So your walking down the street minding your own business, when the devil appears and he has an offer: Your soul for anything you want in return.
Now you know the old stories well enough to know how this ends. No matter what you wish for he’ll find a way to pervert your wish into something that will make you miserable. Wish for wealth, and he’ll make you a miserable old geezer who stabbed all his friends in the back to win. Wish for fame and he’ll make you a burnt-out rock star with failing health and no privacy. And so on.
All theological argument for never dealing with the devil aside, is there any one wish you could make that would withstand the devil’s devious imagination? This short essay proposes such a wish and seeks comments from others on how to improve upon it while making it as succinct as possible. In other words, how can we make the wish as “bullet-proof” as possible, contractually speaking?
The wish: I wish to be happy, heathly, satisfied and immortal.
Let’s address each point as terms of a contract.
Happy: If one is happy, then one need not specify specific material things that make one happy. For example, if wealth makes one happy, there should be plenty of wealth (or no desire for money).
Healthy: Being happy is not enough. Without one’s health one may be happy in some ways (for example, an ill grandparent watching grandchildren play), but health is an important part of cheating the devil at his game.
Satisfied: What is the point of being happy and healthy if the devil simply hides you in a deep dark cave under the earth? This part of the wish prevents one from ending up in circumstances in which one finds unfavorable. If roaming through libraries or museums, or climbing mountains gives one satisfaction, this clause allows one to continue those pursuits.
Immortal: Let’s not beat around the bush here. The devil is after our souls! It becomes more difficult (I say because some spellcasters might argue if I said impossible) for him to collect if one is immortal. The first three clauses should allow one to experience immortality in as great a comfort as possible.
Happiness, Heath, Satisfaction and Immortality provide some strong arguments for outwitting the devil. The question for we mere mortals is to find the contract’s weaknesses: How could he accept this proposal and still get what he wants?
Christopher Vera 
the problem is the idea of forever. while immortality implies you will live for eternity, the wish isnt specific to say that you wish to be happy, healthy, or satisified for all time. the devil would simply let you be “content” for the space of a day or less, then make you miserable and wish for death; resulting in you doing whatever you can to serve him till he grants it. either way, immortal or not, your soul belongs to him.
i suggest adding the following clause: “for all eternity”
also suggest this clause: “for free”
you know what; why dont you wish for god to kill the devil and everyone who fell with him right then and there. problem solved.
Wesley brings up an interesting point. I would agree the terms of the contract should specify that ALL components of the contract last for the same time (i.e., eternity). I will consider modifying the contract.
As for asking God to kill the devil, I’d guess that if He wanted to, He would have done so already. Not much help there I’m guessing.
I’m curious. If you are dictating that the terms of the contract include you happy and satisfied, are you giving up free will? If you, because of the contract are being forced to be happy and satisfied, you would not even have a choice in the matter. Also, if those conditions are forced upon you, the devil could indeed hide you away in a hole in the earth and you would be happy and satisfied! I actually get visions of you strapped into a straight jacket in a mental institution for all eternity where you would remain happy, healthy, satisfied….and immortal!
Hmmm. On one hand, with bodam’s argument, there’s nothing one could ever wish for that couldn’t be interpreted as a loss of free will. On the other hand, as long as one is happy and satisfied, does it matter whether one has free will? Do we have free will now? Does free will exist at all? Let’s assume it does for the moment (although the topic bears further discussion), could we modify the contract to state “on my own terms” or “of my own free will.”
He don’t because its whatu want how ever u want it to be. The problem is not knowing what to wish for lack of knowage.If I was to wish that the devil dead there is how when n the out come of it. I know why he has not done it god does not mess with free will but if the devil takes free will why can’t some one that has sold there’s to take his death is his out come needs to be done asap can’t give him a chance to reverse the wish by someone else that decides to go from the Lord I wounder if making him to where he can’t here and no one can here him think it has to be done immediately I’ll find out when I wish I could hear god I could. I realize I love everyone the same I just can’t stand how he wants to take everyone with him no I will not have it for peace belongs to all no pain its the hardest thing to do its never been in my heart to heart anyone believed me I would have no problem doing it I just don’t want god to be mad at me for it I don’t it. I think everyone is with me I hope so. This is my last will n testimony god I love our family love u god miss u hope to be with u on the right of u or left.