The Devil

Becoming Biblically Literate

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We're gathering at our church on Sunday for the next session of BBL with the them of "The Devil." Is there a devil? Is it an idea, a metaphor or a real person? Does the devil really do things in the world or is it merely an excuse that justifies our inaction or our naivete? If you're interested check out the following discussion starting readings (a summary of what I based out at our church) and come join the discussion on Sunday morning at 9:45am or do so online in the comment section of this entry.

I'm basing the following summary of options concerning the devil from a helpful book Christian Doctrine by Shirley C. Guthrie Jr. If you like the exerpts (my summarizing) buy the book!


Evil cannot come from God, for what God wills and does is good. It cannot come from an evil god who is the rival of the good God, for there is only one God. Nor can it come from human beings, for they are below God.

Where then does evil come from? According to scripture, it comes from the "Tempter" - Satan. He was already there in the form of the serpent at the very beginning of human history before human beings did anything. It was this already exisitng Evil One who put evil desires into the heart, mind, and will of the first human beings (the representatives of all humanity every since) and tempted them to choose to rebel against the Creator.

Who is Satan? According to the ancient Christian tradition, he is a creature of God - not a human creature but an angelic creature of some kind, who perhaps with other angelic creatures, rebelled against God and then became the sourve of corruption of God's good creation.

How can modern Christians understand the reality and power of this Evil One?

There are 2 possible ways:

1. A LITERAL INTERPRETATION

1.1 Some would say that if we are faithful to scripture we must believe in the literal existence of a personal devil and in invisible demonic powers at work in our lives and in the world around us. If you choose that option than there are 3 conditions:

1.2 Christians do not "believe in" the dveil. We confess our faith in God the Father Almighty, Jesus Christ the son, and the Holy Spirit. Christians believe not in but against the power of darkeness in God's good creation.

1.3 Our interest in the devil and demons must not become so central and intesne that their reality becomes more important to us than the reality and power of God. We must take the powers of darkness seriously, but we can never make them the center of our though, which gives them too much honor and power.

1.4 If we listen to what scripture tells us about Satan and his opowers of darkness, we will not look for their work only where there is obvious filt, obscenity, and godlessness in the world around us; we will also look at ourselves and at the Christian community. Satan is not only at work "out there." He is alsot at work especially where pious people try to use God to maintain their own pwersonal or social security, prosperity, and power instead of serving God.

2. SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION

Some modern Christians believe that we can no longer believe in the reality of a personal Satan and personal demonic forces. Biblical talk about them, they would argue, is only a primitive way of expressing the truth that in God's world there is not only order but also chaos, not only huanity but also inhumanity, not only good but also evil.

One advantage of thinking of evil this way is that it enables us to think of impersonal as well as personal forces of evil at work in and among us. A question is if this effort to demythologize the interpretation of Satan is meant to secretly attempt to explain away the biblical way of talking about evil? And to be sure that we don't affirm that systemic evil is more powerful thatn God's goodness.

We have 2 major ways to interpret Biblical language about evil and the devil but a faithful reader of the Bible has to conclue that there is no explanation for the origin and reality of evil in God's world. The Bible presents with this profound simplicity, while biblical testimony encourages us to confess faith in the midst of chaos and order, to profess faith in the tension of suffering and blessing, and to affirm faith in a loving, good, powerful and personal God in the mix of good alongside evil.

So what do you think?
What view of the devil to you take? Literal? Symbolic?

I included a photo slideshow above with some funny pictures of who diverse people would say is the incarnate of the devil today...those 3 names come up when you google "devil." Not sure what that means?