ACCORDING TO CHRITIANITY AND ISLAM, SHAITAN (DEVIL) IS MAN’S OPEN ENEMY. ACCORDING TO YOU, IS IT TRUE TO HOLD THAT IT IS THE CAUSE OF CONFLICTS IN TH
ACCORDING TO CHRITIANITY AND ISLAM, SHAITAN (DEVIL) IS MAN’S OPEN ENEMY. ACCORDING TO YOU, IS IT TRUE TO HOLD THAT IT IS THE CAUSE OF CONFLICTS IN THE WORLD?
INTRODUCTION
The Abrahamic religions have variously regarded the Devil as a rebellious fallen angel or demon that tempts humans to sin or commit evil deeds. Others regard the Devil as an allegory that represents a crisis of faith, individualism, free will, wisdom and enlightenment.
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The Devil is commonly associated with heretics, infidels, and other unbelievers. In mainstream Christianity, God and the Devil are usually portrayed as fighting over the souls of humans, with the Devil seeking to lure people away from God and into Hell.
The Devil commands a force of evil angels, commonly known as demons. The Hebrew Bible or Old Testament describes the Adversary (Ha-satan) as an angel who instigates tests upon humankind. Many other religions have a trickster or tempter figure that is similar to the Devil. Modern conceptions of the Devil include the concept that it symbolizes humans' own lower nature or sinfulness.
People put the concept of the Devil to use in social and political conflicts, claiming that their opponents are influenced by the Devil or even willingly supporting the Devil. The Devil has also been used to explain why others hold beliefs that are considered to be false and ungodly.
In Islam, the Devil is known as Iblīs (Arabic or Šayṭān. According to the Quran, God created Iblis out of "smokeless fire" (along with all of the other jinn) and created man out of clay. The primary characteristic of the Devil, besides hubris, is that he has no power other than the power to cast evil suggestions into the heart of men, women, and jinn, although the Quran does mention appointing jinn to assist those who are far from God in a general context.
As the question suggests, the Devil (Satan, Shaytan) is indeed believed by both Christians and Moslems to be man’s greatest enemy on Earth as hereunder presented;
First of all the Devil (Satan, Shaytan, Iblis) is man’s greatest enemy on Earth as the Quran mentions this eleven ( 11) times (2:168, 208; 6:142; 7:22; 12:5; 17:53; 20:117; 28:15; 35:6; 36:60; 43:62).
The Quran goes ahead to warn humans to do all possible to avoid the Devil and his companions (evil jinns – creation made from smokeless fire). The Devil uses many tools to try and divert humans from the true worship of One God. Belief in One God alone is not enough because the Devil believes in God also (8:48) and the Devil also fears God (59:16). The Devil uses tools to try and win supporters on his side. All of the devil’s supporters will end up in Hell along with the devil and his companions.
The physical eye cannot see a fine and a subtle body of Satan. Secondly he, like humans, has reproduction and procreation. It is mentioned in narrations that three Satans are born against each human being. It is not known how they copulate and procreate. May be they are a forced creation. This kind of situation does not separate Satan from human being hence sometimes they sin unknowingly as Satan presents himself/herself in a human picture. This according to me makes Satan the greatest enemy of man.
Formerly Satan had a very high rank. Rather, it is narrated that he was the teacher of angels. He had a very high rank in the upper world, and an honorable position. He had many followers. Despite this, jealousy and pride pushed him to eternal misfortune. “I am created of fire, which is higher.” He said: What hindered you so that you did not make obeisance when I commanded you? He said: I am better than he: Thou hast created me of fire, while him Thou did not create of dust. This kind of thinking makes Satan the greatest enemy of man from the start.
Right from creation, Satan maintained that, “I should be nearer to you (God), not Adam who is created of dust.” Objection against the divine decision is disbelief. When he announced his denial, came the angry command: Such haughtiness or jealousy in the House of God? Get out of here. You are among the mean and degraded ones.
Today in modern evangelicalism, we are in conflict, conflict from those on the outside in the world following the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, conflict from those in the church who profess they know God, but in works deny Him, and conflict, so it is thought, from the Devil and his angels.
Now, this modern evangelical view is to be distinguished from both the Charismatic and Roman Catholic obsession with preternatural things. Evangelicals are not prone to believe that demons are behind every rock and tree. Even more, Evangelicals tend to view Satan as seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8) rather than openly dominating through malice and deceit on a mass scale.
Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic, the Charismatic and modern Evangelical all agree that Satan is the god of this world. Frequently we are told tales about the Devil and his demons with fervor, and though not with the fantastical view of the Roman Catholics and the Charismatics, still we hear of their influence in our lives and the lives of others. Indeed, the Devil is seen as the cause of most calamity, as the secret enticing agent of most of the sins in the world, and last and not least, the evil rival to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is thought that God is the cause of all the good things in this world, and that Satan is the cause of all the bad/evil things.
