Originally Posted by jiggyfly

Satan has no power over those who are submitted to God.

Then why the warning? 1 Pe 5:8 Or are you meaning your statement in some other way?

Originally Posted by gdemoss

Then why the warning? 1 Pe 5:8 Or are you meaning your statement in some other way?

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Originally Posted by jiggyfly

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Awesome answer, now I know what you meant. Thanks for the clarity. Just a question...if you will. How do we know whether James was talking about Satan himself or just a devil? Either way we see our Lord resist Satan with the Word of God in his temptation and the end result....Satan fled from him.

Thanks again brother,

Gary

Originally Posted by gdemoss

Awesome answer, now I know what you meant. Thanks for the clarity. Just a question...if you will. How do we know whether James was talking about Satan himself or just a devil? Either way we see our Lord resist Satan with the Word of God in his temptation and the end result....Satan fled from him.

Thanks again brother,

Gary

Good point, and note that it can mean any kind of accuser, man or devil of which Satan is chief.

Another point to be made is that resisting the devil is not enough by itself, firstly we must be submitted to God and in being submitted to God we are submitted to each other in love and respect. We cannot ignore our responsibilities concerning offenses with others and remain submitted to God. This is why I think it is so difficult for us to reconcile differences because the enemy immediately interferes knowing if things are resolved you will once again be enabled to resist him.

Thanks for the response Gary, iron sharpens iron.

Originally Posted by jiggyfly

Satan has no power over those who are submitted to God.

Exactly. Nor is satan that creative, since he uses the same
temptation over and over again most of the time
to get to us.

Good point, and note that it can mean any kind of accuser, man or devil of which Satan is chief.

Yes,Ha-Satan means "the accuser" and in the old testament was a title or position bestowed on person(player). Accusation is personified just as wisdom is personified.

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Accusation against the brethren is cast down once and for all in Rev. Ch.12.We are called it resist it now and cause it to flee.Flee is a strong word to use so we should notice a difference if we are resisting.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

So Jesus said Satan or the devil is a liar so then any accusation against the brethren must also be a lie.
Jesus said that he(Jesus) was the truth.
That which is true is only temporary and subject to change but the truth never changes.The truth is Jesus is the Lamb of God who was slain before the foundation of the world.
It is true that I am a sinner but it is not the truth.
The accuser loves to point out that which is true and sell it to us as the truth.
Jesus confronted Satan with the truth of God's unchanging word.
It's no stretch to think we should do likewise.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Originally Posted by tawnde

What are Satan's powers? I was reading another forum where people were saying that Satan was the cause of some poverty and illness. I had never heard this before. With that train of thought, I'm not sure how you would decide if an illness was caused by God or Satan.

I don't think Satan has that much power, but perhaps I'm wrong? Please back up any comments with scripture.

hmmmmm......

I don't think people should blame ''satan'' for things.And as for ''power''
......it is sin that destroys men,not satan...
Romans 3:23:For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Sin arises from within.

Matthew 15:17-20:¹⁷Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? ¹⁸But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
¹⁹For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
²⁰These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.


Mark 7:18-23:¹⁸And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
¹⁹Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
²⁰And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
²²Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
²³All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.


James 1:14-15:¹⁴But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
¹⁵Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.


''satan'' simply means adversary,which can actually be men.


Why would a supernatural fallen angel ever disrupt God's plans?
Why would God allow something like ''satan'' to live?
If there was a creature like satan around,why would God allow satan to torment Job?
If you read in Job,you can see God did those things to Job not satan.(Job 19:6-13,Job 19:21)



Romans 5:12:Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:


''by one man sin entered into the world''


Isaiah 45:5:I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:


Exodus 20:3:Thou shalt have no other gods before me.