Could the Devil be real?

A perpetrator of increasing evil in the world — the puppeteer behind the scenes — manipulating wicked minds to execute wicked acts?

“Nah.”

Or is he a hallucination of a genius fiction author …

“Maybe”… or so he thought.

Jeremy had become increasingly befuddled by worsening world conditions. Sure, there has always been war, famine, pestilences, hatred, poverty — but now something seems different — more intense — more out-of-control — more violent — more natural disasters — more viruses — a more EVIL world.

“I’m college educated and an established Dentist. Was raised sanctified, but I now curse the hypocrisy revealed by religious zealots today. So I certainly don’t believe in a devil they promote.” he growled at me — his cousin.

Not one to back down from a challenge, and beclouded myself, I proposed a research project.

But from what sources would we gather reliable information?

Religious ideologies waffled through muddled contradictions. …That won’t help.

We decided to go directly to the Bible where this creature is mentioned.

We gathered the following Bible translations (not in any order) and began our hunt for truth:

• King James original
• American Standard
• Catholic Douay
• NIV (International Bible Society)
• New World Translation
• The Living Bible (Tyndale)
• The Emphatic Diaglott (New Testament)

Following is the information we gathered, noted without our commentary.

Just the facts, folks.

Who Rules the World

Notice six Bible translations on 1 John 5:19.

1. “And we know we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
King James Bible.

2. “We know that we are children of God and that all the rest of the world around us is under Satan’s power and control.” The Living Bible translation.

3. “We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” New World Translation.

4. “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one.” American Standard version.

5. “We know we belong to God, and the world is all lying in the Evil One.” The Bible in Living English.

And finally, this rendition is taken from the Emphatic Diaglott based on The Vatican Manuscript 1209. It shows the original Greek alongside English.

6. “We know that we are from God, and that the whole world lies under the Evil one.”

Is this consistent with Revelation 12:7–9, 12, 17. It states WHERE Satan is and WHAT he’s doing here on earth.

• “… so down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the called Devil and Satan, who is MISLEADING the entire inhabited earth. He was hurled down to EARTH, and his angels were hurled down with him.” (NWT)

“On this account be glad you heavens…WOE for the earth because the Devil has come down to you having great ANGER, knowing he has a short period of time.”

• The great dragon was hurled down to earth…that old serpent called the or Satan. HE LEADS THE WHOLE WORLD DOWN THE WRONG PATH… He is very ANGRY — (NIV)
• And that great dragon was cast out who is called the devil and Satan, WHO SEDUCETH THE WORLD WORLD…the devil has come down to you having GREAT WRATH… — The Apocalypse (Catholic Douay)
• And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent which is called the Enemy, that ADVERSARY WHO IS DECEIVING THE WHOLE HABITUAL; he was cast to earth, and his angels were cast with him….having GREAT WRATH— Emphatic Diaglott

All Bible translations say the same thing …

Could this be true? Is there an ANGRY mastermind behind deteriorating world conditions? Is there an angry force lashing out all around the world?

Leave your comments. Would love to hear from you.