Is the Devil Stupid?

According to ChatGPT:

The Bible provides various descriptions and references to Satan, often depicting him as a cunning and deceptive figure. While the Bible does not explicitly quantify Satan's intellect, several passages suggest that he possesses intelligence, craftiness, and the ability to deceive.

Cunning and Deceptive: In the Garden of Eden, Satan, appearing as a serpent, deceives Eve by questioning God's command and subtly twisting the truth. This cunning manipulation leads to the fall of humanity (Genesis 3:1-7).

Knowledge of Scripture: In the New Testament, during the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, Satan quotes Scripture to try to deceive Jesus. This implies a certain level of familiarity with the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11).

"Angel of Light": In 2 Corinthians 11:14, the Apostle Paul warns that Satan can masquerade as an angel of light, suggesting the ability to deceive by appearing righteous or good.

Power and Authority: The Bible describes Satan as the ruler of this world (John 12:31) and the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). These titles imply a certain level of influence and authority.

Opponent of God: Throughout the Bible, Satan is presented as an adversary to God and God's purposes. His rebellious nature and attempts to undermine God's plan indicate a level of intelligence and strategic thinking.

It's important to note that biblical interpretation may vary, and these descriptions are based on traditional Christian understandings of Satan as portrayed in the Bible. Different denominations and theological perspectives may offer nuanced interpretations of these passages.

I have often wondered how despotism is ultimately self-destructive and therefore anti-intellectual, for self-preservation must be hard-wired into anything purporting to be ‘intelligent?’  One thing must be true, if Satan is real, his greatest power must lie in the inversion of language.  What is arguably both the most over-used and most meaningless word in the English language today?  It has to be ‘sustainability’ and all its morphological derivations.  I submit that ‘sustainability’ is a kind of anti-axiomatic truism since everything ‘sustainable’ is always despotic and hence, self-destructive and hence, unsustainable.  Literally everything destructive to traditional society can be traced back to this inversion of meaning.  Unfettered mass migration, environmental lunacy, political correctness, perverting traditional roles and their basis in biology, runaway technology for its own sake, all these ‘sustainable’ goals are ruinous because the only thing they ‘sustain’ is entropy, spiritual, material, societal, social, sexual, familial, philosophical entropy.  Is this an accident?  How could it be any less accidental than the Clinton body count?

So is Satan ultimately a self-deceiver?  Should he be pitied?  Does Satan’s hubris override his ability to reflect on the absurdity of his own so-called ‘logic?’

If we deny the literal existence of Satan and merely view him allegorically, we are still struck by the parallels of ‘Satanic’ hubris and that of every ‘global’ philosophy from Communism to Environmentalism (arguably two sides of the same despotic coin).  I suppose now we can add ‘global health’ to the Pantheon of false gods awaiting our misguided devotion?