I believe (in the existence of the devil) not in the sense that it is part of my creed, but in the sense that it is one of my opinions. My religion would not be in ruins if this opinion were shown to be false. Till that happens—and proofs of a negative are hard to come by—I shall retain it. It seems to me to explain a good many facts. It agrees with the plain sense of Scripture, the tradition of Christendom, and the beliefs of most men at most times. And it conflicts with nothing that any of the sciences has shown to be true.
From The Screwtape Letters
Compiled in Words to Live By
Compiled in Words to Live By
The Screwtape Letters. Copyright © 1942, C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. Copyright restored © 1996 C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.Words to Live By: A Guide for the Merely Christian. Copyright © 2007 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
It has been my experience that there is a malevolent, intelligent and designing entity that afflicts mankind now, as it has throughout our common history. It tried to separate itself from God (which is impossible) and fell from grace (existing in the illusion of separation from God) as did mankind. This negative spirit enters our physical world in the tempter’s voice that urges us to do that which we know or feel is wrong. Just as God’s, who enters the physical world through the voice of our conscience (the Holy Spirit), urges us to do that which is is right.
We can be wrong in our opinions about that which is right or wrong, but we should never second guess our conscience. That too is the tempter trying to separate us from God. You see, the tempter’s pride, as did Man’s, caused its fall. Rather than repent and return to God, the tempter refused to accept being wrong and creates it’s own hell, futilely attempting to confound or confuse God’s children, attempting to bring us into this its self-imposed hell (this illusion of separation from God). Misery loves company, as does the wrong and unrepentant.
When choosing the right, I have experienced firsthand this tempter. Most every time I chose to turn away from the wrong and toward the right, the tempter’s voice and many obstacles appeared to turn me away. It was usually uphill, hard, frustrating, alienating and often frightening, And when I attempted to turn away from the good, that same voice was there, talking over my conscience, providing sensory stimulation, easing my descent and turning my path down toward the wrong. I attest as surely as anything I know, that everyone would do well to heed the Bible’s wisdom and Man’s common experience on this subject.
As a rationalist by nature, I find this no harder to believe than the strange reality of Quantum Physics or the Big Bang Theory or the Intelligent Design Theory. I personally ascribe to each and find them all in perfect harmony with each other; unified and indivisible in this wonderful creation.
It is no harder for an educated and enlightened person to believe this than it is to believe in new technologies, modern science or mind-boggling discoveries! And be assured brothers and sisters, it is much more important and will be much better to believe in this also. Remember, “Their wisdom will make them foolish, but our foolishness will make us wise”.
Of conscience,
Z gardener
Good Morning Garden 
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