# Youth Group Tough Question #3



## Wynteriii (May 7, 2013)

If we are to love our enemies,

[BIBLE]Matthew 5:44[/BIBLE]

Should we then not love Satan?

[BIBLE]1 Peter 5:8[/BIBLE]

Please use some scripture, if not "contextual evidence" (if that is a type of evidence) to support your stance.


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## Alan D. Strange (May 7, 2013)

Is the devil our enemy? Yes. Are we to pray for him? No, he is God's archenemy, whose doom has been revealed to us. Notice, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said that we are to love and pray for our enemies. We are neither to love nor pray for the Satanic host, whose destruction is certain, any more than we are to pity and pray for our own flesh, which, together with the devil, is marked for destruction. 

We are only to love and pray for a humanity that is in bondage to sin and thus our enemy. We don't know who among them God might save so we pray that He show His mercy to all. He exercises a general benevolence over all His creation and shows His love and saving grace to His own. We are not privileged to have His knowledge and are commanded to love even those who persecute us, heartened to know that God will bring all things to rights. We love man because he is in the image of God and can be restored in that image: thus we pray for our enemies--Lord, restore them in your image so that they will cease being our enemies and become your and our friends.

The devil is an enemy but more than a mere enemy. He is the supreme enemy, hater of God and man, who held such lofty position, was cast out for rebellion, and now seeks our destruction. Truly, he is one that we hate with perfect hatred. 

Peace, 
Alan


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## Cymro (May 8, 2013)

By necessary implication and inference from the following verses the devil cannot be prayed for,
and because of his assured destruction.
John8:44--Acts 13:10---Eph 4:27---Heb2:14---James4:7----1Jn3:10---Rev12:12---Rev20:10


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## alwaysreforming (May 19, 2013)

If I might add, we want to take Jesus' words in context and apply them rightly. This, not unlike the Proverbs, is not a "cold hard fact" that should be applied in every single case without distinction, like a "universal truth". We know from reading the Bible the final state of Satan, and it is one that can't be altered. The "enemies" Jesus was talking about were one's such as an occupying Roman army, or those persecuting the Church out of ignorance. We much watch for hyperbole in Jesus' words too, or we will find ourselves in trouble trying to literally apply His teachings. But the two answers above mine are better, I just wanted to throw this little 2 cents in.


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## Wynteriii (May 19, 2013)

I did put the verses in context and explained that the Devil is God's archenemy. The Youth pastor shrugged got up and refuted my last point saying "I disagree calling him an archenemy, I would say he is THE enemy".

My face

I looked up the definition of archenemy and it that seems to end the dispute.

arch·en·e·my 
/ˈärCHˈenəmē/
Noun
A person who is extremely hostile or opposed to someone or something.
The Devil.

Synonyms
archfiend


One could also go into the what the "Arch" means and its origin but that might go over his head.

I thank the Lord for giving me the chance to try to clarify his word and preparing me for some of the hardships that come across in the ministry he has commanded me to do.


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## Rayn (May 21, 2013)

His response isn't even an answer. If he wants to be unreasonable, your answer was probably enough for everyone else.


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