To help Nancy and Dannah prepare to write “Lies Young Women Believe,” I interviewed Christian girls from all over the country. Satan and spiritual warfare were among the hottest topics discussed during that research effort. In fact, two lies about Satan were deemed so critical and pervasive that they appear early on the list of top 25 lies young women believe presented in the book.
And we aren’t the only ones doing this kind of research. In fact, the Barna Group recently published results from a similar study. According to the summary of that research, they interviewed 1,871 adults who described themselves as Christians. Like us, they asked several questions about who Satan is and how he works. The results of both surveys were what we in the research world call…squishy. It seems that when it comes to the topic of Satan and how he works, Christian’s vary wildly in what they believe and many aren’t sure what they believe on this topic.
I promise to reveal the results of that research later this week, but for now, I’m very interested in what you have to say. Will you let us pick your brain for a moment on the subjects of Satan and spiritual warfare?
Here are five little questions about this topic. Simply give us your thoughts by leaving a comment below. You’ll be in good company; we’ve already talked to over 1,000 girls on this topic. Will your answers line up with what they’ve already told us? I can’t wait to find out.
1. Satan is not a living being, but is a symbol for evil
Strongly agree agree I don’t know disagree strongly disagree
2. It is possible for a person to be under the influence of spiritual forces such as demons and evil spirits.
Strongly agree agree I don’t know disagree strongly disagree
3. When bad things happen to Christians, it is usually because of spiritual warfare.
Strongly agree agree I don’t know disagree strongly disagree
4. I have never been exposed to Satanic activities.
Strongly agree agree I don’t know disagree strongly disagree
5. Christians are immune from attacks by Satan, demons, or other “dark” forces.
Strongly agree agree I don’t know disagree strongly disagree
Feel free to back up your answers with specific Scriptures.
Note: questions 1 and 2 were taken from the Barna Groups study on views of Spiritual beings.