Great post!!
:first: POTDOkay, let's look at some facts about Satan.
1. In a description of historical events (Job 1), Satan went "to and fro upon the earth, and back and forth on it," and then went to heaven, had a personal conversation with God, and argued with God regarding Job. God gave Satan the authority to bring catastrophes on Job, but without touching Job's own personal being. These are real, historical events that occured sometime between the time of Esau and the Exodus, probably in the area we now call Jordan. Real events, real people in a real place.
Job 1:6-12
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Job 2:7
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
2. Jesus saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Luke 10:17-19
17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
3. Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. In doing so, he took Jesus up to a very high mountain. And then he offered to give Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world. How could Jesus' own "personification of the carnal mind" take Jesus to a place, and then offer that to Jesus? Was Jesus' "carnal mind" capable of giving Jesus those things? Can your carnal mind take you to an exceedingly high mountain today? Also, Jesus told Satan to worship God. Can a carnal mind worship God?
Matthew 4:8-10
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
4. During Jesus' ministry, Satan is accused of casting out demons. Jesus says that if that were the case, that Satan would be divided against himself. Thus, not only do Jesus' endmies identify Satan with having authority over demons, but so does Jesus. And Jesus also equates Satan with Beelzebub, who is the ruler of demons.
Matthew 12:22-27
22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
5. Satan asked Jesus for permission to sift Peter. How could Peter's carnal mind ask Jesus for permission to do that?
Luke 22:31-32
31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
6. After Judas ate a piece of bread at the Last Supper, Satan then entered him.
John 13:26-27
26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
So, let's summarize. Jesus witnessed Satan falling from heaven like lightning. Satan is a person who can go to and fro on the earth, but can also visit heaven. He carries on conversations with God, and argued with God regarding Job. God gave Satan permission to inflict suffering and bring tribulation on Job.
Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. In doing so, Satan took Jesus to the top of an extremely high mountain (none of which are anywhere near Israel, thus a supernatural transportation), and then offered to give the kingdoms of the world to Jesus. And said that Satan should worship God. Should a carnal mind worship God? Of course not. But Satan should. He won't, but he should.
Satan is Beelzebub, lord of the demons, and has power over demons. However, he would refuse to cast out demons from people, because he would be divided against himself if he did so.
Satan asked Jesus for permission to sift Peter as wheat.
None of these things are the actions of a person's "carnal mind." A carnal mind doesn't fall like lightning out of heaven. It doesn't carry on arguments with God in heaven, accusing people who are on earth. It doesn't inflict boils on people It doesn't teleport people to "exceedingly high mountains." It doesn't have the power to give people every kingdom on earth.
A person's carnal mind isn't the "lord of the demons," and have power over demons. And it doesn't ask Jesus for permission to tempt people. And it doesn't wait until a man eats a piece of bread before then entering him.
Satan has been a murderer from the beginning. Things do not murder. People murder. Satan is not a thing. He is a person. My carnal mind is not guilty of murder. If I die a sinner, my carnal mind doesn't depart from me and go to hell. If I am a saint and I die, my carnal mind doesn't go to hell. If I am a murderer, then I am the murderer, not my "carnal mind."
Satan is intelligent, has conversations, has given people diseases, goes to and from places, has power over demons, and can enter people who are already carnal prior to him being in them.
Satan is a person.
