There is a tendency to dismiss the devil and the concept of sin these days. They are by many though to be superstitions of the past, invented to control and manipulate people. But I don't think this is true. While it is clear that many have used the ideas of the devil, sin and hell as a way to scare people into certain ways of behavior, these concept do have a useful function if used correctly.
The devil tempts us to make bad decisions, and as a consequence we get in trouble. He makes us sin and life becomes hell. This is no fiction but based on reality. Spend recklessly on frivolous pleasures, and things tend to end up badly. Give into greed, and we find ourselves soon in a similar mess. Sloth and melancholy will likewise get us in trouble.
The concepts of the devil, sin and hell are figurative ways to describe reality. The devil appeals to the worst in us. If we have a tendency towards greed, the devil may be the man on TV promoting get rich schemes. If we have a tendency towards sloth, the devil may be our friend who keeps telling us that things sort themselves out.
The devil speaks through people who may not even know that they are speaking for him. They may genuinely care for us. We cannot identify the devil by judging the character of the person who speaks. And there is certainly no way to spot the devil by looking for symbols or external features. The only way to recognize the devil is to know our own weaknesses and to know when we are tempted to do things that will ultimately get us into trouble.
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