I attended a Christian Science lecture by Ryder Stevens a night ago, and I’ll never forget how he described evil’s tactics to influence the human mind.
He said something similar to, “Evil can’t make us do anything. It can only talk at us. If the devil had power, it would have pushed Jesus off the pinnacle rather than ask him to jump.”
Isn’t that helpful!
Evil has no power to make us do anything.
Jesus taught, “The devil is a liar and the father of all lies.” In the human experience, evil appears real and powerful at times, but what we see is what we believe. Evil has no power to stop Life or interfere with the good God has built into our spiritual being. Evil never reaches us, as children of God.
It makes lots of suggestion to the human mind! But they are only suggestions. They are never truths, realities, or imperatives.
Evil has no power to “push us off the pinnacle.” If we jump, it’s not because we had to.
Another great reminder… Thanks as always, Evan. I haven’t commented recently, but I’ve been enjoying your posts.
This reminded me of the ending of the movie “The Devil’s Advocate,” which I wouldn’t really recommend due to “adult” content. But at the end, the main character turns to the devil (who happens to be his boss at his law firm) and blames him for downturns in his life.
The devil says “I don’t make things happen. Doesn’t work like that. I only set the stage. You pull your own strings.”
I remember seeing it as a rare moment of spiritual clarity in a mainstream movie — that evil doesn’t really have power, only suggestion, the illusion of power.
What we need to do is be alert for the suggestions, and choose the right path, like Jesus did when tempted.
Anyway, thanks!
Thanks, Evan. I sent this link to some friends and realized I needed it more than they do! I think I always knew that evil couldn’t MAKE me do anything intuitively, but CS puts the power of the Christ behind that understanding. It has also helped me to realize that as in Jesus’ experience, evil can seem the most aggressive just when a lot of time has been spent in prayer and spiritual growth. Your reference to the suggestion to Jesus that he jump off a cliff, after he had spent much time in prayer and fasting, reminded me of that.
Satan, or the Devil, is also called “the deceiver of the whole world.” In a way I view evil’s falsehoods – this deception arising in mortal mind, the lies – these lies can be similar to the lies a hypnotist can speak to a subject, or subjects, under his or her control.
Though false, lies can feel very real to the hypnotized subject: like, for example, pain, or sorrow, or sickness, or hunger, or being hot or cold, maybe even fearful.
For this reason I call Satan’s lies “tangible lies,” which can be felt within as real and are, therefore, harder for the “whole world” to see through, except through the eyes of absolute faith in God’s omnipresent goodness – which, as you know, is a catalyst for the resurrection of Truth in our life. This is my quiet brief comment anyway.
As usual, Evan, I think your frequent blogging is excellent and inspirational. I check what you have to say often. I’m so delighted your daughter receives truth so readily. What a blessing!
Your new format colors are easier to read, as an earlier commenter noted.
i was just going to post a question that anonymous answered above with the comment on tangible lies. thank you anonymous!
This reminded me of a Mark Swinney article, April 1995 Journal, “Wouldn’t it have been easier to push him?”
Thank you for all the comments.
Evan:
I was totally and completeley uplifted by your reference to the devil not PUSHING Jesus off the pinnacle but ASKING him to jump. This was totally empowering for me. This story totally reminds me of the story I read, I think on your website, about the little girl seeing the monster in the distance and all the towns people were running away and scared. The little girl, without any fear whatsoever, while wondering what all the frantic commotion was about, walked towards the huge monster. As she got closer and closer to him, he got smaller and smaller. When she reached him he was tiny! She smiled at him and asked him what his name was. He simply and humbly replied, “Fear.”
Thank you so much, Evan, for your almost daily inspiration on this site. I get so much junk in my inbox and whenever I see “Spiritview” I open it right up!!!!! Thanks for being a part of making my Memorial Day weekend special with your inspiration and insight. You help many people with this constant sharing of GOOD!!!!!!!