Brother, I just wanted to let you know that I was one of the ones you preached this for. Your message was impactful to my specific situation at every point you made. God is good. You helped me to curb some behaviors I was falling back into and confess it all to my circle. I'm proud to say you have been a big help in getting me to hop back in the well and keep digging, so thank you.
Amen! The thoughts and inclinations of the heart shape the reality of who we are. They shape our thinking which will ultimately shape our actions. What we think is what we become. Don't let negative thoughts or negative words contaminate us. The scripture tells us to guard our minds because the mind is a doorway and we are the only ones who can determine what goes in and what stays. So, let us be encouraged to immerse ourselves in God's word so that we can realize who we are in Christ. We are well able and strong in the Lord. Let us speak with boldness, pray with authority, and make a conscious decision to win the battle of our minds today, in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen and amen. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Finally!! Someone on the same page as me ! So much more can be added, but this is good! Thank you for backing the same understanding of GOD as been given to me!
I just saw you on Instagram today for the first time so i looked you up on RUclips and im so glad I did! I really needed to hear this sermon! Thank you!
Is Satan the same person every-time he turns up? For example: Here. 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. If so why did David obeyed Satan? Job 1:6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. Why is Satan in heaven when Jesus saw him cast down like lightning and the book of Revelation says he caused 1/3 of the angels to become demons? And also Isaiah said he was cast down from heaven just like Ezekiel. Why is that? Is Satan a figure of speech? Matthew 12:26-27 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. Satan seems to be Beelzebul here but here he seems to be Peter. Matthew 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Yet here he seems to be out of Peter but had gone into Judas. Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. John 13:27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” In John 8, it seems that he gave birth to the Pharisees and the Pharisees are devils. Little devils that is. John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Here he jumps into Ananais Acts 5:3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Why then are there so much of inconsistencies? Or is it an expression Jewish people use which is foreign to our culture? Why would Paul hand a man to Satan when Jesus saved us from him on the cross? 1 Corinthians 5:5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. Can a married couple be tempted to lose self-control because of no sex for a time, or the married couple themselves lose self-control. Who is the Satan here? Does he come to your bedside like a bright cherub to tempt the couple to loose self control? 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. Or is Paul talking about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees here? 1 Timothy 1:20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. Again you see Paul hands over 2 guys to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. I thought Satan would teach them to blaspheme! So what the hell is going on? Is this the same Satan who blaspheme God when seeking after Moses body? Jude 1:8-10 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct-as irrational animals do-will destroy them. Here we see women turning to Satan in the early church just because there was not enough money to go around the church to support them. 1 Timothy 5:15-16 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need. Really are the early Christians so easily swayed? Here we see a gathering of people who disguised themselves as Jews being called a gathering of Satan. By the way do you know he lives in Pergamum? Revelation 2:13 I know where you live-where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city-where Satan lives. Finally. Why would God free Satan after capturing him for a 1000 years? Would you? Now after all these things I have told you about Satan (after going through the whole array of verses), let me ask you this simple question. Is he a figure of speech or is he really the same person who people claim is the current god of this earth we are living in?
