What I would like to explore is why does the xian god allow these entities? I would like to approach this fro the stand point that the phenomena is indead a spiritual reality and look at what role they play for the xian god.
My own take? When we sin we are acting counter to Gods desire. This is not to say that God wants that we would only do what he tells us but rather that he wants the choices we make to fall within the boundaries of behaviour he finds good for us. For example, He doesn't mind whether I chose to eat a strawberry or a peach. But he finds it objectionable if I get gluttonous and stuff my face with them and learn to peel an orange in my pocket so that I can avoid sharing it. Its not good for me.
However he permits us to sin because he has chosen to allow us free will and has chosen to allow a period in which we can make choices he finds objectionable. Similarily, Satan chose (and was allowed to chose) to turn from God ways too. The same goes for demons who, like Satan, are fallen angels (as we are fallen humanity).
Satan hates God (as do we by fallen nature) and because we are made in the image and likeness of him he hates (that aspect of) us too. Whereas Gods action is to draw us fallen creatures back to himself so as we can operate within the boundaries he has set up for us, Satans desire is to counter Gods action. He wants all that is bad for us to flourish. Demons are simply agents of Satans work. Soldiers in his army if you like. They are out to accomplish his mission.
Have you ever read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis? The audiobook is even more enjoyable, read as it is by John Cleese. In it, aspects of the work of demons are laid out. A central role of theirs is to find avenues which allow them to tempt us into sin. We all have weaknesses and these weaknesses are exploited by demons. Take pride for instance - that 'Champs-Elysee' of potential avenues for temptation. I could write what I think is a good point in a debate here - something which I feel counters well, the point made by another. Then a 'sniper-poster' interjects and by way of cleverness take the opportunity to slip in an bare insult. Although I recognise that it is a simple sniper attack, I can at times desire to strike back - maybe not by insulting back (although this happens) but to argue the 'case' the sniper has made and 'prove' that the grounds of the insult are fallacious.
However, what I am enjoined to do is to present a case. I should expect resistance, counter-argument and insult. So why get upset and want to 'win' the debate? It's not about winning debates its about pointing people to Christ. But I get upset and angry. That's Pride. Pride in what I see as MY argument - as if I could not be mistaken. The demon is the one who pokes at the pride within my 'flesh'. I listen to what it is telling me, decide to go with the flow and strike back. Satan 1 Iano 0. All day everyday they seek to do this. Using any and every weakness in me as entry points. And they will fight as dirty as they have to. If I succeed in rejecting the thought they will retire only to come back with the very same thing again. And again. And again. Until they score a goal.
Satan has supernatural power and he can employ this power in other ways than bare, individually-aimed temptation. Remember, his ultimate aim is to keep us turned from God - for as long as we are turned away opportunity for sin abounds and the chances of damnation maintained. One effective way to do this is to present us with as many options as possible for filling the God-shaped hole that everyman possesses in his heart. Man, on the one hand, knows he needs
something - but on the other, can't see (because he is blind)that it is God he actually needs. Whilst man is in this state it is relatively easy for Satan to offer all manner of things which man can use to attempt to stuff the hole full. It's like a hunger we have and we can satisfy that hunger with all manner of junk food. For some people it can be sex, career, money, goods (not that there is anything intrinsically bad in these things anymore than there is eating a strawberry). But it can also be a love of nature, science, philosophy, high risk sports (not that there is anything intrinsically wrong in these things either).
For others, who may have been brought up /concluded by a search, to think in the direction "God", Satan supplies decoys. False gods. Satan doesn't make them up as such but he tempts man into using mans own ability to decide what constitutes God. He encourages them to do here exactly what man does elsewhere: he attempts to fill for himself, the void that only God can fill for man.
It is mans own pride which is always used as the tool and Satan is ever-willing to assist man in this. Like a Judo expert, he uses mans own momentum to throw him off course. He can make a statue weep or a stone cow drink milk - whatever suits him so as to maintain mans gaze in any direction except in Gods direction. And everywhere mans gaze is diverted to are gods man has made. Man looking to man. Man dependant on man. Man not realising he is dependent on God. Satan is subtle and he is clever. Far smarter than we are on our own. He knows not to go overboard, not to push too hard, lest we get the feeling of being pushed. As CS Lewis wrote.
The Screwtape Letters writes:
The safest road to Hell is the gradual one ” the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.
He will use a deceit which is appropriate to the people he attempts to deceive. He has suitable deceits for everyone in the audience. If milk drinking statues don't do it for you then there is sure to be some other one that will. Many times a day.
Why does God allow it? It does fit in with what I know of one aspect of his plan. God is after a free-willed people. People who freely love him and who he can love back. Like any loving relationship, the love cannot be coerced or forcibly extracted. It must be freely given. And in order for this people to be truly free-willed they must have something to chose from. They must have genuine choice. God is totally good, he gives us a conscience which tells us what we ought to do were we only to listen to it. We ought to do that which is right. For free-will to be however, there must be a foil to that. Something which is available to us to counter that 'ought'. Some to tell us what we ought not to do. Temptation is that counter. It doesn't make us do things - it just presents the option to us. And we, being born sinners and thus slaves to sin do what sinners do. decide opposite to our conscience and sin. Temptation in itself isn't a sin. It is not of us afterall. Even Jesus was tempted.
God didn't design it this way as such. Its not like we can point the finger at God and say "what kind of good God would make things this way?" All God did was desire to enable a situation where he could express his love to a humanity he chose to create. And in order to do that he had to make free-willed beings, like I say. Whilst he knew what that would entail you can't make a free-willed omelette without the taking the risk of breaking some eggs. Man exercised his choice and the rest, as they say, is history.
That this permits a situation whereby people who end up in Heaven are those who allowed God to draw them (indicating their want or choosing to love him) and people who end up in Hell are those who rejected his attempt to draw them to himself (indicating their not wanting him) only goes to point to the mind-bogglingly stunning plan that God has. He doesn't make the situation - yet he uses the situation to achieve expression of who he is: Loving, Just and Holy (His Wrath being holyness expressing what holy is - a just hatred of that which is unholy). Hatred of that which is evil is something we (even in our fallen-ness) can empathise with.
Edited by iano, : General tidy up
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