Quote:
Originally Posted by Nell
There will always be resistance to a complete understanding of this truth. We have seen plenty of resistance on this thread---even to the point of mockery. This is an indication that the truth is starting to hit home, and the devil doesn't like it. I say we go forward and expose him and his helpers to their ugly core.
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Nell,
I've already conceded that Satan is the ultimate source of all error. And by error I don't just mean mistake, I mean sin. The definition of sin is "missing the mark," which is another way of saying "error."
I appreciate your point, surely exposing Satan is important. But exposing Satan takes more than saying that someone's been influenced by Satan. I do think people need to realize that there is a conscious, active person who is trying to deceive and hurt them. That is Satan. I never denied that or mocked it.
(That said, just because someone uses sarcasm to blunt over-the-top or misapplied Satanology, that doesn't mean Satan is somewhere snickering about it and exchanging high-fives with his minions, otherwise the path to deliverance is just to talk about Satan more and more.)
While exposing Satan is important, when it comes to discussing disagreements on how Christian and church lives should be lived, it seems to me that
people need to be convinced of their error, or sin, before they can be convinced they are influenced by Satan. Telling someone over and over they are under Satan's manipulation might just be a desperation move brought on by the inability to formulate a solid argument as to why their beliefs or behaviors are wrong.
To me that is always the challenge on a forum such as this:
putting ideas into words that convince, rather than trying to spook someone. This is why the "God is going to judge you someday for your error" arguments usually ring hollow. The obvious reply is "No, he's going to judge you." And where does that leave the discussion?
Pat Cooksey pulled this on Roger the other day. He called Roger "the dragon," claiming that Roger was trying to "devour the woman and her child." That kind of statement might get a lot of style points, and I'm sure Pat believes it, but it's not going to move someone who has half a brain. A declaration is not a proof.
Once you've convinced someone they are in error, or sin, it naturally follows that they've been under Satan's influence. This seems to me a more efficient path than trying to scare someone with Satan talk.