Matthew 7:12. Treat others as you would like to be treated. How they treat me isn’t relevant. I have my orders from Christ on how to treat them. Treat Satan with the respect Michael did. He’s more powerful than I. He’s more intelligent than I. The LORD will deal with him.
And what does “respect” for Satan look like, EXACTLY? Never say a negative thing about him? Doesn’t scripture do that, though? Like, all over the place? So, when we talk to new Christians to comfort and encourage them about trials they’re going through, which may be from the Devil, and we remind them from scripture that Satan is a beaten foe and they can overcome him, through God, of course, is that being “disrespectful” to him? Say we go through some spiritual battle the Devil puts us through. When we rejoice that we come out victorious is that being “disrespectful” to Satan because our victory automatically implies something negative about Satan, namely, that he is a loser? Isn’t our rejoicing rubbing it in Satan’s face and being “disrespectful” to him? Does that then mean we shouldn’t be happy when Satan fails? I mean, I just would like to know how far we are to take “respect for Satan.”
He deals with your ego. Flattery and temptations of fame and fortune. He'll offer you all the things that will make you think, wish and feel good. What do you think evil looks like? Is it something that threatens you?
Another question: is it possible that viewing Satan as pure evil is another satanic deploy? (If Satan was pure evil, would that not make satan the opposite equal to God?)
If you don’t believe that Satan is pure evil (yes, he was created “good” by God, but he allowed himself to become sinful), then what is he?
I think Satan is capable of an evil that extends beyond the sort we are; evil in a vein analogous to the rebellion, rejection, hate, etc., a human would display for God. But pure evil? Satan isn't capable of changing his ontology, so if he is in-fact angelic in origin, he still bears the marks of his angelic origins. Maybe he would like to be considered pure evil and that's why the world conceives of him as they do: the opposite of God; evil to God's good, God's equal; a horned monstrosity; the hell-born god, etc. It's nonsense, lest I be accused of showing him sympathy.
I would NEVER consider Satan to be “God’s equal” in any fashion. He is pretty opposite in nature to God, though.
Honestly, it’s not particularly this forum. Yes, I’ve butted heads with various people about various things, but, in general, I think people here are decent folks. Nah, it’s just a generality I’ve observed. Experienced it personally with some people I know in the real world. Just petty fighting and prideful behavior. Also the way I’ve seen some Christians interact with each other online in their responses to an article or a blog and things get controversial and there’s disagreement and the “you’re not a real Christian because of such and such” garbage starts flying back and forth. It’s just obnoxious. I don’t think Christians have to agree on every single little thing in order for all involved to be actual Christians. There’s really no need for prideful bickering that so and so really isn’t a Christian because they don’t agree with my view on such and such matter.