Just how powerful IS Satan?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Daegus
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Daegus

Guest
This is a question I’ve been thinking about for a little while now, and I want to know. How powerful is Satan? Can he put thoughts into people’s heads? It seems to me like Satan DOES know what people are thinking and he can certainly lie to people so that they end up in hell but I have no real concept of just how powerful Satan is.

For example, I would be lying on my bed, staring off into nothingness and randomly an impure thought would come into my head. I wasn’t doing anything previously that would even remotely relate to that thought, but it still appeared. Would you say that this is a thought that is inspired by Satan or the result of human concupiscence?

If Satan is so powerful, why does he tremble in fear just by the very name of our Lord? Why is he forced to obey the Holy Spirit and His angels/saints?

Thanks.
 
Satan is only as powerful as we allow him to be.

Our job when inappropriate thoughts come to us (whether it be Satan or our memories?) is to turn to the Lord, and focus on him.

Prayer and the Sacraments cause Satan to flee. He is allowed to tempt us so that we can use our free will to choose God, thus growing in His grace.

Satan has already been defeated, we just have to move into the victory using all the means at our disposal.
 
Dorothy was totally right: Satan is only as powerful as we make him out to be.

He’s not omnicient, omnipotent, nor omnipresent.

He can’t read your mind, he can’t manipulate your mind. Remember, we battle satan, but also our own fleshly desires.

He’s defeated, and we have Christ to be our strength.
 
Daegus said:
This is a question I’ve been thinking about for a little while now, and I want to know. How powerful is Satan?
Click to expand...
as a previous poster said as powerful as we make him
Can he put thoughts into people’s heads? It seems to me like Satan DOES know what people are thinking and he can certainly lie to people so that they end up in hell but I have no real concept of just how powerful Satan is.
Click to expand...
yes thats part of how he temps us
For example, I would be lying on my bed, staring off into nothingness and randomly an impure thought would come into my head. I wasn’t doing anything previously that would even remotely relate to that thought, but it still appeared. Would you say that this is a thought that is inspired by Satan or the result of human concupiscence?
Click to expand...
that thought is inspired by satan I would say

but of course if it elevates to sin then its our own fault
If Satan is so powerful, why does he tremble in fear just by the very name of our Lord? Why is he forced to obey the Holy Spirit and His angels/saints?
Click to expand...
becuase Christ is that much more powerful then Satan, I would say it would be like a f14 fighter jet next to a WWI plane while that WWI plane is pretty powerful when its on its own it is nothing compared to the power of the F14, the F14 would have the WWI plane for breakfast and it would be his easiest kill ever. So the WWI plane while it has some power trembles when it would see the F14.

Just becuase satan is powerful doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have fear of our lord.
 
catholictiger said:
becuase Christ is that much more powerful then Satan, I would say it would be like a f14 fighter jet next to a WWI plane while that WWI plane is pretty powerful when its on its own it is nothing compared to the power of the F14, the F14 would have the WWI plane for breakfast and it would be his easiest kill ever. So the WWI plane while it has some power trembles when it would see the F14.

Just becuase satan is powerful doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have fear of our lord.
Click to expand...
I would say that Satan would probably be the Wright Brothers plane while Christ is a Super Star Destroyer

Thats a more fair analogy
 
Dorothy said:
Satan is only as powerful as we allow him to be.
Click to expand...
See, you might be saying that, but if that were true then some atheists/agnostics who deny his power (and existence) would never end up getting possessed by him or his demons after messing with the occult.
 
Whitacre_Girl said:
He can’t read your mind, he can’t manipulate your mind. Remember, we battle satan, but also our own fleshly desires.
Click to expand...
While I agree with him not being able to manipulate us to make us do anything, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that he doesn’t know what people think. After hearing about “Ouija boards” and seeing the evil that goes on I can’t say I believe that he doesn’t know our thoughts.

Since he’s also a supernatural being like God and every other angel or saint, it would make sense if he could do things beyond what a natural human being can do.
 
