Mini blog: when satan dialogues with God

There are two interesting examples in the Bible. One is in the Old Testament when satan questions whether Job is really a faithful man of God. One is in the New Testament when satan "tempts" Jesus in the desert.

In both examples satan is actually presenting himself as "looking out for God's interest." This is what I mean about satan being totally of human "alpha pack" mentality. Satan assumes that God is just not able to see that Job is a flawed man. Satan presents himself to God saying that he is "roaming the earth and patrolling it" (Job 1:7) just as a typical alpha animal would survey his territory. When God expresses his pleasure with Job's piety satan cannot resist immediately challenging God to test Job's faith through travail.

This is an example of how one of satan's major manifestations is jealousy of another person's spiritual goodness. An alpha pack animal would never allow someone "under" him to have the best. The alpha male or female eats first and everyone, even the young, gets the leftovers. Likewise humans who fall for the alpha satan value system will be jealous of, scorn, and persecute those who have a "larger share," even if that share consists only of spiritual goodness and not actual treasure.

So satan thinks he is cluing in God about Job, because satan, not being all knowing, thinks there are things that God does not know and only he, "alpha satan of the world" understands.

Likewise satan deludes himself that he was "looking out for Jesus" by offering him world dominion in the desert. Satan cannot understand why Jesus would deliver himself to hardship, through fasting, say nothing of actually putting himself in physical danger in the world. It is contrary to that "survival instinct" when it is warped by lack of understanding God's larger picture, view and the goodness of his plan for humanity.