The ***literal*** Satan? No. Satan is the *"devil"*, the anthropomorphized *"source of evil"* (d-evil). Evil and good are externalized as the characters of the *"Devil"/"Satan"* and *"God"*. Just as there is no ***literal*** *"evil"* in and of itself, there is no *"Satan"* in and of itself. Evil and Satan are symbols that reference expressions of our consciousness and what they create, generate or manifest into the world.

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Satan is the oppositional and adversarial force within us, as I will explain. But first some understanding on why this matters and what is there to be opposed. # Increase Awareness Consciousness can increase in **awareness** of various truths about reality, existence, or the universe. **Quality truths** that can improve the *quality and condition* of our lives is more valuable for its **utility**. Moral truth is of the utmost utility for improving the quality and condition of our lives through reciprocal cooperation to optimize survival, no matter what the technological condition is. This increase of awareness is an **expansion of consciousness**. Truth *cared for*, *sought after*, and *continually attained* will produce greater alignment with how reality is and how we can make our world and way of life better. This expansion of consciousness towards **greater quality** *knowledge* and *ways of living* can be looked at as the *expansive force of love*, contrasted to the *constrictive force of fear*. Love not as an emotion, but as the force of care for truth that expands and embraces more of accepting what currently *'is'* -- both the beauty and horror, the right and wrong, in one sense -- along with what could or *'ought'* to be -- the better, truer, higher and realer ways of living that we can create.

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# Contradiction Learning what is true from false is required to form **non-contradictory understanding**. Non-contradiction with reality as we expand our awareness is also a unity or harmony with reality as we don't deny things as they are, or the wrong that exists that should not be and can be made better through our actions in alignment with principles of moral truth. Being in *opposition* to the truths in reality can have *consequences*, as we are in *conflict* and *disequilibrium* between our perception of reality and what actually is there. We can also be non-contradictory and united within our **expressions of consciousness**, so that we *think, feel and act* in unison, not in conflict or opposition. What we do -- our actions and behaviors -- is an *external* expression of consciousness from our internal expressions within -- the "heart" (emotions) and "mind" (thoughts) of consciousness. When we know what's right (think) and care to do what's right (feel), but instead act in opposition against that, then we are *not unified* within but in **internal conflict**. This puts us in *disharmony* with our thoughts, emotions and actions. Sometimes that **cognitive dissonance** results is *negotiating* with reality, where instead of *aligning our perceptions* with reality, we create a false perception of reality so that we believe the current reality is whatever we want to believe it to be (conformity, rosy-colored glasses). # Authentic Authority We can author our lives in the authenticity of having the [authority of truth](https://steemit.com/philosophy/@krnel/truth-is-the-measure-of-authority-not-authority-that-s-the-measure-of-truth) by our side, *integrated* and *united* with various truths about existence, and the moral truth about how to live. But we can also be in opposition as an adversary to reality or even ourselves. Many have apathy, ignorance, cowardice or laziness to care for, seek out or accept truth and moral truth, being in a more restrictive force of fear that doesn't care or love to expand awareness of quality truth in life. This can even bring *fear of facing truths*, where many don't want their illusions destroyed by truth.

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# Satan This brings us back to Satan, the *opposer* and *adversary*. This *oppositional force* within has been described in two ways: **1) Non-unity within ourselves (with thought, emotion and action conflicting). 2) Non-unity with truths in reality and true, good, right, and moral ways of living.** # Opposition to the Good The various opposition we put up against reality and against ourselves, *works against the better potential reality* and our way of living we can create if we had the awareness of how or why to do so. This is the force of Satan we battle in life. We are the force of good ("God") or evil ("Devil"/"Satan"), from our consciousness. The gods and goddesses of old were created by human consciousness in attempt to *externalize* and *objectify* knowledge about ourselves and reality. *Abstract thinking* and representation came with later more philosophical thinking that was more precise and clear than the older mythopoetic analogical form of thinking with metaphors, parables and symbolism that could have veiled or hidden primary esoteric meaning conveyed through an exoteric narrative cover layer. I have elaborated on this in older posts.

