Does the Devil exist?

  • Thread starter Thread starter WilT
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
- C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters​
 
I was at a homeless hot meal give away in which all was catered for the poor and the homeless. People were well fed and there was a sense of joy and laughter in the air. A gentleman in black sunglasses and cap started talking about ‘the end of the World’ as we know it’ and he gave praise to the Anti-Christ. That may have been the Devil in him.:mad: :banghead::bigyikes:
 
As I sat among others in a Church group, a woman claimed to have a vision and shared that vision to us and she continued on naming those in her vision. She later thanked God for her being made worthy of the vision. Although, I am usually not negative or critical, I believe this to be a ploy of the Devil. He is sifting through the group, looking for those who may be proud and arrogant. Will anyone take the bait. I pray not. This group is a good healthy prayerful group overall.
 
The devil does exist. Jesus also spoke about him several times and was very clear about who he is and hiw he operates. Jesus specifically described the devil as the father if lies, the murdered from the beginning and the ruler of this world. So yes the devil does act in this work through lies. He lies to is so we can fall and he manipulates our desires and tempt us so just like eve we will follow him. It is a big mistake to disbelief in the devil
 
The devil does exist. Jesus also spoke about him several times and was very clear about who he is and hiw he operates. Jesus specifically described the devil as the father if lies, the murdered from the beginning /QUOTE]

That is true. Jesus, doesn’t hide the this fact. Thanks marymary1975
 
I was at a homeless hot meal give away in which all was catered for the poor and the homeless. People were well fed and there was a sense of joy and laughter in the air. A gentleman in black sunglasses and cap started talking about ‘the end of the World’ as we know it’ and he gave praise to the Anti-Christ. That may have been the Devil in him.:mad: :banghead::bigyikes:
He might have been delusional with mental illness as well. But in any case, his behavior is frightening.
 
marymary1975;12177947:
The devil does exist. Jesus also spoke about him several times and was very clear about who he is and hiw he operates. Jesus specifically described the devil as the father if lies, the murdered from the beginning /QUOTE]

That is true. Jesus, doesn’t hide the this fact. Thanks marymary1975
And sorry for all the misspellings. Autocorrect does not collaborate sometimes.😊:banghead::banghead:
 
Yes, even us when we lie and cheat we welcome the devil into our lives. I try telling the truth at all times but fail quite a bit.:o
 
I don’t believe there is a devil or that there are demons…no experience with them, When and if I do something wrong I take responsibility for it and don’t blame someone else for it…why blame something else when we have the ability to do as we choose to do. If we are willing to blame a devil or such then we aren’t taking responsibility for what we do. A loving God does not give us something to tempt us. Read the Lords Prayer…we ask God “to lead us not into temptation”. Does God test us all the time to see how strong we are against being tempted to do wrong?
 
He is real and he is evil. I believe that the vision Pope Leo XIII had in 1884 about the 100 years of heightened power of the devil is true and that those 100 years are just ending now(the 100 years are believed by some, and myself, to have not started the moment he saw the vision).
 
I don’t believe there is a devil or that there are demons

If your a regular Church goer you would not say that because the Holy Scriptures is full of references of the Devil. Off the top of my hat in Mat 4:1-12 The Devil, Satan is mentioned, by Jesus over 5 times. In Mat 12:22-33 Jesus speaks of the Devil over 7 times in just a few paragraphs. In Gen. 3 The Devil has fallen as an angel along with other angels who would become demon. Read the Scriptures, especially the Gospels and read the Catholic Catechism of the Church for more information on the existence of the Devil. The Devil exists. The Liar and Murderer Jesus called him. Don’t believe in that lie that he doesn’t exist because that is from the Devil himself. Good luck.
 
