How do you feel about Satan?

[Cao Chao]

I believe Satan has the power to influence and cause all things evil.

Why? isn't he doomed in hell? why would God allow him to have any influence over creation anymore?

If that were really the case, then you would neither have the original of Adam and Eve, or the temptations of Christ while he was in the desert, or the claims of demons and devils possessing individuals, including Judas Iscariot by Satan.

[Aygor]

I believe Satan has the power to influence and cause all things evil.

Why? isn't he doomed in hell? why would God allow him to have any influence over creation anymore?

If that were really the case, then you would neither have the original of Adam and Eve, or the temptations of Christ while he was in the desert, or the claims of demons and devils possessing individuals, including Judas Iscariot by Satan.

Is God leaving Satan free to harm his creation and also granting eternal damnation to the ones who aren't able to withstand Satan's malice then?

[Cao Chao]

If that were really the case, then you would neither have the original of Adam and Eve, or the temptations of Christ while he was in the desert, or the claims of demons and devils possessing individuals, including Judas Iscariot by Satan.

Is God leaving Satan free to harm his creation and also granting eternal damnation to the ones who aren't able to withstand Satan's malice then?

My understanding is that unlike the Jewish Yahweh, the Christian God tends to take a more hand's off approach to humanity. The judgment of fire and brimstone, eye for an eye Hammurabi's Law/Old Testament God was replaced by a more merciful and forgiving New Testament God. Rather than shackle humanity, God gave people the free will to choose their actions and thoughts. And even if they chose wrong, they had the option of repenting and returning to the "correct" path. You could very well be bewitched and seduced by the perfidies of Satan, but just as there's a way for Satan to acknowledge his hubris and return to God, there are ways for individuals to repent and return. (Of course there is a difference between Catholicism, Orthodox, and other sects within Christianity.)

Disclaimer: I'm an atheist, so I'm probably not the best person to answer that question.

[Sun Fin]

Just for the record, my opinions on pre-destination and free will have reverted; I guess I'd best not explain my thoughts until I'm entirely sure of where I stand on this issue.

[FoxWithWings]

The Devil is the enemy, in my opinion. He is the deceiver, the corrupter, the one who is constantly trying to drag Christians and others down. He can create false emotions and evil impressions. He can take on various forms, all of which are pleasing to the eye. Anyone who happily lives out of the Way of the Lord is under his spell. He is strong, much stronger than any of us could ever be, but thankfully, the Lord is stronger.

That's my take on him, believe me if you choose to.

[Ayame]

Does Lucifer (the fallen angel)/ Satan/ The Devil all refer to the same being?

[Aygor]

Does Lucifer (the fallen angel)/ Satan/ The Devil all refer to the same being?

Yes.

The Devil is the enemy, in my opinion. He is the deceiver, the corrupter, the one who is constantly trying to drag Christians and others down. He can create false emotions and evil impressions. He can take on various forms, all of which are pleasing to the eye. Anyone who happily lives out of the Way of the Lord is under his spell. He is strong, much stronger than any of us could ever be, but thankfully, the Lord is stronger.

As god posesses both omnipotence and omniscience, how could it be possible for the devil to do any harm whatsoever?

[Ayame]

The Devil is the enemy, in my opinion. He is the deceiver, the corrupter, the one who is constantly trying to drag Christians and others down. He can create false emotions and evil impressions. He can take on various forms, all of which are pleasing to the eye. Anyone who happily lives out of the Way of the Lord is under his spell. He is strong, much stronger than any of us could ever be, but thankfully, the Lord is stronger.

As god posesses both omnipotence and omniscience, how could it be possible for the devil to do any harm whatsoever?

I wonder this as well.

[Liu Yuante]

Does Lucifer (the fallen angel)/ Satan/ The Devil all refer to the same being?

Yes.

This depends, actually. The original Hebrew, הֵילֵל (heylel), occurs only once in the Old Testament and most modern interpretation holds that it is a symbolic reference to the morning star, or the planet Venus. It's found in a section of scripture addressed to a fallen king of Babylon, and the later segments of the passage make plain that the person being addressed is a man and not an otherworldly figure. Other Hebrew writings of the period also equate this word with the planet Venus.

The word was translated into Latin as Lucifer, which means "light-bringer", and into Greek as ἑωσφόρος (eosphoros), meaning "dawn-bringer". In many cultures Venus is the morning star, and the fact that the word was translated equivalently in the Septuagint and the Vulgate strongly suggest that there is, in fact, no personage named Lucifer anywhere in the Bible, and that the equivalency of this word with Satan is later Christian interpolation. Calvin and Luther both opposed reading Isaiah 14:12 as referring to Satan/the Devil.

Of course, those who adhere solely to the KJV tend to disagree and maintain that Lucifer = a reference to Satan before the fall. So, there are differing perspectives on this.

[Sun Fin]

The devils capacity to do harm is that God chose to give humans free will and so the devil is able to attack humans by making choices seem attractive that are really damaging and harmful.