I will be a bit informal in my presentation of this view of Satan. I will not be quoting from theologians and scholars on the subject to show that this is a commonly held belief about Satan. It is because I know it to be widespread enough that I think it superfluous to prove. Undoubtedly many readers will fall under the criticism I will offer.
So what is this view of Satan? I will cover four views that make Satan distinctive;
1. Satan is the god of this world
2. Satan is a chief instigator to sin
3. Satan is the cause of most ailments and maladies
4. Satan is the grand deceiver of the nations
This battle between God and Satan, which I mentioned a bit ago, is of an ancient origin, it is ferocity of intense proportions and the struggle almost too much bear. On the one hand we have Satan who is the Destroyer, and then on the other we have God who is seeking to save what Satan seeks to destroy. On and on they fight, not knowing where the battle lies. While the vast majority of individuals God seeks to save are lost to eternal perdition through the efforts of Satan, God is still able to woo a few souls into His glorious Kingdom.
What is wrong with this picture we have painted? Perhaps you see nothing amiss with it and your consolation is that you have “read the end of the book and know that God wins in the end!” I do not wish to hide my intentions here, so let me state my purpose in writing: it will be my goal to utterly eradicate this view under consideration, yes, of Satan, but more importantly the sort of view of God that under girds this view of the Devil which ultimately diminishes the glory of God.
First, let us ask the question (Is the popular view of Satan one that has been the historical view of Satan in the church?) If the 3rd and the 5th chapters Westminster confession of Faith are any indication, it is not. Of course, one will be quick to add that a confessional statement should not have the final say on this matter, and to this I would agree. The following, then, will be a Scriptural refutation of the error that Satan is the god of this world and that he has any other role other than the minister of God. I will then go to some implications the Scriptural and confessional statements have;
1. Satan is not the god of this world. Not only are the Scriptures full of statements to the contrary such as Psalm 24:1 : “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (and quoted again in 1Cor. 10:26) and Psalm 97:1: “The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.” But the only passage that is attempted to use to substantiate Satan’s deity is 2Corinthians 4:34:
2. One will not find in Scripture that states anything other than that men sin and that men sin because they are drawn away by their own lusts. (See 2Timothy 4:3; 2Peter 3:3; Jude 1:16). There is enough filth in man to engulf the world in utter wickedness and ruin without the help of Satan. It is an escape from responsibility to say otherwise; “The devil made me do it!”
3. Satan is not the cause of most ailments and sicknesses. The often used text in the book of Job only proves the opposite. Instead of seeing Satan as afflicting whoever he wills, we see him needing to ask God for permission to take any sort of action against Job. (Job 1:7-12)
4. The above situation therefore presents the following implications;
First of all that if Satan is not the god of this world, who is he then? Well, to answer shortly, God is! If one is to ask who the cause of all good is and who the cause of all evil is, it will be stated simply that God is the cause of all things and that there is nothing outside of the sovereignty of God. This means that instead of viewing everything from a myopic point of view, we must be conscious of the fact that God has total Lordship over our lives and that there is nothing that is outside of His control and authority.
Secondly, if Satan is not the one who causes illness and calamity, how does it come about? The Scriptures speak on this matter in Deuteronomy 32:39 ” See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.” Calamity is the result of the judgment of God. Deuteronomy 28 is normative in this matter. Calamity and illness is either the result of sin, or, as in the case of Job, a test to strengthen ones faith. When we see catastrophe in a nation, we must not say, “Wow, Satan sure is powerful!”, but rather, “What have we done to incur the wrath of Almighty God?” It is extremely important to know the difference.
Conclusion
Let it be said in no uncertain terms that one’s view of Satan must be viewed with a prior Scriptural understanding of God’s absolute sovereignty. There is none who can hold back the hand of God or say unto Him, “What are you doing?”(Daniel 4:35). The Church of Jesus Christ needs to get back the view of God that sees Christ highly exalted and sitting on the Throne of His Glory. No more Satan worship. Get over him; he’s not that great! If the Christian church would embrace again the teaching that God is King and that he does according to His will in the armies of Heaven and on earth, what need would we have of consternation or worry? Could we not say with David, “The LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods”?
REFERENCES
Elaine, P. (1995): The Origin of Satan, Vintage Books, New
Lindsey, H. (2000): There’s a New World Coming, Harvest House Publishers.
Neil Forsyth. (1987): The Old Enemy: Satan & the Combat Myth, Princeton, New Jersey.
Jeffrey, B. (1977): The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, New York.
