The Devil’s Religion

Here’s an insightful observation from Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758):

The devil once seemed to be religious from fear of torment. Luke 8:28, “When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.” Here is external worship. The devil is religious; he prays: he prays in a humble posture; he falls down before Christ, he lies prostrate; he prays earnestly, he cries with a loud voice; he uses humble expressions— “I beseech thee, torment me not”—he uses respectful, honorable, adoring expressions— “Jesus, thou of God most high.” Nothing was missing but love. (Cited in Delighting in the Trinity, 64)

Les Bridgeman

I have served as a high school Bible teacher and counselor in Asia and the U.S. I am passionate about understanding and teaching the Bible. Here’s a link to my book page.