Juditha:

The Bible speaks of Satan in various contradictory ways. Some people believe the story of Lucifer explains Satan's origin, but it doesn't, since a fallen angel named Lucifer never existed.

Consider the below. Jesus referred to Peter as Satan. Certainly he didn't actually believe that Peter was Satan or that Satan spoke through Peter. Peter said what he said out of concern, not because he opened up to evil influence. As seen below, Jesus told Peter that he is seeing things merely from a human point of view. He didn't say an evil viewpoint. Satan is a generic way of saying adversary or false accuser.

Matthew 16:21-23:
“From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's.”

Another example,

Revelation 2:13 reads: “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained faithful to me.” When considering if a supernatural being is referred to with this verse, it is important to note that when the messages to the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatria, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea are given, only Pergamum is named as the city where Satan has his throne. Pergamum is the city where a temple with a statue of the mythological Greek God Zeus was kept. Some scholars believe that Revelation 2:13 refers to this statue. Perhaps John (the author of Revelation) was opposed to the fact that such a temple and statue existed within Pergamum.

If a person allows his (or herself) to buy into that Devil's greatest trick thing, due to fear he won't allow himself to question with an open and intelligent mind whether or not Satan exists. This is quite a trap to bind one's self in. 

How can a person possibly determine if a being such as the devil exists, if he is afraid to find out?

I don't know the history behind this saying, but it is probably a platitude some unknowing person made up one day, and many people have since been led astray.

I've had a number of experiences that let me know that as long as a person chooses to live according to love and light, there is no evil being out there who has the power to force such a person to act against his will.


heisenberg69 wrote on Nov 19^th, 2009 at 5:19pm:

It is certainly enlightening to understand the real meaning of the word 'Satan', but that doesn't really help so much if someone is convinced you are the 'devil', calling you Satan, just worked up all about the idea of Satan. To such a person, Satan is real, seems to me. The word is said, sometimes, like a curse, like an evil curse on whatever or whomever someone or their preferred group doesn't like in life.

very true - but a belief in a devil figure seems to be a big part of many people's belief systems. I wonder if a kind of thoughtform Satan exists because so many people believe in him....much like the 'fear of death' harpy Bruce encountered.

Dave