timmopussycat
Puritan Board Junior
We as believers are "possessed" by satan work when we sin.
I don't think Scripture goes as far as calling Christians “possessed” by the devil when we sin. That would seem to take the same erroneous road Flip Wilson went down.
This would be an OK assessment if we agreed what possession is. The problem is we simply do not see "possession" through the same eyes. Take for instance this "23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." Here is another narrative that follows what Calvin writes in Matthew 24:24 "Luke followeth the common custom of speaking, because he showeth the error of the common people". In other words, we have Peter acting under the influence of satan and was "possessed" in a biblical way and not a superstitious way. In my most humble opinion.
and are %100 responsible for that sin.
I agree, believers are 100% responsible whenever they sin, whether their own lust (James1:13) was or was not abetted by human or demon delivered external enticement.
There would be no way man can be enticed directly by satan unless one is tempted paranormally. For satan is an invisible noncorporeal being.
No matter how you or anybody slices it there is a Flip Wilson side to ones belief if you think satan directly controls our immoral behavior.
An external influence is not direct control and I don’t believe the devil directly controls any human not “possessed.”
I rather go to James who lists the reasons one sins and interesting no mention of external temptations by demons here but only temptations arising from our own sinful nature. Ever wonder why he left that out? I think it is because satan works through normal rational immoral acting people.
So I take it you thinksatan tempts us in a paranormal ways?I don’t know about paranormal ways. The normal channels by which a human may be enticed from outside him or herself would seem to be enough.
You say "I don't know" yet for satan to tempt directly in any way other than through normal means is paranormal.
That "the devil" tempted Jesus is certain from Scripture. If he could tempt God's Christ there is no reason for thinking he or his angels cannot tempt humans by the same means he tempted Christ.