"Satan" means "adversary." The implication is that Satan is the enemy of humankind, if not God, Himself. In the Bible, He functions as God's prosecuting attorney, testing mortals to determine if their faith was genuine. The most complete example was the Book of Job, where He is given the authority to inflict a series of misfortunes on a righteous mortal.
In Luke 4, He appears to Jesus in the desert. He tempts Jesus three times to use His divine abilities for His own selfish purposes (to satisfy hunger, to acquire political power and to impress the general populace with a flashy, public miracle.) Jesus naturally refuses, proving He is worthy to become the Messiah.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. --Margaret Mead
There's a mugged leprechaun at the end of every rainbow. --shortpacked.com
A good magician never reveals how a trick is done.
An evil magician never leaves any evidence that there was a trick in the first place.
---Master Payne (Phil Foglio's Girl Genius)
Bookmarks