Mike,

Some people say they don’t believe in a personal actual devil/ angelic being named “Satan.” They rather believe Satan only exists within the hearts and minds of humankind. What is the Truth?

Thanks Mike, take care.
J____

Hi J____,
Thank you for your question.

Anyone who does not realize that Satan is a spirit whose purpose is to oppose Christ and His Father, sorely underestimates the power of their adversary.
Satan is the spiritual father of all who withstand God and His doctrine. When Christ called Peter, ‘Satan’, He did so simply because Peter was at that time “of his father the devil”. We are all of our father the devil, before we come to be of Christ and through Christ of our heavenly Father. What this means is that if the flesh is Satan and Satan is simply “the Spirit of Disobedience born out of man – not apart from him”, then the same can be said of Christ and His Father.
But spirit is not “born out of man” be it “the spirit of the Lord” or “an evil spirit from the Lord”. Both are born out of God, not out of man.

Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [ us], and we gave [ them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
1Sa 16:14  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Sa 16:15  And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

God is “the Father of spirits, “the spirit of the Lord”, and that includes “evil spirits from the Lord”. If the “Spirit of the Lord” is not inherent within us, neither is Satan inherent within man. If he were, then it would be impossible to put him in prison while the nations are “ruled with a rod of iron”. Satan is not just one spirit. Satan is represented by legions of spirits, through which he “deceives the whole world.”

Mar 5:9 And he asked him, What [ is] thy name? And he answered, saying, My name [ is] Legion: for we are many.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore [ it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

According to scripture, the great red dragon, the old serpent, the Devil and Satan are all one and the same, and He has many legions of angels who carry out his bidding which is all collectively called “an evil spirit from the Lord.”
Here is a link to a letter in which I pose five questions which are yet to be answered by those who believe in this doctrine. http:// iswasandwillbe. com/ Are_ we_ Satan. php Read that letter, and if you still have questions, then please let me know.
God bless your search for His truth.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike