Great Devil's Advocacy book (literally)
585025
If you didn't have the benefit of taking a general theology class in college or you want to grow in your faith, read and discuss this book with a few friends. Lewis's elder demon Screwtape can teach us a lot about ourselves, about God, and about contemporary culture. Lewis writes in an easy-to-read, quotable style which is sure to challenge our modern thinking.
In one sense, it's a primer on how to sin. The book is full of "advice" on how turn a good thing into a sinful one. I remember my wife being challenged by the discussion of gluttony. According to Screwtape, it works both ways, by eating too much or too little, because the key is flattering your pride. All sin stems from our natural, self-honoring pride, and Screwtape gives many examples of how to insert that pride into everything we do.
Of course, it isn't as if you are reading letters from the devil himself, every word corrupting your spirit. This book praises God's grace in a Christian's life (in a back-handed sort of way). And it's funny. I love it when Screwtape gets so mad he morphs into a worm, and his secretary has to finish the letter. I also love his description of the coup Lucifer led against God Almighty before he and the angels who supported him were kicked out of heaven (becoming the demons they are now).
It's a great, little work of fiction, loaded with applicable truth.
3851791
Just read the book today and was impressed with the research and footnotes used to verify the claims made inside.  Obviously, the ratings will not be over 3-4 stars because many will give it 1 star without reading it, but I beg even Obama supporters to check this out.  I have a Obama '08 yard sign that I pulled up and have already ordered a McCain sign and sticker.  Obama's close ties with socialists and especially his ties with the black liberation theology preached by Jeremiah Wright scare the hell out of me!!!  Great read!
2287187
Exposing the Devil and his lies. I am learning a lot. My second time reading it. Even my 11 year old loves it. God is good.
1420857
When I first bought a copy of the satanic bible it helped to affirm thoughts that I was having about satanism as a life affirming religion.

My opinion has not changed.

This book is bedrock.  You won't find devil worshiping nonsense here.
669942
Did the Devil make me do it? is one of the many excellent short books published by The Good Book Company. This book asks and answers some basic questions about the Devil in about 80 pages. Here are some of the questions: Where did Satan come from?; Why does Satan have so many names?;  What is Satan like and what does he do?; What is demon possession?; So should Christians perform exorcisms?, etc. Now I won't say the author asks and answers every conceivable question about Satan, but Mike McKinley (MDiv at Westminster Theological Seminary, Pastor of Guilford Baptist Church in Sterling, Virginia), is incredibly thorough in this brief work.

Some might wonder what kind of theological or exegetical depth McKinley can obtain in 80 pages. Quite a bit, actually. With regards to the events surrounding the fall of Satan, He argues that Isaiah 14 is NOT an explicit (or primary) reference to the fall of Satan, but rather the text clearly refers to a historical person, the King of Babylon.  Also, in the handling of 2 Peter and Jude, the author takes the position that these passages describe the general fall of demons, not a specific group of more depraved demons chained up until the final judgment.

I think my favorite part of the book was the inclusion of biblical lists. For example, in answering the question So should Christians perform exorcisms? , McKinley lists 9 ways Jesus interacted with demons and 3 general ways the disciples interacted with demons. These brief descriptions tagged with scripture references are helpful for novice Christians who are trying to lay a foundation of biblical demonology.

My only criticism is found in McKinley's treatment of demon possession versus demon oppression. For some reason, the author seems to make confusing or ambiguous statements. He says,

"One thing the Bible doesn't tell us, however, is that demons possess anyone. In fact, several times in Scripture people are said to have demons, but demons are never said to have people! "

He later continues,

"So if you put all this evidence together, `demon possession' is a term that we might do well without. While people in the Bible are said to `have a demon' and demons are said to `enter into people', for the most part this demonizing results in attack and influence more than that total personality domination implied term `possession'."

