Expert: J.M.J. West - 10/27/2008

Question
if satan is not flesh, then how can he hurt people? God has given us free will correct? to think that an entity and his fallen angels has the power to "persuade" us into doing sinful acts is strange? is satan that selfish, prideful voice in your head that urges you to fulfill your own desires? if satan is that voice in your head, and that voice is your natural state of mind is it safe to say that our flesh is apart of satan? because until death we can not get away from that voice...those selfish desires...can satan be a state of mind? pride...ect "the naughty side of us"  in job satan physically hurt job, and a house fell on job's family. how did the house fall if satan is just an entity? did satan control the wind which God manipulates? we know that the waves obeyed jesus...but was nature a slave to satan at one time? is it still? i also know in old testament they refer to lucifer as the morning star. correct? then why did Jesus claim to be the morning star? can we safely say that lucifer was above Jesus at first..then fell from heaven and Jesus took lucifer's title? ive always thought that Jesus was the creator, and they're are many scriptures which point out that He is actually an angel. if he is an angel does that mean he produced himself? it's kind of confusing...the maker of angels being an angel... im very confused please shed some light on the subject thank you.

Answer
Connor,

I'll say it here (though I said it in an edit of your question on baptism): thank you for your questions.  I do greatly appreciate them and don't mind answering them in general.  I know it can be hard to wait when you have dozens of questions that need answering.  You are more than free to ask a couple at a time, just understand that my response time may drop further than normal when I receive a glut of questions.

<<if satan is not flesh, then how can he hurt people?>>

In short, We are flesh and spirit, and he primarily affects spirit.  He tempts and sews doubts.  But scripturally it does seem that he can affect bodies too.  The exact nature of how this takes place is unknown.

The Catholic position is best summed up here: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c1p7.htm

<<God has given us free will correct?>>

Correct.

<< to think that an entity and his fallen angels has the power to "persuade" us into doing sinful acts is strange?>>

No more than to think that I have the ability to persuade you indo doing sinful acts.  The very fact that it's called "persuasion" not "compulsion" implies the free will.

<<is satan that selfish, prideful voice in your head that urges you to fulfill your own desires?>>

He desires to destroy the creation of God by making this creation reject God as he did, whatever it takes.

<< if satan is that voice in your head, and that voice is your natural state of mind is it safe to say that our flesh is apart of satan? >>

I think he's more than just "that voice in your head".  But our bodies are fallen due to original sin - our intellect is dimmed, our wills are weakened, and though we seek the good always, we are often mistaken about what the good is and in doing so choose the bad/evil.

<<because until death we can not get away from that voice...those selfish desires...can satan be a state of mind?>>

No.  Those inclinations are naturalyl present in our shattered humanity which came to us from that first man in that moment of primordial history.

<< pride...ect "the naughty side of us"  in job satan physically hurt job, and a house fell on job's family. how did the house fall if satan is just an entity? did satan control the wind which God manipulates?>>

It is quite possible that he has some ability to effect natural phenomena in this world.  

But bear in mind that Job is a piece of wisdom literature meant to convey primarily a point about the absolute sovereignty of God and our need to remain steadfast in the face of trials.  In fact it is that we are faced with such trials that we are permitted to grow spiritually (for just like lifting a heavy weight repeatedly makes you stronger, so too engaging in virtue - even in the face of plight - makes you more virtuous).

<<we know that the waves obeyed jesus...but was nature a slave to satan at one time? is it still?>>

The exact extent of the ability of Satan is unknown.

<<i also know in old testament they refer to lucifer as the morning star. correct? then why did Jesus claim to be the morning star?>>

Satan is an imitation of Christ, an anti-christ.  Christ is the "light of the world".  In one sense, the term applies to Christ as the truth and the light of the world.  In another sense, it could apply to Satan as the morning star is a pale imitation of the Sun, which is the light of the world.

Bear in mind also that cultures and languages use various idioms to express ideas which may not fully or easily translate completely to other cultures or languages.

More here: http://www.acts17-11.com/dialogs_morningstar.html

<< can we safely say that lucifer was above Jesus at first>>

No.  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word WAS God...and the Word became flesh and made his dwelling amongst men" (John 1:1, 14).

<<then [Lucifer] fell from heaven and Jesus took lucifer's title? ive always thought that Jesus was the creator, and they're are many scriptures which point out that He is actually an angel.>>

Christ is not an angel as in an entity of pure spirit.  But he could be an "aggelos" or "angelos", the greek word for "messenger" from which we get the term "angel" from (which themselves go by titles in the Hebrew scriptures like "Seraphim" and "Cherubim").

<< if he is an angel does that mean he produced himself?>>

He's not, so no.  But were he, this would be non-sensical.  You cannot "produce yourself" because you'd have to exist before you exist which is impossible.  That's like imagining a roundly-triangular square.  It's literally non-sense.  It seems to have sense, but really means the same as "alkaefkvjasdvjdasf eifasdk adkfje".

I hope that helps!  Feel free to ask any follow up questions you might have.

Peace of Christ,

-J.M.J. West