worth taking into daily account? The bible is all about the Love of God made manifest through His protection and deliverance for us?

 

[Michael74]

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 NIV

 

[smaller]

How big is the devil that some Christians and others (including Sinners, and people from other religions) lay so much emphasis on him?

Is His presence worth taking into daily account? The bible is all about the Love of God made manifest through His protection and deliverance for us?

If the "god of this world" blinds the minds of (all) unbelievers, I'd suggest the phenomena of this wicked spirit is rather universal as it pertains to our current construct.

 

[Blake]

How big is the devil that some Christians and others (including Sinners, and people from other religions) lay so much emphasis on him?

Is His presence worth taking into daily account? The bible is all about the Love of God made manifest through His protection and deliverance for us?

He's certainly prowling about this world and he has his minions in high places. I think we sometimes over-emphasize the "devil made me do it" attitude in the church. I am quite capable of sinning on my own and I don't think I'm high enough on the pay scale to get tempted by the devil in such a way.

 

[smaller]

He's certainly prowling about this world and he has his minions in high places. I think we sometimes over-emphasize the "devil made me do it" attitude in the church. I am quite capable of sinning on my own and I don't think I'm high enough on the pay scale to get tempted by the devil in such a way.

This is just a personal witness Blake. For years and years I thought the same as you note above.

Then, one day, I realized that Mark 4:15 did happen to me. Quite often.

 

[Blake]

This is just a personal witness Blake. For years and years I thought the same as you note above.

Then, one day, I realized that Mark 4:15 did happen to me. Quite often.

You make a really great point that I had never considered before. It definitely changed my perspective.

 

[smaller]

I could write a LOT about this matter, but it does speak to the reality of what The Word deals with in regards to our "internal" temptations, and of whom they are from.

It is actually much easier to "resist" temptations when we know they are not of us, and not from ourselves. I was basically "forced" to engage this, after a serious bout of "sin hunting" in my own life, in the efforts to eradicate sin.

I became stonewalled in the arena of internal temptations, and could NOT stop them from randomly transpiring. Then I had to ask myself what was really going on.

Then, I discovered Paul's statements about these matters, step by step. Romans 7:7-13. Great example. The Word of Law is sown, and immediately thoughts of resistance followed in Paul's mind.

In Romans 7 Paul states that he did things he did not want to do, even doing evil. And force wrestles and pins this down to 'sin indwelling" our own flesh, seemingly with a "mind" of it's own. He says that indwelling sin is NOT HIM. And concludes that evil was in fact present with(in) himself. (Romans 7:21) That evil can do no other than to resist everything about God in Christ. Paul goes well into this matter even further, showing that in his own flesh, there was a "messenger of Satan." (2 Cor. 12:7) And this, I believe, are the temptations of the tempter (or his own, his family if you prefer.) Paul delineated that this "temptation" was in fact, literally "in his own flesh." (Gal. 4:14) This led to Paul's sight of himself as "the chief of sinners" in 1 Tim. 1:15, because he recognizes that Paul was not just Paul. It was Paul and the tempter, internally. When Paul made that statement he was looking at the reality of his "internal self." And it was not just him.

Apostles are 'singled out' just as Paul was, for even greater internal resistance by our mutual adversary. If we observe that we are sinners, and that sin is in fact just as John notes in 1 John 3:8, "of the devil" the math really isn't all that difficult to put together here.

Yet, we find in this reality, that GOD'S GRACE is sufficient for us, REGARDLESS. That does not mean Gods Grace is upon the tempter however.

 

[Ph8th]

How big is the devil ??

In the light of Gods infinitude not even the size of a dust speck

 

[smaller]

In the light of Gods infinitude not even the size of a dust speck

I have a great deal of respect for how God constructed this present world.

And that includes making devils and placing their influences over the flesh.

 

[Ph8th]

I have a great deal of respect for how God constructed this present world.
And that includes making devils and placing their influences over the flesh.

Brother there is one devil. His name is Satan. His minions are other fallen angels and demons do exist. his acts of evil are done through man. I believe the Hebrew word for satan means accuser, adversary, liar, deceiver ect... he is no bigger than the weakness of your faith and the free reign of your flesh.
Jesus defeated satan on the cross this victory belongs to all who are in Him. 1 john 5:4 (NASB)

peter

 

[smaller]

Brother there is one devil. His name is Satan. His minions are other fallen angels and demons do exist. his acts of evil are done through man. I believe the Hebrew word for satan means accuser, adversary, liar, deceiver ect... he is no bigger than the weakness of your faith and the free reign of your flesh.
Jesus defeated satan on the cross this victory belongs to all who are in Him. 1 john 5:4 (NASB)

peter

Like I said, I respect how God made this world and "all" of it's inhabitants:

Romans 11:32
For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

 

[Corn Pop]

Hes only as big as a poisonous snake, but dont worry about that, hes got no head anymore, Jesus stood on it and crushed it.