There is good and there is evil.
God is associated with good and the devil with evil.
And mankind has the potential to do both!
We are managers of good and evil, and we alone have the choice of which to exercises.
It was designed that way so we would choose the good over the evil, given the opportunity to.
To choose the good,follows is of God , so naturally, God is the object.
To choose evil, follows that it is of the devil, or Satan because of the Adversary nature of the evil side.
But without evil present, good is no good. So, the adversary nature of the flesh against what is good is what is Satan.
Satan is simply a name given to that condition, and not to a special entity, for we ourselves cannot blame Satan for our own misbehaviors.
We.....we are responsible for our own sins, if we give in to the desires of the flesh.
If, you as a believer in what you want to term Satan, and do nothing but good, than what evil are you doing verses one who believes in God and does good as well?
Now, if you as a Satanist believer, choose to do harm, to destroy or to inflict pain on your brother, than the name fits, for the desires of the flesh is what drives the heart.
The same goes for a Christian, who chooses to do evil in the name of his religion, he also is condemned in heart for the fleshly desires.
So, because a bad witness hath Gods name been blasphemed because of the flesh, many choose not to associated themselves with Gods name, and choose a different name: as in Satan.
Hope that helps give some understanding as to what the real issue is, in having faith, believing in something and practicing a religion, and that is that love must be the basis for your exercises.
If not, then neither the Christian or the Satanist are creditable.
Peace>>>AJ
