SATAN A PERSON OR AN INFLUENCE, WHICH?
While in the business world practicability is the watchword, the realm of religion seems to be tending toward abstractions. Those religious systems that deal largely in abstract reasonings seem to have had the most phenomenal growth. Christian science, that attempts to explain away everything of a material nature, and Theosophy, that deals in oriental mysticisms, are gathering around them an ever-increasing multitude, composed to a great extent of the wealthy and educated classes. The “adept” of India, shrouded in mysticism and dreamingly endeavoring to transport himself from this mortal sphere to the realm of immateriality, is the nearest approach, it seems, to the ideal state in religion as viewed from the standpoint of Theosophy and its associate “isms.” There is an impression gaining ground which is by no means confined to these modern cults, that God is simply a shorter way of spelling good, and that the term Satan is only another name for evil. It is not the aim here to enter into the realm of abstract reasoning to determine whether these deductions are correct or not; for, believing that the Bible is the revelation of God, we accept its testimony as conclusive in all matters of which it treats. The belief that Satan is simply a personification of evil, and not in any wise a person, seems to be gaining a place among the unwritten texts of almost every denomination. But that the Bible teaches the personality of Satan will be plainly seen by considering a few of the many passages that bear on the subject. In the twelfth chapter of Revelation we read in the seventh verse that there was war in heaven. Michael and His angels fought with the devil and his angels, with the result that Satan and his followers were cast out. Such language could not be employed in speaking of Satan, if Satan were simply a term used to designate evil. For how could one cast out evil in the abstract? It must of necessity be associated with some object in order to be cast out. To speak of casting out evil in the abstract would be like trying to carry the sunlight out of a room with a basket. Furthermore Christ says, in Luke 10:18, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” This statement comparing Satan in his fall to lightning is an argument against the impersonality of Satan; for one can not see an evil influence apart from some object. Again, in Matt. 25:41, we read, “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” To speak of preparing a fire to burn up an evil influence, or evil in the abstract, would be absurd. Not only is the fire prepared for Satan, but he will be cast into it, as we read in Rev. 20:10, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, . . . and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.” The very fact that the devil is spoken of as being tormented is a conclusive point in favor of a belief in a personal devil; for how could an evil influence be said to be tormented? But there is another text that is still more conclusive, found in John 8:44. It reads: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it.” The word here translated “abode” is the same Greek word that in Acts 26:22 is translated “continue,” in the clause, “I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great.” We can therefore read the clause in John 8:44 thus, “Continued not in the truth.” This plainly indicates that Satan was in the truth at one time, but did not continue in it. To speak of an evil influence or evil in the abstract as having been in the truth, is absurd in the extreme. The Bible testimony therefore is very conclusive to the effect that Satan is a personal being. It teaches the personality of Satan, and also that he was once “in the truth,” but fell away from it and became the originator of evil. For the text last referred to says that “he is a liar, and the father of it.” The father of lies would also be the originator of all evil; for evil is a unity, as we read in James 2:10 that he who offendeth “in one point,” “is guilty of all.” Satan is the great enemy of our souls. He has no mercy in his heart, and is untiring and relentless in his endeavors to destroy us. He takes the happy baby boy from its mother’s bosom, and finally buries him in a drunkard’s grave. He takes the beautiful little girl, and buries her in a life of shame. If he can convince us that there is no Satan, and therefore no cause for alarm, how much more easily he can take us off our guard. To fight against an abstraction causes one to lose that zeal which is necessary to overcome our wily foe. The doctrine of the impersonality of Satan originated with the devil himself. For centuries he has inspired men to treat