What if satan knew very well that Christ is God, and that is precisely the reason he "went after" Him in the first place, the primary motivating factor?
At any rate, that would be my expectation. Satan's entire mission in everlasting death is to "trash God." He already knows he "can't win." So he is determined to take down into eternal perdition with him as many of God's beloved creatures as possible, just for sheer ungrateful, ungodly, and unregenerate spite.
And if satan finds that God lives in the soul of any particular man by His Spirit and Grace, then that particular person would present an interesting target from his point of view.
And so you raised the issue of: How do we know, when in our devotions, that the Presence we experience isn't satan himself, deceiving us?
It is a very good question to bear in mind. Let us for the sake of argument allow that there are spirits effective in the ordinary world of human experience, many if not most of which bear ill will towards human beings.
That granted, still the human being has to give them a niche to slink in through before they can do any real damage. From satan's point of view, he gets the best traction out of the perpetrators of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust....
Add to that list: Spiritual pride (your recommendation); arrogance; narcissism; inordinate desire for anything that is not God....
In God alone is the Logos, Truth -- thus final authority in this world and the next.
All praise and glory be to His Holy Names!
God bless you for writing, dear kosta50!
Exactly. If he could get Christ to break, no redemption for mankind.
That granted, still the human being has to give them a niche to slink in through before they can do any real damage. From satan's point of view, he gets the best traction out of the perpetrators of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust....
Add to that list: Spiritual pride (your recommendation); arrogance; narcissism; inordinate desire for anything that is not God....
All praise and glory be to His Holy Names!
What if satan knew very well that Christ is God, and that is precisely the reason he "went after" Him in the first place, the primary motivating factor?
But, the demons belive and shudder [James 2:19]. Satan would not tempt God because God cannot be tempted by evil [James 1:13] So, if satan thought he could tempt Christ, he did not believe He is God.
At any rate, that would be my expectation. Satan's entire mission in everlasting death is to "trash God." He already knows he "can't win." So he is determined to take down into eternal perdition with him as many of God's beloved creatures as possible, just for sheer ungrateful, ungodly, and unregenerate spite.
That's precely why he tempted Jesus. he thought Christ was one of God's beloved creatures.
And if satan finds that God lives in the soul of any particular man by His Spirit and Grace, then that particular person would present an interesting target from his point of view.
Actually, at that point the satan leaves, just as he left Jesus (Mat 4, Luk 4) when he would not fall for satan's cheap tricks. People may be surprized to find out that we have the willingly reject evil and choose God.
And so you raised the issue of: How do we know, when in our devotions, that the Presence we experience isn't satan himself, deceiving us?
The devil offers pleasure but no love.
Otherwise, there would be no need to mention that the HS descended on Christ at baptism.