Flip Wilson is famous for the line, "The Devil made me do it". Many Christians also believe the devil talks to them. I believe God speaks to us via His Holy Spirit. The devil, not having a similar representation of himself, does not speak to us in the same manner. The devil is neither omniscient, omnipotent, nor omnipresent. Most of those "negative" voices we hear are our own, influenced by our fallen nature and sin. Others are memories of things spoken to us by people from our past.
Christians need to stop giving the devil more power than he already has. That may be useful to fire up a congregation to throw more in the offering plate, but it's not valid.
© Emittravel 2015
The Devil, as in Satan or Lucifer himself, no, probably not - but mostly because he doesn't need to bother. But demons definitely do speak, in a variety of ways. Scripture is fairly clear about both. Neither Satan or his followers are, as you say, omni-anything, but they are real and both know what's going on and are influencing what is.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to post this as anything but "anonymous," so let's just say I'm (not the Devil, but:)
mike Hawver
I understand, but then we have to juggle scriptures to present the devil as a master strategist - coordinating billions of fallen angels (demons). I find enough just trying to reconcile God's omniscience with His having angels walking to and fro throughout the earth reporting back, as if God needs them to report for Him. I do believe God can be such a strategist and tactician, but scratch my head over His need to function in that role. The devil, who according to scripture, started out as a "worship leader" who had a bad accident with a truck carrying musical instruments, now is able to coordinate like that. Again, it sounds like we're giving the devil much more power. God may have the ability to oversee an entire universe AND care about your individual hopes and cares, but the devil? I'm sure he has enough on his plate with major events to give any care to the likes of us.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Mike (not the Devil) Hawver, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteBillions? Why not 42? And why do you think he has to be a master strategist? Why not, "You guys know how the story goes, and what the Master of the Universe (and us) wants for them and from them...so, go give 'em hell, boys"? The part of him having the accident with an instrument-filled truck is clearly humorous and irrelevant. Demons may not be omni-anything, but they definitely are not unintelligent...well, except for that one choice that made them fall. And if God was in "need" of anything, including our belief, (which He isn't,) He'd not be very...God. As he is omniscient and omnipresent...God is a master strategist and tactician. My point is, just because people independently think the very prince of darkness has singled them out for harassment - or because people don't believe he exists, or isn't as active as others feel - doesn't mean nearly as much as what a much more objective source (the Bible) tells us. And it tells us enough. I just do not think opining on poorly-formed, if not false opinions held by a minority (and I would argue it's more that they are just lazily-worded/parroted,) as if THEY are more powerful than snot, is very productive. I'd rather focus on keeping the main thing(s) the main thing(s). "God good; Devil bad," as it were.
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