Hi tom lynch

Thank you for your comment at Provoketive Magazine (http://provoketive.com). We’re creating a space of rich conversation about life, faith, justice and culture without judgment. Our desire is to provoke the reader’s imagination through conversation and open up spaces of dialogue, learning, and hope.  We want to invite you to come back soon and continue to participate in the conversation. 

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Jonathan Brink
Provoketive Magazine

You posted the following comment:
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It might be telling that this article evoked (provoked?) the most comments I have seen in such a short time. 
I see a lot more damage coming from this belief of Satan as the tempter and deceiver than has been thus far mentioned. Putting the "real" problem outside of us, and also as a supernatural force of great influence, there is no descent into hell, the necessary suffering that comes with opening, truly opening, to sanctification: confronting our character defects, shortcomings, and harm done. I feel I must be convinced that anytime I am disturbed or tempted, it has to do with a sin-causing agent buried within. Most of these "agents" are unhealed wounds bandaged by blame; they instead need to be cleaned by spirit. Resisting the Evil One sets me up to ignore healing in exchange for heroic battle. As fear seems a greater inducement than love, we much prefer to fight fit than to submit. It is not in "the knowledge of good and evil" I find the freedom of truth but in the tree of life, surrendering to Christ. And that is not for the strength to resist but to persist in healing grace.
Satan makes us, in a way, a perpetual victim. In spirit and truth, there are no victims.

Thank you for this article, David, it is a blessing. It is curious that this has been on my mind lately. Paul writes that the angels of darkness must disguise themselves as the angels of light.  Such an "angel of light" is my survival: of image, sanctity, righteousness, mortal being, financial security, reputation, control, certainty, and a host of other things. All this must be surrendered.