In The Counsel of Many

[Bro-Larry]

Originally Posted by Esther

I agree we should NOT be fleeing the devil. God gave us power over the spirits. But I am confused as to why you said since he was not harmed it was not the devil. Explain what you mean by that? IF he was harmed then it would have been the devil? How did you come up with that conclusion.

I didn't mean to leave the impression that it was not the devil.

It's just that, since the devil is a spirit, I don't believe it is possible for him to take physical form and actually do physical injury to a human body. His only weapon or tool is deception. He tries to convince people that he's the big devil with all kinds of power; when in fact, he has none, except what he can trick people into giving him, the way Eve did.

Man had dominion in the earth, in the beginning. (Gen 1:28). Dominion consists of two elements, authority and power. Adam and Eve gave their authority to the devil, but he has no power to exercise that authority, without a body. A dead body has no power to get in a car, drive down to a bank and withdraw money, even if that dead body had an account there, when it was alive. Nobody can operate in the earth, without a body. That's why the devil is always trying to get in somebody. The only way he can physically injure a human body, is to use another live human to do his dirty work.

P.S. Thinking if I can recall any scripture either way on this, such as when Jesus was tempted by the devil, did he see him? Did he hear him? How did the devil tempt him???

I believe it was spiritual encounter. I believe Jesus saw him by spiritual vision, dream, trance, or open vision. The reason I believe this is because, if Jesus had done anything--anything--the devil suggested, then he would have subragated himself to the lordship of the devil, just like Adam and Eve did. Notice that he would not make bread out of a stone.

The devil simple cannot physically carry or convey anyone away to another location.