Sympathy for the Devil?

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist” (from the film The Usual Suspects).  Is there a devil, or is he just a personification of humanity’s evil tendencies?  What does the Bible have to say about it?  What did Jesus say?  What did the Rolling Stones say?  Listen to this week's message for some answers. Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT) 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. Observation: Peter—an eyewitness to the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Christ—teaches that Christians have a great enemy, the devil.  He also teaches how to respond to the devil. Application: (Key in to verbs from 1 Peter 5:9.) •    “Stand firm…”  The devil wants to control me.  I need to know my identity in Christ. •    “…be strong…”  The devil wants me to doubt.  I need to have confidence in God and His plans. •    “Remember…”  The devil wants to isolate me.  I need to be connected with other Christians. CONCLUSION: The most effective way to fight the devil is to be part of a community of believers.  If you are not in the hunting party, you are going to be devil’s food. Prayer:  Write down a personal prayer for today: