The Danger of Living Like Satan and Demons Don't Exist

假设撒旦和魔鬼不存在的生活是很危险的

By Matt Moore , CP Guest Columnist

翻译：Ruth Wei

Unless you dish out $10.75 to watch some poor fictional family be terrorized by them on the bigscreen, you aren't going to hear much talk about Satan or demons nowadays.

现今的生活中你很少听到关于撒旦或是魔鬼的话题，除非是你花10.75美元在大屏幕上看一些虚构的家庭被撒旦或是魔鬼搅扰的故事。

Contemporary thinking is far too "advanced" to entertain the existence of such entities. Most westerners classify the devil and his demons alongside trolls,poltergeists, and vampires — they're a little scary to think about, but make-believe nonetheless.

当代观点认为玩撒旦或魔鬼存在的把戏已太低级了，大多数西方人把撒旦和恶魔归入与巨魔、恶作剧和吸血鬼之类—虽然有点可怕，但是只是假扮出来的。

Even in modern Christian culture (at least the Baptist circles I run in), there is very little dialogue about these invisible beings the Bible quite clearly teaches are real.We talk a lot about the evil powers of sin and the flesh but tend to gloss over the evil powers of Satan and his army of spiritual hellions.

甚至在当代的基督教文化中（至少我参加的浸信会）也很少讨论这些不可见的东西，虽然圣经中明确的提到撒旦和魔鬼是确实存在的。我们讨论很多关于罪和肉体的邪恶权势但是却忽略了撒旦和他的军队在我们属灵生命上的邪恶势力。

We don't deny their existence, but the way we process our experiences in this life often reflects we don't really believe they are present and working. When it comes to our various inward battles, many of us are quick to blame merely our flesh . .. or more "rational" culprits — a bad diet, not enough sleep, a chemical imbalance, rough circumstances.

我们不否定他们的存在，但是我们的生活经历中却总是反应出我们并不相信他们就在我们身边做事。当我们的里面有各种各样的争战时，大多数人只是责备我们的肉体或是更多的“理性”的罪魁祸首—比如糟糕的饮食，睡眠不足，某种元素失衡，嘈杂的环境。

Sometimes our inward battles are solely the workings of our sinful flesh. Sometimes anxiety,depression, or crazy-intense levels of temptation do have natural causes. But I think many times there is something more going on in our mental and emotional struggles that we are hesitant to acknowledge.

有时候我们里面的争战仅仅是罪性肉体的原因。有时候焦虑，抑郁或极其强烈的诱惑都是引起里面争战的原因。但是我觉得很多时候我们情绪和情感的争战里面有更多的因素是我们不想去承认的。

Satan and demons are an inescapable reality of the New Testament.

在新约圣经中，撒旦和魔鬼的现实存在是不可回避的。

In Mark chapter9, Jesus heals a boy who was possessed by a demon that made him foam at the mouth, grind his teeth, and throw himself into fire and water.

在马可福音9章中，耶稣医治了一个被鬼附的男孩，魔鬼让这个男孩口吐白沫，咬牙切齿，甚至让他自己跳入火中和水中。

In Luke chapter9, Jesus encounters a man filled with many demons that caused him to run about naked and cut himself. Luke 13 tells of a woman who was physically crippled by a demonic spirit.

路加福音9章中，耶稣碰见一个被多个鬼附的男人，这个男人裸奔甚至杀害自己。路加福音13章中讲述了一个被鬼附而跛腿的女人。

I know these are all extreme situations, but there are more subtle examples of demonic activity in the Bible, as well. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul describes his thorn in the flesh as a "messenger from Satan." Also in his letters to the Corinthians, Paul writes that demonic spirits tempt us to sin sexually (1 Cor7:5), seek to outwit us (2 Cor 2:11), and disguise themselves as angels of light to lead us away from the truth of the gospel (2 Cor 11:13-15).

也许这些都是极端的情况，但是圣经上也有很多小的例子提及撒旦的活动。在哥林多后书12章中保罗说自己肉体上的一根刺是“撒旦的差役”。在写给哥林多教会的书信中，保罗说邪灵会引诱我们性犯罪（林前7：5），寻找机会胜过我们（林后2：11），装作光明的天使让我们远离福音的真道（林后11：13-15）.

Believers, we have real enemies. Satan is real. Demons are real. And they are relentlessly utilizing every tool at their disposal to destroy our faith. We must really believe this if we are to interpret our experiences rightly and fight accordingly!

