In yesterday’s devotion we shared three messages on our way to describing why the Christian lifestyle is the absolute best way to live. These three were – God created everything, we are all born with a sin nature, and false gods are not the answer. I pray that the following two messages will help complete the picture on why the Christian lifestyle is the magnificent alternative way of living.
Message 4 – Satan is our real enemy
Being born with a sin nature helps us to understand why it is so difficult to cope with the day-to-day struggles we encounter. But what went on behind the scenes, leading up to our inheriting this nature, is essential to our understanding the need for God’s magnificent alternative to be shared in our fifth message; soon to be revealed. Knowing our enemy is critical to finding the peace, joy, and meaning we all so desperately want in life. (Ephesians 6:12) explicitly tells us that Satan and his demonic companions are who our true battle is against. For we read: “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.”
Most people sadly believe that it is people who are our enemies, but the Bible flatly states that it is Satan who controls this planet and acts behind the scenes to influence all of us that don’t have Jesus in our corner. Without having this knowledge and Jesus as our savior we are doomed to endlessly struggle in our journey through life. But once we unmask Satan for who he truly is we can win the war and put him to flight. We can now experience real peace, joy, and meaning by not arguing and fighting against one another but resting in Jesus and letting Him keep Satan and his demonic horde in their place. And this brings us to our most exciting fifth message.
Message 5 – Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life
The magnificent alternative way of living can be wonderfully summed up in one word – Jesus! Jesus is clearly the way to know the truth and it is this truth that allows us to live a wonderful life.
When we sinned, God was faced with a dilemma. You see God is a God of great holiness and mankind of great sinfulness and there is a chasm between the two that is infinitely wide. The question for God was how could He bridge this gap? We know that His love made it necessary to leave us the option to either obey or disobey Him. But praise God His love also had a provision, to restore us to fellowship with Him, even if we chose to disobey Him and sin. His holiness demanded payment for sin, but His love offered pardon. God’s plan was to send Himself, in the form of a human being (Jesus), to earth to live a perfectly sinless life and then sacrifice Himself as our sin-bearer.
Jesus, therefore, would take our sins and their penalty onto Himself. (II Corinthians 5:21) says it so beautifully: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Since He was also God, He could consider our great debt to Himself as now paid in full. Jesus was the great sacrifice, the cross the place where our sins were nailed, and His resurrection from death three days later our assurance that our pardon was complete.
Now as Christians we can spend the rest of our lives living with a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and joy inexpressible and full of glory. (I Peter 1:8). Even the trials we go through give us the opportunity to draw closer to Jesus and experience His wonderful comfort that He so richly supplies all of His children. And knowing that when we die, we have eternal life with Jesus in heaven makes even our gloomiest day bright when we focus on Him. And perhaps (Psalm 27:4) shares with us the most amazing privilege in all the universe: “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”
“it is Satan who controls this planet…”
For those who believe in the truth of the Bible, we know that Satan is alive and wanting the downfall of humanity and the defeat of God’s purposes in the world. He uses his power and demonic minions to achieve his goal but are we giving too much power to Satan and his evil hordes when we say, ”Satan is the god of this world?” How does the Bible describe our foe?
Firstly, Satan is a creature with limited powers (Luke 22:31). Even under the Old Covenant he had to be granted permission by God before he could act (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7). These limitations have been multiplied since the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
Let’s follow the Biblical evidence of how toothless this defeated lion is:
He flees in the face of our resistance (James 4:7)
The only power he has is what we give him or is granted by God (2Cor 12:7-12)
He is Biblically described as defeated, disarmed and spoiled (Col 2:15; Rev 12:7 and Mark 3:27)
He has “fallen” (Luke 10:18)
He was “thrown down” (Rev 12:9)
He is “crushed” under the feet of Christians (Romans 16:20)
He has lost authority over Christians (Col 1:13)
He has been “judged” (John 16:11)
Now will the ruler of this world be cast out. Luke 12:31
He cannot “touch” a Christian (I John 5:18)
His works have been destroyed
(I John 3:8)
He has been ”cast out.” (John 12:31,32)
He has “nothing” (John 14:30)
He is “bound” (Mark 3:27; Luke 11:20)
The gates of hell “shall not overpower” the advancing church (Matt 16:18)
There are other passages that portray this defeated foe but hopefully this brief outlook will renew our resolve to be engaged with confidence in Kingdom work and to see the world and history through God’s eyes rather than the evening news.
Surely, Satan is alive but he is not well on planet earth. Progressively, the enemies of Christ are being defeated and made His footstool.
As Martin Luther said,
”And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure,
one little word shall fell him.”
Amazing this God of ours, lost for words.
Muriel,
Like so many saints whose mouths were shut in the presence of the Lord,
we, too, wait silently, at a loss for words.
Lamentations 3:26
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.