My question for the author is this: Is Jesus casting out a demon or simply shooing away a bothersome and annoying demon? I believe Scripture is clear that a demon or demons inhabit an individual. To be clear, McKinley later on affirms that a Christian cannot be possessed by a demon, but again, this section is disappointing because of its lack of clarity.

Conclusion

Overall, this book is a wonderful and needed addition to the genre of biblical demonology. Local churches would be wise to replace Merrill Unger's classic work Biblical Demonology with this brief literary treasure.
1897344
I loved this book! It really helps you understand what children are going through and how children's souls are an avenue for demons to use to torment the family. Kids, too, are people and they are just as susceptible to demonic possession as adults are. We don't study this enough. Thanks to the writers who dedicated time and energy to write this book to help us all.
3078939
I run a website and also do a bit of evangelism/apologetics. One of my tasks is to dialogue and or send letters to the cults,and false churches in my area (Denver, CO) of which I have no small task. This book is perhaps the best for giving a overall synopsis of the major cults. While this book does not address Progressive Liberal "Christians" (Gay/Homosexual), the emerging church, the word of faith movement, and such I have other books that touch those groups. So for the task this book has set out to accomplish I absolutely love it and find it superior to my other books on the topic (So Whats the difference?, Josh McDowell book on the cults). The apologetic power points are especially helpful to defend Biblical Christianity. My major gripe of the book (despite all its praises) is a lack of a topical index in the back. Surely this would have been quite helpful. I recommend this book to not only the bible college student, but to those wanting some good information on the cults, but also those doing the same thing I am doing, and that is challenging the cults in their area and proclaiming Christ to them.
2179010
I only recently got a hold of this book, shortly after finding out about it from a friend, but am I glad I picked it up. Very good information here about the occult targeting the children. Some of the examples used are from cartoons and movies from when I was a child, and boy was I duped into thinking that garbage was neat. They should make another edition of this same book, but with updated movies, shows, and cartoons in it. I'm sure it would be even more relevant now with books, movies, and shows like Twilight, Harry Potter, and Charmed being so popular. If you are a lost person, you should go ahead and skip this read, you will not agree with it and will probably develop a hate for the author and the things that he wrote. But, if you are a saved Christian, who believes that the devil is walking about, seeking whom he may devour(1 Pet. 5:8), then you will definitely find this book useful.
3611009
An excellent book, and one which has become an instant classic among Satanists and other "Dark Side" types, and believe me, we can be a quite picky crowd when it comes to media portrayals of the Prince of Darkness!
Mr. De Vito should actually be rather proud of the horrified reaction his book has evoked from the religious right. Fiction or not, he has said things that needed to be said, and has shown the very rare courage of letting the Devil speak for himself. This is a book which will be talked about for many years to come.
3583253
This book is great, it helps you to know your  enemy!
3975385
The revised 2014 edition of "The Secret Life of a Satanist" by Blanche Barton is a tremendously important and helpful book for anyone serious about research into the history of modern Satanism.  This new edition updates the original version published in 1990 when Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan, was still alive.  Not only is every chapter revised (largely changing reference to LaVey from present- to past-tense) but there is a tremendous amount of new material, all of which is of really high quality. This new material includes a "Preface to the New Edition," a LaVeyan Glossary of terms like "No bulls*** music," a page of end notes, nearly 50 glossy photos (many different from the earlier edition,) and a highly valuable bibliography of more than 100 primary and secondary sources.  The most important additions are the two added chapters covering the end of LaVey's life and its aftermath.  These new materials are simply breathtaking.  The author pours out her personal experience of that period.  This includes a segment simultaneously heart wrenching and humorous in which she tells how she performed CPR on LaVey when he suffered a "sudden death experience" in 1995.  As she is doing that, a house guest must fumble through LaVey's eclectic collection of phones to find the real one that works and Barton must give directions on how to open the security gate of the locked-down Black House headquarters of the Church of Satan so that the EMTs can get in. The final chapter, titled "Aftermath" covers the chaos and drama that followed LaVey's death including the battles between family members over his legacy.  The entire book, but especially this final chapter, are told with a shocking degree of factual objectivity considering the raw emotions that were involved in those wrenching episodes.  Historians will be grateful for this as well as Barton's verbatim presentation of important primary source documents including LaVey's will. The mytho-poetry of Barton's final paragraph of her final chapter will take your breath away and puts the perfect period at the end of a fabulous story with gems like this one; "What he is now becoming will be part of each of us -- an exotic blend of mystic, half-understood languages and half-remembered blood myths."  This is a truly excellent book, enjoyable to read and an important part of history.
3968893
In celebration of #GamerGate's birthday, Vox has put out an excellent book with clear guidance on how to fight back against the Social Justice Warriors.  The advice on organizing and driving "a consumer revolt" in Chapter 4 is worth the cost of admission.  Clearly supports making a movement anti-fragile and international in some important ways.  Also contains great background on the Science Fiction Writer's of America (SFWA) kerfuffle with Vox, the Sad and Rabid Puppies Hugo experience and more. Highly recommended, buy a few and share.
2078029
Excellent..packed with scriptures and prayers and proclamations on the subject matter re-enforcing faith. A must have for soldiers of the Book in the Army of God interested in destroying the works of the devil.
1681233
Nicky Cruz turned his back on the devil in the 1960s when he was converted from his life as a New York gang leader. Even though he is now free from the devil's control, Nicky knows the devil is still at work deceiving others.