信徒们，我们有真正的敌人。撒旦是真实存在的。魔鬼也是真实的。他们用尽一切的方法来破坏我们的信心。如果我们想要正确的面对经历并且做出相应回击的话，我们就必须相信撒旦和魔鬼的存在。

If demonic forces afflict us and we respond as if the problem is merely a chemical imbalance or the effects of a bad diet (again, these all can be valid causes),we are going to get nowhere fast. We can take medication and cut sugar out of our diet all day long, but if we don't acknowledge the reality of demonic attacks and fight them accordingly, we are destined to be defeated.

如果魔鬼的权势攻击我们而我们却认为问题的出现只是化学元素的失衡或是饮食的不善（当然，这些可能是原因），我们就不可能得胜。我们可以吃药或是一天不吃甜食，但是如果我们不认清撒旦攻击的现实也不能给予相应回击的话，我们必定要被打败。

We have to respond to spiritual attacks spiritually — just as Paul instructed the   believers in Ephesus to do:

对于属灵的攻击我们要给予属灵的对抗—正如保罗教导以弗所教会的：

"Finally,be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,and having put on the breast plate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." – Ephesians 6:10-18

我还有末了的话、你们要靠着主、倚赖他的大能大力、作刚强的人。要穿戴　神所赐的全副军装、就能抵挡魔鬼的诡计。因我们并不是与属血气的争战、乃是与那些执政的、掌权的、管辖这幽暗世界的、以及天空属灵气的恶魔争战。〔两争战原文都作摔跤〕所以要拿起神所赐的全副军装、好在磨难的日子、抵挡仇敌、并且成就了一切、还能站立得住。所以要站稳了、用真理当作带子束腰、用公义当作护心镜遮胸。又用平安的福音、当作预备走路的鞋穿在脚上。此外又拿着信德当作藤牌、可以灭尽那恶者一切的火箭。并戴上救恩的头盔、拿着圣灵的宝剑、就是神的道。靠着圣灵、随时多方祷告祈求、并要在此儆醒不倦、为众圣徒祈求。

If we want to triumphantly endure the attacks of Satan, we've got to make putting on the armor of God our way of life. Soldiering-up isn't supposed to be a mere defense to individual demonic attacks; we are to always be soldiered-up, living on the spiritual offensive!

如果我们想要胜过撒旦的攻击，我们就要在生命道路上穿戴神所给我们的军装。精兵不是单单防御撒旦的每次攻击，而是一直处于备战的状态，过属灵争战的生活。

Day in and day out we have to be filling our minds with the truth of the gospel and allowing our hearts to be saturated by the Spirit. As many of us know, episodes of spiritual warfare don't always subside quickly. They can last for days or weeks or months. We need to be so grounded in the gospel, so filled with the Spirit,and so protected by the armor of God that we don't crumble after a few days of oppression. To quote the writer of Hebrews, we have need of endurance.

没日没夜我们都要被福音的真理和圣灵充满。很多人都知道，属灵的争战并不是很快就止息的，有可能持续数天，数周或是数个月。我们必须要扎根在福音里，被圣灵充满才能被神的盾牌保护以至于我们被撒旦攻击数日后而不垮掉。引用希伯来书作者的话，我们要忍耐。

Until we get to heaven, Satan will be relentless in seeking to destroy our faith. He wants to get into our minds and beat us down day after day until our joy in God disintegrates. He will strive to create in us so much grief and turmoil that we begin to disbelieve God's love for us. He will whisper all sorts of vile things into our ears, seeking to stir up the lusts of our flesh so that we will fall into faithless debauchery and question our ability to continue living a life of repentance. He wants us powerless, hopeless, and despairing. Don't let him have his way!

在我们去天堂之前，撒旦都会不遗余力的寻找破坏我们信心的机会。他想要进入我们的心中，每天折磨我们直到我们在神里面的喜乐被瓦解。他努力让我们忧伤焦虑以至于我们开始不相信上帝是爱我们的。他不停的在我们耳边低语告诉我们一切不好的事情，让我们的肉体陷入罪的诱惑中以至于我们开始道德沦陷，质疑我们可以过悔改生活的能力。他想让我们无力，无望并且绝望。不要任由他！

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like aroaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith,knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while,the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, wil lhimself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." – 1 Peter5:8-10.

务要谨守、儆醒．因为你们的仇敌魔鬼、如同吼叫的狮子、遍地游行、寻找可吞吃的人．你们要用坚固的信心抵挡他、因为知道你们在世上的众弟兄、也是经历这样的苦难。那赐诸般恩典的神、曾在基督里召你们、得享他永远的荣耀、等你们暂受苦难之后、必要亲自成全你们、坚固你们、赐力量给你们。

整理：于姊妹