You are well on the way to hell all by yourself; unless you repent of your ways and turn to the truth, that's God's truths. You won't need the devil help to lead you to hell you are doing a fine job on your own. The devil is only around to help you along the way to hell and he wants to make sure you don't lose your way there.
The only goal that the devil has is to keep us from establishing a relationship with God. If he fails and we come to know God, then the devil tried to keep us from growing and developing a deeper relationship with God. The devil desires to keep us from experiencing God's love in our life, and to keep us from having God presence in our lives. He wants to stop God's power that is activity at work in us when we belong to God.
The Bible tells us that the devil was created by God as a cherub, the most powerful of God's angelic beings. Some time after his creation and before the creation of mankind, the devil rebelled against God and took one third of the angels with him into rebellion.
God assuredly included this information that some Angels have departed from him, for it tells us that the Angels that stayed with Him, are praising God and serving him, and are doing this of their own free will. This tells us that Angels are not spiritual robots or mindless creatures. If this were the case then their praise before the throne of God would be meaningless and hollow, like a machine simply program to do a task.
The devil is a fallen angel who rebelled against God; the devil is often identified as the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Whose persuasions lead to too corresponding Christian doctrines. One being “the original sin”; which is the disobedience of Adam, and the other one is “the Redemption of Jesus Christ” which in turn brings us to a relationship with God.
Nowhere does the Bible for argue for God's existence, everywhere the Scriptures assumes God’s existence as an accepted fact. All believers in God have accepted God's existence as an act of faith. God can be known only as an act of faith. Faith is a gift of God. Only the Holy Spirit will supply true faith in God. His nature and being suppress our comprehension, for God is the infinite one, and his is incomprehensible. God is Spiritand cannot be combined to a physical body nor to the dimensions of space and time, He is the invisible eternal God. He is eternal living God, Creator of all beings and all things that have ever existed. How can we finite beings, comprehend the infinite, limitless God?
Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Man was created by God, we did not evolve from lower life forms as some may suggest.
Genesis 1:26-27 (NKJV)
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Isaiah 43:7 (NKJV)
Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
Adam was created in God's image. He was endowed with intelligence, emotion and will. He was a free moral agent; therefore he was capable of making a choice. Since man was created for God's glory Isaiah 43:7 and since he could best glorify God by freely choosing to worship and serve him, it was necessary that Adam be giving an opportunity to make a choice. For Adam and Eve, the garden he was not only a home in Paradise; it was also a place of probation, a place to test their obedience and loyalty to God.
So God placed Adam and Eve in the garden for two main reasons. The first was to have fellowship with them; while enjoying an exchange of love. The second was to test their competency. God is not a tyrant or a dictator; he does not force himself on us. God let Adam experience the consequences of their actions.
God, in his Omniscience, knew that Adam would disobey him and God could have stopped it, seeing he is Omnipotent, but he did not. God knew that Adam and Eve would fail and so he made provisions for it in eternity pass. Sin was included in God's plan and man is responsible for it, yet God always has control over sin. God In His foreknowledge saw that Adam would fail and determined to bring out of Adam failure a people glorious redeemed by the blood of Christ.
The only part God had in allowing sin into the world was that he led man experience the consequences of his actions. If Adam and Eve had not disobeyed God there would be no sin nature. God is not the author of sin; he did not cost Adam to fall, for Adam had every reason to obey. However God propose is to bring out of human failure a glorious redemption; through the incarnation and vicarious death of his own son; a redemption that would include the final defeat of Satan who was, after all the first sinner.
Did God create sin”? No, God did not create sin, he only allowed it. We may contemplate why God permitted sin, but beyond that the subject is incomprehensible and must be left in the hands of God. Martin Luther who said,” this is so high that no other answer can be given then, that so it has please God.”
1 Peter 1:19-21 (NKJV)
but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
The reason God permitted sin was to allow us to have a free choice between good and evil. This can only be possible if sin is present. God created us to have fellowship with him, but he warned us to choose for ourselves whether or not we wanted fellowship with Him. God could have created beings who would do is his bidding, but that would mean they would have to be mindless with no will of their own.