Rudwin, (1959): The Devil in Legend and Literature, by Maximilian, a compendium of "the secular and sacred adventures.
Walvoord, J,F. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Press, Chicago, 1966.
http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/(20/07/2011)
http://www.tparents.org/moon-talks/sunmyungmoon96/(15/07/2011)
INTRODUCTION
The Abrahamic religions have variously regarded the Devil as a rebellious fallen angel or demon that tempts humans to sin or commit evil deeds. Others regard the Devil as an allegory that represents a crisis of faith, individualism, free will, wisdom and enlightenment.
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The Devil is commonly associated with heretics, infidels, and other unbelievers. In mainstream Christianity, God and the Devil are usually portrayed as fighting over the souls of humans, with the Devil seeking to lure people away from God and into Hell.
The Devil commands a force of evil angels, commonly known as demons. The Hebrew Bible or Old Testament describes the Adversary (Ha-satan) as an angel who instigates tests upon humankind. Many other religions have a trickster or tempter figure that is similar to the Devil. Modern conceptions of the Devil include the concept that it symbolizes humans' own lower nature or sinfulness.
People put the concept of the Devil to use in social and political conflicts, claiming that their opponents are influenced by the Devil or even willingly supporting the Devil. The Devil has also been used to explain why others hold beliefs that are considered to be false and ungodly.
In Islam, the Devil is known as Iblīs (Arabic or Šayṭān. According to the Quran, God created Iblis out of "smokeless fire" (along with all of the other jinn) and created man out of clay. The primary characteristic of the Devil, besides hubris, is that he has no power other than the power to cast evil suggestions into the heart of men, women, and jinn, although the Quran does mention appointing jinn to assist those who are far from God in a general context.
As the question suggests, the Devil (Satan, Shaytan) is indeed believed by both Christians and Moslems to be man’s greatest enemy on Earth as hereunder presented;
First of all the Devil (Satan, Shaytan, Iblis) is man’s greatest enemy on Earth as the Quran mentions this eleven ( 11) times (2:168, 208; 6:142; 7:22; 12:5; 17:53; 20:117; 28:15; 35:6; 36:60; 43:62).
The Quran goes ahead to warn humans to do all possible to avoid the Devil and his companions (evil jinns – creation made from smokeless fire). The Devil uses many tools to try and divert humans from the true worship of One God. Belief in One God alone is not enough because the Devil believes in God also (8:48) and the Devil also fears God (59:16). The Devil uses tools to try and win supporters on his side. All of the devil’s supporters will end up in Hell along with the devil and his companions.
The physical eye cannot see a fine and a subtle body of Satan. Secondly he, like humans, has reproduction and procreation. It is mentioned in narrations that three Satans are born against each human being. It is not known how they copulate and procreate. May be they are a forced creation. This kind of situation does not separate Satan from human being hence sometimes they sin unknowingly as Satan presents himself/herself in a human picture. This according to me makes Satan the greatest enemy of man.
Formerly Satan had a very high rank. Rather, it is narrated that he was the teacher of angels. He had a very high rank in the upper world, and an honorable position. He had many followers. Despite this, jealousy and pride pushed him to eternal misfortune. “I am created of fire, which is higher.” He said: What hindered you so that you did not make obeisance when I commanded you? He said: I am better than he: Thou hast created me of fire, while him Thou did not create of dust. This kind of thinking makes Satan the greatest enemy of man from the start.
Right from creation, Satan maintained that, “I should be nearer to you (God), not Adam who is created of dust.” Objection against the divine decision is disbelief. When he announced his denial, came the angry command: Such haughtiness or jealousy in the House of God? Get out of here. You are among the mean and degraded ones.
Today in modern evangelicalism, we are in conflict, conflict from those on the outside in the world following the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, conflict from those in the church who profess they know God, but in works deny Him, and conflict, so it is thought, from the Devil and his angels.
Now, this modern evangelical view is to be distinguished from both the Charismatic and Roman Catholic obsession with preternatural things. Evangelicals are not prone to believe that demons are behind every rock and tree. Even more, Evangelicals tend to view Satan as seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8) rather than openly dominating through malice and deceit on a mass scale.
Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic, the Charismatic and modern Evangelical all agree that Satan is the god of this world. Frequently we are told tales about the Devil and his demons with fervor, and though not with the fantastical view of the Roman Catholics and the Charismatics, still we hear of their influence in our lives and the lives of others. Indeed, the Devil is seen as the cause of most calamity, as the secret enticing agent of most of the sins in the world, and last and not least, the evil rival to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is thought that God is the cause of all the good things in this world, and that Satan is the cause of all the bad/evil things.
