The Devil.

 

48. Devil. One theme that seems to be present in most of the commonly known religions of God is the talk of an evil anti-god or a devil. He may go by another name that you might not be aware of, like Angra Mainyu or Mara or Vrtra, but his purpose is the same to create chaos in our lives and to lead mankind astray:  Judaism: Deuteronomy 32:17 “They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.” Leviticus 17:7 “And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring.” 1 Chronicles 21:1 “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” Job 1:6 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before The LORD, and Satan came also among them.” Job 1:7 “And The LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered The LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Psalms 106:36 “And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.” Psalms 106:37 “Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,” Tobias 6:7 “And he said unto him, Touching the heart and the liver, if a devil or an evil spirit trouble any, we must make a smoke thereof before the man or the woman, and the party shall be no more vexed.” (Deuterocanonical Apocrypha,)  Christianity: 1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:9 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:10 “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Luke 8:11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.” Luke 8:12 “Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.” Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Luke 22:3 “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.” John 6:70 “Jesus answered them, ‘Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 6:71 “He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.”

 ISLAM: Letter 17. “Fear Allah (God) and do not let Satan influence your mind and body and do not give it a way into your soul.”

(Islam, Ali b. Abi Taalib, Letters from Nahjul Balaagh)

Islam: 36. “Then did Satan make them slip from the (garden), and get them out of the state (of felicity) in which they had been.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   2)

Islam: 6. “Lo! the devil is an enemy for you, so treat him as an enemy.”

(The Qur’an (Pickthall tr), Sura 35 – The Creator)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: “Broken, broken be Satan (Ahriman). 18. And the demon Ahriman (the devil) will be powerless to inflict any harm or damage on the soul of the blessed one.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Khorda Avesta and Avesta Fragments)

 Zoroastrianism: “Those who, out of evil spirit, aggravate by their tongue, anger and assault, not seeing even thought appearing to see, and whose evil deeds are not at all covered by their good deeds; know them to be diabolical for such is the character of the Devil.” (Angra Mainyu, Ahriman) (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 662)

 HINDUISM: 9. “With conquering Indra for ally, strike Vrtra (the devil) down, ye bounteous Gods Let not the wicked master us.”

(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 1)

 Hinduism: 12. “If by some grievous sin we have provoked the Gods, O Deities, with the tongue or thoughtlessness of heart, That guilt, O Vasus, lay upon the Evil One, on him who ever leads us into deep distress.”

(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 10)

 BUDDHISM: 3. “Seeing your body as no better than an earthen pot, make war on Mara (the devil) with the sword of wisdom, and setting up your mind as a fortress, defend what you have won, remaining free from attachment.” 13 “Wild swans take the path of the sun. Men with powers travel through space, but the wise step right out of the world, by conquering Mara and his host.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards))

 Buddhism: 24. “Don’t let Mara destroy you! When a man is stimulated by his own thoughts, full of desire and dwelling on what is attractive, his craving increases even more. He is making the fetter even stronger. But he who takes pleasure in stilling his thoughts, practicing the contemplation of what is repulsive, and remaining recollected, now he will make an end of craving, he will snap the bonds of Mara.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards))

 SABEANISM: “Bound is the sea, bound are the two banks of the sea! Bound are the devils and demons, the demon-visitants, haunting spirits, and satanic amulet-spirits. Bound are the three hundred and sixty mysteries that are in the House!” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 15)

 BABI RELIGION: “I despatched a messenger unto thee with a truly resplendent Tablet, but the followers of the devil turned him away disdainfully and interposed themselves between him and thee.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 24)

 Babi Religion: “The things which have, from the first day till now, befallen Me at the hand of thy people are but the work of Satan.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 25)

BAHA’I FAITH: “My captivity is not My abasement: by My life, it is indeed a glory unto Me! But the abasement is the action of My friends who connect themselves with Us and follow the devil in their actions. Amongst them is he who taketh lust and turneth aside from what is commanded; and amongst them is he who followeth the truth in right guidance. As for those who commit sin and cling to the world they are assuredly not of the people of Baha.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, A Traveller’s Narrative, p. 41)

Baha’i Faith: “The greatest of degradation is to leave the Shadow of God and enter under the shadow of Satan.”

(Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 434)

Baha’i Faith: “Watch over yourselves, for the Evil One is lying in wait, ready to entrap you. Gird yourselves against his wicked devices, and, led by the light of the name of the All-Seeing God, make your escape from the darkness that surroundeth you. Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self. The Evil One is he that hindereth the rise and obstructeth the spiritual progress of the children of men.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 94)