2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
Long ago before the creation of the earth, God made the decision to send Jesus Christ to earth to serve a ministry and then to give His life on the cross, so we could have the chance to have eternal life through salvation. COL 1: 19-20, "For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in Himself the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to Himself. God made peace through His Son's death on the cross and so brought back to Himself all things, both on earth and in heaven." 1 PET 1: 20-21, "He had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake. Through Him you believe in God Who raised Him from death and gave Him glory; and so your faith and hope are fixed on God." While I've cited these truths many times before, we can look at them in the context of what we need to know about Satan to successfully wage the spiritual warfare in which God commands us to join Him. I believe that just as Christ knew that it was to be Judias Iscariot who would betray Him [LK 22: 21-22], that God also knew that Satan would bring evil into the world and would cause much pain and suffering. I also believe that God knows that through Christ, the devil will be defeated [REV 12: 7-8].
The power that God gives believers to do spiritual warfare is great indeed. And, we must not forget the authority that has been divinely and eternally given to our Lord Jesus Christ. EPH 1: 19-23, "And how very great is His power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength which He used when He raise Christ from death and seated him at His right side in the heavenly world. Christ rules there above all heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords; he has a title superior to all titles of authority in this world and in the next. God put all things under Christ's feet and gave Him to the church as supreme Lord over all things. The church is Christ's body, the completion of Him Who Himself completes all things everywhere." With that kind of authority in both God's and Christ's hands, is it no wonder that Satan's time to do evil is limited in time and scope?
In case of any question about just how long God has been in supreme authority, we can look not only at the citations above, but at King Nebuchadnezzar's testimony of acknowledgment of it in DN 4: 34-35. "'When the seven yeas had passed,' said the king, 'I looked up at the sky, and my sanity returned. I praised the Supreme God and gave honor and glory to the One Who lives forever. 'He will rule forever, and His kingdom will last for all time. He looks on the people of the earth as nothing; angels in heaven and people on earth are under His control. No one can oppose His will or question what He does.'" He goes on to say in DN 4: 37, "And now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, honor, and glorify the King of Heaven. Everything He does is right and just, and He can humble anyone who acts proudly." I would like add, "and that includes Satan and his followers." When we realize that Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylonia, and for a long time an enemy of God and those like Daniel and his friends, who are faithful to God, this assertion on the king's part is nothing short of amazing. Remember MK 10: 27, "....This is impossible for a man, but nothing is impossible for God."
IS 45: 5-8, "I am the Lord; there is no other god. I will give you the strength you need, although you do not know Me. I do this so that everyone from one end of the world to the other may know that I am the Lord and that there is no other god. I create both light and darkness; I bring both blessing and disaster. I, the Lord, do all these things. I will send victory from the sky like rain; the earth will open to receive it and will blossom with freedom and justice. I, the Lord, will make this happen." This was God's statement of His sovereignty through Isaiah. While I may not have spoken a lot about Satan directly today, the implication in all these citations given is his lack of real, lasting power over anyone who, like Job, remains true to God in the face of the challenges Satan tries to level at the believer's faith. We see teenagers dying tragically in auto accidents, loved ones battling cancer, our friends suffering with depression, people facing divorce, others dealing with financial jeopardy due to a tough economy or their giving in to the desires of the natural self, and many, many more troubles that beset our society. And yet, we must not lose sight of God's ability to heal, protect, guide, and provide for us when we remain faithful. Dear Ones, I will say it over and over again: Satan is a loser, and we need never give in to his deceptions, temptations, pain, and trouble. With faith which endures and keeping our eye on God's plan to bring us safely to Him for eternity, we can show Satan Who is the real Boss. God has given us the chance to do this because of sacrificing His Son on the cross for us.
PRAYER: O Lord, when we praise You, Satan finds this more than just a little disturbing. That and the fact that You richly deserve it, is why we offer You our praise today. You and Christ hold the keys to authority over all. You and He never use that authority for unrighteousness. We acknowledge Your supremacy and Sovereign right to rule over all Your creation. We also yield authority in our lives to Your Son. Your love for us is constant, fair, compassionate, and patient. PS 103: 1-5, 11-13, & 17-19 puts our attitude into words. "Praise the Lord, my soul! All my being, praise His holy name! Praise the Lord, my soul, and do not forget how kind He is. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He keeps me from the grave and blesses me with love and mercy. He fills my life with good things, so that I stay young and strong like an eagle...As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is His love for those who have reverence for Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our sins from us. As kind as a father is to his children, so kind is the Lord to those who honor Him...But for those who honor the Lord, His love lasts forever, and His goodness endures for all generations of those who are true to His covenant and who faithfully obey His commands. The Lord placed His throne in heaven; He is King over all." You, Dearest Abba, choose to bring us to salvation through Christ's Atonement and to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit, so we can understand Your word. It is You Who gives us Your full armor and send us into to battle with the devil, knowing that we can win in Christ's name and be perfected eventually through the strengthening of our faith found in it. We confess our sins to You in humility and offer You our utmost adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, trust, obedience, honor, glory, praise, and thanksgiving. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen
Tomorrow, I am led to go on with how Satan's target is the righteous believer and to give more "combat intelligence" on the devil from the Scriptures. I stand amazed at the sheer volume of information that God gives us and at His consistent love and presence in our lives. There is nowhere that we go, no situation that challenges us, without God being their anxiously awaiting us to seek Him out and to listen for His commands. He loves us so much that He knows that if we obey His commands, He will grant us eternal joy and fellowship with Him. Our loving Abba also knows that He is asking us to make major changes in our lives, so as to conform to the standard that He has set for us in His Son's example. This is the only way that we can be truly sanctified and join Him in His work. His great purpose for us is to eventually be without pain or sorrow, walking streets of gold with Him in the new Jerusalem forever. He wants us close to Him, spending eternity bathing in the sweet light of His love. Peter and I send our love to you too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn