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To: Tenega; BibChr; fortheDeclaration
Tenega, you said this: Still, since the temptation of Christ in the wilderness (the real point at which Satan's ultimate power was broken), Satan's sphere of influence has been significantly curtailed within the kingdom of God. That is the (probably) small but powerful domain on earth in which God's will is perfectly done.

The article points out this: 3) The amillennial view conflicts with the New Testament's depiction of Satan's activities in the present age The view that Satan is bound during this age contradicts multiple New Testament passages which show that Satan is presently active and involved in deception. He is "the god of this world [who] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:4). He is our adversary who "prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). In the church age he was able to fill the heart of Ananias (Acts 5:3) and "thwart" the work of God's ministers (1 Thess. 2:18). He is one for whom we must protect ourselves from by putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-19). Satan's influence in this age is so great that John declared "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). These passages do not depict a being who has been bound and shut up in a pit. As Grudem has rightly commented, "the theme of Satan's continual activity on earth throughout the church age, makes it extremely difficult to think that Satan has been thrown into the bottomless pit."31

If we follow just the scripture, the points mentioned by the author in 1-4 in the basic article seem to made your view hard for me to buy into for myself.

I'm sure you can see why I believe the opposite.

54 posted on 11/15/2002 8:06:57 AM PST by xzins
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To: xzins
All of the scriptures you cite DO indicate a Satan whose powers have been limited when it comes to Christians. We CAN resist evil. We ARE protected by the armor of God, especially the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness and the sword of the spirit. We are saved from sin. Not just in the next life, but in this one. As we allow our hearts and minds to be remade by the Holy Spirit, Satan loses his power over us. Make no mistake about it: The Kingdom of God is already established and Satan, as prophesied in the proto evangel of Gen 3, has been dealt a mortal blow to his head. Is he dead yet? No. Does he hold sway over most of humanity? Yes. But his days are numbered and Christ ALREADY RULES. IT..IS..FINISHED. THIS IS THE GOSPEL, for Christ's sake. Take courage. As Bonhoffer notes, we are like a victorious army running in rout from the field of triumph.
75 posted on 11/15/2002 4:57:48 PM PST by Tenega
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