Why was the devil given power over death?
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Goodness exists. Evil is not an object, it exists only as the negation of Good. Evil cannot create, it is a name for destruction. For instance, punching a stranger is bad because it would negate his happiness and his comfort (somewhat!)...but neither the fist, the motion, nor his face exist as evil objects. (Augustus felt this way- and the very great Mr CS Lewis agreed). The sum of all goodness is in God. Lucifer rebelled against God, so rebelled against goodness, so rebelled against creation. His is none-creation. His, therefore, is death. All who follow Satan follow true death because they have removed themselves from 'being'. All who follow God die to be raised in a perfected creation of goodness.
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By sin we make ourselves the slave of the devil, and thus of death.
Romans 6:16 (DRB) Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are whom you obey, whether it be of sin unto death, or of obedience unto [righteousness]?
Wisdom 2:23-25 (DRB) For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him. 24 But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world: 25 And they follow him that are of his side.
It's not so much that the devil has an intrinsic right to control over anyone, but that people relinquish it to him by means of their following his ways, which can only lead to hell, and away from Life.
Genesis 4:6-7 (DRB) And the Lord said to him: Why art thou angry? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou do well, shalt thou not receive? but if ill, shall not sin forthwith be present at the door? but the lust thereof shall be under thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it.
Romans 6:12 (DRB) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, so as to obey the lusts thereof.
When one aligns themselves with sin, the devil is given power over them by none other than God, since by their sin, they have consented to his rebellion, and he has become their "father:"
John 8:33-44 (DRB) They answered him: We are the seed of Abraham, and we have never been slaves to any man: how sayest thou: you shall be free? 34 Jesus answered them: Amen, amen I say unto you: that whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin. 35 Now the servant abideth not in the house for ever; but the son abideth for ever. 36 If therefore the son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. 37 I know that you are the children of Abraham: but you seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and you do the things that you have seen with your father. 39 They answered, and said to him: Abraham is our father. Jesus saith to them: If you be the children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill me, a man who have spoken the truth to you, which I have heard of God. This Abraham did not. 41 You do the works of your father. They said therefore to him: We are not born of fornication: we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus therefore said to them: If God were your Father, you would indeed love me. For from God I proceeded, and came; for I came not of myself, but he sent me: 43 Why do you not know my speech? Because you cannot hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in the truth; because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.
To sin is to be the slave of sin. And the devil is the originator of sin. If you don't love God, you will feel the hate of Satan. There is no middle ground.
Proverbs 8:36 (DRB) But he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.
To love sin, is to hate God. To hate God is to love death. To love death is to love the father of death, the devil, and so fall under his dominion, as is a fitting fate.
Death entered the world through disobedience to God, and moreover, obedience to the serpent. It is fitting that he has control over all who likewise chose death over God.
Genesis 2:16-17; 4:1-6 (DRB) 16 And he commanded him, saying: Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat: 17 But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death. ...
1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the beasts of the earth which the Lord God made. And he said to the woman: Why hath God commanded you, that you should not eat of every tree of paradise? 2 And the woman answered him, saying: Of the fruit of the trees that are in paradise we do eat: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, God hath commanded us that we should not eat; and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we die. 4 And the serpent said to the woman: No, you shall not die the death. 5 For God doth know that in what day soever you shall eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened: and you shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold: and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband who did eat.
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