Showing posts with label devil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devil. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Has Satan Twisted the Bible

Another question from the internet

"I have often heard from many believers that even Satan has a presence in the church, which is why even in church people can still have impure thoughts. If Satan can find his way in the church, how do Christians know that Satan didn't find his way into the Bible and twist the whole book?"

See this post for why I believe we can trust the Bible. As far as Christians having impure thoughts even in church; If a Christian has an impure thought, it is not Satan's fault. People have impure thoughts because of their own sinful 
nature. Satan cannot put himself into a Christian's mind. Satan can set up situations to tempt people to sin, but a person sins by himself. He can always choose not to give in to the temptation. (James 1:13-16)
By the way, I do believe that some versions of the Bible have been "twisted." (e.g. the New World Translation used by Jehovah's Witnesses)


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Where is the Devil?

Another question from internet skeptic sites. 

If god (sic) cast the devil into hell and hell is a place for eternal punishment from which even god cannot grant a pardon, then why do the preachers tell us the devil is walking up and down the hallways of high schools tempting 
teenagers to do drugs and have premarital sex? A warden who allows his prisoners the freedom to go out and kill and rape would be terminated for incompetence.

Answer

After reading that last sentence, I'm tempted to say something about prison furlough programs but I won't.


The simple answer is because, contrary to popular belief, Satan has not been cast into Hell, yet. He won't be sent to Hell until just before Judgement Day. (Revelation 20:10) Satan was cast to Earth. (Revelation 12:9) So, he could be 
roaming the halls of our high schools.

But, actually, Satan himself probably doesn't mess with too many people, himself. He is too busy accusing people before God. (Job 1) However, he does have a large (but not infinite) number of demons who do much of his tempting 
for him. Also remember, people are tempted when they are already led away by their own desires. (James 1:13-14) Demons may set up a situation, but people sin by their own choice. Satan doesn't need to tempt people. Their own sinful nature does that for him.

Another thing to remember about Hell is that it was not meant for man. It was intended to be a place of punishment only for Satan and his follower angels. (Matthew 25:41) Man only goes there because, by rejecting Christ's gift of Salvation, he chooses to side with the devil.