Do you believe in the Devil? C.S. Lewis was asked that question in an interview with Time Magazine in 1947. He answered, "There is no uncreated being except God. God has no opposite. The proper question is whether I believe in devils. I do. That is to say, I believe in angels, and I believe that some of these, by the abuse of their free will, have become enemies to God. Satan, the leader or dictator of devils, is the opposite, not of God, but of Michael."
In my ignorance of the Old Testament, I had to look up Michael in Wikipedia, and found that he is considered an archangel in Christian, Jewish and Islamic tradition!
I have been reading the Gospel of Luke to my sons at night. Jesus did a lot of healing of people who were possessed with demons. I saw a young teen in Wal-Mart the other day who seemed possessed. He could not stop himself from making loud noises. I thought if Jesus were physically there He would have healed the boy, if the boy or his caretakers had shown faith in Him.
I know there is Evil in the world. I pray to God daily to lead me away from evil, which for me is to feel sorry for myself. I ask for an attitude of gratitude, a connection to God's eternal joy and bliss, and an ability to uplift those with whom I come into contact.
"Lewis noted the failures born from mankind's fallen nature. But he believed in the power of Jesus Christ to overcome sin, death and Satan, and the optimism of faith and hope."
"For as St. John declared, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. . . . The one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him."
1 comment:
Hadn't considered Lewis' point quite that way but I'd say he was right. Michael and Lucifer were both "sons of the morning." One choose well; one didn't. And I don't see how we can't believe in satanic possession although it scares me to think I might ever be confronted with it.
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