Just because someone says something does not make it true.
Stop being judgmental and try to understand that just because you believe something does not make it true. If you were realistic all you would have to do is look at all the wonderful people in this world and you would see that all the devil is, is something to blame your shortcomings on. It is wonderful not to believe in something so UnGodly, God is love and he wouldn’t be if he allowed something so horrible.
MarlenenM;12234013:
I don’t believe there is a devil or that there are demons

If your a regular Church goer you would not say that because the Holy Scriptures is full of references of the Devil. Off the top of my hat in Mat 4:1-12 The Devil, Satan is mentioned, by Jesus over 5 times. In Mat 12:22-33 Jesus speaks of the Devil over 7 times in just a few paragraphs. In Gen. 3 The Devil has fallen as an angel along with other angels who would become demon. Read the Scriptures, especially the Gospels and read the Catholic Catechism of the Church for more information on the existence of the Devil. The Devil exists. The Liar and Murderer Jesus called him. Don’t believe in that lie that he doesn’t exist because that is from the Devil himself. Good luck.
 
Is this really true? Can the devil litteraly put thoughts in my head?
Absolutely!!! It happens! Bad thoughts are not always due to emotional distress or illness. There is so much that we cannot see with our eyes, hear with our ears or discern with our mind/soul. Its so important to keep on praying every day for our own spiritual safety. God bless you !
 
I don’t believe there is a devil or that there are demons…no experience with them, When and if I do something wrong I take responsibility for it and don’t blame someone else for it…why blame something else when we have the ability to do as we choose to do. If we are willing to blame a devil or such then we aren’t taking responsibility for what we do. A loving God does not give us something to tempt us. Read the Lords Prayer…we ask God “to lead us not into temptation”. Does God test us all the time to see how strong we are against being tempted to do wrong?
Most people don’t like to believe there’s a devil. It makes them feel uneasy to think there could even be such a horrendous creature, much less that it could actually influence us. It’s ‘nice’ to have the attitude that, “if I don’t believe in him, he won’t have any power over me”. But, don’t be fooled by his deceptions. No one lives in a bubble that keeps the devil from influencing them. He wants people to think he’s not real, or has no power over them, so they won’t know what he can really do. Everyone on earth has been tempted by him, including the greatest saints. Jesus certainly knows that Satan is real. He even tried to tempt Him, as we see, here:"Luke 4: [1] And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the desert, [2] For the space of forty days; and was tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry. [3] And the devil said to him: If thou be the Son of God, say to this stone that it be made bread. [4] And Jesus answered him: It is written, that Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word of God. [5] And the devil led him into a high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time;

[6] And he said to him: To thee will I give all this power, and the glory of them; for to me they are delivered, and to whom I will, I give them. [7] If thou therefore wilt adore before me, all shall be thine. [8] And Jesus answering said to him: It is written: Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. [9] And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and he said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself from hence. [10] For it is written, that He hath given his angels charge over thee, that they keep thee.

[11] And that in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone. [12] And Jesus answering, said to him: It is said: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. [13] And all the temptation being ended, the devil departed from him for a time."So, if Jesus knows the devil is real, and he could even try to tempt Him, why would you think you’re immune to his influence? Do you think you’re more privileged than Jesus? If not, then where do our evil thoughts come from, that cause you and I to fall into sin, along with the rest of humanity? The spiritual world is every bit as real as the physical world. Angels and demons are just as real as you and I, whether we ever see them or not.
 
I don’t believe there is a devil or that there are demons…no experience with them, When and if I do something wrong I take responsibility for it and don’t blame someone else for it…why blame something else when we have the ability to do as we choose to do. If we are willing to blame a devil or such then we aren’t taking responsibility for what we do. A loving God does not give us something to tempt us. Read the Lords Prayer…we ask God “to lead us not into temptation”. Does God test us all the time to see how strong we are against being tempted to do wrong?
Then was Jesus hallucinating when the Devil tried to tempt him? Does it mean if you don’t have experience with something, then that something don’t exist? Why do you NOT believe there is a devil? You say you are a Catholic, but the Church and Bible agree without doubt that the Devil exist. Who taught you otherwise?
 
