In "Powers of Evil: Not God, Not Creatures, Just Absurd" (9/18/12), we noted that powers of evil are not divine, like God; they are not creaturely, like humans or angels; instead, they exist in their own absurd way. Their absurd existence is phantom, pretentious, personal, malevolent, aggressive, and parasitic.
Today we may also note that, taken together, these powers attempt to actively parody the triune nature of God.
Satan, or the devil, is the evil parody or harmful imitation of God the Father. Satan is the power of evil which stands behind the others and the one whose will the others fulfill.
We have spoken of the six false gods abroad in our world: (1) Jupiter, god of politics; (2) Mars, god of war; (3) Vulcan, god of technology; (4) Venus, goddess of sex; (5) Pluto, god of money; and (6) Bacchus, god of consumption. These six false gods are parodies of God the Son. These six serve as mediators between Satan and humans. They speak his will to us. We devote ourselves to him by serving them.
What the apostle Paul refers to as “the flesh” is the evil parody of God the Spirit. It is the power of evil which lives inside of us and drives us to identify ourselves with the six false gods and to mold ourselves in their image.
At the very beginning of human history, Adam and Eve broke their relationship with God. These powers of evil rushed into that break. By doing so, they overwhelmed us and made us their unwilling victims and unwitting collaborators. Our history is mostly the story of how well we've lived so poorly as their lackeys. Hopefully, we may better understand how we humans have been serving them and thereby change and live better as witnesses to God--for his glory and our good.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven Farsaci.
All rights reserved. Fair use encouraged.
All rights reserved. Fair use encouraged.