Satan is not a fallen angel literally walking around trying to trip up Christians. He’s a personification of anyone or anything that is opposed to God. He’s a man in Isaiah 14:12-16. He’s Peter in Matt 16:23. He’s Rome in Rev 2:10. He’s Judaism in 1 Thess 2:16,18. Satan is also sin itself in Luke 10:18 among others. Contrary to religious tradition, Satan didn’t fall from heaven. Isaiah 14:12, often used to picture Satan’s rebellion in heaven and subsequent transfer to earth, isn’t about a personal fallen angel at all. It’s about a man. In Isaiah 14:16, we see that Lucifer (assumed to be a spiritual being) is actually a man who exalted himself among other men. Isa 14:16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the MAN who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, We can discover the identity of this man by looking a few verses back. Isa 14:4 you will take up this taunt against the KING OF BABYLON: “How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased! When Jesus said… (Luke 10:18) “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” ….He was not referring to a personal being, some “fallen angel” falling out of heaven and landing on earth. In both Isaiah 14:12 and Luke 10:18, “falling like lightning” is Hebrew idiom for losing authority. Just as the king of Babylon lost his authority, so sin itself loses its authority when the gospel is preached with power to heal (See also Lamentations 2:1 and Jeremiah 51:53) The word “Satan” literally means “adversary”, and can be applied to men and organizations who are hostile to God. For examples, Jesus called Peter “Satan”. Mat 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Judaism was Satan: In 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 Paul describes how Jews were…. (1Th 2:16) hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.…. But Paul goes on to say in verse 18… (1Th 2:18) For we wanted to come to you-I, Paul, more than once-and yet Satan hindered us. The idea of Satan being a personal being is simply not in view in these scriptures but is instead, a symbolic representation of opposition to the gospel by Judaizing impostors who were trying to infiltrate the church. (see 2 Cor. 2:11; Gal. 2:4-6; Jude 4). Jesus called Jews who opposed Him “vipers”, snakes, which of course pictures Satan as a snake in Genesis 3 and Rev 12:9. Rome was also Satan (Rev 2:10). (Rev 2:10) …., the devil is about to cast some of you into prison….. A personal being called ‘the devil’ was not throwing first century Smyrna Christians into Roman prisons. Rome was. In this context, Rome was ‘the devil’. Revelation 2:13 is describing “Satan’s throne”, a place where Roman governance was established along with its idolatrous practices. (Rev 2:13) ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. Rome was clearly an opposer to the Christian faith, having put many Christians in prison and to death for their refusal to capitulate to Roman idolatry. In this context, Satan is Rome. Satan is sin itself, and is inside those who have not been cleansed of him. In Genesis 3:1, Satan is commonly understood to have taken the form of a snake. In Genesis 4:7, sin is like an animal, “crouching at the door”. In 1 Peter 5:8, the devil is “like a lion”. In 2 Tim 2:26, sin is a hunter and again in Rev 12:9, a snake. As a personal being, Satan would not be able to be all of these things at once. However, sin takes many forms and rebellion can be expressed in many way. When Paul says… 2Co 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ….he is actually describing deception in those who appear to be workers for Christ but really are not. 2Co 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. Acts 5:3 provides an example of the connection between the devil being our own sin. Peter says to Ananias: “Why has Satan filled your heart?” Act 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart….?” Then in verse 4 Peter says… “Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?” Conceiving evil within our heart is the same as Satan filling our heart. Recall that Jesus taught that evil is in our hearts. (Mar 7:20) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. (Mar 7:21) “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, (Mar 7:22) deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. (Mar 7:23) “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” Our lusts are deceitful (Eph. 4:22) and the word ‘devil’ means ‘false accuser’. The devil is described in Hebrews 2:14 as being responsible for death. But according to Romans 6:23 “the wages of sin is death”. Heb. 2:14 says that through his death Christ destroyed the devil (rendering sin powerless). Heb. 9:26 matches this, in that Christ appeared “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. These example show that the devil/Satan is not some spiritual boogeyman. He is the personification of sin itself, the supreme work of rebellion against a holy God. What about Job? Job believed that the attitude of his friends was wrong. They should (as Jesus taught later) be looking into themselves to find the source of sin, rather than fantasizing about the action of some unseen evil being they imagined “Ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?… know that there is a [personal] judgment”(Job 19:28,29). Job is not describing a real being. Satan, in Job, is a personification of the struggle between good and evil. Our western, Greek-oriented, logical, hyper-literal interpretive paradigm has been wrong for centuries, and has from Job, created a monster we have believed is Satan. …Jesus was tempted “by the devil” in Matthew 4:1. Mat 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus had no sin in Him, but as a Being with free will, He had the potential to take the kingdoms of the world, depart from dependence on the Father and to be independent the Father’s will, which would be sin and rebellion. He did not give in to that temptation. Note that the scripture say Jesus was “tempted like we are”. (Heb 4:15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. We are tempted in the same way Jesus was tempted, and like Jesus, we have the opportunity to refuse the temptation and be without sin. In this sense, it was the potential for human weakness that was “the devil’. Interestingly, we see this human weakness being played out in Jews, who are referred to as Satan in other instances. Here, they tempt Jesus in the same way “Satan” does in Matthew 4:1. The Jewish crowd wanted to make him king (Jn. 6:15) Satan offers him the kingship of the [Jewish?] world The Jews ask for miraculous bread (Jn. 6:31) Satan invites him to make miraculous bread The [Jewish] disciples want Jesus to go to Jerusalem to show His power (Jn. 7:3) Satan takes Jesus to Jerusalem and tempts Him to show His power. This is yet another example of Satan being those (people) who opposed Jesus… not the ‘fallen angel’ caricature that we have all been entertained by and terrified of and believe is ‘out there’ to get us. People today want Satan to be the stereotypical caricature of a fallen angel with horns. Religious people want Satan as that caricature because in their mind, his existence explains evil in a world God made good. Non-religious people want Satan to be the popular caricature so they can use him to mock the religious. Many want Satan to exist because he provides an excuse for their own sin, the proverbial “the devil made me do it”. Others, like satanists, are simply deluding themselves and worshiping something that only exists in their imaginations….” I sure hope this helps clear the muddy waters
Brother, I just wanted to let you know that I was one of the ones you preached this for. Your message was impactful to my specific situation at every point you made. God is good. You helped me to curb some behaviors I was falling back into and confess it all to my circle. I'm proud to say you have been a big help in getting me to hop back in the well and keep digging, so thank you.
So glad it helped you!!
😊p❤
Sta.Rita annoint me, cleanse me , forgive my sins & heal my sickness.Amen.
Amen! The thoughts and inclinations of the heart shape the reality of who we are. They shape our thinking which will ultimately shape our actions. What we think is what we become. Don't let negative thoughts or negative words contaminate us. The scripture tells us to guard our minds because the mind is a doorway and we are the only ones who can determine what goes in and what stays. So, let us be encouraged to immerse ourselves in God's word so that we can realize who we are in Christ. We are well able and strong in the Lord. Let us speak with boldness, pray with authority, and make a conscious decision to win the battle of our minds today, in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen and amen. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Amen!!!
This is the one Pastor. Thank you for your conviction. God truly speaks through you and we need more Pastors like you in EVERY church.
Thank you!!
I thank God I found you! You're a true man of God I Appreciate Your Truth!
@@user-mk5jt3lp3d thank you!!
I thank you for highlighting the dangers of neglecting our soul while being content with the work done in our spirit.
Of course!!
Keenan!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhh this is so 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 what a good word! Let’s go I’m loving it. All the young need to hear this 🙌🏻
Thank you!!
you and Bobby Chandler I discovered on Facebook, I learn alot from you guys talks, keep it up. Greetings from South Africa
I just watched this sermon I am so grateful this is available
Keenan, our family has really been enjoying your messages! Looking forward to your new content each week! 🤩
Thank you! So glad it’s a blessing to your family!
@@KeenanClark_ we have a mutual friend, Andrea Isaacs 🤩 I posted one of your clips on my Instagram and she include me in 🎉
Getting blessed by your teaching from Kenya 🇰🇪
Finally!! Someone on the same page as me ! So much more can be added, but this is good! Thank you for backing the same understanding of GOD as been given to me!
Saw you on Facebook, and now I get more than just a little nugget. Love to listen to you peach!
Thank you!
I stumbled upon you on IG, so I decided to listen to more of you… This sermon spoke deeply to me. The devil has been working overtime in my mind.
Definitely for me! Thank you Jesus for leading me here!
Thank you for speaking this truth! This sermon hit hard for me and I appreciate that God brought me to this sermon right when I needed to hear this! ❤
I just saw you on Instagram today for the first time so i looked you up on RUclips and im so glad I did! I really needed to hear this sermon! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this
Is Satan the same person every-time he turns up?
For example:
Here.
1 Chronicles 21:1
Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
If so why did David obeyed Satan?
Job 1:6
One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
Why is Satan in heaven when Jesus saw him cast down like lightning and the book of Revelation says he caused 1/3 of the angels to become demons?
And also Isaiah said he was cast down from heaven just like Ezekiel. Why is that?
Is Satan a figure of speech?
Matthew 12:26-27
If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
Satan seems to be Beelzebul here but here he seems to be Peter.