Daegus said:
While I agree with him not being able to manipulate us to make us do anything, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that he doesn’t know what people think. After hearing about “Ouija boards” and seeing the evil that goes on I can’t say I believe that he doesn’t know our thoughts.

Since he’s also a supernatural being like God and every other angel or saint, it would make sense if he could do things beyond what a natural human being can do.
Click to expand...
What can an angel or saint do? Isn’t everything they do is because of the power of God? Even the Apostles were powerless by themsleves. But they heal and cast out demons in the Name of Christ.

Since the devil doesn’t have access to God’s power, where does he draw his power?
 
ConstantineTG said:
What can an angel or saint do? Isn’t everything they do is because of the power of God? Even the Apostles were powerless by themsleves. But they heal and cast out demons in the Name of Christ.

Since the devil doesn’t have access to God’s power, where does he draw his power?
Click to expand...
It is my understanding that God allows the devil to have certain abilities, but we need to remember that the devil is on a leash. God allows the devil to tempt us, so that we can choose to do the right thing, and therefore grow spiritually stronger and closer to God.
 
one other thing you should check out screwtape letters great look into what demons may really do when they try to tempt us.
 
The following is a quote from Saint Padre Pio on “Against Temptation”, which touches upon the subject you have raised.

“The devil is like a rabid dog tied to a chain; beyond the length of the chain he cannot seize anyone. And you: Keep at a distance. If you approach to near, you let yourself be caught. Remember that the devil has only one door by which to enter the soul: the will. There are no secret or hidden doors.”
 
ConstantineTG said:
What can an angel or saint do? Isn’t everything they do is because of the power of God? Even the Apostles were powerless by themsleves. But they heal and cast out demons in the Name of Christ.
Click to expand...
Of course everything they do is because of God, and they are powerless without Him. So is everything else. Not even Satan can do anything without God, because it’s God that gave him power. With that being said, because the devil, saints and angels are supernatural beings (as in, purely spiritual at this point), they can do things like see into the minds of people. If not, how could the saints possibly hear our prayers? It doesn’t make sense that if I’m praying in my head, in the solitude of my own room that I would ever pray to saints if they couldn’t hear me because of the way I was praying.
Since the devil doesn’t have access to God’s power, where does he draw his power?
Click to expand...
His power is obviously inherited from God. He draws from his own power (that God gave to him) to tempt people, but only when God allows it to happen. That is my understanding.
 
Julian0404 said:
“The devil is like a rabid dog tied to a chain; beyond the length of the chain he cannot seize anyone. And you: Keep at a distance. If you approach to near, you let yourself be caught. Remember that the devil has only one door by which to enter the soul: the will. There are no secret or hidden doors.”
Click to expand...
thanks for the padre pio qoute my favorite saint
 
Daegus said:
While I agree with him not being able to manipulate us to make us do anything, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that he doesn’t know what people think. After hearing about “Ouija boards” and seeing the evil that goes on I can’t say I believe that he doesn’t know our thoughts.

Since he’s also a supernatural being like God and every other angel or saint, it would make sense if he could do things beyond what a natural human being can do.
Click to expand...
Well, you can know what someone’s thinking without being able to read their mind. Remember: satan has his minions everywhere. They are watching us intently, during everything we do in ou day. It’s not hard to figure out which guy is tempted by lust, or which woman struggles with wanting to be “as pretty as the other girls” all he needs to is observe, and whisper in our ear…
 
Julian0404 said:
The following is a quote from Saint Padre Pio on “Against Temptation”, which touches upon the subject you have raised.

“The devil is like a rabid dog tied to a chain; beyond the length of the chain he cannot seize anyone. And you: Keep at a distance. If you approach to near, you let yourself be caught. Remember that the devil has only one door by which to enter the soul: the will. There are no secret or hidden doors.”
Click to expand...
Touching on this again, this is what I was going to mention. But I didn’t know that it was a quote from St. Padre Pio.
 
Even the least demon is far beyond the intellectual and spiritual capabilities of the greatest human. With that being said, God is infinitely greater. Thus, no reason to fear.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top