God did not warn Adam and Eve that they would be separated from him. He warned them that they would be physically and spiritually dead. Spiritually dead is separation from God. God's point is that until we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are spiritually dead. We cannot understand spiritual truths. We become spiritually alive only after we believe the truth about Jesus and are willing to yield ourselves to him.
The separation between God and mankind exists because God is perfect and mankind is imperfect. One imperfection we all share as human beings is that of selfishness. Selfishness is a cornerstone emotion which governs all of our actions. Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden because they wanted what they wanted, despite God's Warning. This is the original sin, disobedience due to willful selfishness. Willful selfishness is a source of evil in our world, and the sorts of separation between us and God.
Isaiah 59:1-3 (NKJV)
Behold, the Lord’S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity.
If you have never put your hope and trust in Jesus Christ, don’t wait another moment! You are not guaranteed another opportunity. All you have to do to is repent of your ways and turn to Jesus Christ. Eternal life in heaven is received through knowledge of God, the Father, and is contained in His Son, Jesus Christ. We obtain this gift of life through salvation which God offers to all by the death and resurrection of His Son. When Jesus was massacred, beaten, humiliated, and crucified, the penalty for our sins was fully paid and we were given the opportunity to be reconciled to God. We receive this privilege by simply believing; God extends life to us when we have faith in what His Son, Jesus accomplished on the cross.
say a simple prayer like this one:
Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I ask you to forgive me of my sins. Please cleanse my heart of all that is not pleasing to you. Please show me how to live for you. Thank you for forgiving me and thank you for the promise of eternal life. Amen.
We become born-again Christians at the moment we believe. We are immediately transformed into new creations and a new existence, now lived in fellowship with God, begins. This is the origin of the Christian's eternal life; we now have the presence of God with us at all times to guide us and direct us and help us to live according to the new standards and principles found in His Word.
Some of Satan's tactics
The devil uses: Doubt, Division, Discouragement, Defeat, Delay to keep you from the things of God. For you are in a spiritual warfare and must put on the full armor of Christ at all times.
Besides the need for Christ to recreate our old sinful nature, Satan has a tool belt full of many tactics to use against you The devil uses: Doubt, Division, Discouragement, Defeat, and Delay to keep you from the things of God. For you are in a spiritual warfare and must put on the full armor of Christ. We have to remember one thing... And that is this... unless we allow Christ to change our old sinful nature; Satan will have easy access into our lives.
In order for our character to be changed, we must fully surrender to Christ and allow Him to point out areas in our life that needs changing. This will be one of the most difficult ongoing battles you're going experience in your life. This is because you will find that you are fighting yourself. It's not easy to let go of a life time of selfishness and character change requires what is called "Dying to self" and this lifetime process is called, Sanctification.
Deception: Satan's most successful tool. He wields this tool with devastating results.Deception is a powerful tool that Satan uses on the human race for its destruction and Satan's deception is very subtle and mixed with some truth to make it believable. So how would you know if you are deceived? Simply read the Bible yourself and not just believe everything that is accepted as truth in the church today.
Doubt: Makes you question God's word and his goodness. If Satan can get you to doubt God he knows that our doubt will drive us away from God. God desires us to trust and believe in His promises and the one trait that pleases God is Faith... Faith in His promises and of who He is...If Satan can get us to doubt God, then our current life and our life hereafter is in peril. Satan wants nothing more than to frustrate God's plan of redemption of Mankind and to destroy His creation
Discouragement: Makes you look at your problems rather than God.We are most vulnerable when we are in a state of discouragement. This is the time when we question everything and this is the door that ushers in Satan's plans where he revels in his attacks and accusations against God. "Why did God allow this to happen?", "If God really loved you...", "God doesn't exist, so why pray to him?", "GodDiscouragement is a stepping stone to despair... and despair is the catalyst to hopelessness. It is in these realms of deep emotions that Satan can influence feelings and actions that can cause us to react in ways that sometimes have no remedy. Suicide is one false remedy that Satan loves to offer the confused, defeated and discouraged and for many he has been successful... But God will not allow despair into our lives if we Trust Him and trust in HIs promises. Again, this is something that Satan doesn't want for us to do, to Trust God...
