Ha ha, this cracked me up! I used to live with a friend of mine who was gay, and he dressed up like satan one year for Halloween. It kinda looked something like this.
Can they harm you?
There is a pastor's son I know (a great man of God) who claimed that he woke up in the middle of the night and there was a demon standing at the foot of his bed. Before he could rebuke him, the demon apparently scratched him on his chest. Now, I don't know if this is true or not, but this is what he said.
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Be content with what you have, for God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid." Hebrews 13:5,6
Love is patient, love is kind, Love does not insist on its own way. Love bears all things, believes all things,
Hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
- I Corinthians 13:4-8
I don't think of Satan as some anti-god who has equal but opposite power as God. What God does for good, Satan can do for evil. If God can heal, Satan can make sick. If God fills with the Holy Ghost, Satan can possess. God talks, the devil talks, and so on. If that were true then Satan would be God's equal only at the opposite pole. And God has no equal.
Satans only weapon, IMO, against us is the power to decieve. If Satan can convince us he has this great and terrible power over us, then, well, he DOES have this great and terrible power over us. Deception is his only tool, and its very effective.
The story of Job is a good example. Satan, with God's permission, killed all of Jobs children, took all he had, and inflicted him with boils. Did he? Really?
In the end of the Book, Job had all his kids and his possessions. All was well, because none of it was actually taken in the first place. "And there came a MESSENGER unto Job, and said..."Job 1:14. Job heard, and believed, these messengers, became distraught, and hives, which erupted into boils, broke out on his body. The fact is, IMO, Job believed a lie. The reason for it all? To help Job discover his human fallacy of self-righteouness. Yes, even "perfect people" have faults, Job's was that he was a little too self-righteous. He spent alot of time talking about HIS "goodness" and HIS "righteousness". (In addition, there was a good deal of self-pity there too.) Jobs victory was when he finally said, "Wherefore I abhor (hate) myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (42:6). If Job was so perfect, there would have been no need for him to repent. Once his "flaw" was discovered and corrected his trial ended.
But I'm off the topic. Satan decieved Job. Satan decieved Eve. If the devil can make people think he can possess them, then, he can. Or make them sick. Or do evil things. Its all deception. Read 2 Thess. 2:9-12, Eph. 4:14
Deception is a powerful tool. But many Christians (and Hollywood) has given Satan much more power than he really has.
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"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him...." -Psa. 37:7
Waiting for the Lord is easy... Waiting patiently? Not so much.
Can they make you do things? If you are possessed.
Can they make you feel their presence? Yes
Can they see you? Yes
Can they hear your thoughts? No
Can they harm you? Yes
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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
1 Peter 5:8 - he's a devourer - but if we're covered by the blood of Jesus, he can only do what God allows. and he cannot possess a spirit-filled child of God!
In the end of the Book, Job had all his kids and his possessions. All was well, because none of it was actually taken in the first place. "And there came a MESSENGER unto Job, and said..."Job 1:14. Job heard, and believed, these messengers, became distraught, and hives, which erupted into boils, broke out on his body. The fact is, IMO, Job believed a lie.
Are you saying that his first set of children did not really die?
I don't think of Satan as some anti-god who has equal but opposite power as God. What God does for good, Satan can do for evil. If God can heal, Satan can make sick. If God fills with the Holy Ghost, Satan can possess. God talks, the devil talks, and so on. If that were true then Satan would be God's equal only at the opposite pole. And God has no equal.
Satans only weapon, IMO, against us is the power to decieve. If Satan can convince us he has this great and terrible power over us, then, well, he DOES have this great and terrible power over us. Deception is his only tool, and its very effective.
The story of Job is a good example. Satan, with God's permission, killed all of Jobs children, took all he had, and inflicted him with boils. Did he? Really?
In the end of the Book, Job had all his kids and his possessions. All was well, because none of it was actually taken in the first place. "And there came a MESSENGER unto Job, and said..."Job 1:14. Job heard, and believed, these messengers, became distraught, and hives, which erupted into boils, broke out on his body. The fact is, IMO, Job believed a lie. The reason for it all? To help Job discover his human fallacy of self-righteouness. Yes, even "perfect people" have faults, Job's was that he was a little too self-righteous. He spent alot of time talking about HIS "goodness" and HIS "righteousness". (In addition, there was a good deal of self-pity there too.) Jobs victory was when he finally said, "Wherefore I abhor (hate) myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (42:6). If Job was so perfect, there would have been no need for him to repent. Once his "flaw" was discovered and corrected his trial ended.
But I'm off the topic. Satan decieved Job. Satan decieved Eve. If the devil can make people think he can possess them, then, he can. Or make them sick. Or do evil things. Its all deception. Read 2 Thess. 2:9-12, Eph. 4:14
Deception is a powerful tool. But many Christians (and Hollywood) has given Satan much more power than he really has.
Interesting take on Job. Haven't heard that one before.
So, how does Satan deceive? There has to be some communication for that to happen. Audible? Still small voice? Books? AFF posts?
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Satans only weapon, IMO, against us is the power to decieve. If Satan can convince us he has this great and terrible power over us, then, well, he DOES have this great and terrible power over us. Deception is his only tool, and its very effective.
. . .
BTW, "Satan" could accomplish this goal of deception, even if he doesn't exist!
Quote:
But many Christians (and Hollywood) has given Satan much more power than he really has.
Exaaactly!
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Are you saying that his first set of children did not really die?
I think that's what he's saying, yes. Notice that everything else (property) was doubled for him, but he ended up with the same number of kids as before, three daughters and seven sons. I think OA's on to something.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 
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