Does It Really Matter If You Believe In The Devil?

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Karlon

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
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#41
Think about it this way. In Buddhism for example, they have a whole process related to thinking. They believe that a thought is just a thought, it doesn't have to be part of you, you are your actions. What they do in meditation is try to let go of the ego (defined as the false sense of self) and attain enlightenment. They do this by letting thoughts surface and then slowly letting them go. This is the best self control training you can do in my experience. There's some debate about whether you should examine those thoughts later, but it's a common practice to let the thoughts go for a time.

Now let's say the devil is putting thoughts in your head, does it really matter if you decide he's the devil or the ego? Different paths, similar choice.
yes, it matters. we are to believe that a devil exists but NOT TO BELIEVE IN HIM! SLOWLY let thoughts go? no way. when a sinful thought enters my brain, i cast it out in the name of Jesus IMMEDIATELY!
 

UnoiAmarah

Junior Member
Jul 28, 2017
907
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#42
Do you not believe Satan/the devil predated the creation and existence of humanity?
So are you asking if he believes that Satan predated the creation (Genesis 1:1) and the creation of man (Genesis 1:26) or the just the creation and existence of human beings?
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
60,135
29,452
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#43
So are you asking if he believes that Satan predated the creation (Genesis 1:1) and the creation of man (Genesis 1:26) or the just the creation and existence of human beings?
My question only asked about the latter: the creation and existence of humanity,
as articulated quite plainly. How could Satan predate creation itself?
Sorry if you found that confusing, though...
 

UnoiAmarah

Junior Member
Jul 28, 2017
907
141
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#44
My question only asked about the latter: the creation and existence of humanity,
as articulated quite plainly.
Well, if Satan was cast out of heaven as the story goes, wouldn't it also go that the 'heaven' which Satan was cast out of would be that third heaven which Paul referenced in his gospel, 2 Corinthians 12:2.

Since the first heaven (Gen. 1:1) created was the expanse of space above the second heaven (Gen. 1:8) being made, and it was the expanse between space and the earth, our atmosphere, then that third heaven would have be beyond the expanse of space which forms the physical universe.
How could Satan predate creation itself?.
That would depend upon which heaven he fell from, was it the first second or third heaven? If he was cast out from the presence of the eternal God then that would be the what is referred unto as the third heaven, right?
Sorry if you found that confusing, though...
No need to apologize, just not quite sure which heaven your doctrine claims Lucifer was cast out of.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
60,135
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#45
Well, if Satan was cast out of heaven as the story goes, wouldn't it also go that the 'heaven' which Satan
was cast out of would be that third heaven which Paul referenced in his gospel, 2 Corinthians 12:2.

Since the first heaven (Gen. 1:1) created was the expanse of space above the second heaven (Gen. 1:8)
being made, and it was the expanse between space and the earth, our atmosphere, then that third
heaven would have be beyond the expanse of space which forms the physical universe.

That would depend upon which heaven he fell from, was it the first second or third heaven? If he was cast out
from the presence of the eternal God then that would be the what is referred unto as the third heaven, right?

No need to apologize, just not quite sure which heaven your doctrine claims Lucifer was cast out of.
As a created being, Satan cannot have predated creation itself (just clarifying that bit).

I would think that yes for sure it was the third heaven, being God's abode.

PS ~ I do hope the OP returns...

*Waves to @Kafziel

I am designing a panel... I wlll dedicate it to him...

:D
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
60,135
29,452
113
#46

John 14:1-3 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.
:)
 

HealthAndHappiness

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2022
10,280
4,329
113
Almost Heaven West Virginia
#47
Think about it this way. In Buddhism for example, they have a whole process related to thinking. They believe that a thought is just a thought, it doesn't have to be part of you, you are your actions. What they do in meditation is try to let go of the ego (defined as the false sense of self) and attain enlightenment. They do this by letting thoughts surface and then slowly letting them go. This is the best self control training you can do in my experience. There's some debate about whether you should examine those thoughts later, but it's a common practice to let the thoughts go for a time.

Now let's say the devil is putting thoughts in your head, does it really matter if you decide he's the devil or the ego? Different paths, similar choice.

Here's where to start.

What the Holy Scriptures Say About Heaven
 

DavyP

Active member
Aug 11, 2024
281
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USA
#48
Think about it this way. In Buddhism for example, they have a whole process related to thinking. They believe that a thought is just a thought, it doesn't have to be part of you, you are your actions. What they do in meditation is try to let go of the ego (defined as the false sense of self) and attain enlightenment. They do this by letting thoughts surface and then slowly letting them go. This is the best self control training you can do in my experience.
That method is a pagan Occult practice and no true Christian should ever be found practicing it. It is of the Occult esoterica because what that practice is actually trying to do is to communicate with the Cosmic, intentionally interrupting one's own thought process in hopes that some kind of "enlightenment" of Divine light might come into the meditator's mind.

What that method in reality does, is to INVITE the spirits to communicate with you, i.e. evil spirits. Those spirits actually exist in that other world. One of the things Occult mystical secret societies teach is that method of meditation to cause that very condition. Helena Blavatsky, a Russian mystic of the late 19th century, used automatic writing to communicate with her supposed 'hidden master'. The Rosicrucian Order teaches their members how to do astral projection into that other world in order to receive teachings from those so-called 'hidden masters', which are in reality spirits in the devil's service. A prime example of what Blavatsky did was like the Ouija board game, except she would sit before paper with pencil in her hand, and go into a trance-like state. She wrote several books like that, given to her by a familiar spirit.

