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[rick]

Is Satan a real literal spirit or is Satan a figurative type of figure ? According to 1Pe 5:8 and Luk 8:44 and Luk 18:8 Satan is a literal spirit.

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.

Luk 10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven.

According to statistics there are six billion people on earth today and are all six billion people being effected by one spirit being? Are there enough hours in the day for one spirit being to deceive an entire world full of people ?

Well, according to Luk 18:8 there must be however no one scripture is of its own interpretation and I was not able to find another match for Luk 18:8 at this time but I shall keep searching. 

Luk 18:8  I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
 
But still I’m left with this though, is Satan a real literal spirit being or is Satan a system, what I mean by a system is I’m remembering back sometime ago while mowing my lawn and hit a foreign object that had been ejected through my above ground pool wall and the pool liner and lost all the water from the hole made by this object.

After calling the insurance company I discovered I was not covered from the damage caused by my lawn mower and me however I was told if someone rammed a knife through the pool wall and liner I would of been covered meaning they will cover vandalism, a hole is a hole to me but they used it as a loophole to not pay out.

This type of business can cause one to be disingenuous rather than being honest. There is a hidden system in this world that hurt honest people. This world encourages one to be dishonest.   

[indianabob]

Hi Rick,
Please let me address the easy part first.
I used to be an insurance salesman/claim adjuster for small claims.
The insurance policy that we all buy has certain benefits and certain limitations. The specific limitations are necessary in order to price the insurance to the AVERAGE person's needs.
For example my present homeowners policy limits jewelry coverage to $1,000 dollars and that is because that is all the protection I'm paying for. It also limits the number of times they will pay when my own house catches fire. That is because after three or four fires they don't want me as a customer any longer. I'm too great a risk for the premium that is being charged. In other words there is something wrong with my habits that makes me have so many claims.
 
I can arrange to purchase better coverage at an additional annual charge if I list each specific item and have them appraised for true value.

The reason that the BASIC policy does not include UNLIMITED jewelry coverage is because most people don't own that much jewelry and would not be willing to pay the cost of providing such protection.

Without the appraisal the customer could cheat the insurance company and/or sell their jewelry and lie about a theft claim. Of course the insurance company knows how some few people lie all the time and has to protect themselves and their customer base.

The same limitations apply to personal property next to your house such as a pool.
You failed to anticipate what might happen during the operation of your lawn mower and didn't first pick up foreign objects or protect your pool from a hazard that "a reasonable person" might have expected to happen during the operation of a lawn mower.

I have mowed lawns for many years and know that debris is often kicked up by the blades, so I stop the mower whenever my wife or another person comes into the yard for any reason. Been lucky so far..

That is why I haven't had any claims in over 40 years of home ownership.   
Of course I still had to pay the agreed premium each year so that the insurance company could pay claims filed by others.

So then, I don't think Satan wrote the details of your insurance policy. The provisions were dictated only by good business sense. The insurance company pays all claims with the money collected from other insured people, their customers. They don't pay claims with their own profits, if they did they would shortly go out of business.

I do think that Satan can influence each of us by working to place temptation in our daily lives. Even temptation that leads to envy or greed or "unthankfulness" for the blessings we have been given. Because one of Satan's tactics is to distract us from worshiping the true God. As long as we are pleased with our lives and "have need of nothing" we humans will ignore God and all the blessings we have and come to think, as many do, that God is dead!

Revelation 3:17 (KJV)

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:[/i]

This is another way that Satan deceives us.

Hope that my comments are not too critical of anyone who reads this. I am the first to confess my own errors.
Indiana Bob

[Gina]

I do think that Satan can influence each of us by working to place temptation in our daily lives. Even temptation that leads to envy or greed or "unthankfulness" for the blessings we have been given. Because one of Satan's tactics is to distract us from worshiping the true God. As long as we are pleased with our lives and "have need of nothing" we humans will ignore God and all the blessings we have and come to think, as many do, that God is dead!

Nice post, Bob.  I found it really helpful personally. 

I was just thinking how the tree of knowledge of good and evil wasn't placed in the garden by Satan, but by God. 

It was the object of temptation and was already in the garden, but Satan didn't put it there.  Satan only influenced Eve to look on it with her eyes and mind and heart.  Then she "saw" with her eyes/perception that it was good for food, etc.....   

The greed, the lust, the envy is already in the heart.  It just needs an outside object of worship to get what is already inside that particular person to draw that person away from trusting God. 

