There was a time when I was intimidated by Satan. I knew that he was evil, very powerful, and certainly more intelligent than I was. So I used to worry that he would cause physical calamities to happen to me like he did to Job in the Bible. Or if not that, I wondered if his demons could possess me. Or, if he could be so influential that it would be impossible for me to resist him? It sounds like I was a wreck, doesn't it? I guess I was.
The fact is, Satan's influence is very real. Ephesians 6:12 tells us: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. I don't know exactly how he operates. But, the important thing I now know is that while Satan can influence me; because I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit, he cannot control me. And Ephesians 6:10-18 goes on to tell me that God gives me everything I need to withstand his influence as well. I merely need to put it on:
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm (Eph 6:13).
I can also rest assured that He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
And the best news of all is — But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:37-39).
It's easy to slip into thinking that Satan is the opposite of God, with similar characteristics and abilities, only in an evil sense. But Satan isn't omnipresent, omniscient or omnipotent. He is a created being and has never ceased to be under the power and authority of God. In His wisdom, God is permitting Satan to have influence, but only because God allows it.
Sometimes I wonder if Satan gets credit for more than he deserves, though. People frequently say, "The devil made me do it." And though we can't always recognize Satan's attacks, I don't believe he is the direct cause of all our sins. The world itself is corrupted by sin and therefore naturally antagonistic to the things of God. And the bad things that happen to us can usually be explained as the result of the sinfulness of man and this corrupt world — or our own poor choices sometimes — and not the direct attacks of Satan. We get sick; we get hurt; we suffer loneliness and depression all because of sin's influence. The reality is, we are the source of most of our problems (Gen 6:5; Mark 7:18-23; James 1:13-16). As Christians, we still have our old natures ready to trip us up at a moment's notice, even without Satan's help. And apart from Christ, we are incapable of doing good.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not (Rom 7:18).
In fact, I don't believe Satan's main goal is to promote sin in the world. He is not bent on being a fiend or an evil bully, but rather, on being "like the most High" (Isa 14:12-17; 2 Thes 2:3-4) and worshipped (Luke 4:5-7). Satan doesn't want to destroy, so much as he wants to construct, and to have authority over this world-system, meaning culture, morality, and religion (2 Cor 11:13-15). And when the Man of Sin enters the holy place and is worshipped as God (Dan 9:27; Matt 24:15; 2 Thes 2:3-4; Rev 13:4-8), for a brief moment, Satan's greatest desire will be realized under the permissive will of God.
In his unrelenting pursuit to be "like the most High", Satan works to prevent the unsaved from being delivered from the power of darkness — his dominion — (Eph 2:2; Col 1:13) by blinding their minds so that the light of the gospel does not reach them (2 Cor 4:3-4, 1 Jn 5:19). And through lies (John 8:44) and deception (Gen 3:1-5), he perverts the truth and leads many astray. We know that on at least one occasion, Satan quoted Scripture out of context (Luke 4:9-11). By omitting the phrase "in all your ways" from Ps 91:11-12, he attempted to apply the promise to something that was contrary to God's will.
Indeed, it seems that counterfeiting and perverting the things of God is one of Satan's main strategies for keeping unbelievers from knowing and understanding the truth:
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds (2 Cor 11:13-15).
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth (1 Tim 4:1-3).
It is apparent that Satan has been more overtly active in the affairs of this world during those periods when God was giving new revelation or obviously forwarding His plan (e.g., Book of Job; possibly Ex 7:11, 22; 8:7; the Gospels; Acts 16:16-18; 19:13-16; 2 Cor 12:7; 1 Thes 2:18). Of course, this was only because God allowed it. And by doing so, He clearly shows His power and authority over Satan (God's plan for the redemption of the world was accomplished and the Bible was completed). The same will be true in the future, after the church has been raptured. The Antichrist will come forth and, with the power of Satan, will do signs and false wonders (2 Thes 2:9-10; Book of Revelation). As for now, God's objective is to save out of this world an elect people for His glory. And because the great ministry of reconciliation has been given to us, we are objects of Satan's attacks. If he can cripple our service, by inciting fear, doubt, discouragement, pride, complacency, division, confusion, etc ..., Satan accomplishes much in resisting the present purpose of God.
And evidently, Satan's war is against God alone. He certainly isn't at war with the unsaved. And when he attacks us (Eph 6:16), he does so only because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and His ambassadors, and through us he is able to strike a blow at God. In this same way, I believe Satan's attacks against us are not in the physical realm ("flesh and blood"), but in the realm of our heavenly association with Christ. It's a spiritual battle, for which He gives us spiritual, not physical, armor. So, while we may not be drawn away into sin, we may utterly fail; to remain in a constant attitude of prayer (Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17); to study His Word (Eph 6:14-17; Col 1:9; 2 Tim 2:15); to rest in His strength (2 Cor 12:9-10; Eph 6:13; Phil 4:13); and, to reach out to the unsaved with the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:18-21; Eph 6:19-20). And such failure is as much a defeat in God's eyes as being lead away into the kind of sin the world recognizes.
But, it is important to remember that although Satan still has power, he has already been judged (Jn 12:31; 16:11), and Jesus Christ has disarmed and triumphed over him (Col 2:15). Through Christ's death and resurrection, Satan has already been defeated. And because we are in Christ, the battle has already been won for us, too. Our old natures, however, are still easily influenced by Satan's schemes, so we must be constantly on our guard (1 Pet 5:6-9), putting on the whole armor of God. For it is only in His strength that we can be victorious.
A common misconception is circulating that Satan will someday rule over hell with sinners as his subjects. However, the Bible makes it very clear that Satan, and his demons, will all be punished for eternity, right along with every person who chooses not to trust Christ (Rev 20:10). And it is to these blinded and lost people that we must tell the glorious message of reconciliation — God through Jesus Christ is reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them (2 Cor 5:18-21; Eph 6:18-20) — before time runs out!
No comments:
Post a Comment