Matthew 16:23
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Yet here he seems to be out of Peter but had gone into Judas.
Luke 22:31
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.
John 13:27
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”
In John 8, it seems that he gave birth to the Pharisees and the Pharisees are devils. Little devils that is.
John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Here he jumps into Ananais
Acts 5:3
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?
Why then are there so much of inconsistencies?
Or is it an expression Jewish people use which is foreign to our culture?
Why would Paul hand a man to Satan when Jesus saved us from him on the cross?
1 Corinthians 5:5
hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:5
Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Can a married couple be tempted to lose self-control because of no sex for a time, or the married couple themselves lose self-control. Who is the Satan here?
Does he come to your bedside like a bright cherub to tempt the couple to loose self control?
2 Corinthians 11:14
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
Or is Paul talking about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees here?
1 Timothy 1:20
Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
Again you see Paul hands over 2 guys to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. I thought Satan would teach them to blaspheme!
So what the hell is going on? Is this the same Satan who blaspheme God when seeking after Moses body?
Jude 1:8-10
In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct-as irrational animals do-will destroy them.
Here we see women turning to Satan in the early church just because there was not enough money to go around the church to support them.
1 Timothy 5:15-16
Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
Really are the early Christians so easily swayed?
Here we see a gathering of people who disguised themselves as Jews being called a gathering of Satan.
By the way do you know he lives in Pergamum?
Revelation 2:13
I know where you live-where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city-where Satan lives.
Finally.
Why would God free Satan after capturing him for a 1000 years?
Would you?
Now after all these things I have told you about Satan (after going through the whole array of verses), let me ask you this simple question.
Is he a figure of speech or is he really the same person who people claim is the current god of this earth we are living in?
Satan is not a fallen angel literally walking around trying to trip up Christians. He’s a personification of anyone or anything that is opposed to God. He’s a man in Isaiah 14:12-16. He’s Peter in Matt 16:23. He’s Rome in Rev 2:10. He’s Judaism in 1 Thess 2:16,18. Satan is also sin itself in Luke 10:18 among others.
Contrary to religious tradition, Satan didn’t fall from heaven.
Isaiah 14:12, often used to picture Satan’s rebellion in heaven and subsequent transfer to earth, isn’t about a personal fallen angel at all. It’s about a man.
In Isaiah 14:16, we see that Lucifer (assumed to be a spiritual being) is actually a man who exalted himself among other men.
Isa 14:16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the MAN who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,
We can discover the identity of this man by looking a few verses back.
Isa 14:4 you will take up this taunt against the KING OF BABYLON: “How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased!
When Jesus said…
(Luke 10:18) “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”
….He was not referring to a personal being, some “fallen angel” falling out of heaven and landing on earth.
In both Isaiah 14:12 and Luke 10:18, “falling like lightning” is Hebrew idiom for losing authority. Just as the king of Babylon lost his authority, so sin itself loses its authority when the gospel is preached with power to heal (See also Lamentations 2:1 and Jeremiah 51:53)
The word “Satan” literally means “adversary”, and can be applied to men and organizations who are hostile to God.
For examples, Jesus called Peter “Satan”.
Mat 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Judaism was Satan:
In 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 Paul describes how Jews were….
(1Th 2:16) hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.….
But Paul goes on to say in verse 18…
(1Th 2:18) For we wanted to come to you-I, Paul, more than once-and yet Satan hindered us.
The idea of Satan being a personal being is simply not in view in these scriptures but is instead, a symbolic representation of opposition to the
gospel by Judaizing impostors who were trying to infiltrate the church. (see 2 Cor. 2:11; Gal. 2:4-6; Jude 4).
Jesus called Jews who opposed Him “vipers”, snakes, which of course pictures Satan as a snake in Genesis 3 and Rev 12:9.
Rome was also Satan (Rev 2:10).
(Rev 2:10) …., the devil is about to cast some of you into prison…..
A personal being called ‘the devil’ was not throwing first century Smyrna Christians into Roman prisons. Rome was. In this context, Rome was ‘the devil’.
Revelation 2:13 is describing “Satan’s throne”, a place where Roman governance was established along with its idolatrous practices.
