Love your Enemies?

This is a hard one. By habit, have a strong disdain for those who have hurt us or our family or friends.

 

Treat him just like God does.

 

Isn't the context of loving our enemies in regards to the people around us? The eneminess of Satan wouldn't fit within that context.

 

Matthew 5:

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Luke 6:

22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.


This is obviously talking about men...neighbors. Read the entire chapters and take the verses in context for the way they were written. It's easy to take one verse and make it mean anything you want.

But, if you want to love Satan, go for it. Love doesn't mean follow. Love doesn't mean accept their ways. Love doesn't mean you should do what they ask you to do. Love doesn't mean you should turn your back on God. In fact true love will not cause you to sin against God.

In a conversation I had with my daughter, I explained to her that if a boyfriend ever told her, "If you love me, you'll" then she should drop him ASAP and never go out with him again. If he really loves her, he's not going to ask her to do anything that God disapproves.

A true friend is not going to ask you to smoke. A true friend is not going to ask you to do anything that is sinful. A true friend is going to try to encourage you to do what's right...not wrong. But a true friend isn't going to turn his/her back on you if you foul up. A true friend will accept that as the past, try to encourage you to do better, allow you to call him/her any hour of the day when needed to help him/her through crises'.

True love means to forget the wishes and desires of yourself and consentrate on the wellbeing of another. The Bible says that love has no fear. This is true. If your child was in the middle of the street in the path of an oncoming vehicle, you're going to disregard your fear of the truck and save your child. Love will make you do this.

Problem is, I doubt there are very many people who really know what true love really is.

The Bible doesn't say we should hate Satan. It just says we shouldn't follow his ways. But the verses you're asking about is talking about neighbors. Satan isn't a neighbor. He's a roaring lion, walking around and seeking whom he can devour. Satan is the unmost opposite of the meaning of Love.

 

PastorSBC,

Love the question.

My gut reaction is that Satan isn't so much my enemy as He is God's, but then my mind goes, "Wait a minute, as a Christian, that makes Him mine too."

I suppose the answer is "Pray for Him."

I believe that God does love all sinners. He doesn't "spare" all sinners, but He loves them all. Satan was once the favored jewel of heaven, so I believe God must, at some level, still love Him.

 

Good question, but, as stated by Bookworm and Victory in Jesus, the context of the passage points to relationships among people, not relationships between people and demons.

Resist him, ignore him. I won't pray for him, I have too many I need to pray for.

Now, should we pray for Osama Bin Laudin? Yes, that is an enemy we should pray for.

 

I agree!

 

Praying for Osama Bin Ladin...do you think it will help?

 

Why not? It's not too late to come to Christ till he dies right? Anything is possible with God!

 

Why not? It's not too late to come to Christ till he dies right? Anything is possible with God! </font>[/QUOTE]Just image the impact in the Islamic world if Osama Bin Laudin were to come to Jesus Christ.

It would be close to the conversion of that radical pharisee, Saul, who also thought God wanted him to kill Christians.

And yes, it could do some good. Does the scriptures says, "the prayers of the righteous accomplish much", or something to that effect?

You never know who God will use to accomplish His plan of redemption.

 

Now wait a minute, JD!!

You've spent DAYS and DAYS telling me God already determined who would or wouldn't go to hell, and that's that, and now you post:

"And yes, it could do some good. Does the scriptures says, "the prayers of the righteous accomplish much", or something to that effect?"

???????????????????????

(P.S. Rachel, I agree with you.)

 

It's a mystery, TexasSky... a mystery.

 

I don't think we are to pray for Satan -- for lost men and women who are our enemies -- yes. Satan's fate is doomed.

Hebrews 2 makes it clear that Jesus did not come for the angels - their fate is sealed. Those that went with Satan and Satan himself cannot be saved. 2 Peter and Jude talk about the fallen angels being condemned, and Rev. talks about the lake of fire prepared for the devil.

 

That's right. Satan has already been judged. In addition to your scriptures above there are at least 2 or 3 more in the NT, I believe - one in John where Jesus says it flatly and 2 others. Will try to look them up and post.

 

Well, I'm really not sitting here trying to encourage everyone to rush out and pray for Satan's salvation. I am though, going to point out, mankind was already judged. Whether you are a Calvinist or an Armenian, mankind, in general "flunked the test."

 

But, fortunately, we still have a chance to bring up the final grade and pass on to a higher class after we graduate from this world.

 

Amen Victory in Jesus

 

Actually, that last statement sounds too much like we're earning our way into Heaven; when in actuality, we are given the chance to pass even though we don't deserve it. All we have to do is accept it.

 

LOL! You bumped me, TexasSky.