yes. after i said that, i felt a bit guilty. usually it is me, when i'm tired, just not patient. sometimes, though, i think an imp tells them what to buy at the store. for instance, we have this ant problem, so what do they come home with? cookies and hard pretzel sticks which break into amillion pieces.
i was thinking about the joking and the reality. i am seriously serious when i believe that satan is real. i think each one of us has encountered him at some point in our lives. it's a spiritual battle - and ur right - it's one that's invisible. usually he wants us to focus completely on ourselves (at least that's my perception of his strategy). to be the center of attention. to be silly, ironic, satarizing (not that people can't joke around) but to the extreme where it becomes obnoxious. i think satan enjoys craziness and crazy people. why would he want us sane? if we are sane we are making choices better. nuthouses are temptations for his demons, probably, because that is where the mind is altered by drugs. the Holy Spirit, on the other hand, brings peace of mind. an ability to focus on others as well as your own life - and to think about things on a deeper level than superficially. as u said - if satan thinks on a spiritual level - we have to do some kind of spiritual battle with him. to actually say 'no' and resist. the bible says 'resist the devil and he will flee from u.' so --i take it that we have more power than we think.
tv shows make it look like people can become easily possessed. actually, satan has to ask God about every person he wants to manipulate. he cannot just go around doing as he pleases. God's Spirit is our protection. if we pray to Him daily to protect us - then what fear do we have from anything - man, satan, death,e tc. there is no fear if we know we have life already thru the spirit. that must be the peace that 'passes all understanding.' the worries of this life are neverending - but we take them one day (and sometimes moment) at at time and pray about them and ask others to pray about them. when two or three are gathered in His name (Christ's) there isn't a problem of wondering 'will i be possessed today?' 'will something bad happen to me today?' we're thinking positive thoughts and eliminating negative.
i looked down at my leg today and thought, 'i missed a chance to proclaim Christ.' when i was speaking of meditating - i should have said eastern philosophy is moot compared to meditating and praying to God. he is the author of perfection in mind/body/soul. if we want to be perfect in all things - we look to this Master - and no other master. there are many who are masters of one or two things - but noone compares to our great God. he is truly the Master of the Universe. my leg, surprisingly, has healed not only straight -but is becoming stronger than i thought at first that it would. someone came into my room the night before i had the closed reduction adn prayed for my roomate. i said 'amen' after the prayer and they asked if they could pray for me, too. so i said , 'sure.' they prayed my leg would not only heal straight but that it would be stronger than before. now, everytime i look at my leg i praise God. sometimes bad things do happen - but it all works for good if u trust that God will take care of all your problems (large and small).
Topic: Karate