How can I defend the doctrine that Satan and demons exist?

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Hey everyone. I am wanting to know how I can defend the doctrine that Satan and demons exist. I have a boyfriend who is not a Christian and he does not believe in Satan or the demons. He does believe in God but he doesn’t understand the Trinity and I don’t think he believes in the Trinity either. So he definitely believes in a higher power. But he has told me before that he does not believe in Satan or the demons. So how can I defend the doctrine that Satan and the demons are real?
 
Holly3278 said:
Hey everyone. I am wanting to know how I can defend the doctrine that Satan and demons exist. I have a boyfriend who is not a Christian and he does not believe in Satan or the demons. He does believe in God but he doesn’t understand the Trinity and I don’t think he believes in the Trinity either. So he definitely believes in a higher power. But he has told me before that he does not believe in Satan or the demons. So how can I defend the doctrine that Satan and the demons are real?
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Does he believe Holy Scripture is true?
mlz
 
If you permit me to take off my Lutheran hat, and go back to my agnostic days:

Perhaps warm him up to the idea of an agency for evil by using the idea of balance - that if there is a god then there is probably something that opposes t god.

It’s not a Christian argument, that’s for sure, but it could be a step to getting him to think about the issue rather than just immediately discount it.
 
Yes … the universe as we know it, is a union of opposites.

That aside, there is a plethora of historical and contemorary anecdotal evidence that may facilitate the process as well.
 
If you want to proove to him that satan and demons exist, just take him on line and search for Auschwitz. Belsin, Maidenek and the other NAZI concentration camps on any search engine! Mere mortals could never have erected these horrible places or operated them without the direct influence of an evil being or spirit. If that is not enough, search for Soviet Gulags.
 
Holly3278 said:
Hey everyone. I am wanting to know how I can defend the doctrine that Satan and demons exist. I have a boyfriend who is not a Christian and he does not believe in Satan or the demons. He does believe in God but he doesn’t understand the Trinity and I don’t think he believes in the Trinity either. So he definitely believes in a higher power. But he has told me before that he does not believe in Satan or the demons. So how can I defend the doctrine that Satan and the demons are real?
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I think you have to ascertain what your boyfriend does believe about who and what God is first. Then you may have something to work with. St. John tells us in his letters that God is Love. Does your boyfriend believe that? Thomas Aquinas shows us in his Summa that God is infinite. Does your boyfriend believe that? If he can accept that God is infinite and that He is Love, then you are a long way to being able to discuss the Trinity (if God is Love, and infinite, He must be Trinity, and only Trinity - he cannot be four), and because He is Love, and if evil exists, then evil cannot come from God since that would be contrary to the nature of God, and therefore evil must have a different source other than God. That source is Satan, the fallen and disobedient angel.
 
Tell him to turn on the 10:00 news! If you ask any drug addict, alcoholic on the streets, prostitute etc if Satan and his demons exist, you would find it hard to find one who DOESN’T believe they do!
 
George_Stegmeir said:
If you want to proove to him that satan and demons exist, just take him on line and search for Auschwitz. Belsin, Maidenek and the other NAZI concentration camps on any search engine! Mere mortals could never have erected these horrible places or operated them without the direct influence of an evil being or spirit. If that is not enough, search for Soviet Gulags.
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Yes. 😦
My first thought was, “Tell him to look at the world.”
 
For me the most obvious is the statements of Jesus him self. I don’t have specific references but I know that in different instances he himself refered to the existence of the devil. So have him read the New Testament. Especially the passage where Jesus is tempted in the Desert. But as Holly3278 mentioned you have to believe in the scriptures and understant that the testaments are a real testimony.

Good luck with your boyfriend.🙂
 
Angelica2013 said:
For me the most obvious is the statements of Jesus him self. I don’t have specific references but I know that in different instances he himself refered to the existence of the devil. So have him read the New Testament. Especially the passage where Jesus is tempted in the Desert. But as Holly3278 mentioned you have to believe in the scriptures and understant that the testaments are a real testimony.

Good luck with your boyfriend.🙂
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Thanks but as I mentioned already he doesn’t believe that the Bible is infallible and inerrant. He believes its just a book with a bunch of good teachings on morality in it but he does not believe it is of divine origin or inspiration.
 
I’m wondering whether anybody who refuses to believe in the supernatural first comes to believe in Satan. I think usually people first become convinced that God exists. Not sure.
 
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