Yes, Virginia, There is a Satan

A Macy's commercial recently promoted the same tripe Americans have heard since the New York Sun published a lie to a little 8-year-old. With the sentimental hype of the up-and-coming liberalism that has since dominated our culture, the New York editor in the 1890s continued,

"Yes,VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus."

Eventually, this mentality became the basis of denying the doctrines of the Bible--after all, Jesus, the God-Man, existed as certainly as love and generosity...

However, not everyone today denies the historical Jesus, many believe he existed. But more appear to deny the physical reality of the Devil. Among a large section of Born Again Americans the reality of Satan is denied according to the Barna studies.

If there is no Satan, then who tempted Adam? If there is no Devil, then who tempted Christ? Either those are made up sections of the Bible, or they were true in some vague, amorphous sense such as love and generosity. Then Adam probably didn't exist, or at least sin is not too real since the Tempter is only a figment of some sadist.

Worse, yet, if the Liar is only a myth, then the Pharisees were not children of the Devil (John 8:44). Sin in such a context of denial only exists in the physical realm. The eradication of the Devil as a real person, eradicates sin as a real activity. Further, it frees man for the Bible clearly describes the unregenerate as under his thumb (1 Jn. 3:8). So, if he is denied metaphysical existence, then the will of man is free metaphysically as well--no Satan, no Fall, no bondage of the will.

Beelzebub is portrayed as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). And that means he does not come with brimstone skin, pointy-tail and a pitch-fork. Rather, he comes in a benign form that bespeaks innocence or harmlessness or joy. He may even wear red at times, with white highlights and a jovial laugh.

It is too bad that editor didn't write the truth instead of sending Americans down a path of deception. It's too bad he didn't write:

"Yes, Virginia, There is a Satan."