(The just must live by faith, but Adam and Eve, everybody, lives by sight, until they are saved.) 

Eve didn't have to look at the tree  -- but she wanted to look at the tree.  Satan (whoever this was speaking to her -- whether it be a group or a single person) was with her.  The fact that she was in such close company with someone or group of people with that spirit is quite interesting. 

She was actually discussing with the "serpent" things that God told her to not do.  And she knew she was with the serpent because she even told God it was the serpent who deceived her. 

It's also interesting that you never hear of God telling the serpent he couldn't eat of tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Because after all, the serpent needs food too.  But the only way he eat is through what comes out of the lust that is already in the hearts and minds of those who are far from God.

That was my understanding, but I'm open to correction.

[Kat]

Hi Rick, I have wondered about this very same thing and here are some Scripture that helped me understand what Satan is.

Eph 2:2  wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience;

1Tim 5:14  Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

The way that Satan is referred to as "the spirit," and "the adversary" (in all translations) indicated to me that he is a particular being, because you use 'the' in sentences to define or identify a particular person or object. We know that there is a spiritual realm with great hosts of spiritual being. Also I think we can understand that he is not just a mere demon, because he has a kingdom and he is the leader/ruler, the mastermind over the the whole horde of demons.

Luke 11:15  But some of them said, By Beelzebub the prince of the demons casteth he out demons.

Luke 11:18  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.

As I think of God's throne and the hosts of angels that serve God, I guess it must be similar with Satan and the demons that serve him.

Rev 12:7  And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

Rev 12:9  So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Satan was created by God as our adversary/opponent and embodies the opposite nature that God has. He was created that way from his beginning.

1Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

John 8:44  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

He rules in the world (John 12:31) and directs his angels/demons to sow seeds of discord, influence toward wickedness wherever possible... I think Satan carries out the most 'devilish' tasks himself (pun intended), "then Satan entered Judas" (Luke 22:3).

Eph 2:2  in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
v. 3  among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[rick]

Hi Kat,

It does appear from scripture that Satan is a real intelligent thinking being, thanks for adding Luke 11:15 and 11:18 as well and here are a few more witnesses below.
   
Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?

Job 1:7  And Jehovah said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Job 1:8  And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil.

So I must conclude that Satan is a real spirit being and that Satan has set up a world system that entices the many of this aged, I read where Ray said that God blinds and Satan deceives the whole world.

[rick]

Hi Gina, and Bob,

I was not upset nor angry when the insurance company gave me their reply, I do hvac for a living and went to home depot and purchased some copper flashing a tube of caulking and a liner patch and made the repairs in an hour.

God has blessed me to be very handy, my point in this was this world we all live in is set up to encourage dishonesty, your right Gina this system cannot make one dishonest but we have prisons full of people who get caught up in this satanic system.

I know its met to be like this from the beginning, when God said let US make man in our image

Thank you both for your reply. 

[Gina]

You're welcome.  Yes, it's true, there are many in prisons, and I'm aware that there are privatized (for profit) prisons in the U.S. and people are being ensnared so that those who own the prisons can profit off of them.  The days are really evil.  Evil men and imposters will wax worse and worse.

Matthew 18

1 Now in that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who, consequently, is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?

2 And, calling a little child to Him, He stands it in their midst,

3 and said, "Verily, I am saying to you, If you should not be turning and becoming as little children, you may by no means be entering into the kingdom of the heavens."

4 Who, then, will be humbling himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens."

5 And whosoever should be receiving one such little child in My name is receiving Me.

6 Yet whoever should be snaring one of these little ones who is believing in Me, it is expedient for him that a millstone requiring an a@@ to turn it may be hanged about his neck, and he should be sunk in the open ocean."

7 Woe to the world because of snares! For it is a necessity for snares to be coming. Moreover, woe to that man through whom the snare is coming!"  [Not, Woe to the young believer in Christ who is snared, but woe to the man through whom the snare is coming.]

8 Now, if your hand or your foot is snaring you, strike it off and cast it from you. Is it ideal for you to be entering into life maimed or lame, or, having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the fire eonian?

9 And if your eye is snaring you, wrench it out and cast it from you. Is it ideal for you to be entering into life one-eyed, or, having two eyes, to be cast into the Gehenna of fire?

10 See that you should not be despising one of these little ones, for I am saying to you that their messengers in the heavens are continually observing the face of My Father Who is in the heavens."

