Demonology

The devil does not exist

Many people all over the world deny the existence of the devil. Among them are the members of the Christadelphian Church and the followers of spiritist Emanuel Swedenborg.

The Christadelphian Church: ‘Today, many people believe in a supernatural Devil, a specific being who goes around causing trouble and tempting people to cause sin. While this idea may be superficially supported by the Bible it obscures the real message: that man is the source of sin, not some 'fallen angel' …. Satan is not some supernatural person constantly at odds with God.’ (http://www.christadelphian.org.uk – cf. Christadelphian Answers, page 100). Robert Roberts has written: ‘Now, we make bold at once to assert that the popular doctrine of a personal devil has no foundation whatever in truth, but is the hideous conception of the heathen mind, inherited by the moderns from the mythologies of the ancients, and incorporated with Christianity by those "men of corrupt minds," who, Paul predicted, would pervert the truth, "giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils" (Robert Roberts, Christendom Astray From the Bible – From http://www.christadelphia.org/). What is the devil then? The devil is the scriptural personification of sin in its manifestations among men

The followers of Emmanuel Swedenborg. In his book What the Bible Actually Teaches, John Odhner, who is a follower of spiritist Emmanuel Swedenborg states: ‘The Bible shows that people can be devils and satans, but what about the Devil? Doesn't the Bible describe Satan as a specific personal being of extraordinary power? The answer is a qualified "yes." In fact the Bible shows that Satan does exist and has great power, yet Satan is not one individual but a group of individuals. ….. Once we understand that the Devil is not some mysterious evil being with almost Godlike power, but is a collection of people choosing to lust, hurt and hate, we can see the real nature of our responsibility for evil. We can't blame evil on others. The Devil is not a tempter created by God, but the temptation we create for ourselves and for each other by our free choices. Satan is not some outside force acting on the human race, but the force of people acting against people - a force that is very much alive and real - one we add to and accept when we act in harmful ways, and one which we diminish and escape when we stop hurting others’. References from Swedenborg: Heaven and Hell 311-317.

Confutation

The Holy Scripture clearly teaches that the devil is a personal being who is able to see, to hear, to speak, to argue, to remember, to hurt people, to kill people, to tempt people, and to deceive them into doing and believing evil things.

When Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, the devil spoke to Jesus three times. The first time he said to Jesus: “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (Matthew 4:3); the second time [after he had set Him on the pinnacle of the temple] he said to Him: “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Matthew 4:6); and the third time, after he had showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, he said to Him: “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). Each time Jesus answered the devil citing a passage of the Scripture. The first time Jesus said to Him: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4); the second time He said to him: “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:7); and the third time: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:10).

Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, said the following things about the devil: “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” (John 8:44 – NKJV). Jesus called the devil “the prince of this world” (John 14:30 – NIV), for he rules over this wicked world. Paul confirmed this by calling the devil “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2 – NKJV). The devil has a kingdom (cf. Matthew 12:26), and many children (cf. Matthew 13:38).

The devil put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Jesus (cf. John 13:2), and he entered Judas, as it is written: “Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve” (Luke 22:3 – NKJV).

The devil filled the heart of Ananias to lie to the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 5:3).

The devil hindered Paul and his fellow workers from going to Thessalonica (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:18).

The devil threw some believers of the church of Smyrna into prison (cf. Revelation 2:10).

Paul delivered several believers, who had rebelled against God, to Satan for the destruction of the flesh (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:19-20).

When God put Job in the hand of the devil to test Job, the devil “struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2:7 - NKJV).

Peter commands us to be sober and vigilant, because our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and he tells us to resist the devil steadfast in the faith (cf. 1 Peter 5:8-9).

James commands us to submit to God, to resist the devil, and he will flee from us (cf. James 4:6).

The devil accuses the brethren before God day and night, but the hour is coming when he will be cast to the earth (cf. Revelation 12:7-12).

When Jesus Christ returns, the devil will be bound for a thousand years, and cast into the bottomless pit, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years are finished. When the thousand years have expired, the devil will be released from his prison, and will deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, and fire will come down from God out of heaven and will devour them, and the devil will be cast into the lake of fire where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever (cf. Revelation 20:1-10).

Therefore, brothers in the Lord, beware of those who deny the existence of the devil, for they lie against the truth; they are deceivers of mind that have been deceived by the devil.

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