Though many—even some naive Christians—don’t believe in Satan, he is indeed a real entity, a real person, says Phil Hopper, pastor of Abundant Life Church in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
Former SWAT team member Hopper, a recent guest of Dr. Steve Greene on “Greenelines” on the Charisma Podcast Network, says many Christians believe the devil is only a symbol. And that makes the evil in this world difficult to explain.
“I think part of the problem with the Western church is we’ve been so influenced by the worldview of Western civilization, which is naturalism, meaning we look for a natural cause for everything,” says Hopper, the author of Defeating the Enemy: Exposing and Overcoming the Strategies of Satan. “We to want to explain everything through a naturalistic lens. But it’s very clear we live in a supernatural world as well.
“It would be impossible, honestly, to be a follower of Jesus and not also a believer in the one known as Satan. Jesus talked often about Satan; he taught often about saying Satan. He talked directly to Satan. So, the Gospel accounts are very clear when you read the words in red. Jesus certainly believed in a real person, a real entity called Satan,” Hopper says.
“When Jesus taught about Satan, he wasn’t talking about a symbol of evil. He wasn’t tempted in the desert by symbol of evil. He was tempted by a real person,” he adds.
Listen to the podcast to learn more about why Hopper believes in the reality of the enemy of our souls—and why you should too.
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