Ingedients of evil
-
_Anonymous
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:03 pm
Ingedients of evil
Is the conglomeration that is Satan and his demons a necessary ingredient in every instance of evil ?
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
Probably not. It is very possible that the evil in the heart of fallen man is entirely sufficient to inspire much sinful thought and behavior. "Each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:14).
On the other hand, Satan is called the “tempter” (1 Thes. 3:5) and it is quite possible that most or all of our inclinations toward evil are in some measure encouraged by his influence. We are drawn away by our own desires, but who is it that is presenting the appeal to our desires to be drawn away after?
We needn’t be obsessed with or afraid of the devil, even if we were to conclude that he or one of his cohorts were involved intimately in the process of our being tested. “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). However, being aware of his evil intentions will put us on our guard against the intrusion of certain suggestions, which we might otherwise unwarily attribute to our own minds. We do not think of our own minds as being hostile to us, and therefore are not as likely to be defensive against thoughts that we think are our own. “We are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor.2:11).
Additionally, knowing that the devil is there presenting temptations to our mind will help us recognize that, at times, evil thoughts that intrude are not really our own. They may simply be temptations—suggestions from the enemy. When this is so, there is less likelihood (and no necessity) of us coming under an undeserved condemnation over having thought such things. Temptations are not sin (Heb.4:15). When the devil tempts us, he often then wants to condemn us for “having such evil thoughts.” This is like a burglar, having been caught in your house, turning and accusing you of being the thief.
On the other hand, Satan is called the “tempter” (1 Thes. 3:5) and it is quite possible that most or all of our inclinations toward evil are in some measure encouraged by his influence. We are drawn away by our own desires, but who is it that is presenting the appeal to our desires to be drawn away after?
We needn’t be obsessed with or afraid of the devil, even if we were to conclude that he or one of his cohorts were involved intimately in the process of our being tested. “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). However, being aware of his evil intentions will put us on our guard against the intrusion of certain suggestions, which we might otherwise unwarily attribute to our own minds. We do not think of our own minds as being hostile to us, and therefore are not as likely to be defensive against thoughts that we think are our own. “We are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor.2:11).
Additionally, knowing that the devil is there presenting temptations to our mind will help us recognize that, at times, evil thoughts that intrude are not really our own. They may simply be temptations—suggestions from the enemy. When this is so, there is less likelihood (and no necessity) of us coming under an undeserved condemnation over having thought such things. Temptations are not sin (Heb.4:15). When the devil tempts us, he often then wants to condemn us for “having such evil thoughts.” This is like a burglar, having been caught in your house, turning and accusing you of being the thief.
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
In Jesus,
Steve
Steve