some say: Quotes are marked blue
Are we not to ‘love our enemy’ as directed/Commanded in the Bible you quote from?<
Of course we must. But there is a very simple reason: The reason of LOVE YOUR ENEMY, becaus we are not to judge - so we won’t be judged. (Mt 7,1 + Lk 6,37 and others).
We are not to judge, because we are unable to look into the heart of a person, nor do we know if this person we tend to name our enemy, is much more in the eye of God, then we ourselves ever will be. Even if he is a blasphemer and disbeliever and even a thug, we never know if he like Paul, returns and becomes a Saint. I know several blasphemers, but I’m very friendly to them, though they know very clearly and I told them, that I hate blasphemy. Would I though hate them and turn away, they rightly would be convinced, that this behavior of mine is anti-Christian and lacks love, so is no better them them.
And could this enemy even be Satan?<
No, for Satan is judged by God to be off God in eternity. Lucifer and his legions committed a greater sin than the greatest sin possible on earth, for he - other than any human on earth, had seen God and known Him from face to face. The devil is abysmally bad and the father of all badness and temptation. All that causes God’s wrath and not love. So; how can anyone say “God loves Satan”.
It is only God’s Love the devil flees from… <
No. Satan does not flee God’s love, he’d be proud to gain God’s love and even forgiveness. Both to him is never to be had or regained. So; how can anyone say “God loves Satan”. It even hurts me deeply to write such sentence here.
Remember, it is snakes that have venom, or shall we say serpents<
Both have. Satan’s poison is his well tasting and lovely seeming temptations even then, when in the back of our mind the loud voice of our guardian angel is warningly heard.
Is there any greater sin after his first sin to rebel against God; then to tempt Jesus Christ?! (Mat 4,1-11; Marc 1,12.13; Luke 3,1-13) How could anyone ask if “God loves Satan”. It shows outmost thoughtlessness and carelessness about divine things.
I was asked in a forum many years ago: “Ah - Satan’s temptation of Jesus was actually a terribly silly thing and nothing but a senseless doing things for the sake of doing things”.
Wrong! As wrong as can be!
This most ugly temptation was meant to indeed hurt God the Father - even at the outmost possible! It even would have shaken the whole creation of heaven and earth to the very foundations. Jesus Christ was send by The Father in His overwhelming love, to by free will of The Son, save humanity from the condemnation they had maneuvered themselves into, by outsized extensive sinning - then as today.
Now; Jesus came upon our earth to save many. Though God want’s all to be saved, but a vast majority doesn’t want to be saved, and shouts: “God is a liar”. Disbelievers do name Christ a liar, when they do not believe in Jesus’ word; discount it as fairy tale, manmade - a lie.
So, Jesus who knew that all His indescribable terribly suffering, still just saves a minority (Lk 13,24 and others) was promised by Satan: >Hell will let all those lost to God; make them return to God instead clinging to Satan’s lies<. This would have been easy, simply by showing his true face to the world. If Satan did; all would be so shocked, that they’d run to God and beg to be allowed to belief. All in a sudden all would be good and even Saints.
So, Satan’s temptation of Jesus, was hell’s master plan, to insult and hurt God even unmatchably harder than in the first rebellion, for it would have destroyed Jesus Christ.
Now why on earth is it thinkable to hell, that Jesus would agree to this temptation?
Simply because of Jesus overwhelming love to all people God created. This step would not only fulfill God The Father’s will to save all who believe, but it also would fulfill God’s wish to save ALL people altogether. The hugest temptation one can think of and the largest attack against God ever in Satan’s and the universe’s history.
Jesus denied and painfully realized, that all of God’ merciful, incredible deeds to save all, to a majority will remain in vain and only many will be saved - not all as God desires. But Jesus rebuked Satan, for He knew that the loss of Jesus Christ would have meant to God such an unthinkable disaster, that hell could easily abandon all living humans for this present. The actual victory of heavens; was Jesus’ refusal of this indeed tremendous temptation that figured on Jesus’ altruism.
I here in a few humble words tried to outline one of the most complex situations the Gospel in only few words mentions. One of those things our heart and mind overflows, but hardly can be put into words nor concluding comprehension - but meditation on the subject helps.
Anyhow: This most ugly temptation of Christ is but one of the very many reasons God really does not love Satan! What an abstruse idea and thoughtless question.
Yours
Bruno