2002-01-01
Good Morning Fellow Believers,
Today, I am led to continue examining the character profile of Satan from the Scriptures. It is given to us as "combat intelligence" to help prepare us for what to expect when battling spiritually with the devil and his followers. Our Lord helps to protect us by equipping us in all the ways we need, so that we can wage this war successfully on behalf of His Son. One of the key issues in understanding God's sovereignty is understanding that He alone has the right to grant and to take away life. In today's worldly society making a bold statement like that appears controversial. That is because mankind is trying to rationalize the arrogant usurpation of God's right to do this. Efforts to clone living things, murders committed as crimes or under the guise of mercy killing, genetic engineering, and other forms for medical intervention that attempt to control whether a person lives or not are examples of what I mean. When a person commits suicide, he is very likely under Satan's control and rarely considers the impact on the loved ones he leaves behind. It is an act of great selfishness, and Satan rejoices when such things are accomplished. The Islamic concept of jihad, holy war fought to the death against all who do not share their religion (infidels), is certainly a product of Satan and is taught in the Koran (their holy book). I don't think I'm guessing when I say that any belief system which teaches young children that an honorable way to die is in committing suicide in the process of killing others can be from another source but the adversary. In each of the cases mentioned above and others not named, one common thread is shared. Mankind takes matters in his own hands that belong to our Supreme and Sovereign Lord.
God has made His will on this clear in PR 3: 5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all you heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and He will show you the right way." Satan blinds people to their need to have faith and rely on God, if they let him. He is a purveyor of hopelessness and prevents forgiveness. We need to remember, as Paul teaches, that we are one in Christ. EPH 2: 19, "So then, you Gentiles are not foreigners or strangers any longer; you are now fellow citizens with God's people and members of the family of God." If we were to ask where does the family of God take residence and have full, permanent citizenship, the answer would be with God in heaven. If we understand that, then we recognize all believers as being "tent-dwellers" on earth, "in this world but not of it."
1 PET 5: 6-11 puts God's perspective on the suffering we must endure at the hands of Satan and his followers, and it also reveals another character trait of Satan. "Humble yourselves, then, under God's mighty hand, so that He will lift you up in His own good time; leave all your worries with Him, because He cares for you. Be alert, be on the watch! Your enemy, the devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be firm in your faith and resist Him in your faith, and resist him because you know all your fellow believers in all the world are going through the same kind of suffering. But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, Who calls you to share His eternal glory in union with Christ, will Himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure Foundation. To Him be the power forever! Amen." There is a lot to digest in this passage. We often get impatient, especially when we are suffering and in pain, so the phrase "in His own good time" doesn't sit well with us. Yet, we must yield to God's superior knowledge and perspective. We must recognize Him as always-righteous and therefore, never doing anything for an evil reason like taking joy in watching us suffer as we await His action. If we are waiting, it is because He has a good reason to have us wait. Satan "roams like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." That, Dear Ones, is what hate does; it makes you go around looking for trouble to cause. Satan is definitely hateful. He holds grudges and exacts revenge. He arrogantly usurps God's power whenever he can get away with it. But, we must trust God. Our loving Abba is not going to leave us in the lurch, hanging. When we realize that we are not alone in our suffering, we can help and encourage each other through it. We can remind each other of God's love and presence in our lives, so that Satan can't enjoy making us feel hopeless. Satan can and will be defeated! If you can't take my word for that, take God's through John in REV 20: 10. When looking at this passage, we must not forget the "how-to" part of it: "Be humble; be alert." There is more to say on this, which I will take up in tomorrow's message. In the meanwhile, we should see how many reasons we find in the Scriptures for why we shouldn't fear Satan. This is what I plan to do, because God lends us much comfort while we are in the belly of the beast fighting spiritual warfare in our lives.
PRAYER O Lord, You lead me to David's pleas for justice in PS 7: 1-2 and reveal to him (and us) the truths that will comfort him in verses 10-11 and 14-17. "O Lord, my God, I come to you for protection; rescue me and save me from all who pursue me, or else like a lion they will carry me off where no one can save me, and there they will tear me to pieces...God is my Protector; He saves those who obey Him. God is a righteous Judge and always condemns the wicked...See how wicked people think up evil; they plan trouble and practice deception. But in the traps they set for others, they themselves get caught. So they are punished by their own evil and are hurt by their own violence. I thank the Lord for His justice; I sing praises to the Lord, the Most High." When we think of David being pursued by Saul and Haman, from the book of Esther, being hung on the very gallows he constructed out of his hatred toward Jews for Mordecai, we are given examples of the truths in this wonderful Psalm. In David's case, You protected him for Saul and eventually saw to Saul's destruction. David's reward for his faithfulness was to be given His covenant with You that a Descendant of his would rule forever. That is our Lord Jesus Christ, and You, Dearest Abba, are a Promise-keeper. You are a just and compassionate Lord, the One to Whom we can look for comfort amidst or sorrow and suffering. Your timing is perfect, and we must wait patiently for it. You are always righteous and loving. We trust in You. Today, we come before You in humility to confess our sin and to offer You our eternal adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, glory, honor, trust, obedience, praise, and thanksgiving. In Christ's name, amen.
As promised above, I will continue discussing Satan's character profile in tomorrow's message. No matter where in the Scriptures that we look, God's love jumps out at us. Even when we have spent time being frustrated, in pain, in sorrow, or pacing the floor waiting for God's response to a fervent prayer, His love is there for us see. We must look for it, and sometimes aren't in the mood to do so. We must never lose sight of God's purpose for us, which is stated in RO 12: 2. "Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by the renewal of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God-what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect." While it is true that we must battle against Satan, we don't have to feel like God has abandoned us. He is truly with us and equips us for victory out of his profound love for us. God loves you and so do Peter and I.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn