Hi Ryan,
You really need 'something' as a base of knowledge that you can depend on, instead of
"many overly religious nuts" that you have listened to. What I'm referring to is the Scriptures of course. Ray has done a lot of pains taken work to show us what is in the 'original' Scripture text, opposed to what is in some of the Bible translations. This article 'Twelve Truths to Understanding His Word' at this link
http://bible-truths.com/twelve.htm is a good primer to get you started. Getting e-Sword on your computer would be a great help too, here is the link to download it free
http://www.e-sword.net/index.htmlNow concerning Satan, he is a real being, but he is spirit, therefore invisible to humans. He is God's and our adversary.
1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
He was brought into being for a specific purpose and that is to deceive.
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.
Here are a few emails concerning Satan.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,6904.0.html ----
Ray,
Who is the Devil; is he out there?where? I hear a many teachers speaking of the devil 'out-there' can you please tell me where is 'out-there'...?
Thank you....
"Out there" is up and down in the earth:
Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Satan was with Christ in the wilderness. Satan was influencing Peter. Satan entered Judas, and he is "like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour" (I Pet. 5:
.
God be with you,
Ray
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4015.msg30815.html#msg30815 ---
While it is true that often (not always, especially in the Greek Scriptures) the article is found before the noun, that does not of itself prove that it is a common noun. Sometimes we find the article in front of the word "God."--The God. I will not argue that there are times that "adversary" may not deserve a capital letter, but then again, not always.
Just who was "the" Adversary/Accuser who came before God in the book of Job? Was it just a generic common noun that came and SPOKE to God regarding Job. Did Jesus tell a common noun to "Get thee behind Me?" Is God going to symbolically chain a common noun for a thousand years in Rev. 20:1-3? Etc.
God be with you,
Ray
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4681.0.html -----------
The JW's have little more truth than the rest of Babylon. Not only does God have authority over Satan, but so do WE:
GOD: "And the Lord God said unto the serpent ['the great dragon was cast out, that OLD SERPENT, called the Devil and Satan' Rev. 12:9], Because you have done this, YOU ARE CURSED...." (Gen. 3:14). Sounds like God is in full control of Satan.
GOD: "And the Lord said unto Satan, behold, He is in your hand, BUT SAVE HIS LIFE" (Job 2:6). Satan can do no more than God permits him to do.
JESUS: "Then said Jesus unto him, GET THEE HENCE SATAN...then Devil LEAVES HIM" (Matt. 4:10-11). Jesus had completely and total control over Satan.
BELIEVERS: "Submit yourselves therefore to God, Resist the Devil, AND HE WILL FLEE [Gk: 'run away, vanish']FROM YOU" (James 4:7).
"And the Devil that deceived them WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE and brimstone..." (Rev. 20:16).
God be with you,
Ray