Satan overkill

by Switch 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Switch
    Switch

    I remember in my teen years thinking about the constant warnings of Satan "transforming himself into an angel of light" and wondering how in the world did I stand a chance against a demon?! A demon thats had thousands of years to suss things out and trick people in various different ways without them even knowing. He led angels to rebellion. He fooled Eve. He had the audacity to tempt Jesus. And according to the WT, he'll try to lead astray the flock, even the anointed. So how does the average Joe or Jane Publisher fare in his attacks? I would always push this thought to the back of my mind but I find myself thinking of it again lately. It's not just a simple case of knowing what is good or bad because Satan would be sure to have those bases covered and make the bad appear to be good, right?

    To quote The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life, page 64, para.20:

    "Although false religions may appear respectable, we should realize that the Devil is like many modern-day underworld or crime leaders who hide behind a front of respectability. What more subtle way could there be for him to deceive people and get them to serve him than by using a religious front that has an outward appearance of righteousness? That the Devil would mislead people by religion that outwardly claims to serve God is shown in the Bible...."

    I thought it was my own weakness and doubt in my abilities at the time but maybe I've had an underlying doubt in the Society the entire time? The constant reminders that Satan is stalking us like a lion and reading quotes from the WTS, like the above, has pretty much cured me of any religious inclinations. Has anyone else felt like me? Maybe all the warnings of Satan's tactics make it seem like we're taking on the impossible?

  • RR
    RR

    Could it be Satan?

    alt

  • Switch
    Switch

    LOL. I can hear the churchlady's voice in my head! Thanks for reviving her.

  • easyreader1970
    easyreader1970

    They say that Satan the Devil is a powerful and professional tempter and can get just about anybody to do anything (except Jesus). And yet you get disfellowshipped because you could not overpower his influence. Yep. That's fair.

  • Awakened at Gilead
    Awakened at Gilead

    Hi Mrs. Link,

    The WTS applies one standard to other religions...

    That the Devil would mislead people by religion that outwardly claims to serve God is shown in the Bible...."

    But fails to apply it to itself... if we point this out we are labeled as apostates...

    Double standards!

    A@G

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    True. If a golden illuminated angel actually did appear to dub, or gb member, first the dub would crap his pants, then they would chanting god's magic name to get it to disappear. The good angels, like j hoover, don't do anything, anymore. It's only satan and his demons that do. S

  • Bring_the_Light
    Bring_the_Light
    I thought it was my own weakness and doubt in my abilities at the time but maybe I've had an underlying doubt in the Society the entire time? The constant reminders that Satan is stalking us like a lion and reading quotes from the WTS, like the above, has pretty much cured me of any religious inclinations. Has anyone else felt like me?

    *grunt* yes

    Bring_the_Light

  • carla
    carla

    Your quote from the Truth book describes the wt itself perfectly, in my opinion.

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    People have been lied to about Satan. When I looked at Genesis 3, it was pretty obvious that Satan was only doing his job, better than he was asked to. His assignment was to look after man, and he saw Jehovah as a potential threat to their future well-being. Of course, since Satan was more integrated in thinking, he didn't need to actually see proof that it was about to get oppressive. Satan acted when the potential for things to become oppressive in the future was first manifest.

    In places where the Bible attempts to blame Satan for causing hardship, it is transparent that it was God, not Satan, that was doing the dirty work in Satan's name. Satan was given the blame for testing Job, when in fact it was God's work. And it is totally against Satan's nature of liberating people from potential oppression to ruin Job's workmanship. Possibly, it was God that manipulated Satan into rebellion (and for the purpose of bettering man) in this case.

    Temptation? For what, to improve man's lot in life? That is what went on every time Satan led people into doing something that God hated but was otherwise harmless to man or society. Satan led 40,000 into fornication (of which I have reason to believe some would have resulted in satisfying marriages had they been left alone), and God killed them. Satan wanted Nimrod, a potential value creator, to build a center of commerce where people could build wealth and prosperity, only to have Baghead go and ruin it because He wanted to hold man back. Notably, when people are tempted to do something that is actually harmful, more times than not it's the leaders that are to blame for creating stagnation in the general population, and not Satan.

    As for having Satan possessing me, I am so "afraid" that I went out and bought a Ouija board and joined a "secret society" that had many professed Christian leaders crying about its being Satanic. None actually resulted in demons possessing me, nor did I have any problems with demons when dabbling with horoscopes while in college. Now that is more than I can say about Jehovah.

  • Aleman
    Aleman

    Fighting a demon or Satan himself and defeating him has to do with how strong your faith is. God left many clues on how to defeate him starting with Job. He also said of the spiritual armor and how strong you make your armor against demons. The beauty of fighting the evil spiritual agents makes your free will more free when you are victorious in battle, they will attack numerous times but they can't enslave you unless you want to.

    -Aleman

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