What About
the Devil?
by Pastor Bill Pevlor
Belief in the devil is at an all time low. Although a vast majority of
people profess a belief in God, only a small minority still believe in the
devil. Most have decided the devil is nothing more than a made up
"bogeyman" used by the ancients to scare people toward good behavior.
Even some theologians (I use the term loosely) have decided the devil of the
bible is not a true personality, but simply an imaginary prop for illustration
purposes. After all, we have become much too sophisticated to fall for fairy
tales from the dark ages.
Well, I'm here to stand against the tide of modern, "conventional
wisdom" to declare: There is, indeed a devil! Not an imaginary figure; an
actual, existent, diabolical personality whose sole intent is to thwart the
purposes of God and destroy mankind. Jesus spoke of the devil as a thief who
comes only to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10) Jesus also said the devil "…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." (John 8:44) It's clear from the scriptures, Jesus
believed in, and fought against, a real devil.
Some readers are probably thinking, "I thought this column was
supposed to be 'Good News from God's Word'? How is the existence of a real devil
good news?"
Here's the good news: The reality of a real devil clears up a lot of
potential confusion about God. Without acknowledging the existence of a devil,
people end up with a twisted impression of God. If the devil doesn't exist then
God gets all the blame, as well as any credit. People who don't believe in the
devil find God rather schizophrenic; bringing blessing one minute and curses the
next. They, unknowingly, defame God; blaming Him for the things actually being
done by the devil. Even worse, without the devil, God becomes someone to be
feared from a distance. ("Don't get too close, you never know what He's
likely to do!")
I often try to teach new believers a simple concept we call
"Theology 101". The course is summed up in two short sentences -
"1) God is a good God. 2) The devil is a bad devil." I know it is a
very simplistic approach and some additional teaching is needed to bring a full
understanding. However, if all you understand is "God is a good God and the
devil is a bad devil" than you are already well ahead of a lot of so-called
theologians.
If you want to investigate who's behind various circumstances in your
life, be sure to check the character of both suspects. According to the Bible,
God is holy, righteous, and just. God is the one who loves you so much He
sacrificed His only son. The Bible describes God as much more than just a loving
being when it says "God is love". Now, contrast that with
Jesus' description of the devil.
As a practical example, if your theology doesn't allow for a devil, when
a young child dies, all you can do is shrug your shoulders and say "well,
God must have had a reason". If you've graduated from Theology 101, it's
easy to see the culprit is not God, but the devil. God is the life giver. The
devil is a thief and a murderer. It is so simple you'd have to have help to get
it mixed up. And the devil has been happy to help.
As Jesus said, the devil is a liar, and one of the biggest whoppers he
wants us to believe is that he doesn't actually exist. If he can get you to
believe the lie, you'll begin to blame God. The devil's ultimate goal is to get
you to turn away from God and His plan of salvation out of anger or fear. Don't
fall for the lie.
Now, a final bit of Good News from God's Word. With all the Bible says
about the devil, the last (and most thrilling) reference is a prediction of his
future found in Revelation 20:10 where it says "and the devil that
deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…". Now
that's Good News!
Back for more Good News
Victorious Faith
Ministries
219 State Street, Algoma, WI 54201
Phone: 920-487-5775
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