Satan tries to deceive and to make sin seem appealing. But each individual can defeat Satan and overcome temptation. Each individual has the gift of agency—the power to choose good over evil. As they willingly obey the commandments, Heavenly Father strengthens them to withstand temptation. Praying for strength. Studying the scriptures daily. When life is filled with goodness, no room is left to do evil.
Avoiding tempting places and situations. Places or situations where temptations are likely to come should be avoided. Inappropriate material in magazines, books, television, movies, and music and on the Internet should also be avoided.
Striving to influence others for good. They can strive to influence others to live good and wholesome lives by setting a righteous example, being a good friend, participating in community service, and, as appropriate, letting their voices be heard in defense of moral values.
Never hesitating in decisions to withstand temptation. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the Lord never wavered. Agency and Accountability.
Atonement of Jesus Christ. Fasting and Fast Offerings. Holy Ghost. Light of Christ. The words of Joseph are as follows:. I had scarcely done so when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me … as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. God allows Lucifer and his agents to tempt us so that we may more deliberately choose between good and evil.
Satan knows all the tricks. He knows where we are susceptible to temptations and how to entice us to do evil. He and his messengers suggest evil, minimize the seriousness of sin, and make evil inviting.
He has power to place thoughts in our minds and to whisper to us in unspoken impressions to entice us to satisfy our appetites or carnal desires and in various ways he plays upon our weaknesses and desires. Surely then Satan and his followers have some knowledge of our thoughts and tendencies. Some people are like that and often find themselves opposing even that which is right and true. Satan is a great deceiver, a liar. And he said unto me: There is no God; yea, and he taught me that which I should say.
Satan certainly knows our weaknesses and can use that knowledge to his advantage in ways we can only imagine. In your first question you mention our sinful natures.
That is an area of our lives that certainly deserves attention. It is so easy for Christians and the televangelists you mentioned to blame Satan for all their sins and troubles. I sometimes get the impression that people think that locking up Satan somewhere right now would eliminate their struggles with sin.
That kind of thinking fails to realize how thoroughly corrupt the sinful nature is. The sinful nature is an ally of Satan. It is hostile toward God Romans It is the place where evil thoughts originate Matthew It wants nothing to do with God or godliness.
It continually wars against our new self Romans The sinful nature is an enemy that needs our continual attention. At the same time, we build up the new self through the use of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians long for the day when they no longer fight against the ungodly trio: the devil, the world and our sinful flesh.
That day is when our earthly lives come to an end. Faustus made such a deal with the devil. At the heart of such a concept is some truth and lots of error. The truth part takes Satan seriously. He is powerful, deceptive, and constantly seeking to lead people away from revealed truth of Scripture and saving faith in Jesus Christ.
This is their own fault. They really sold their soul to wickedness and forfeited divine blessing. General word of wisdom: Neither underestimate nor overestimate the power and deceptive nature of the devil. Be alert to his working yet never forget he is already defeated and not an independent agent who enjoys freedom to work evil. And never neglect or underestimate the power and comfort of the gospel of Jesus Christ for ourselves and the world! Revelation chapter 13 speaks of two beasts.
Lutheran commentators have seen the first beast representing secular governments that are anti-Christian in nature, being in league with Satan. How do we recognize these beasts, you wonder? We will recognize anti-Christian governments and the Antichrist by what they say and do. We need to know the Bible so that we can recognize truth and error.
And when we recognize error and false teaching, we reject that. One little word can fell him. It is good that your friend is receiving the kind of help you described. Hopefully he is seeing a Christian therapist who can offer biblical guidance. And hopefully the church he is attending is rock-solid in its teachings, and its pastor can provide counseling as he is able. Satan is not free to do as he pleases. The opening chapters of the book of Job make that clear.
With his word God has given us a powerful weapon Ephesians to combat the devil James Continue to point your friend to the Bible so he can replace his feelings with the objective truths that God has revealed.
You can remind your friend that what God says is true, regardless of his feelings. You are certainly doing the right thing by encouraging him to remember the truths of his baptism. Keep praying for your friend. God bless all your efforts to restore the joy of salvation for your friend Psalm Demons are real Luke Demon possession is a complex subject.
It can be useful to differentiate between spiritual possession and physical possession. Judas is someone who exemplifies spiritual possession. Physical possession is the kind that Jesus often encountered during his earthly ministry when he cast demons out of people e.
Scripture explains to us that Satan is furiously going about his fiendish work because he recognizes the time is rapidly approaching Revelation when he will be confined to hell forever and be tormented forever Matthew , 46; Revelation I encourage you to speak to your pastor about your situation.
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