St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

In our "Questions to the clergy" slot, John will try to answer any query you throw at him, without hesitation, deviation or repetition...

Is the Devil real or figurative?

Q. What is your attitude to the Devil as a person, and being possessed by the devil, or is it a word used for the very real evil that to a certain extent is within each of us?

A. Before I was ordained I used to believe that “the Devil” was just a way of describing the evil that is within each of us. C S Lewis wrote an excellent book called “The Screwtape Letters” which is a set of letters from one demon to another about how to tempt people. It is a very perceptive book, and it hardly makes any difference whether you believe that demons really exist or not as you read it, because it is really talking about the ways that people are vulnerable to temptation and how they get themselves into bad habits and hurtful ways. “Man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil”, as the Prayer Book says (p615).

But since I started work as a clergyman I have noticed the way that bad things tend to gang up on people, and how some evils seem to have more spite than coincidence, and I have come to believe that there is something personal behind the wrong in the world. I have come across houses with evil spirits in them, and people who seem to be trapped by something bigger than them. I’ve begun to see why Jesus taught about the devil in personal terms. So now I do believe in a personal Devil, and not just the evil which is within us.

I think there are three things we need to keep in mind about the Devil and demons:

1) We are still responsible for what we do. The devil can tempt us but he can’t force us to do wrong, and it is still our fault if we yield to temptation.

2) The Devil is not as strong as people often make out. The bible promises that God will not let us be tempted beyond our power to endure, and with the temptation there will come an opportunity to escape it (1 Cor 10:13), and it also promises that if we put on God armour we can stand against the devil and his schemes (Eph 6:11).

3) We need God’s Holy Spirit within us to keep the devil out. I think Luke 11:21-26 is the most important passage in the bible on this subject. Jesus says that our lives are like empty houses, and if we don’t have God’s Spirit living inside then there’s nothing to stop demons taking up squatters’ rights. But if we invite Him in, he will guard our house and keep it safe.

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. June 2001, Page 10.
Home Page. Index of articles. Questions: index, Downs baby, Bloodthirsty OT, Marriage prep, Creed, Real Devil, Sick visiting. In this issue: (June 2001) Vicar's Letter, Question.	In our "Questions to the clergy" slot, John will try to answer any query you throw at him, without hesitation, deviation or repetition... Is the Devil real or figurative? Q. What is your attitude to the Devil as a person, and being possessed by the devil, or is it a word used for the very real evil that to a certain extent is within each of us? A. Before I was ordained I used to believe that “the Devil” was just a way of describing the evil that is within each of us. C S Lewis wrote an excellent book called “The Screwtape Letters” which is a set of letters from one demon to another about how to tempt people. It is a very perceptive book, and it hardly makes any difference whether you believe that demons really exist or not as you read it, because it is really talking about the ways that people are vulnerable to temptation and how they get themselves into bad habits and hurtful ways. “Man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil”, as the Prayer Book says (p615). But since I started work as a clergyman I have noticed the way that bad things tend to gang up on people, and how some evils seem to have more spite than coincidence, and I have come to believe that there is something personal behind the wrong in the world. I have come across houses with evil spirits in them, and people who seem to be trapped by something bigger than them. I’ve begun to see why Jesus taught about the devil in personal terms. So now I do believe in a personal Devil, and not just the evil which is within us. I think there are three things we need to keep in mind about the Devil and demons: 1) We are still responsible for what we do. The devil can tempt us but he can’t force us to do wrong, and it is still our fault if we yield to temptation. 2) The Devil is not as strong as people often make out. The bible promises that God will not let us be tempted beyond our power to endure, and with the temptation there will come an opportunity to escape it (1 Cor 10:13), and it also promises that if we put on God armour we can stand against the devil and his schemes (Eph 6:11). 3) We need God’s Holy Spirit within us to keep the devil out. I think Luke 11:21-26 is the most important passage in the bible on this subject. Jesus says that our lives are like empty houses, and if we don’t have God’s Spirit living inside then there’s nothing to stop demons taking up squatters’ rights. But if we invite Him in, he will guard our house and keep it safe. John Hartley
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