Nicky has noticed a disturbing trend within the church in recent years. ...Christians are becoming more and more ignorant about  and apathetic toward  the threat posed by the devil. (124) We have forgotten we have an enemy. We are unaware of his schemes. We are no longer a threat to the devil and his wicked plans.

Nicky wants to change that and this book is his wake up call to Christians. The devil is real and active, Nicky reminds us. Satan must be unmasked, he writes. He is not a harmless caricature or a myth left over from humanity's primitive past...He's a real being  and the most awful one we could imagine. (17)

Nicky shares what he has seen and experienced in his fifty years battling the works of the devil. He shares his own fights with demons and how we might be attacked, the devil's disguises, and demon oppression. We will never escape the attacks of the devil, not until heaven. But knowing his tactics will help us be better prepared to fight, to understand the limits of his influence and our authority, and to have confidence in the Lord's ability to defeat evil.

The Lord is great and powerful and active on our behalf. We must remember that the devil is already defeated. Nicky shares many encouraging stories of victory over the devil. God is still very much at work doing miracles.

This is a book that Christians need to read. We have gotten complacent in our spiritual warfare and Nicky brings us back to the reality of our enemy. But he doesn't leave us helpless. He helps us understand spiritual warfare and the resources God has given us for the battle.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.
3910783
This man knows what he is talking about. Even though he has a lot of religious overtones, which I do not agree with necessarily, it is still a very good book. He seems to know the score. I would recommend this book to all people interested in politics of this country and the world. Also, people of all religious persuasions should review this book as it explains something about the human plight here in the U.S.A. and in other parts of the world. It explains about evil. He is absolutely correct on some the items on the agenda but is missing or failing to inform on more important issues. Fantastic book. Right on the money
3695286
This was a great book that is much needed in this day and age.  It tells of spiritual principles that are needed for understanding the unseen realm of demons.  There is so much on TV now about what these entities are, as if they were disembodied people who could not pass on.  The biblical realization is very different thought and needed to be stated.  This book does just that and very well.  When you are living with spiritual harassment and nothing seems to work it is most helpful to read of another account and perspective.  Having been harassed spiritually myself, I can say that until you understand what these entities are, you will only make things worse for yourself.
55842
Amazing book. Lots of info that can help prepare you against satans attacks and give you a better understanding of the stuff that really goes on behind closed doors. Before AND during you're reading, stay steady in prayer because its a dark book. But as long as you keep your armor on. highly recommend this book.