T1B

Satan is introduced from nearly the beginning of the Bible, and he (and his destructive activities) is a focal point until nearly the very end.
In fact, the very reason the Son of God was manifested was to destroy the work of satan - 1John 3:8.

Satan's method of destruction is simple yet insideous.
He wants people to disbelieve God's Word - which is our Life.
From the beginning this was his tactic (Genesis 3:1) - with Eve, asking her, "Did God REALLY say... ?"
And that tactic continues until this day.

You doing and/or thinking almost anything if fine and dandy, just so long as you don't do that one thing - BELIEVE God's Word.

For satan knows that if a person believes God's Word and takes the very simple step to acknowledge Jesus Christ and receive Him, he has lost that person.
So long as as a person remains apart from God's Word, he is satan's plaything.
He will suffer many things, and will in fact be utterly ruined.

Ephesisans 2:2-3
[2] Wherein in time past (before receiving Christ) ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
[3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Chidren of wrath.


Of course God promised (Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14) the Christ - and He delivered for us.

Ephesians 2:4-6
[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
[5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
[6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus

Nonsense. poptart's just another one of Cuda's trolls.

poptart wrote:And hath raised us up together...

Bad grammar is the work of Satan.

riddle me this 'tart.

Why does God allow Satan to exist?

I mean, if God loves us and only wants what's best, couldn't he simply remove the temptor, thus the temptation?

Sure would be a heckuva lot simpler that way.

Unless God doesn't really love us and wants to fuck us over.

Whitey,

We're like God's Xbox.

The Bible doesn't tell us why God allows satan to exist, Wagon, so my answer would really just be speculation based on my own thinking.

Of course there are many questions like this we can wonder about.
I just take it that God has chosen to tell us what He has chosen to tell us.
He is God and we are not.

What we need to know is that satan does exist, people are completely oppressed and ruined by him, and he is the very reason God sent Christ for us.

Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Man is a spiritual being, and God explained to Adam what has happened now that satan has invaded our spirit.

Genesis 3:17-19
[17] cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
[18] Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
[19] In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return

Romans 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned


The very ground is cursed. Think of it.
"Thorns and thistles" will come of our work. That's be "jack shit" in board lingo.
We struggle.
We die and go back to the dirt.

It's honestly very heartbreaking to see people struggle against this - pushing, striving, diligently attempting to swim upstream against a tsunami which will ultimate swallow them alive.

Adam's seed was hopelessly corrupt ---> so God jumped right over it and promised HIS seed, the seed of the woman, which would give new Life to all who would simply acknowledge and claim it.
Genesis 3:15.

1Peter 1:23
(Believers) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

The believer, no matter how strange, fugged up, or wack he may be, will NEVER face ultimate failure.
He's born of the very seed of God, which liveth and abideth FOREVER.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

poptart wrote: The Bible doesn't tell us why God allows satan to exist

there's only one of three answers tart
1 your god is willing to prevent evil, but not able to which means he is not omnipotent.
2 he is able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
3. this entity you call satan doesn't exist

Felix wrote:2 he is able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

Maybe it's possible that God Himself came to provide salvation for people, and yet people don't want it.


John 3:19
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

War Wagon wrote:Why does God allow Satan to exist?

To give Man a choice. The exercise of free will is impossible without choice.

Poptart wrote:Satan, who wants to destroy you

Sounds like a Slayer album waiting to happen.

Felix wrote:

poptart wrote: The Bible doesn't tell us why God allows satan to exist

there's only one of three four answers tart
1 your god is willing to prevent evil, but not able to which means he is not omnipotent.
2 he is able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
3. this entity you call satan doesn't exist
4. this entity you call God doesn't exist, nor does Satan.

FTFY

As an agnostic, the one that bothers me most is #2. If God does exist, then he's a real dick.

Does the created really have more wisdom and understanding than the One who created him?

Wisdom? Who said anything about wisdom? I said that if He's real, He's a dick, and there can be no disputing this. If we're to believe the bible then He's proven himself to be nothing more than a meanspirited despot who's either treated us as menial playthings to torture, or, ever since the New Testament, he's been a straight-up absentee father who doesn't seem to give a rip what evils are committed upon his children, even those evils committed in His name.

Genghis Khan also had wisdom. It still sucked to be one of his subjects.

poptart wrote: What we need to know is that satan does exist

I have no doubt of this.

I'm afraid to look in the mirror.

poptart wrote:What we need to know is that satan does exist.

Never doubt that I exist.

poptart wrote: He wants people to disbelieve God's Word - which is our Life.

I'm quite real, at least in your itty bitty mind.

Which really gives me 'bode as you lie awake in mortal fear.

BTW - your Mom is here and says Hi - bet you didn't know she liked it up the ass.

Joe Frazier is doing her as we speak ...... wha?

Sure he made a deal - he was from Philly after all

Satan, thy name is Barak.

Or is it...Barak, thy name is Satan.

Fuck it, I'm not even sure anymore.

Van wrote:Genghis Khan also had wisdom. It still sucked to be one of his subjects.

Not really. He was a very capable ruler who cultivated a meritocracy in his civil service and the Mongol Empire prospered economically and culturally.

So...Genghis Khan > God?

Van wrote:So...Genghis Khan > God?

No, but he was quite unique as a ruler.

mvscal wrote:

Van wrote:Genghis Khan also had wisdom. It still sucked to be one of his subjects.

Not really. He was a very capable ruler who cultivated a meritocracy in his civil service and the Mongol Empire prospered economically and culturally.

to be his subject, eh not so bad.....

he seemed like a pretty decent guy in this....



the biography episode I saw about Gengis Khan painted a little different picture.....definitely did not want to be his enemy....

mvscal wrote:

Van wrote:Genghis Khan also had wisdom. It still sucked to be one of his subjects.

Not really. He was a very capable ruler who cultivated a meritocracy in his civil service and the Mongol Empire prospered economically and culturally.

I think what he meant was being one of the mofos he conquered.