I will be a bit informal in my presentation of this view of Satan. I will not be quoting from theologians and scholars on the subject to show that this is a commonly held belief about Satan. It is because I know it to be widespread enough that I think it superfluous to prove. Undoubtedly many readers will fall under the criticism I will offer.
So what is this view of Satan? I will cover four views that make Satan distinctive;
1. Satan is the god of this world
2. Satan is a chief instigator to sin
3. Satan is the cause of most ailments and maladies
4. Satan is the grand deceiver of the nations
This battle between God and Satan, which I mentioned a bit ago, is of an ancient origin, it is ferocity of intense proportions and the struggle almost too much bear. On the one hand we have Satan who is the Destroyer, and then on the other we have God who is seeking to save what Satan seeks to destroy. On and on they fight, not knowing where the battle lies. While the vast majority of individuals God seeks to save are lost to eternal perdition through the efforts of Satan, God is still able to woo a few souls into His glorious Kingdom.
What is wrong with this picture we have painted? Perhaps you see nothing amiss with it and your consolation is that you have “read the end of the book and know that God wins in the end!” I do not wish to hide my intentions here, so let me state my purpose in writing: it will be my goal to utterly eradicate this view under consideration, yes, of Satan, but more importantly the sort of view of God that under girds this view of the Devil which ultimately diminishes the glory of God.
First, let us ask the question (Is the popular view of Satan one that has been the historical view of Satan in the church?) If the 3rd and the 5th chapters Westminster confession of Faith are any indication, it is not. Of course, one will be quick to add that a confessional statement should not have the final say on this matter, and to this I would agree. The following, then, will be a Scriptural refutation of the error that Satan is the god of this world and that he has any other role other than the minister of God. I will then go to some implications the Scriptural and confessional statements have;
1. Satan is not the god of this world. Not only are the Scriptures full of statements to the contrary such as Psalm 24:1 : “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (and quoted again in 1Cor. 10:26) and Psalm 97:1: “The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.” But the only passage that is attempted to use to substantiate Satan’s deity is 2Corinthians 4:34:
2. One will not find in Scripture that states anything other than that men sin and that men sin because they are drawn away by their own lusts. (See 2Timothy 4:3; 2Peter 3:3; Jude 1:16). There is enough filth in man to engulf the world in utter wickedness and ruin without the help of Satan. It is an escape from responsibility to say otherwise; “The devil made me do it!”
3. Satan is not the cause of most ailments and sicknesses. The often used text in the book of Job only proves the opposite. Instead of seeing Satan as afflicting whoever he wills, we see him needing to ask God for permission to take any sort of action against Job. (Job 1:7-12)
4. The above situation therefore presents the following implications;
First of all that if Satan is not the god of this world, who is he then? Well, to answer shortly, God is! If one is to ask who the cause of all good is and who the cause of all evil is, it will be stated simply that God is the cause of all things and that there is nothing outside of the sovereignty of God. This means that instead of viewing everything from a myopic point of view, we must be conscious of the fact that God has total Lordship over our lives and that there is nothing that is outside of His control and authority.
Secondly, if Satan is not the one who causes illness and calamity, how does it come about? The Scriptures speak on this matter in Deuteronomy 32:39 ” See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.” Calamity is the result of the judgment of God. Deuteronomy 28 is normative in this matter. Calamity and illness is either the result of sin, or, as in the case of Job, a test to strengthen ones faith. When we see catastrophe in a nation, we must not say, “Wow, Satan sure is powerful!”, but rather, “What have we done to incur the wrath of Almighty God?” It is extremely important to know the difference.
Conclusion
Let it be said in no uncertain terms that one’s view of Satan must be viewed with a prior Scriptural understanding of God’s absolute sovereignty. There is none who can hold back the hand of God or say unto Him, “What are you doing?”(Daniel 4:35). The Church of Jesus Christ needs to get back the view of God that sees Christ highly exalted and sitting on the Throne of His Glory. No more Satan worship. Get over him; he’s not that great! If the Christian church would embrace again the teaching that God is King and that he does according to His will in the armies of Heaven and on earth, what need would we have of consternation or worry? Could we not say with David, “The LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods”?
REFERENCES
Elaine, P. (1995): The Origin of Satan, Vintage Books, New
Lindsey, H. (2000): There’s a New World Coming, Harvest House Publishers.
Neil Forsyth. (1987): The Old Enemy: Satan & the Combat Myth, Princeton, New Jersey.
Jeffrey, B. (1977): The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, New York.
Rudwin, (1959): The Devil in Legend and Literature, by Maximilian, a compendium of "the secular and sacred adventures.
Walvoord, J,F. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Press, Chicago, 1966.
http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/(20/07/2011)
http://www.tparents.org/moon-talks/sunmyungmoon96/(15/07/2011)
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