Diversion: Makes the wrong things seem attractive so you want them more than the right Satan also likes to divert us away from things that are important to God. He is always trying to make us think that what God wants for us is not as rewarding or enjoyable as things that displease God. Satan always copies Gods desires and offers counterfeits over the real thing. One example is God desires Man and Woman as the normal idea of what a couple is, while Satan undoes this view with Man with Man and Woman with Woman. God wants marriage between a Man and Woman and Satan offers a different version of marriage it’s between the same sexes.
Defeat: Makes you feel like a failure so you don't even try. Through defeat, Satan limits and robs us of a future inheritance. Defeat has a cousin called disappointment. We've all been disappointed at some time in our lives. If Satan plays his cards right, he can overcome our future successes when he uses defeat to frustrate and stop our moves forward towards a goal we've set. All Satan wants is that you give up if we are met with defeat and Satan wants to place us in a state of despondency.
Delay: Makes you put off something so it never gets started or completed. Procrastination, I'm sure most of us have done this. We simply put off something we know needs to be done by saying we'll do it at a later time. In a lot of cases, the task is never completed or is done in haste.
The kingdom of God and the kingdom of the Devil operate side by side with these differences:
God’s kingdom is built on love, peace, joy, and divine power.
God brings life and order.
God isn't limited by time.
God knows everything including our thoughts, our motives, and the secrets we’ve hidden in our hearts.
God provides
God is omnipresent and not limited to a physical location.
God forgives and blesses.
God is truth
God convicts.
God searches for weak people to strengthen them.
God sets people free.
Satan’s kingdom is built on self-centeredness, fear, control, and corrupt power.
Satan brings death and chaos.
Satan is confined to time limitations and must wait
Satan only knows what he can see and hear, as he can’t read our minds.
Satan steals
Satan is not omnipresent, so he can only be in one place at a time.
Satan accuses and curses.
Satan distorts the truth.
Satan condemns.
Satan searches for weak people to destroy them.
Satan influences people and political/social/religious systems to trap individuals.
Christians need to develop
Patience: Being calm and steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.
Alertness: Awareness of spiritual events and respond with the right actions.
Discipline: Lifestyle imposed from within one's self.
Confidence: Dependent on God for His resources and strength.
Wisdom: Practical application of knowledge and discernment.
Endurance: Able to persevere regardless of the physical and spiritual demands.
Spiritual armor
In addition to the authority we have in the name of Jesus, we have invisible spiritual resources for advancing and maintaining God's Kingdom in our lives. Ephesians 6:14-17 says, "Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Daily spiritual preparedness is required. Remember to ask the Holy Spirit to anoint your spiritual armor. Without the Holy Spirit’s anointing, we end up relying on our own natural strength.
· Belt of truth: It maintains our integrity, keeps us undivided, and leads us in the right direction.
· Breastplate of righteousness: It protects our emotions and silences accusations. The breastplate of righteousness enables us to live a life characterized by righteous living. This righteousness is not our own, but of the Lord Jesus Christ.
· Shoes of peace: A soldier knows that if he is having trouble with his feet, he can't fight well. We need the firm footing that comes from standing on the Word. This keeps our balance, stability, and mobility.
· Shield of trust/faith: It protects us from fear, doubt, and confusion. Our defense is our faith. As we take up the shield of faith we are able to quench the arrows of temptation. "In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan." (Ephesians 6:16) "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)
· Helmet of deliverance: It protects our mind from becoming deceived, doubtful, and discouraged.
· Sword of the Spirit: God's Word is our sword. "I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy." (Luke 10:19) Jesus used scripture to defeat Satan when attacked: "Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, where the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry. Then the Devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread." But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, `People need more than bread for their life.'" Then the Devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The Devil told him, "I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them--because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus replied, "The Scriptures say, `You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him." Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, `He orders his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone." Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, `Do not test the Lord your God.'"
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