(Rev 2:13) ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
Rome was clearly an opposer to the Christian faith, having put many Christians in prison and to death for their refusal to capitulate to Roman idolatry. In this context, Satan is Rome.
Satan is sin itself, and is inside those who have not been cleansed of him.
In Genesis 3:1, Satan is commonly understood to have taken the form of a snake. In Genesis 4:7, sin is like an animal, “crouching at the door”. In 1 Peter 5:8, the devil is “like a lion”. In 2 Tim 2:26, sin is a hunter and again in Rev 12:9, a snake. As a personal being, Satan would not be able to be all of these things at once. However, sin takes many forms and rebellion can be expressed in many way. When Paul says…
2Co 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
….he is actually describing deception in those who appear to be workers for Christ but really are not.
2Co 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
Acts 5:3 provides an example of the connection between the devil being our own sin. Peter says to Ananias: “Why has Satan filled your heart?”
Act 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart….?”
Then in verse 4 Peter says…
“Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?”
Conceiving evil within our heart is the same as Satan filling our heart. Recall that Jesus taught that evil is in our hearts.
(Mar 7:20) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.
(Mar 7:21) “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
(Mar 7:22) deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.
(Mar 7:23) “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”
Our lusts are deceitful (Eph. 4:22) and the word ‘devil’ means ‘false accuser’.
The devil is described in Hebrews 2:14 as being responsible for death. But
according to Romans 6:23 “the wages of sin is death”.
Heb. 2:14 says that through his death Christ destroyed the devil (rendering sin powerless). Heb. 9:26 matches this, in that Christ appeared “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
These example show that the devil/Satan is not some spiritual boogeyman. He is the personification of sin itself, the supreme work of rebellion against a holy God.
What about Job? Job believed that the attitude of his friends was wrong. They should (as Jesus taught later) be looking into themselves to find the source of sin, rather than fantasizing about the action of some unseen evil being they imagined
“Ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?… know that there is a [personal] judgment”(Job 19:28,29).
Job is not describing a real being. Satan, in Job, is a personification of the struggle between good and evil. Our western, Greek-oriented, logical, hyper-literal interpretive paradigm has been wrong for centuries, and has from Job, created a monster we have believed is Satan.
…Jesus was tempted “by the devil” in Matthew 4:1.
Mat 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Jesus had no sin in Him, but as a Being with free will, He had the potential to take the kingdoms of the world, depart from dependence on the Father and to be independent the Father’s will, which would be sin and rebellion. He did not give in to that temptation. Note that the scripture say Jesus was “tempted like we are”.
(Heb 4:15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
We are tempted in the same way Jesus was tempted, and like Jesus, we have the opportunity to refuse the temptation and be without sin. In this sense, it was the potential for human weakness that was “the devil’.
Interestingly, we see this human weakness being played out in Jews, who are referred to as Satan in other instances. Here, they tempt Jesus in the same way “Satan” does in Matthew 4:1.
The Jewish crowd wanted to make him king (Jn. 6:15) Satan offers him the kingship of the [Jewish?] world
The Jews ask for miraculous bread (Jn. 6:31) Satan invites him to make miraculous bread
The [Jewish] disciples want Jesus to go to Jerusalem to show His power (Jn. 7:3) Satan takes Jesus to Jerusalem and tempts Him to show His power.
This is yet another example of Satan being those (people) who opposed Jesus… not the ‘fallen angel’ caricature that we have all been entertained by and terrified of and believe is ‘out there’ to get us.
People today want Satan to be the stereotypical caricature of a fallen angel with horns. Religious people want Satan as that caricature because in their mind, his existence explains evil in a world God made good. Non-religious people want Satan to be the popular caricature so they can use him to mock the religious. Many want Satan to exist because he provides an excuse for their own sin, the proverbial “the devil made me do it”. Others, like satanists, are simply deluding themselves and worshiping something that only exists in their imaginations….”
I sure hope this helps clear the muddy waters
@Kennan What's the difference between the devil attacking our minds, And being double minded?
.. ......! 😊
Amen
Sarcasm is evil, boy.
Clarify?
CD x}