Christians should never underestimate the
power of Satan and his temptations, the Rev.
Billy Graham says in a warning to believers
about the the devil’s deceptive nature.
Although Satan will always try to convince
Christians that his intentions are good, he is in
fact “absolutely evil” because “he is absolutely
opposed to God and everything God wants to
do,” Graham explains in a “My Answers” post on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
website.
“Never underestimate Satan’s power, and
never underestimate his ability to deceive us
and make us think he isn’t to be feared. In fact,
he even deceives some people into thinking he
doesn’t exist!” Graham continues. “He is not as
powerful as God — but he still is a powerful spiritual force who works against God in every
way he possibly can.”
To repel Satan, Graham encourages Christians
to read Ephesians 6:11, which says: “Put on the
full armor of God, so that you can take your
stand against the devil’s schemes.”
“The most important truth about the devil,
however, is this: he is a defeated foe! Yes, he is
still at work — but by Jesus Christ’s death and
resurrection, He dealt Satan a fatal blow,”
Graham emphasizes. “Death and Hell and Satan
have been defeated, and someday Christ’s victory will be complete. Make sure your faith
and trust are in Jesus Christ, both now and for
all eternity.”
The Christian Post reported last year that Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San
Antonio, Texas, also spoke about the real
nature of Satan during an interview with James
and Betty Robison on their “Life Today”
program. “It was a very real devil that came
into the Garden of Eden to seduce Adam and Eve. It was a very real devil that tempted Jesus
in the wilderness. He is still in business. He goes
to church every Sunday,” Hagee said.
“And if you don’t know how to recognize him
and take authority over him he’ll destroy your
life, your marriage, your children, your church,
your hopes, your dreams. That’s what I want
them to take away,” he added.
The megachurch pastor echoed Graham’s
sentiments by saying that while Satan is real,
Christians have “absolute authority” over him if
they walk with God.
“The powers of Hell cannot touch you; the
angels of God are defending you,” Hagee said.
A 2009 Barna survey found that four out of 10 Christians believe Satan “is not a living being
but is a symbol of evil.” This compares to 26
percent of Christians who strongly disagree
with this statement, along with 9 percent who
disagreed somewhat.
The Barna study also found that 47 percent of
the Christians who said they believed Satan
was just a symbol of evil also agree “that a
person can be under the influence of spiritual
forces such as demons.”
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