This question is from a confirmation student.
Where else would we talk about the devil? The word in Greek for devil is ‘diabolo’ and it means one who accuses. Like its companion ‘satana’, it has become personified into a man with red horns and a long tail who tries to make us do bad things. If it were that obvious, we would know how to avoid it. That’s why thinking about the devil as an ‘accuser’ is helpful to me— evil that actually tests me is more subtle. In Matthew 4 the devil tries to get Jesus to do good things (like making bread from nothing) at the wrong time and with the wrong purpose. See how subtle that is!! This helps me to see the accuser (devil) in those times when I want Jesus to do what I want on my timeline or in the doubts that keep me from taking action when I know that is what Jesus would want me to do. That is a much bigger challenge to my faith than a guy with red horns asking me to do something bad! —Pastor Trudy