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Devil 29 Oct 2018

What I noticed at starting of writing today was that: evil is a part of the word devil. That appears to be an accidental coincidence.

Many people do not believe that the Devil exists. Even while they believe God exists. I know with absolute certainty that evil exists.

Created

Theologians argue that the Devil (not just one spirit or personality) is a created being. The devils are fallen angels. Yes, even angels can or could fall. Because the Devil is a created being, he is not a god. Although powerful, his power is limited and far lower than God's power.

Father of lies

The devil brings confusion and tries to separate us from God. He is a deceiver, thief and murderer.

The devil has gained power over this world and over many of us. He is named: Ruler of the World.1 John 5:19 says: the whole world is in the power of the Evil One.

Who or what speaks in your mind?

Do you have by times unfriendly thoughts in your mind about some other person? Where do my thoughts come from? There are a few possibilities:
- they just come from myself
- another person has given me (in the past) this thought
- they may come from a good spirit (e.g. God, angel)
- they may come from a bad spirit (e.g. Devil, angel)

Discernment

1. I am not happy with unfriendly thoughts in my mind.
2. I feel haunted by those thoughts.
3. Those thoughts are time-wasters and they hurt me and potentially damage others.
4. Actually I would like to dismiss many of them, and I find myself unable to do so.

What loving and kind spirit would like to influence me in such a way?

There is a lot more to say about discernment but that is not today's focus.

Resist the Devil

James 4:7 says: Submit yourselves to God. Then resist the Devil and he will flee from you.

Submitting to God needs to be learned and practiced. You can ask the help of the Holy Spirit.