The Devil Is In Your Mind

 

Is the Devil Real?

The Devil is seen as the world’s greatest adversary. But he may be nothing more than an image of our making existing only in our mind. Let’s explore the figure of the Devil versus the biblical Satan. 

The Jewish View of Satan: A Divine Emanation, Not a Rebellious Adversary

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the figure of Satan is vastly different from the concept of the Devil popularized by other religions, especially Christianity. The Christian tradition often portrays the Devil as a personal entity that rebels against God and seeks to undermine humanity. Jewish teachings offer a more nuanced view of Satan. In this view, Satan is not a fallen angel or an embodiment of evil, but rather a divine agent tasked with testing and thus refining humanity.

Satan as a Divine Emanation

Kabbalah, a mystical tradition within Judaism, teaches that God emanates His will into the world through different spiritual forces. Satan, in this framework, is one such force—a necessary agent in God's creation. Far from being in opposition to God, Satan is an emanation of the divine, serving a crucial purpose in the ongoing process of testing and perfecting the world.

According to Kabbalistic teachings, the world is a place of balance between forces of good and evil, and both are needed to fulfill God’s plan for humanity. Satan’s role is to introduce challenges, temptations, and obstacles, providing humans with the opportunity to exercise their free will and grow spiritually. This is not an act of rebellion but a form of service to God, who uses the force, called Satan, as a tool to help humanity achieve its ultimate purpose: perfection and the ultimate revelation of God’s presence, where evil will no longer exist and Satan will no longer be necessary.

Satan as a Tester and Tempter, Not a Rebel

The idea of Satan in Jewish thought is more aligned with the concept of a prosecutor or adversary in a courtroom, rather than an enemy of God. The term Satan itself means "adversary" or "accuser" in Hebrew, reflecting his role in challenging human beings to test their moral fiber. In this role, Satan is a tempter, but not an inherently evil being. He does not rebel against God, because angels, in Jewish thought, do not possess free will. They are bound to follow divine commands.

In the Hebrew Bible, we see this portrayal in the Book of Job, where Satan acts under God's authority to test Job’s faith. Satan is given the task to challenge Job, but only within the boundaries set by God. This interaction highlights Satan’s role as a divine functionary, carrying out God's will rather than rebelling against it.

This contrasts sharply with the later Christian understanding of the Devil as a cosmic villain, who leads a rebellion against God and seeks to drag humanity down with him. Such a view does not exist in traditional Jewish thought, where the angels, including Satan, operate as messengers and agents of God’s will alone. And in the Hebrew Scriptures there is no such depiction of an angelic rebellion against God where a personified Satan character leads the rebellion.

The "Evil Inclination" and Free Will

In Jewish teaching, the concept of the "evil inclination" (called yetzer hara) plays a central role in understanding human nature. The yetzer hara is an internal force that inclines individuals toward selfish desires and material pleasures, while the "good inclination" (called yetzer hatov) encourages moral and altruistic actions. Satan, in a sense, can be seen as an external manifestation or personification of the yetzer hara—the inclination that challenges people to overcome selfishness and sin or on the contrary give in to sin and feed their ego (which is what the serpent in Genesis represents).

The yetzer hara is not inherently evil but is seen as a necessary part of human nature. Satan’s role as tempter reflects this dynamic, as he provides the tests and challenges necessary for individuals to grow and refine their character and overcome their ego, which is depicted in Genesis 3:15 as conquering the serpent. 

The Devil: An Invention of Religion–not the Satan of the Hebrew Bible

The idea of a Devil who wages war against God and humanity is more reminiscent of Greek mythology, where gods and demigods frequently engage in personal vendettas and conflicts. In fact, scholars often point out that many features of the Christian Devil—horns, pitchfork, flames, and an eternal kingdom of torment—borrow heavily from ancient pagan iconography. The Greek mythological figure Hades, the god of the underworld, bears striking similarities to the later Christian image of the Devil, ruling over a realm of punishment. 

When religions, like christianity, create an epic villain, like the Devil, they also create an enemy that requires a hero to come and conquer it. Ultimately, they create a problem so that they can promote a solution. The creation of this great villain provides the opportunity to create their super hero or demigod that is to come and save the day. The greek mind loves a good heroic epic. This is where we can see the development of Jesus, going from a humble Jewish Rabbi, to becoming a greco-roman God-man, an epic superhero and conqueror akin to other greek gods that destroy evil villains. 

In contrast to this, the Hebrew Scriptures present no such dualistic conflict between God and a rebellious Devil. The Jewish view rejects the notion of Satan as an evil villain plotting against humanity, instead seeing Satan as an essential force for spiritual growth. This divergence in views suggests that the Devil, as he is commonly understood in popular culture, is more of an invention of religion than a reflection of biblical or spiritual truth.

The Devil as a personal entity that serves as a scare tactic to enforce religious morality has little basis in Jewish scripture. Instead, Judaism encourages individuals to recognize that the true battle between good and evil takes place within the human heart, through the interplay of the yetzer hara (evil inclination) and the yetzer hatov (good inclination).

Conclusion

In Judaism, Satan is a divine emanation, a necessary part of God's plan to test, refine, and ultimately perfect humanity. He is not a fallen angel or a rebellious being, but a tester who operates under divine instruction to challenge human beings and help them grow spiritually. This view of Satan stands in stark contrast to the figure of the Devil in other religious traditions, particularly Christianity, where the Devil is often portrayed as a rebellious force fighting against God and humanity. In Jewish thought, Satan’s role is far more subtle, complex, and integral to the unfolding of God's plan for the world. In this view, mankind with God’s help, becomes the ultimate victor and hero over evil by aligning one's will with the will of God–thus crushing the head of the Serpent.