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# Biblical Roots Satan or ***“S-t-n”*** is a Hebrew word with Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance number 7854. > From H7853; an **opponent**; especially (with the article prefixed) Satan, the arch **enemy of good**: - **adversary**, Satan, **withstand**. > H7853 (be an) adversary, **resist**. This word means adversary, one who opposes, an opponent, and also the “arch enemy of good” and therefore “God”, **ourselves -- our higher order consciousness** capacity to seek and actualize greater good, right and truth into our lives. # We Are Our Own Worst Enemies We are *our own worst enemies* when you understand what Satan really is. We judge, offend and insult ourselves all by our own actions and behavior. This applies for each individual, and as a collective species as we are creating problems and negative outcomes for ourselves as as species and others on this planet. Satan is a force that **divides us from within**. We resist and withstand *advancement towards what's better*; into self-improvement, betterment, transformation, change and evolution towards what is right, good and true, and prevent our potential actualization of a truer, realer, higher self. It's also a part of our being when we are **internally divided** through the non-unity, internal duality and contradiction between our thoughts, emotions and the resulting actions we take. We act against ourselves, in opposition to what we know and feel to be true, right and good. It's a sin against the "spirit" ("soul"-psyche-consciousness-self), a **betrayal of our own higher, truer, realer potential selves** where we take actions that are justified in violation to what we know to be right, good or true. We *betray ourselves in essence*, because the essence and nature of our being is prevented from evolving towards more of "the good". The *potential is not actualized*, but resisted and denied, keeping us in a more restricted condition or level of consciousness. # Lie and Insult Ourselves It is ultimately an *insult* and *offense* we carry out against ourselves and attempt to justify so that we can lie to ourselves into accepting what we are doing, and keep doing it as well. In our defense of the falsity we are attached to, when someone else brings the truth of a condition to our *attention* and sheds *light on this darkness*, we instead attempt to **dismiss, deflect and deny** what we are doing by claiming they are insulting or offensive towards us, when in truth we are the ones *insulting and offending ourselves*. Those who speak the truth are not often welcome. The *light* can be *blinding* for those who are in *darkness*. Satan is not an actual being in the religious notion, but it is a state or condition of being in consciousness where we ourselves are in **adversity, opposition, contradiction, conflict, non-integrated, non-coherent, non-consistent, non-unified, dual and divided** within ourselves or with reality/truth and moral truth.

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# Unity Few people are *completely united beings* that take action in accordance and harmony with how they think and feel because it requires tremendous **courage**. The system has many *constructs* to make us go against our better judgment with an endless supply of *justifications* ready for not doing the correct moral thing in life. Unity consciousness within ourselves and aligned with reality and moral truth, is the internal expression of consciousness called dominion or sovereignty of the self. Other terms include **self-control, self-governance, self-rulership, self-ownership, self-reign, and internal monarch**. This has also been referred to as **self-love, self-mastery, enlightenment, balance, harmony, internal peace**, or other names in various cultures and languages. This is the dominion of the kingdom of self, being a *King of Queen* of our own kingdom within. We don't support any external rulership, control, or governance of some people being rulers or masters over other, -- but *internal governance* and control over one’s own thoughts, emotions and actions. If we all operated this way and didn't violate moral principles, we would be truly free and living in peace with all. # Self-Control

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There is no one "out there" controlling our **destinies, fates, fortunes or futures**. We are the ones, collectively in the aggregate, that create the overall conditions on this planet. Learning how to learn and learning how to [think](https://steemit.com/philosophy/@krnel/the-trivium-method-of-thinking-and-learning) are important to get people to not believe in false or unverified things that are drives for their actions in life. Bad (falsity) or low quality (entertainment) information siphons our time and attention and prevents us from expanding our awareness of greater quality information that can affect a positive change for the better. This is how there is evil in the world, because it's being created *consciously, unconsciously, or being supported*. When there is a lack of *self-control* towards moral alignment in a society, there is more external control applied towards others in the form of a *centralized authority*. Even if we aren't doing wrong consciously, we may be doing it unconsciously without knowing it, or may be supporting it. Much of our way of life supports the wrongdoings of a centralized authority, like *taxation* and other *extortions*. We are funding *illegitimate wars* and supporting other policies like the *"war on drugs"* sham. The more aware we become, the more realize there is a lot of work to do for us to truly be united in our way or life, in our ability to actualize greater truth, good, right and morality into the world. ---- **Thank you for your time and attention. Peace.** --- _{If you appreciate and value the content, please consider:
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