[dave]

Where/how did the adversary's gender come from? Is there a scripture that identifies the enemy as a "he"? Been curious for awhile. Thanks

[Ricky]

Satan being a spirit, I thought I read a verse that says, Is this the Man that decievith  the whole world. I could not find it in the concordance.

[Gina]

Where/how did the adversary's gender come from? Is there a scripture that identifies the enemy as a "he"? Been curious for awhile. Thanks

Jesus classified Satan as a father. 

John 8:44

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

[Extol]

Where/how did the adversary's gender come from? Is there a scripture that identifies the enemy as a "he"? Been curious for awhile. Thanks

Jesus classified Satan as a father. 

John 8:44

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Also:

Be sober, vigilant, because your opponent the devil, as a roaring lion, doth walk about, seeking whom he may swallow up...

1 Peter 5:8

[Gina]

Satan being a spirit, I thought I read a verse that says, Is this the Man that decievith  the whole world. I could not find it in the concordance.

Hi, Ricky

Isaiah 14:16:

They that see you shall narrowly look on you, and consider you, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

This isn't about Satan - it's about Israel’s Remnant Taunting the King of Babylon (not Satan)

Isaiah 14:

3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

“How the oppressor has ceased,
the insolent furyb ceased!
5The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers,
6that struck the peoples in wrath
with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
with unrelenting persecution.
7The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
they break forth into singing.
8The cypresses rejoice at you,
the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you were laid low,
no woodcutter comes up against us.’
9Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations.
10All of them will answer
and say to you:
‘You too have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!’
11Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
the sound of your harps;
maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,
and worms are your covers.

12“How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;c
14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the far reaches of the pit.
16Those who see you will stare at you
and ponder over you:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,
17who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
who did not let his prisoners go home?’
18All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
each in his own tomb;d
19but you are cast out, away from your grave,
like a loathed branch,
clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,
who go down to the stones of the pit,
like a dead body trampled underfoot.
20You will not be joined with them in burial,
because you have destroyed your land,
you have slain your people.

“May the offspring of evildoers
nevermore be named!
21Prepare slaughter for his sons
because of the guilt of their fathers,
lest they rise and possess the earth,
and fill the face of the world with cities.”


Ray's LOF paper re the Lucifer Lie went into great depth re this very thing.  It's an enlightening read if you have the time, you will be blessed.

Gina

[John from Kentucky]

Where/how did the adversary's gender come from? Is there a scripture that identifies the enemy as a "he"? Been curious for awhile. Thanks

The truth is that the Scriptures do not give us a detailed discussion or answer regarding the gender or sexual differences of angels, if any.

In the Book of Job they are called sons of God.  Elsewhere they have a masculine reference.  Any girl angels?  None mentioned in the Scriptures.

However, there is a Scripture that says the things seen (physical) can give us an idea of things unseen (spiritual).  One pervasive aspect of human kind and animal kind, and even plant kind, is the aspect of male and female.  God created them male and female.

Does that mean angels are male and female?  Do not know.  Scriptures don't say for sure.

Some will say that Jesus said the angels do not marry, which is true.  However that does not mean that angels do not have sex differences since marriage and sex are two different things.  You can have one without the other.

There are a whole lot of things we have to learn in the ages to come.

[Gina]

Where/how did the adversary's gender come from? Is there a scripture that identifies the enemy as a "he"? Been curious for awhile. Thanks

The truth is that the Scriptures do not give us a detailed discussion or answer regarding the gender or sexual differences of angels, if any.

In the Book of Job they are called sons of God.  Elsewhere they have a masculine reference.  Any girl angels?  None mentioned in the Scriptures.

However, there is a Scripture that says the things seen (physical) can give us an idea of things unseen (spiritual).  One pervasive aspect of human kind and animal kind, and even plant kind, is the aspect of male and female.  God created them male and female.

Does that mean angels are male and female?  Do not know.  Scriptures don't say for sure.

Some will say that Jesus said the angels do not marry, which is true.  However that does not mean that angels do not have sex differences since marriage and sex are two different things.  You can have one without the other.

There are a whole lot of things we have to learn in the ages to come.

Micah

Nowhere in all of scripture is Satan/YOUR Adversary deemed an "angel."  Satan is not an "angel."  He masquerades as an angel of light.   



