Bridge of Reason

  “Very few people believe in the devil these days, which suits the devil very well. He is always helping to circulate the news of his own death. The essence of God is existence, and He defines Himself as: 'I am Who am.' The essence of the devil is the lie, and he defines himself as: 'I am who am not.' Satan has very little trouble with those who do not believe in him; they are already on his side.” [1] The Schemes of the devil Satan uses various "wiles" with the aim of doing one of two things: i)            To blind the minds of unbelievers – and keep them from the light of the gospel and so be saved. ii)          To try and defeat, deflate, and discourage those who have put their faith in Christ.  Can we know anything of the devil’ schemes? Paul the Apostle tells the church in Corinth. …for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Cor.2:11 Paul here suggests that devil is pre...

  I recently interviewed Marisa – a former Wiccan Witch , now Christian missionary in Bolivia. As she shared her story, she spoke with clarity and confidence about the one the Bible calls the ‘accuser of the brethren’. Clarity, because she had experienced the power of this adversary and confidence because she now knew that the one of whom she spoke is a defeated enemy. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.   Colossians 2:15 The Accuser of the Brethren Who is the devil? Where did he come from, this spirit-creature that seeks to oppose God and defeat His work? The Bible teaches that in the original creation, he was “Lucifer, son of the morning” (Isa. 14:12–15) and that he was cast down because of his pride and his desire to occupy God’s throne. This enemy has many different names. Devil means “accuser,” because he accuses God’s people day and night before the throne of God (Rev. 12:7–11). Satan...

The attention-grabbing headline shocked me but, as a Bible believing Christian, perhaps it shouldn’t have. ‘All hail the rise of baby Lucifer — now a more popular baby name than Nigel or Trevor’. [1] What a headline! Traditionally, people will have named their baby boys after a loved one, perhaps a father, a grandfather an uncle, or even a famous person; but how times have changed. Many, abandoning long-established forenames now seek to name their children something different, something that makes their little one stand out. Following this trend, last year in the U.K. fifteen parents saw fit to name their baby boys Lucifer. What the devil is going on? “The devil's finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist.” It seems that there is a lack of clarity regarding who said this, but what is certain is the truth of it. There are many who deny the existence of a personal devil. Certainly, to say that you believe in the devil, in the increasingly secular West, is to invite scorn...

O ccult means ‘hidden’ or ‘concealed.’ It is the opposite in every way of God’s progressive revelation. The closer our walk with God, the greater our insight into his ways. Conversely, the closer our association with the occult, the darker our world becomes. The Bible warns us that there is a counterfeit supernatural power, that can perform wonder s . Being aware of the existence, and of the root of the power at work, is vital. I f we are not to be tricked by Satan we need to know his schemes ( 2 Corinthians 2:11 ) ‘ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith…’ (1 Peter 5:8-9) If Satan cannot stop us being saved, he will seek to compromise us, often by making us fearful . This is helpful to know, so that we are aware of what is happening in our own life, but also to understand how others are drawn in. Satan’s character is described in the Bible as, a deceiver (Rev.12:9)...