Satan's Persuasion - Raygan Boster
One thing that I noticed a lot in the first two books was how much Satan persuaded his followers and with ease. When they first fell and where in pain, he made a speech to them that got them riled up and ready to take this punishment on and make the best of it. When they were all arguing about the best plan of action to oppose God, he gave a speech and they agreed. It didn't take much for him to persuade them either. There was no bantering, going back and forth, or compromising. When Satan spoke, they took it as truth, whether it was or not. They saw him as their god, even bowed to him. They took pleasure in it and felt no conviction because of their separation from God. I believe that still happens to us today. It doesn't always take much for Satan to persuade us to think or act a certain way. Then, when we do, we don't always feel conviction because we idolize our sinful ways and have separated from God and His will for our lives. If we know the Word and choose to disobey it anyway, with no conviction, are we really that different from the Fallen Angels?
I commented on Andrew Henley and Emory Cooper's post.
You bring up a very important point. It can be so easy to read about Satan's subjects in Hell and feel disgusted. However, he skillfully twisted his words and made what was not good seem desirable, even easily convincing them to be subjugated to his rule under the guise of freedom. Just as Satan made the forbidden fruit look inviting, his manipulations can still make what is evil look like a thrilling choice. That definitely still happens to us today who are believers, and it is something we must be vigilant to guard ourselves against. Satan can sneak in like a smooth-talking politician.
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