Aunty, how does Satan tempt us?
28 October 2024 |
Dear Aunt Sevvy,
We often say that Satan tempts us. Apart from his temptation of Jesus in the desert, though, we don’t see many examples of the mechanism of temptation. James 1:14 actually says that “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” What’s the role of Satan?
Signed, Just Wondering
Dear Wondering,
Aunty has what is probably a minority view among Adventists as regards Satan: she agrees with James that in the world we’ve inherited, people are quite capable of doing evil without being pushed into it, because “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9).
Satan is not nearly as big a player in the Bible as he is in Christian theology. Satan is used as an excuse when people do what they know they shouldn’t. It helps them feel less personally responsible for their bad decisions. “Hey, it wasn’t my fault. Satan tempted me, and I sinned.” Where have you heard that before? It didn’t work for Adam and Eve, and it doesn’t work for us now.
Some Christians make Satan an almost irresistible enemy. They pay more attention to Satan’s activities than they do to God’s. Aunty doesn’t believe in the devil hovering always over your shoulder.
Satan was defeated at the cross. But controlling the human will? That still takes some work on our part.
Aunt Sevvy
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