How much doyou feel Satan knows? I'm not sure. The Word says he is crafty ...so crafty tha twe need to be clothed with the "Full armour of God." According to the Word he attacks through the mind. We are to take every thought captive. He always paints an easy way out and makes things seem very appetizing.
Would he recognize God? According to scriptures..he recognized God before the Pharisees. He trembles at God.
Would he recognize Christ? Yes he did and still trembles at believers who have this treasure in earthen vessels.
Would he recognize a follower of Christ? Just answered above.
Yes this is a loaded question. Great questions though and causes one to take inventory. Thanks Taz.
Chuck the reason I brought this up and said it was a loaded question is because, I beleive we can all concur that Satan knows God.
Now since we all (I think) concur that Satan knows God, it would tend to lead to agreement that Satan in turn would also know Christ and exactly who he was in relationship to God.
We also (I think) agree that God can not be tempted by Satan.
This leads (My opinion) to the following conclusion:
Satan knowing God and knowing he can not tempt God chose to tempt his Son, time and again Satan refers to Christ as "the Son of God". Satan knowing Christ was not God, but the Son of God, promises Christ all if he will worship him instead of God, Christ tells Satan "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.".
Yes even Satan attest to Christ being "the Son of God". Satan himself also knows that he can not tempt God, the scriptures tell us so,so he tempted "the Son of God".
Quote:
Matt. 4:1
Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
4:2
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
4:3
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
4:5
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
4:6
And saith unto 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.
4:7
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
4:8
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
4:9
And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
4:10
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
4:11
Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
__________________
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
Taz,
I see where you are heading and you have a great arguement there but I'm still picking the buckshot out of my butt from the last time we visited that area if you get my drift.
However; these questions you ask literally drove me to my prayer closet outdoors. I sincerely began looking at my feeble Christian life. I have some personal areas I'm asking God to give me understanding in concerning the enemy. As you have pointed out.If Christ is really in us....then why are we struggling so hard against sin? My answer...because deep down we like sin. If we loved God like Jesus did it would seem that we would sin less.
My opinion of course.
Chuck7
Well I don't have any buckshot at the moment, but I do totally disagree with the JW perspective of this subject. I've argued this with Taz before and I realize that this is not for him to understand. But for the record : The significance of the term "Son Of God" is that it emphasizes the divine nature of Jesus and the fact of His virgin birth. Another term that Jesus used many times in reference to Himself was "Son Of Man", which emphasizes the humanity of Jesus. So Christ the man was the Son of God and the Son of Man, but only in His humanity. In His deity He was God.
Of course it helps if you believe in the OT , Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
The terms child and son refer to the Incarnation . . .the manifestation of the Mighty God, The everlasting Father.
I am commited to this truth, . . .If it causes divisions , so be it. I have made it a point to not be the one that brings it up.
__________________ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
As for me ....I will never get into another oneness debate. My skin is way to thin for that one. I do believe on the other angle of this particuliar thread I need to ask myself if Christ truly is in me than I should be living a more victorious life. Ihave been pondering this ever since I read the thread.
Leaf first of all I said that was my opinion, not the JW take on it.
Second you forgot to mention that your reply was your opinion, you spoke with a degree of authority that I would not have the guts to speak with for fear of answering for it on Judgement day.
If Christ were God then Satan would have known it and would not have tried to tempt him.
Leaf it is one thing to speak of ones personal opinion which is what I do, but to speak as if one has authority to me is walking on very thin ice.
Leaf please tell me that what you said was your opinion, if not by what or with whos authority do you speak?
If you have been given authority by God or Christ to declare your understanding of scripture to be perfect please tell me how you received it? I to would love to either be granted that level of understanding or to know someone who has that authority.
Leaf I am not trying to cause a stink, but I do feel that until someone has authority thier beleifs are thier opinions and nothing more.
Is it not possible that you don't understand? I will be the first to admit that it is possible for me not to understand, all of my beleifs have been gained from the scriptures alone, I trust God and the scriptures, the writings and speaking of men mean nothing to me.
__________________
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
Do I detect hostility? Lol Taz, this subject must really be weighing on you. How much time has passed since this subject was originally discussed? And yet here you are, dragging up yet another point in misunderstanding. It's hard to prove a thing that isn't true isn't it.
You deny the deity of Christ . . .I'll take the ice Im standing on any day over yours.
My reply is not my opinion but is the authority of the word of God plainly stating in Isaiah 9:6 who the Christ would be. I actually could give you much more scripture plainly making similar statements.
But now . . .your using feeble humans relative thinking, wraping it around your preconcieved notions, saying that if Satan recognizes the Son of God then God must not be God.
Quote:
Leaf I am not trying to cause a stink,
Bull!! . . .My reply wasn't an attack on you . . .The word is it's own authority . . .Gods word is not wrong or just about right, it is right, and if thats what offends you then so be it.
The rules don't require that I put up a facade of etiquette, I wasn't trying to be offensive nor do I try to patronize . However, you seem to be ready to do battle without much provocation. Either the subject is convicting you or you just plain ole have a problem with me. If it's the latter, I find it infantile.
Now if you'd like to discuss this civily, I would be glad to meet you half way. Your pointing a crooked finger of condemnation at me will only stir up a weakness in me to reciprocate, getting us no where. You should know that . . .being a mod and all.
__________________ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Satan's knowledge?
