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Hi everyone,
I've been thinking about satan recently.
We are told to walk in the Light. Christ is the Light of the world. We are the Light of the world.
If it is that we have "free will," then what are our choices? Manifest Christ, or manifest satan/flesh.
So are we bringing forth fruits of the Spirit or fruits of the flesh/devil?
If someone lies to you, it is satan lying to you through them. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. God doesn't do these things, only satan/flesh.
That is why I am against the death penalty. Man thinks that he is doing good to society by killing another person, but in reality he is being used by the devil/flesh to do more destruction. The devil/flesh does destroying, not God. God is a healer, a giver, a Lover. Satan/flesh is a liar, an instigator, an arguer, a critic, a denier, an insulter, a doubter.
So if we lie, or steal, or deceive, or belittle, or criticize, or antagonize, or hate, or lust, or kill, or boast, or insult, or doubt, or fear... these are all manifestations of the wicked one. When he manifests himself (or rather, when we allow him to manifest himself in us, which is very easy to do), then we are in Moderator cut: delete"darkness," because he is at work in us, and we are in his "realm."
Any thoughts?
Blessings!
brian
Last edited by Miss Blue; 02-11-2011 at 10:38 AM..
Reason: not yet :)
All of those are manifestations of our own, basic nature as well. Remember, the devil cannot force you to do anything; he can only tempt what impulses are already there.
Related question: I can find no evidence that Satan can read our minds or know our silent thoughts. So far as I can tell from Scripture, he can tempt us, but has no way of knowing whether that temptation has worked until we speak it or act it out.
Can anyone point to a place in Scripture where the devil knows our innermost thoughts? Did I miss it somewhere?
All of those are manifestations of our own, basic nature as well. Remember, the devil cannot force you to do anything; he can only tempt what impulses are already there.
Related question: I can find no evidence that Satan can read our minds or know our silent thoughts. So far as I can tell from Scripture, he can tempt us, but has no way of knowing whether that temptation has worked until we speak it or act it out.
Can anyone point to a place in Scripture where the devil knows our innermost thoughts? Did I miss it somewhere?
Don't recall scripture for your last statement though maybe someone else does, yet, it is brought to my remembrance that James tell us.....
James 1:12-16
12. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
14. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
15. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
16. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Those who lay the blame of sin, either upon their constitution, or upon their condition in the world, or pretend they cannot keep from sinning, wrong God as if he were the author of sin. Afflictions, as sent by God, are designed to draw out our graces, but not our corruptions.
The origin of evil and temptation is in our own hearts. Stop the beginnings of sin, or all the evils that follow must be wholly charged upon us. God has no pleasure in the death of men, as he has no hand in their sin; but both sin and misery are owing to themselves. As the sun is the same in nature and influences, though the earth and clouds, often coming between, make it seem to us to vary, so God is unchangeable, and our changes and shadows are not from any changes or alterations in him.
What the sun is in nature, God is in grace, providence, and glory; and infinitely more. As every good gift is from God, so particularly our being born again, and all its holy, happy consequences come from him. A true Christian becomes as different a person from what he was before the renewing influences of Divine grace, as if he were formed over again. We should devote all our faculties to God's service, that we may be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
Don't recall scripture for your last statement though maybe someone else does, yet, it is brought to my remembrance that James tell us.....
James 1:12-16
12. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
14. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
15. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
16. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Those who lay the blame of sin, either upon their constitution, or upon their condition in the world, or pretend they cannot keep from sinning, wrong God as if he were the author of sin. Afflictions, as sent by God, are designed to draw out our graces, but not our corruptions.
The origin of evil and temptation is in our own hearts. Stop the beginnings of sin, or all the evils that follow must be wholly charged upon us. God has no pleasure in the death of men, as he has no hand in their sin; but both sin and misery are owing to themselves. As the sun is the same in nature and influences, though the earth and clouds, often coming between, make it seem to us to vary, so God is unchangeable, and our changes and shadows are not from any changes or alterations in him.
What the sun is in nature, God is in grace, providence, and glory; and infinitely more. As every good gift is from God, so particularly our being born again, and all its holy, happy consequences come from him. A true Christian becomes as different a person from what he was before the renewing influences of Divine grace, as if he were formed over again. We should devote all our faculties to God's service, that we may be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
Amen...
But, God created us as weak and imperfect vessels, fully capable of disobeying the laws He gave us. In fact, we are totally INCAPABLE of keeping the law on our own! Even Adam and Eve were created to fail. Their disobedience did not catch God by surprise. If it did, He's not the God He claims to be.
Neither do our failures surprise Him. In fact, our failures are entirely necessary or we'd have no need for a redeemer! From Adam on to right now, everything in God's creation is designed around Jesus Christ, including us. We were made to rely on Him and Him alone for our righteousness.
Therefore, though God does not tempt us to sin, He did create us as sinners and sinners we remain until He gives us the power to overcome it, for if we could overcome a single sin on our own, with a little more effort we could overcome them all and make ourselves righteous. That has never been God's intent.