But Biblical meditation is different, and means to 'ponder' a matter, i.e., think, not let one's thoughts go.


Now let's say the devil is putting thoughts in your head, does it really matter if you decide he's the devil or the ego? Different paths, similar choice.
[/quote]

Yes it most definitely does... matter. Simply because the devil is an actual separate entity, and not a person's ego. The ego, or the Id as called in psychology, is the mind of the actual person, not the devil. God made us with a spirit, with a soul, and attached it to flesh and blood that He created.
 

DavyP

Active member
Aug 11, 2024
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USA
#49
I think perhaps he's a personification of the dark side of mankind, or one could say the worldly side of mankind. It's not best if you view your dark side as part of your identity though, because then you may begin to follow it. They call him "the beast" and I have this idea that mankind is the "god beast" which I would describe as the point at which a beast conjoins with a god, so in theory we are where good meets evil, where enlightenment meets instinct, which is why we have so much more free will than any other creature on this planet.

I don't mean to say there aren't evil spirits that walk the earth though. I just am not sure they're fallen angels, I mean there's enough bad people that walked the earth and passed on that you don't really need demons to walk the earth.
You definitely need to study The Bible more and quit listening to the Occultists who obviously have influenced your errors of thinking.

Today's secret initiate fraternities represent Satan's host. Some of them even claim that you have to be a Christian in order to join. What better way for Satan's host to pinpoint his attack upon God's people than to make sure God's people are part of his organization on earth. Much of this type of working by secret societies were discovered in the 19th century with groups in Bavaria like Weishaupt's Illuminati. One of his agents was found dead with many documents and private letters of the Illuminati order by the Bavarian police. That is when knowledge of the Illuminati came out in the open in Europe and was banned, because in its documents it proclaimed its aim to end all monarchs, governments of Europe, and overthrow Christianity. Their documents revealed the Illuminati order was structured into two main groups that operated separately, the Lesser Mysteries for the lower membership, and the Greater Mysteries for the real controlling higher members that had the secret plan.

To read about that leaked documentation of the Illuminati organization, British naturalist John Robison documented it in his 1798 book Proofs Of A Conspiracy. The Abbe Barruel who lived in that era documented those Illuminati papers also in his 1797 book Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism.
 

Clayman

Active member
May 30, 2021
363
100
43
#50
Does it really matter if you believe in the devil?
Well yes and no, I would say it helps to understand how humans, and the sin nature works out in peoples lives, so if one looks at Satan's slow decline from being the highest and brightest of creation to his fall, we know what to look out for, so we can guard ourselves against sin. Also we can see the world and man following Satan's decline so to speak.
I think perhaps he's a personification of the dark side of mankind, or one could say the worldly side of mankind.
That is pretty much how I view Satan, he is personification of sin, I think the bible uses him brilliantly as an example or pattern of sin.

In the gospel accounts Satan and the other fallen angels while spirit beings physically manifested themselves in humans, they could also talk to men, for example when the demon said to Jesus "my name is legion for we are many" it was real for we would also have heard him if we were there.

This does not happen today as all the angels that sinned are cast out and now bound. Peter for example records this fact for us about 20 years after the crucifixion.

In the non Christian world Satan and the other fallen angels are pretty much counted as not existing, as they currently don't wander the earth, obviously there is a difference from the gospel accounts where fallen angels were active and all would have believed in demons as a fact, as it's hard to ignore a physical reality.

Today Christians seem to want to give a place of power and prominence to Satan and demons I wonder if they even know it's a form of worship, he is not even here and yet he is still literally the god of the world for some.

Anyway that's another topic, I for one do not give Satan or the fallen angels any place of prominence or ability to affect me in anyway, I see any problems I have as a result of sin affecting me and my thinking, I do not want to follow Satan's footsteps at all, and if he can fall, then I am just as, if not more susceptible to give birth to sinful desires which in turn turns to rebelling against my creator.

So I drown myself in Gods Word, He is the best protection against our sinful nature, He Has set the pattern of living He wants for us all, which He knows is best for us, in turn this brings us true understanding, contentment and happiness.
 

Bruce_Leiter

Active member
Feb 17, 2023
427
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#51
One very good method of interpreting the Bible is to assume what it assumes. For example, the Bible uses male pronouns for God, so I do too. The Bible assumes that God created the universe and humans, so I do too. And the Bible assumes that the devil is a real, evil, fallen angel, so I do too. Examples:

Eph_6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
1Ti_3:6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1Ti_3:7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
2Ti_2:26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Heb_2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
Jas_4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1Pe_5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1Jn_3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Of course, the devil is real and is always attacking true believers. However, we must resist him in prayer by claiming the victory of Jesus.
 

DavyP

Active member
Aug 11, 2024
281
95
28
USA
#52
One very good method of interpreting the Bible is to assume what it assumes. For example, the Bible uses male pronouns for God, so I do too. The Bible assumes that God created the universe and humans, so I do too. And the Bible assumes that the devil is a real, evil, fallen angel, so I do too. Examples:

Eph_6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
1Ti_3:6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1Ti_3:7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
2Ti_2:26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Heb_2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
Jas_4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1Pe_5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1Jn_3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Of course, the devil is real and is always attacking true believers. However, we must resist him in prayer by claiming the victory of Jesus.
Per what Jesus showed in Luke 10, we have power over the devil and his demons. Simply cast them back to the pit in the name of Jesus Christ when you feel tempted or bothered by them. They will get tired of messin' with you casting them back into the pit, and will leave you alone. Anoint yourself, your loved ones, and your door post with oil, in the name of Jesus Christ, which is a Christian practice per James 5:14.