Reviving Old Scratch

Beck’s point is that we cannot understand the Jesus of the Bible without also understanding the Satan of the Bible. From the Temptation Narratives in the Gospel to the Last Battle at the end of Revelation, Jesus’ identity and the church’s understanding of who Jesus is cannot be separated from Old Scratch.

Modernity is like an episode of Scooby-Doo. We begin with a supernatural evil. However, Suspicious doubt leads to investigation and reason. This reveals that the evil is not supernatural but simply a person doing bad things. Disenchantment sets in.

We must recognize the spiritual force antagonistic to the Kingdom of God is real and active in the world, and must be fought and resisted. This resistance is known as “spiritual warfare.”