More than 100 years ago these lines were written (by an unknown author) to accompany a drawing of “His Satanic Majesty”:
"This is he, with horns and hoof,
The parsons call the devil;
They tell us he lives in a sultry place
Where ghosts and imps all revel.
They say that he wears a great long tail,
And carries a three pronged fork,
That he sometimes leaves his sultry home,
And through the earth doth walk.
They say he can assume with ease
The garb of an angel bright,
And then, for a change, he takes the form
Of a roaring lion at night:
That he's power to act and do as he likes,
Be in fifty places at once;
And that to fulfil his evil designs,
Can be wise as a sage, or a dunce."
Today most people no longer think of the devil like that. But there are still many people who believe the devil exists, that he wields immense power for evil (some say he is a fallen angel) and is constantly trying to destroy the work of God among men and women. They think it is the devil that secretly whispers in your ear and tempts you to evil.
Of course there are real difficulties about accepting such an idea. If the devil was a real angel to begin with, however did he come to revolt against God? And why does God allow a supernatural being to destroy His work in the earth? Where is the devil now, anyway? And how can he really work?
Where to Find Out?
One thing is clear: this is a religious question. So if we are to settle it, we must refer to the Bible, …