Who Was Satan

[nailit]

Having just reread through Naomi's post re: Jesus, I realise that all through my early church indoctrination, I never got any satisfactory explanation about the biblical character of Satan.
I got the usual story about Satan been a fallen angel who was previously known as Lucifer and read the bible stories about the temptation of Jesus by Satan etc, blah, blah, blah.
However, The references to 'The Dark Lord' are few and far between and any coherent history of this biblical character is hard to piece together using only the Bible.
If you believe in a Satan character then you have a lot of explaining to do regarding an omnipotent God.
Would be interested to hear how anyone views this character and would be interested to hear how you would answer any questions put to you about him/it.

(Im also familiar with the saying that Satans greatest trick is to not believe in his existence before anyone trots that one out, thanks)

[Canary42]

Sauron.

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Society-and-Culture/Religion-and-Spirituality/Question1645786.html

[Theland]

The Tempter. The Accuser.

[woofgang]

There is a really good series on amazon TV at the mo called Lucifer....superficially its a glossy humerous US cop procedural but it does make some interesting points about god and Lucifer.

[Calicogirl]

Is he a being or a concept to you though Theland. I mean does he take a specific form or is he just what we all individually want and might be prepared to stretch our morals to obtain? If he's the latter some very beautiful things and people might actually be Satan, if the former wouldn't he be pretty easy to see coming?

[nailit]

//The Tempter. The Accuser//
Is that it?
That's the full history of Satan?
Thanks for that. I understand it all now...

[Old_Geezer]

No expert but I doubt there's much explaining to do. Why evil exists is an oft asked question. The answer seems to be tied to a need to give every intelligent species something called "free will" (whatever that is) and a further need not to interfere with the result of their decisions. (Presumably on the grounds that, "They've got to learn.")

[mibn2cweus]

I see two possible explanations for Satan. The one who created God to make himself look good or vice versa . . . in which case He failed miserably.

[Ellipsis]

Can't really add much to this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan

Except to say that in my opinion Satan is not a physical being, and certainly not a supernatural being, but is closest to "the evil inclination of man"

[naomi24]

I could never quite work out God’s rationale in allowing the Devil to do his work. People will say it’s all about free will, but Satan was present in Eden before Eve tempted Adam to a picnic. Wouldn’t you have thought that God would have realised he’d made a mistake in creating such a creature and swiftly kicked him into the middle of next week? And after all these years he still hasn’t done it.

[Old_Geezer]

But the creature has "free will" and clearly that's allowed to be unfettered.

[naomi24]

Since God is alleged to have said "Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil.”, one must assume that all supernatural entities enjoy free will. However, we know that God was a happy zappy chappy who killed thousands in possession of free will, so it’s fair to assume that, being omnipotent, he was capable of disposing of the Devil also.

[nailit]

I was hoping for a bit more input than merely ''The Tempter. The Accuser'' from those that believe in such a being but I should have known from past experience that trying to get coherent answers for incoherent beliefs is futile. My bad! As a christian, I too, towed this party line of a fallen angel that just wants to tempt men into sin but the Satan story ceased to make any sense to me after a while.

*If the talking/walking snake in Genesis is Satan then what the hell...pardon the pun...was he doing in Gods perfect garden after God had said that his creation was 'good'?

*Why was Satan cast to Earth in the first place when God had an entire universe in which to banish him? Seems as though BibleGod was setting Adam & Eve up for a fall.

*If Satan was banished from heaven, then how come the book of Job has him in heaven having a friendly little wager with God?

*In the Bible, Satan kills Job's children and servants (condoned and allowed by God) and thats it. He is not recorded as having killed anyone else in contrast to the millions slaughtered by God.

*Why is he seen as previously been known by the name of Lucifer when the word Lucifer (its not a name) is only mentioned one time and in only one version (KJV) of the Bible and even then in relation to a Babylonion king and not a supernatural entity?

*Satan is seen as the cause of evil even though God himself says that he is the cause (Isaiah 45:7).

Apperently Satan and a third of his following were cast to Earth (Rev:12)...(Again, why Earth?) and became demons. And yet according to the same Bible,
//And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day//
(Jude v6)
If they were bound with chains and kept in darkness, why was jesus going around casting them out of people? Why still today are they seen as Satans minions going around causing havoc?

*According to the Bible there was a war in heaven between Satan and God. Why do believers look forward to going to a place where war occurs?
How could there possibly be a war anyway between a created being and an omnipotent God? Its like saying that I had a war with an ant.

The entire Satan story is ridiculous.

[nailit]

Just a quickie RE: Satan/snake
Is the snake in the Garden of Eden Satan?
If it was, then why are ALL snakes condemned to eat dust (they don't but never mind).
Just curious as Ive never had an explanation!

[Theland]

If YOU had to crawl on the ground, (like coming home from the pub,) you would be picking dust out of your teeth!

[nailit]

//If YOU had to crawl on the ground, (like coming home from the pub,) you would be picking dust out of your teeth!//

or sometimes having to pick my teeth out of the dust when the police have finished with me ;-)

However, any answers RE: the above?
Could be interesting?
Down to you...and others of course!

[naomi24]

//why are ALL snakes condemned to eat dust//

For the same reason all women are condemned to suffer in childbirth. When God gets miffed he gets really miffed! Loving, compassionate, just .... Hmmmm.

[10ClarionSt]

Satan was Mike Doyle, when he played for Manchester City. United fans thought as much, anyway.

[fender62]

maybe satan was just a ruse, to show god was neither omnipotent
or perfect.. get out clause.

[locusts]

Locust . I hop this is some help, I have put to gather these bible verses to help you to meditate on your thoughts

Serpent Satan Devil
How is he
Genesis 3: 1
Genesis 3: 3 At this the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die. he is a liar
because Adam and eve die eventually

John 8:44  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, HE STOOD NOT IN THE TRUTH ; because truth is not in him. When he speakership a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. (Rebel Angel)


Webster-dictionary
1
Rebel- To renounce, and resist by force, the authority of the ruler or government to which one owesobedience obedience

Matthew .4 3 And the tempter coming up to him said ,IF THOU BE SON OF GOD, speak, that these stones may become loaves of bread. (he new how he was ,,Jesus)?
Job 1:7 It even records conversations that Satan had with God and with Jesus​
Amplified Bible  Luke 8 28  Seeing Jesus, he cried out [with a terrible voice from the depths of his throat] and fell down before Him [in dread and terror], and shouted loudly, “[d]What business do we have [in common] with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God ? I beg You, do not torment me [before the appointed time of judgement]!”

Satan is a real person. He is a Rebel Angel, a spirit creature who opposes God. The Bible calls Satan “the ruler of this world.” (John 12:31) He uses “lying signs” and “deception” to accomplish his aims.—2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10.
Satan is a spirit creature, so he lives in an invisible realm. For a time, Satan was allowed to move about at will where God and the faithful angels reside. (Job 1:6) Now, however, he has been evicted from God’s presence and, along with other wicked spirit creatures, is confined to the vicinity of the earth.—Revelation 12:12.

[nailit]

Locusts.
Thank you for a full reply. However, you haven't actually answered any of my questions posted at 18:34 Wed 13th Feb 2019.