Here is an alternative concept of satan: satan is not an impish being with a pitchfork, prodding people into a sinful life; rather, satan is the lower nature of all people. It is the self of us that can tempt us to do things that we know are not for our highest good. Satan is the selfish, human, cunning, devious ego of limitation that motivates the human personality to turn away from God.
It is the part of us that must decrease as our spiritual nature increases. How do we overrule this part of us? "I, when I am lifted up from this earth, will draw all men to myself". We must elevate our desires of human appetite, raise the standards of our moral passions, bear up our spiritual aspirations, and be receptive to the drawing power of Christ. This is to lift up and spiritualize the human self, thus defeating our "satanic" nature.
When this happens, the kingdom of Christlikeness will be established in our hearts, minds, and worlds. This is the objective of true Christianity. Rather than doing battle with an external force that doesn't exist, the overruling of the lower nature by the higher is the ultimate accomplishment.
Excerpted from the book Alternatives by William L. Fischer. More from this book can be read here.
2 comments:
Nice post. I left a belief in the little imp some time ago. He is simply another to blame someone else for our own shortcomings.
Thanks, Don, I couldn't agree more with your comment. It's there in the Bible, too, if we're willing to see. The book of James says we are drawn away and enticed by our OWN lusts... It's just another aspect of the escapism Christianity that’s been created. We don't want to take responsibility for changing our own actions. We also want somebody else to "pay for our sins," be a good person in our place, and whisk us off the planet before God burns the whole place up.
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