The Battle with the Devil

4190. ponéros

Strong's Concordance
ponéros: toilsome, bad
Original Word: πονηρός, ά, όν
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: ponéros
Phonetic Spelling: (pon-ay-ros')
Short Definition: evil, bad, wicked
Definition: evil, bad, wicked, malicious, slothful.

Macarthur's new testament commentary also makes note that ponéros is also used as a title for Satan - Matt. 13:19, 38; John 17:15; Eph. 6:16; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 John 2:13.

Commentary on Martin Luther's method:
In resisting the devil we should be careful not to make use of his tools. We don't fight evil with evil, but evil with good. Drunkenness and reveling (enjoy oneself in a lively and noisy way, especially with drinking and dancing) is not good (Romans 13:13). Though Luther preached strongly against drunkenness and debauchery he was inconsistent in what he said.

Quote;

Whenever the devil harasses you thus, seek the company of men or drink more, or joke and talk nonsense, or do some other merry thing. Sometimes we must drink more, sport, recreate ourselves, aye, and even sin a little to spite the devil, so that we leave him no place for troubling our consciences with trifles. We are conquered if we try to conscientiously not to sin at all. So when the devil says to you, “Do not drink,” answer him: “I will drink, and right freely, just because you tell me not to.” One must always do what Satan forbids. What other cause do you think that I have for drinking so much strong drink, talking so freely and making merry so often, except that I wish to mock and harass the devil who is wont to mock and harass me. Would that I could contrive some great sin to spite the devil, that he might understand that I would not even then acknowledge it and that I was conscious of no sin whatever. We must put the whole law entirely out of our eyes and hearts, — we, I say, whom the devil thus assails and torments. Whenever the devil charges us with our sins and pronounces us guilty of death and hell, we ought to say to him: I admit that I deserve death and hell; what, then, will happen to me? Why, you will be eternally damned! By no means; for I know One who has suffered and made satisfaction for me. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where He abides, there will I also abide.”