If a Christian can go her whole life believing in the devil as a literal person and have no theological problems with that, I have no inclination to change her mind. But as a pastor I have met too many people who are theologically troubled by the mythological notion of a personal Satan. Sometimes their theological troubles are put as simply as this: “If all our woes are because of the devil, why doesn’t God just kill the devil?” Good question. Years ago I heard a famous preacher say, “If I were God, the first thing I’d do is kill the devil. Then I’d invite all the demons to his funeral and
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