Sapper Woody
Well-Known Member
The big thing here is the definition of "create". In general biblical discussion, "create" implies "ex nihilo". In general secular discussion, it does not. People will say that they "created" anything they make.
In this way, Satan can 'create' things, but he cannot ex nihilo. However, I personally believe that he can either 1. cause people to see things that aren't there, or 2. manipulate matter to make something appear.
The storm that killed Job's children was definitely real, but that does not mean that satan created it ex nihilo, simply that he caused a natural thing to happen.
The possibility of satan posing as mythological creatures is not out of the question. The problem lies with the reasoning as to why. If it is to get people to focus on those creatures and not God, then I would say he would do it. There doesn't have to be biblical precedent for this type of thing. The bible doesn't warn about smoking, drunk driving, or shooting a person with a gun. But the precedents are there for those, as well as if satan were to use false signs/creatures.
Satan in the Bible was able to emulate God's signs/miracles. Today, we don't see the same miracles from God, and so Satan has to change his tactics. It's not too far fetched to think that he is making this things appear to distract people, especially ghosts. I think one explanation of ghosts is satan trying to get us to believe something about the afterlife other than what the Bible teaches.
The problem I have with intelligent life somewhere else is a simple one, but a good one, imho. Basically it boils down to: If there is intelligent life on another planet, what would their salvation plan be? Christ only had to die once for all. Did he die for the others? Or was the Bible wrong?
