A demon can't "make you" as in force you to stop believing in God but he can lie to you and cause you to doubt the word of God like he did to Eve in the garden. It's up to us to cast down every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
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His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
When I turned from atheism to thinking that maybe God does exist it was because of a supernatural experience I had.
When I started to seek the God of the Bible it was because of another supernatural experience I had.
I became a Christian from reading the gospels.
These experiences brought about a change in my mind, in the way I thought and looked at the world and existence. After becoming a Christian and having a wonderful experience from God when I was baptized in Jesus name and then I spoke in tongues when I received the baptism of the Spirit, I still had to fight thoughts of doubt. I could have a might experience of God's presence and glory one day and the next day thoughts would come to my mind denying the existence of God! Those thoughts originated and came from the enemy of my soul, not from my own mind. I would have to resist those thoughts by remembering the experiences I had from God, often. It was a battle raging in my mind. That's where the battlefield is.
And example of how Satan influences people is Ananias and Sapphira. Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? or Job's wife spoke the same similar words that Satan did to God. Coincidence? I don't think so.
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. 8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. 9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
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His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
A demon can't "make you" as in force you to stop believing in God but he can lie to you and cause you to doubt the word of God like he did to Eve in the garden. It's up to us to cast down every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ. . . .
Thanks for clarifying. But I'm not sure the man's story quite fits. There didn't seem to be any lies sent his way for him to either believe or resist. He just suddenly stopped believing, involuntarily. Couldn't believe even if he wanted to -- and he did want to. He was distressed by this. His own "silver bullets" didn't even work on himself!
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
When I turned from atheism to thinking that maybe God does exist it was because of a supernatural experience I had.
When I started to seek the God of the Bible it was because of another supernatural experience I had.
I became a Christian from reading the gospels.
. . . .
May I ask, when you were an atheist, did you separate the two concepts of God's existence and the Bible being God's word? It seems that a lot of atheists (and virtually all Christians!) don't do that. They look at the Bible and the descriptions there of God, and think "No way! That doesn't make any sense! So, God must not exist". Christians exhibit this in a little different way, of course: they think if you believe in God, you must therefore believe that the Bible is God's word. (I think I asked you or someone about that a few days ago, on this thread, if I recall.)
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Thanks for clarifying. But I'm not sure the man's story quite fits. There didn't seem to be any lies sent his way for him to either believe or resist. He just suddenly stopped believing, involuntarily. Couldn't believe even if he wanted to -- and he did want to. He was distressed by this. His own "silver bullets" didn't even work on himself!
I didn't want to think thoughts that God wasn't real, especially after I had had such powerful experiences of his presence, either.
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His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
May I ask, when you were an atheist, did you separate the two concepts of God's existence and the Bible being God's word? It seems that a lot of atheists (and virtually all Christians!) don't do that. They look at the Bible and the descriptions there of God, and think "No way! That doesn't make any sense! So, God must not exist". Christians exhibit this in a little different way, of course: they think if you believe in God, you must therefore believe that the Bible is God's word. (I think I asked you or someone about that a few days ago, on this thread, if I recall.)
Wasn't me.
I don't recall ever reading the Bible before I became an atheist even though I attended a Catholic school up until 4th grade. I must have been exposed to the teachings in the Bible but I don't remember them at all.
I believe the Bible is God's word because God confirmed that it was his word by the spiritual things I experienced then and now.
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His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
I don't recall ever reading the Bible before I became an atheist even though I attended a Catholic school up until 4th grade. I must have been exposed to the teachings in the Bible but I don't remember them at all.
I believe the Bible is God's word because God confirmed that it was his word by the spiritual things I experienced then and now.
I see, thanks.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty