Who or What is This "Satan?"
There are a lot of people in our religious culture that are scared to death of this being that the Bible calls “satan the devil.” This "satan" has wreaked havoc in English translation scripture, and also in the lives of millions of people over the centuries. We are told to “resist the devil," yet, we are told “do not resist evil.” Where does this leave us?
Due to the fact that today, modern religions rely on only “literal and historical” interpretation of ancient scripture, satan is seen as a literal being hell-bent on destroying the children of God. But, the allegories, metaphors, and parables contained within the Bible stories were never intended to be taken literally. The entirety of it’s content is allegory. Hidden within the stories, is the deeper lesson.
In John 6:63 Jesus is quoted as saying “these words I speak are Spirit and they are life.” The Bible also states “the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God.” These writings are to be “spirutually discerned.” To be reading and interpreting them as literal, historical, and physical means “naturally.” 2 Corinthians reminds us “the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.”
God, Jesus, satan, are all personifications of something much deeper than the surface story. God is Love, Christ is Wisdom (Sophia) and Power, and satan represents the personification of fear, and the the opposition of the Will of God ... goodness and love.
2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us “For God has not given us the spirit of FEAR, but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.” Spirit, is something that is within you. In the realm of the unseen. It can either assist you, or hinder you. Love, Power, and Fear are spirit. The spirit of fear cause us to think or act in certain ways. So does the Spirit of Wisdom, Love, and Power. But remember … “God casts out all fear.” In other words, on a deeper level … Love casts out Fear. God is Love, therefore, Love is God. And it is through the power and Wisdom of the indwelling Christ (within ALL) that this is accomplished.
Fear cannot cast out fear. Only that essence of God/Source Energy know as the Christ or the seed of Divine within all of us has the Power and Wisdom to do this. Therefore, satan has become a personification of fear, and fear can only be overcome dy Divine or Perfect Love, personified in the scriptures as God and Christ.
We can go all the way back to ancient Egypt and the story of Set, and all the way back to Greek Mythology, and beyond to find the exact same concept. The ego in our mind can wreak havoc on us, unless we let the Spirit within take charge and lead us down the path of Truth, rather than the path of ignorance. The New Testament quotes Jesus as having said to Peter: "get behind the, Satan." The esoteric lesson in this quote is to let the Divine lead, and the ego follow.
There is but ONE power in this Universe, and many call that Power, God. Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence leave no room for anything, or anyone but God. If you do not think scripture provides for this concept, then turn to Isaiah 45:7 for confirmation:
"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."
So the Lord, God ... does it ALL. Good and evil ... everything. You may quote the book of Job to try and prove me incorrect. But just remember, even in Job (which is also allegorical) Satan worked FOR God, and under His Will. The story of Satan in the book of Job had to have the permission of God to do anything at all.
In closing, this satan (ha-satan in Hebrew) is not a literal being operating out of the invisible realms, tormenting and torturing innocent souls with equal or greater power than God. Satan is merely the attribute in us (ego/opposition), that the Power of God/Source and Christ Consciousness also IN US, is able to cast out. LOVE … conquers all.
Just a thought …
~Justihn Taylor, ORDM., OCP., DM.
