The Devil & Evil

1. Does the Devil exist?
I've never experienced the existence of the Devil in my life despite the fact that my human mind is filled with unloving thoughts and unloving actions. But I see that there are people who attribute their unloving thoughts to an external being acting upon their mind, rather than to the nature of our human minds.

2. Does evil exist?
If you are using the word evil to describe hurtful acts, yes. But, I view hurtful acts as coming from overwhelming fear. To me, everything human stems from the fundamentally lost and survival oriented, fear of annihilation human mind.

3. How can I protect myself from them?
Your desire not to be a willing participant with the Devil or evil suggests that already the Holy Spirit is active with you to gaze upon the feeling states we associate as satanical mind. We can't protect ourselves from performing devilish, destructive acts, because the human mind is filled with them. It is our desire not to perform such acts that enables the Holy Spirit to counter those moments when the thoughts and potential actions appear in our consciousness, encouraging us to turn them over to the Spirit for His guidance and path of avoidance.

4. Are they out to hurt us all and keep us from God and Heaven?
Yes.

5. Many Christians say that when people believe the Devil and evil don't exist that is the Devils biggest triumph over mankind. If they don't believe in him, they won't counter his influence. How do you counter that?
Those who see the Devil as external to themselves believe that. Those who see their human minds as sick and potentially destructive would not see it that way, believing that turning to prayer must be used by both groups of believers. The Devil can temporarily triumph if the person has no awareness of the need to turn to God and ask His intervention in the situation or circumstance plaguing them and thus calling for some action to help ward off physical or mental annihilation of their person, as they see it. In perfect time, the Holy Spirit will intercede to bring proper correction.

6. If the Devil doesn't exist, why is he mentioned so much in the Bible and in most mainstream religions?
They represent the viewpoint of those who think their minds pure and being attacked by someone other than themselves. There's nothing unusual in these beliefs existing two thousand years as well as in the present. The human mind never changes in its belief patterns.

7. How can one gain the true awareness of if evil exists and at what level we need to prepare of protect ourselves from it?
Ask God for such awareness. Such understandings come to us if given over to God and God's grace in delivering it.

8. There have been many accounts of demonic encounters and possession. The Roman Catholic Church has documented these accounts throughout time. How do you explain these accounts?
Since I didn't observe these encounters I offer no opinion about the validity of their interpretations, as compared with my present understanding of the many forms of human twisted ness.

9. Are we innately evil as humans? What about as spirits?
We are innately lost as humans, fear annihilation because of our identifying ourselves as bodily beings that can be annihilated and will act to defend ourselves against the outcome of such systemic beliefs. I differentiate lostness from evil and believe that all destructive thoughts emerge from the factors operating in the lost mind of humans who have no sense of their divine or eternal qualities.

10. How can we know or recognize evil within us and how come God allows that to happen to us i.e. evil thoughts, anger, hatred, murder, etc...
You are entirely dependent of the Holy Spirit informing you about evil feelings. If you are not ready to give such feelings over such as anger, hatred, etc..., you are at the mercy of these experiences, all of which stem from fear.

11. How do I know for sure where God stands on this issue?
If you want to know where God stands on issues, you are certainly going to inquire of Him, which is exactly what God would want you to do.