The role of the devil- The tempter!

[Chris.]

Something I have been thinking about recently is the role of the devil in our lives and that of bible characters.

From the very beginning in the Genesis account the the Serpent did only tempt Eve. And once tempted it was her undoing.

When Jesus had his time with the devil it was temptation Jesus had to endure to pass a test.

In both accounts nothing is written about the devil harming them physically.


In the book of Job where Satan does affect Job physically it is a temptation to make him curse God.

This got me to wondering if the main role of the devil is mainly tempting us into division from God by playing on our sin weaknesses more so than physically harming us.

 

[Pard]

I'd say there is truth here.

I recall in Job that Satan came to God and God allowed him to tempt Job to an even greater extent, by taking away what he had without just cause.

Satan has two capacities in the Bible. Firstly, he is the tempter. He tempts us into doing what is wrong and what is sinful. And secondly Satan (and as the Hebrew calls him, Ha-Satan) is the accuser. He accuses us with his lies until we believe and we doubt.

 

[former atheist]

Realize also that Satan has no real power. Satan cannot even create or destroy no more than you or I can with consideration to our mortality.

Satan cannot force anyone to do anything! Satan has been around a very long time comparatively to our time spent here on Earth as we know it now; and Satan has this advantage: how long and how well it knows human nature and its weaknesses of Willpower.

However, against a Christian with good Biblical instruction and a healthy relationship with God, Satan shouldn’t even be given much thought other than to realize, that when we are tempted to sin, we should know where that heavy temptation could be coming from, so that it is much easier to resist and defeat.

 

[DarkHorseRising]

No doubt that Satan can tempt, and does.

It is somewhat in dispute if he has the power to physically cause harm.

I say it's probably better not to find out.

 

[Chris.]

Realize also that Satan has no real power. Satan cannot even create or destroy no more than you or I can with consideration to our mortality.

Satan cannot force anyone to do anything! Satan has been around a very long time comparatively to our time spent here on Earth as we know it now; and Satan has this advantage: how long and how well it knows human nature and its weaknesses of Willpower.

However, against a Christian with good Biblical instruction and a healthy relationship with God, Satan shouldn’t even be given much thought other than to realize, that when we are tempted to sin, we should know where that heavy temptation could be coming from, so that it is much easier to resist and defeat.

I know this might sound weird but since satan is not omnipresent, I wonder if my own onboard evil desires of my mortality allows him not to visit regular.

I am sure when I eat too much or drink that one glass of wine that leads to drunkenness maybe it is not a visit from the devil but me being my own worst enemy. Surely I cant give him credit for all my free will actions.

i would cridit Satan with owning TV stations and websites. I think he visits me high tech these days.

 

[Pard]

I know this might sound weird but since satan is not omnipresent, I wonder if my own onboard evil desires of my mortality allows him not to visit regular.

I am sure when I eat too much or drink that one glass of wine that leads to drunkenness maybe it is not a visit from the devil but me being my own worst enemy. Surely I cant give him credit for all my free will actions.

i would cridit Satan with owning TV stations and websites. I think he visits me high tech these days.

Satan isn't alone in his fight against all that is good, he is joined by his horde of angels. Look in Revelations and you will see that Satan is cast into the fire along with his brood and they are many in number and very willing to do what Satan bids them in your life. And also remember that people can be an agent of Satan too. Judas comes to mind...

 

[Mike]

I agree that there is the mistake of projecting omnipresent powers that only God Himself has, making more of Satan than he is. He's just a created angel. Still he and his demons should never be under-estimated.

Luke 13 describes a cripple who was brought to Jesus, and He attributes her affliction to the evil one. This along with Job tells me, while the Lord has altimate Authority, Satan still has an ability within limits to inflict harm upon us. I believe it's clear in scripture that this will continue until Christ's return.

 

[Kidron]

I agree that there is the mistake of projecting omnipresent powers that only God Himself has, making more of Satan than he is. He's just a created angel. Still he and his demons should never be under-estimated.

Luke 13 describes a cripple who was brought to Jesus, and He attributes her affliction to the evil one. This along with Job tells me, while the Lord has altimate Authority, Satan still has an ability within limits to inflict harm upon us. I believe it's clear in scripture that this will continue until Christ's return.

Yes indeed.
Satan is still the "god" of this world.
He is the spiritual father of a lost person.
A lost person has the nature of the devil and does not have God's nature until they have a new birth in/by the Spirit.

You will recall that in John 8:44 Jesus pointed out the nature of the pharisees and who was their father.

Satan is the author of lust, lying, temptation, and murder, and so, it is his nature that is our old man, and is the very nature of an unbeliever.
Satan's nature IS the fallen Adamic nature.

In 1st John 3:8 you are told that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.
This is interesting , as if you read your bible you've noted that all Jesus did was heal the sick or cast out "devils".
This signifies the classic work of the Devil, which is to make sick or possess.

In John 10:10 and Malachi 3:10,11 your bible teaches that the 2 main works of the devil, (who is listed in those verses as "he", and "the destroyer" so that you understand that these verses are not speaking of a "force", but rather an entity)...those verses teach you that the work of the devil in the life of a person is to steal from them, destroy them, and kill them.
Malachi 3 refers to the devil stealing your finances and 1st John 3 refers to the devil making you sick.
So the devil's "works" are to steal your finances and your peace, and your health, and your life.
Jesus, came to give you abundant life, heal you, finance you, and give you his "peace".

What the devil tries to take, or has taken from you, Jesus came to restore..

Now that Jesus is gone, we are here as his Royal Priesthood to do the very same works Jesus did, as he is doing them through us..
And our work is to destroy the works of the enemy just like he did.
And we are equipped to do it, as we have his power, his authority, and access to all that God has, all that God is, and all that God can do.
Its our position, legally, based on our blood bought redemption that has restored us as Sons of God, just like Jesus is a Son of God, to do the very same works as he did.
Thats our ministry.
Anything else is not Gods will, as God's will for us is the same as it was for the original SON of God.






K

 

[Asyncritus]

Don't you all find it just a little bit odd that Jesus says:

Mk 7. 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Has He missed out anything evil from that list?

And guess where it all comes from?

 

[Chris.]

Don't you all find it just a little bit odd that Jesus says:

Mk 7. 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Has He missed out anything evil from that list?

And guess where it all comes from?

I see what you mean, its like our human nature is being paralleled with the devil from those passage read in conjnction with others listed above.

Even after salvation part of us is still devil like and part is Christ like, and the battle between good and evil rages in us like the one in the angelic realm.







I dont think its as easy as "The devil made me do it". we must also consider bible references to our humanity.


1 Peter 2
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.

James 1
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Then later in James 4 it states:

4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

4 You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”[c]

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

I wonder if the devil there is metaphorical of our human nature as well as a spiritual entity.