Luther was accused

[heavenswager]

He threatens as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5.8). Satan not only entices in secret, he even dares to seek the careless and unwatchful to devour. Satan threatened Martin Luther with a scroll on which was written all of his sins, tempting him to doubt his salvation; but he overcame by the grace of the Lord. We realize how Satan frequently threatens and devours at the time of our weakness. This is truly one of his master tactics. His plot is to intimidate people. As a lion roars to cow and devour, Satan in like manner threatens believers so that they may be defeated through fear. How often all he does is merely threaten and nothing else. Those who are not intimidated recognize its vanity. Those who accept his threatening will encounter what is threatened. Are we not frequently faced with false alarms? Why should we be afraid of him?

[LilLamb219]

At the beginning of Luther's ministry, he WAS afraid of Satan and all he accused him of. But after realizing God's true grace and freedom that the Gospel brings, we read of a different Luther who would rather f*rt on the devil ;) Sorry to be crude, but that's how it was.

[MORTANIUS]

May the Lord rebuke the Devil!

[Edial]

He threatens as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5.8). Satan not only entices in secret, he even dares to seek the careless and unwatchful to devour. Satan threatened Martin Luther with a scroll on which was written all of his sins, tempting him to doubt his salvation; but he overcame by the grace of the Lord. We realize how Satan frequently threatens and devours at the time of our weakness. This is truly one of his master tactics. His plot is to intimidate people. As a lion roars to cow and devour, Satan in like manner threatens believers so that they may be defeated through fear. How often all he does is merely threaten and nothing else. Those who are not intimidated recognize its vanity. Those who accept his threatening will encounter what is threatened. Are we not frequently faced with false alarms? Why should we be afraid of him?
I find this text quite fascinating, since it has much information in it.
1PE 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Fear appears to be a first level of intimidation by the devil.
Roaring lion in nature is usually a lion that is old and weak who paralizes his prey with fear of a sound roaring.

Young and powerful lions do not roar when hunting.:)

When I first became a Lutheran I could not completely understand one of their confessions. The one about being in bondage to sin.

How could that be if Christ was victorious and we belong to Christ?

But life is showing me that there are personal areas of life that are bound to sin.:)
It could be character traces, certain lifestyles, language.

The second mode of attack by the devil is deception and manipulation of our own sinful nature.
Through US he works to get to God.

Grace of God towards us is incredible, :) since he bears with us even when we cooperate with the devil.

However, he stated that the devil is OUR enemy, since all HIS enemies are already defeated and cannot cause discomfort to him.

Our sinful nature, one of the 3 (devil, world, sinful nature) are that what is to be confronted with full force.

I find it interesting that the Bible (NT) stresses the emphasys on the sinful nature and dedicates relatively little text to the world and the devil.

Yet the latter 2 spring to action when we neglect our own faults and mistakes and sins.

So, we blame the devil and the world and forget the cause of it all, us.:)

Thanks,
Ed

[LilLamb219]

So, we blame the devil and the world and forget the cause of it all, us.

That is so true!

Years ago when I was on another board, there was a pentecostal woman who insisted that the devil was after her family and wreaking havoc. While I agree that the devil is after us all, I tried to tell her that we need to be responsible for our own actions and not always place blame on others...even if it's Satan himself.

[C.F.W. Walther]

That is so true!

Years ago when I was on another board, there was a pentecostal woman who insisted that the devil was after her family and wreaking havoc. While I agree that the devil is after us all, I tried to tell her that we need to be responsible for our own actions and not always place blame on others...even if it's Satan himself.

Yea some of the reformed seem to dwell on that subject. They give the devil too much credibility.

Maybe.