2 Cor. 11:14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light

2 Corinthians 11:3  But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him

Rev. 20:3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

2 Timothy 2:26  and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

2 Corinthians 2:10-11   But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Eph 2:2 you also—being dead by your offences and sins, 2 In which at one time ye walked, according to the age of the world, according to the prince of the authority of the air, of the spirit that now energiseth in the sons of disobedience,

Revelation 19:20  And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

Matthew 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed,
 into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Revelation 12:9 ... thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan (nowhere called an "angel") , who deceives  the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown

Gen 3:1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden ...

Revelation 12:15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.

[Gina]

This isn't to say that women are never overtaken by sin being ensnared by the devil, they are.  And since woman is deemed to be the weaker of the two sexes, is she overtaken by a spirit as weak as her or not as weak as her?  (I'm not saying her husband is the serpent, or anything like that at all.)  But male and female are made differently.  One is weaker implying one not as weak, or by relative comparison, strong.  So since males are the "stronger" of the sexes, it follows that Satan would be referred to as "he."  And Satan isn't some ragdoll, per Ray.

To listen to the Church, one would think that Satan is some silly clown that can be poked fun at and tossed around like some rag doll. I have heard televangelists make statements similar to this: "Tonight we are going to take hold of that Old Serpent, Satan the Devil, by his tail, and toss him out on his ear!" Oh, really? Most such preachers would not recognize Satan if they were shaking hands with him and starring him in the eyes. They know not his appearance; they know not his doctrines; they know not his location; they know not his plan; they know not his influence on their church or his deceptive powers over their own minds. But God has told us these things in His Word. Prepare yourself for a startling revelation in the Book of Revelation! Satan is located in the very last place the churches would ever look. Satan is indeed a power to be reckoned with!

http://bible-truths.com/lake9.html

[John from Kentucky]

Angel is a word ( a noun) used to refer to spirit beings below God.

Angels are also called messengers.  Some are messengers of good.  Some are messengers of evil.

Paul says Jesus, as a human, " was made a little lower than angels."  That reference refers to all those spirit beings, including Satan and the evil angels.

Just basic scriptural knowledge, of which some apparently are ignorant.

[Gina]

Angel is a word ( a noun) used to refer to spirit beings below God.

Angels are also called messengers.  Some are messengers of good.  Some are messengers of evil.

Paul says Jesus, as a human, " was made a little lower than angels."  That reference refers to all those spirit beings, including Satan and the evil angels.

Just basic scriptural knowledge, of which some apparently are ignorant.

Nowhere is Satan referred to as "a Messenger," that I know of.  Do you have chapter and verse on that or two spiritual witnesses to backup your statement of belief, because maybe I'm wrong.     

Paul "was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan."

[Gina]

Heb 1

13 But to which of the angels has He ever said, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET "?

14 Are they not ALL ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

14 Therefore, angels are ONLY servants--spirits sent to CARE for people who will inherit salvation.

You think Satan and his deceitful workers disguise and transform themselves into angels of light because they are ministering servants to begin with, which is why they have to fake like they are?  Because that's not what Hebrews says. 

You think Satan and his deceitful workers care for the sheep?

[Kat]

Where/how did the adversary's gender come from? Is there a scripture that identifies the enemy as a "he"? Been curious for awhile. Thanks

In considering your question I was thinking about the God ordained structure of authority, we have it throughout Scripture for mankind and I think there may be a parallel in the heavenly realm as well. We can see how Paul explains that gender plays a significant part in this structure of authority.

1Cor 11:3  But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

So here is the order of authority, God of course is at the top, then Christ, then man, then woman, and that is portrayed in the Temple and right down into the church and in marriage. In the Temple only men held positions of service and were in the priesthood. I believe men and women are equal as human being, but in terms of what people do, there are distinct roles that God has set in place.

So seeing that God has put these positions of authority in place, the male is clearly the authority figure throughout Scripture and this seems to be carried over into the heavenly realm, as we can see with God Himself is spoken of in the masculine. I'm not sure there is even a female counterpart in the heaven realm, is in necessary or is this just a means of learning to follow God's will in whatever role we have while in the flesh?

But I think the male designation of angels around the God's throne as being masculine shows they have authority in carrying out God's service. Now Satan is represented as masculine, because he also has been given authority in this world.... he is a prince "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2) and he has a kingdom "if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?" (Mat 12:26).

Anyway just a few thoughts on this gender thing.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Gina]

One more...

Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Now if the devil was an angel.... ?