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The Devil or Satan


           Satan knew what God is. Footnote 1 How stupid can you be to fight against an infinite, omnipotent Entity? How can the simple creation of the Creator win in any conflict? All it would take for Satan to cease to exist would be for God to cease to think about him. If Satan is a creation of God rather than a part of God, then he too must have a free will. Do not all God’s children have free will? But, how stupid can one be? How can Satan be so stupid as to continue his efforts? Perhaps Satan is just following orders from above. Again thoughts that could use much more exploration.


          I do not place much power in the Devil’s hands. Is Satan to blame for the evil I do? Then I may not take credit for any good I may do. If I do wrong, it may be that Satan has shown me that option, but God has also shown me the right option. It is my choice from my free will, not an unavoidable reaction to the power of evil. Sometimes the good option seems more difficult, but perhaps God will then smile more brightly.


          Think about this: If the devil makes you sin, then you can take no credit for what ever you do that is good. I am willing to take the blame for my sins if I can be credited for the good I may do.


          Maybe I am getting old or something, because it seems that usually the correct choice just makes more sense.


          Warning! Tear this portion out and destroy it before reading.


          If we truly have free will, then God must present us the option to do wrong as well as right. To follow this to one conclusion, the office of Satan is to present to us the other side. Satan is the “Dark side of the Force” Footnote 2 or the part of God that shows us that there is a choice to do wrong.


          God is yin/yang. God is everything and that includes the creator of devils. Can you say that God was ignorant of what Satan would do? Can you accept that God did not know what He was doing when He created Satan? Perhaps God had some purpose for devils? Is that purpose to test us? Can we gain from this temptation? Some things I feel I must accept even if I do not like them. It hurts if the elephant steps on your foot.


          God’s gift of free will includes wrong as well as right choices. To truly give us free will, God has to give us the option. If God is fair, then He will present us with all options. And, present them evenly. As blind men, we cannot accept that God will offer us a bad option. That is the Devil’s job. Did we invent the Devil because we are unable to accept a portion of God? Look at the oriental concept of yin/yang. Evil is necessary for good to exist. Can God be good if there is no evil as a comparison? Is the Devil just the “dark side?” Are the Devil and God the same? Remember, Lucifer means “Light Bearer.” One of the names we give to the one who represents darkness and evil means “Light Bearer!” Does the Light Bearer help or hinder the Light of the World?” Footnote 3 Satan is one of God’s creations. Did God create evil? There are many questions here that could use much more exploration.


          Ellen White Footnote 4 has taken the total story of Jesus and expanded it for her readers. She tells the story as a continuous battle between good and evil. She places very strong power into the hands of Satan (the Devil). The power of Satan is evident throughout all of Ellen’s writings. If Satan is so strong, does it weaken the power of God? Unless God/Satan is the Christian version of yin/yang.

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Footnote:
1.     There is no conflict in tenses - - past and present in this sentence.
2.     Star Wars by George Lucas
3.     John 9:5
4.     The Desire of Ages by Ellen White

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copyright© 2007 George L Snyder