THE DEVIL

There are many dedicated Christians who , for a whole lifetime, blindly accept the pagan based idea that the DEVIL/SATAN is an evil, immortal spirit being, who was once an angel, before being banished from the presence of Almighty God. The Bible does not teach this radical idea at all and thus every Christian person should at some time in their life, attempt to find the BIBLICAL TRUTH of the subject.

That TRUTH is so simple that many people who suddenly come to an understanding of that TRUTH, are inclined to blush with shame that it took them so long to understand the simplicity of what the Bible teaches on the subject.

WHY WAS JESUS BORN?

The FIRST "clue" to a truthful understanding of this simple matter, is to be found in 1 John 3:8, where the Apostle John assures us that Jesus Christ ..." ...the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the DEVIL." This simple statement reveals that we must understand the true Bible teaching about THE DEVIL before we can truly understand the basis of our faith and thus the reason for Jesus being born in Bethlehem. John the Baptist knew why Jesus had come, because, as he watched Jesus walk towards him, he proclaimed loudly..."Behold the Lamb of God that TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD."..(John 1:29). No mention of the "devil or Satan", by John the Baptist.

WHAT BROUGHT DEATH TO MANKIND?

In Romans 5:12, the Apostle Paul declares..."...by ONE MAN (not one devil) SIN entered the world AND DEATH BY SIN", and thus it was SIN that was responsible for death.....Paul makes no mention of an imaginary DEVIL being to blame.. To make sure we understand this simple Biblical principle, in the next chapter he adds to that statement by writing...."For the wages of SIN IS DEATH, but the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD."...(Romans 6-23)...two alternatives....one is death by (for) sin and the other is eternal life by "being in Christ". So John the Baptist taught that Jesus came to destroy the works of sin, which Paul tells us came into the world by the actions of ONE MAN, NOT BY THE ACTIONS OF A SUPPOSED IMAGINARY DEVIL.

Paul then assures us that SIN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DEATH, not the DEVIL of pagan superstition.

JESUS DESTROYED THE DEVIL:

Turning now to the letter to the Hebrews, we may read in 2:14 that Jesus...." ...also Himself likewise took part of the same...(flesh and blood...not spirit nature), THAT THROUGH DEATH HE MIGHT DESTROY HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH....THAT IS THE DEVIL."." And how did Jesus do this. Again in the Hebrews we read of the purpose for Jesus coming into the world....."He appeared (was manifested) TO PUT AWAY SIN by the sacrifice of Himself."...(Heb 9:26) His death destroyed the power of SIN which was, and is, the "power of the devil".

Nothing could be clearer could it, that the main purpose of the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ , His manifestation, was to provide a path by which men and woman could have their sins covered by the sacrifice of His life; that by being baptised into His saving name all people could have their sins washed away and start a new life free from SIN, and thus be eligible for the "Gift of God", eternal life, in a world renewed.......PARADISE RESTORED.

THE SOURCE OF TEMPTATION AND SIN.

It follows from what has gone before that we cannot blame a supposed 'fallen angel devil' for our sins. This is confirmed by James when he writes..."Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust". (James 1:14) This agrees with the teaching of Jesus when He said..."From within....out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within and defile the man." (Mark 7:21-23)

It was this law of sin in His members that Jesus fought and won.. He overcame sin at it's source...."He was tempted like as we are , yet without sin..." (Heb.2:14). In other words....He destroyed the devil.

In English, DEVIL is translated from DIABOLOS, which is a masculine noun in Greek and thus must use a masculine pronoun, This does not in any way suggest that the "diabolos" is a person. In French, "la port" is the door, a feminine noun with a feminine pronoun, but never in history has anyone ever thought of a door being a lady. Gender in Greek ,as in French, does not necessarily prove the object to be a person.