There are only a few basic tenets of the Christian faith that are the foundation of our belief in God. Included in these nonnegotiable truths is the belief in the existence of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice and resurrection for our sin. The reality of God and Christ is also connected in an acknowledgment of the reality of the evil one, Satan, and the Holy Spirit.
Satan: The Father of Lies
How a follower of Christ can ignore the existence of Satan is beyond me. Yet, that’s what many have done, according to research findings published by The Barna Group.
Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan “is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” An additional two out of ten Christians (19%) said they “agree somewhat” with that perspective… 8% were not sure what they believe about the existence of Satan. (The Barna Group)
This mindset gives way to second-guessing God’s Word entirely. If there is no real Satan, then there probably isn’t a Hell, or maybe it’s not as bad as the “fire and brimstone” preachers make it out to be. What’s interesting is that while most don’t believe Satan is an actual being, The Barna Group found that most Christians, 64% to be exact, believe that a person can be under the influence of evil spiritual forces.