Our Lord, Himself, was tempted by Satan three times in the dessert…that right there tells all. Countless saints have had encounters with the devil and his minions…read about St. Padre Pio, St. John Vianney, St. Theresa Avila, among others. Read Fr. Amorth’s two books on exorcisms…read “An Exorcist Tells His Story.” What more proof do you need? Do you actually want a personal encounter with the Evil One yourself? I think not. (The closer you get to God, and more prayerful and spiritual you become, you will have such encounters, however subtle they may be.) Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, quite often speaks of the Devil. Don’t be deluded into thinking he is not real. That is the Devil’s greatest accomplishment: deluding us into thinking he is not real. I think perhaps the Devil is not being “sermonized” because our priests are afraid of being laughed into oblivion. And don’t play around looking for the Devil, either, just a word of caution, as our Enemy is not one to be taken lightly. The Jewish and Muslim religions believe in the Devil, and have their own forms of exorcisms, as well as other Asian religions, tribal religions in Africa, all cultures believe in a Devil and have their own formulas to get rid of him.
 
Just don’t believe in it and feel great about it so why would you want to try and convince me to believe differently? Like I said, God is Love and too many people get convinced by bad teachings that He wants us to be tormented by something that is not real. I am 73 years old and lived very well without believing in a devil. It is about choices and learning that we are responsible for our choices and not blaming something that influences our decisions. If God made a devil or made it possible for a devil to rule people [he did create everything] then he is being accused of making something horrible …don’t accuse God for making it possible for all the evil for that is not a loving thing to do. God is the one to influence us for he created us in his image. IF your God is so awful to create people to believe in something sinister than so be it. My God is loving and kind. Did you ever stop to think that when you try to influence people to believe in something so sinister as a devil you are teaching what the devil wants you to teach? Teach Love and our world will be a lot better place to live in and stop teaching about evil.
Most people don’t like to believe there’s a devil. It makes them feel uneasy to think there could even be such a horrendous creature, much less that it could actually influence us. It’s ‘nice’ to have the attitude that, “if I don’t believe in him, he won’t have any power over me”. But, don’t be fooled by his deceptions. No one lives in a bubble that keeps the devil from influencing them. He wants people to think he’s not real, or has no power over them, so they won’t know what he can really do. Everyone on earth has been tempted by him, including the greatest saints. Jesus certainly knows that Satan is real. He even tried to tempt Him, as we see, here:"Luke 4: [1] And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the desert, [2] For the space of forty days; and was tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry. [3] And the devil said to him: If thou be the Son of God, say to this stone that it be made bread. [4] And Jesus answered him: It is written, that Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word of God. [5] And the devil led him into a high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time;

[6] And he said to him: To thee will I give all this power, and the glory of them; for to me they are delivered, and to whom I will, I give them. [7] If thou therefore wilt adore before me, all shall be thine. [8] And Jesus answering said to him: It is written: Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. [9] And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and he said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself from hence. [10] For it is written, that He hath given his angels charge over thee, that they keep thee.

[11] And that in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone. [12] And Jesus answering, said to him: It is said: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. [13] And all the temptation being ended, the devil departed from him for a time."So, if Jesus knows the devil is real, and he could even try to tempt Him, why would you think you’re immune to his influence? Do you think you’re more privileged than Jesus? If not, then where do our evil thoughts come from, that cause you and I to fall into sin, along with the rest of humanity? The spiritual world is every bit as real as the physical world. Angels and demons are just as real as you and I, whether we ever see them or not.
 
Just don’t believe in it and feel great about it so why would you want to try and convince me to believe differently? Like I said, God is Love… I am 73 years old and lived very well without believing in a devil…
Hi MarleneM, I’m glad that you believe that God is Love. God is love is found in the bible as well as Jesus’ mentioning the Devil. Love exists and so does the Devil. I’m glad you chose to follow Love
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top