Moreover, while the saved man is, indeed, a new creature, he still is not brought to a state of absolute perfection, totally sin free for life. Note that even the greatest of Christian's, Paul, still struggled with his human nature right up until the day he died. When he spoke of the wrestling of the fleshly desires with the Spirit, that's exactly what he was talking about. Even he was not granted total victory. Neither was it granted to Peter or James or John or any of the other followers of the Master, so by what right do we expect it to be granted to us?
The point is that God created sin when He gave us the law, a law we cannot keep. But, He gave us a way out of condemnation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the only human being ever granted the power and authority to live without sin.
The important point to focus on, as Paul pointed out in Galatians 5 and other places, is in whom we trust for our salvation: ourselves, through our ability to "quit" sinning, or Christ who paid our sin debt?
All of those are manifestations of our own, basic nature as well. Remember, the devil cannot force you to do anything; he can only tempt what impulses are already there.
Related question: I can find no evidence that Satan can read our minds or know our silent thoughts. So far as I can tell from Scripture, he can tempt us, but has no way of knowing whether that temptation has worked until we speak it or act it out.
Can anyone point to a place in Scripture where the devil knows our innermost thoughts? Did I miss it somewhere?
The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness was not an external temptation, beast or other which someone could see physically. The temptation was within Him, in his own flesh which had the same passions and lusts that everyone of us has. The only difference is that He had the Spirit in Him and He was able to recognize the tempter.
All mankind has God's Seed within it. However, many do not have the help of God within them (whether they can hear this or not, I do not know), but they are not aware of the way the flesh/satan works. So they are "easy prey" for wickedness of all types. Of course, wickedness can be many things, as I mentioned in the OP. It can be flattery, denial, deception, teasing, arguing, arrogance, division-causing, etc. All of these come from the wicked one which is our flesh. When he rules in us, we are in hell.
But when God's Spirit rules in our hearts, we are in heaven.
The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness was not an external temptation, beast or other which someone could see physically. The temptation was within Him, in his own flesh which had the same passions and lusts that everyone of us has. The only difference is that He had the Spirit in Him and He was able to recognize the tempter.
All mankind has God's Seed within it. However, many do not have the help of God within them (whether they can hear this or not, I do not know), but they are not aware of the way the flesh/satan works. So they are "easy prey" for wickedness of all types. Of course, wickedness can be many things, as I mentioned in the OP. It can be flattery, denial, deception, teasing, arguing, arrogance, division-causing, etc. All of these come from the wicked one which is our flesh. When he rules in us, we are in hell.
But when God's Spirit rules in our hearts, we are in heaven.
Can you discern the difference?
Blessings,
brian
Yes, but I don't think I'm in heaven just yet. If this is it, it's really disappointing!
Yes, but I don't think I'm in heaven just yet. If this is it, it's really disappointing!
Of course not. As long as there is evil and Satan is still around you can be sure your not there yet... physically. Heaven is within us right now though of course as we all know, thanks to the precious Holy Spirit.
Of course not. As long as there is evil and Satan is still around you can be sure your not there yet... physically. Heaven is within us right now though of course as we all know, thanks to the precious Holy Spirit.
PS - nice comments everyone!
The Kingdom of God is like God himself in that it exists simultaneously in numerous places and times: In the hearts of Believers, on earth among the Brethren and in Heaven where the Spirt of God resides. We are at once citizens of the Kingdom and sojournor's in this plane of humanly existance.
Just as I may live in Canada, but still be a citizen of the United States, the Kingdom of God is similar.
The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness was not an external temptation, beast or other which someone could see physically. The temptation was within Him, in his own flesh which had the same passions and lusts that everyone of us has. The only difference is that He had the Spirit in Him and He was able to recognize the tempter.
All mankind has God's Seed within it. However, many do not have the help of God within them (whether they can hear this or not, I do not know), but they are not aware of the way the flesh/satan works. So they are "easy prey" for wickedness of all types. Of course, wickedness can be many things, as I mentioned in the OP. It can be flattery, denial, deception, teasing, arguing, arrogance, division-causing, etc. All of these come from the wicked one which is our flesh. When he rules in us, we are in hell.
But when God's Spirit rules in our hearts, we are in heaven.
Can you discern the difference?
Blessings,
brian
Absolutely completely WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is totally unscriptural. Jesus Christ had no sin nature. No temptation could arise from within Him. All temptations to Jesus came from without. From Satan and from the world. The temptations in the desert that Christ experienced came from Satan, who is a real being. An angel. It is He who tempted Jesus.
And Hell is an actual place. No one who is alive on this earth is in hell. As far as I know, this is still a restricted subject on the forum, so that is all I will say about it. And heaven is likewise a real place. Believers go to heaven at the moment they die. Now you might just be saying what you said in the sense of 'having a little bit of heaven on earth', but I think that you actually believe that heaven itself is within us, and that is simply not true. Here is what Paul said concerning heaven.
2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man (Paul was referring to himself) in Christ who fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows -- such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3] And I know how such a man -- whether in the body or apart from te body I do not know, God knows -- 4] was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
All three Persons of the Trinity indwell the church-age believer. But that doesn't mean that Heaven is within the believer. Heaven again is an actual place and is not within the believer.
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Don't recall scripture for your last statement though maybe someone else does, yet, it is brought to my remembrance that James tell us.....
