Foundations of Faith
SATAN (III)
Satan’s chief work today seems to be directed at those who are following God. For example, we find Satan opposed to the first man and woman created by God and who enjoyed communion with God (Gen. 2:16-3:8). He was opposed to Job who “was perfect and upright, and one who feared God” (Job 1:1). He was opposed to the One whom God declared to be “My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17-4:11). And he is opposed to the believers in Christ who are seeking to lay hold of their “spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3; 2:6; 6:11-18). Satan may try to discourage believers by means of affliction and persecution (Job 1,2; 1 Pet. 5:8,9; Rev. 2:9,10). More often, it seems, he tries to get God’s people off track by means of his cunning lies, accusations, suggestions, and temptations (Gen. 3:1-5; Matt. 4:1-10; John 8:44; 2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 6:11-18; 2 Thess. 2:9-11; Rev. 12:9; 20:8). Satan wants to keep as many souls as possible out of heaven. He seeks to accomplish this goal by blinding the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4), and also by destroying the gospel testimony of the believers by discouragement, discontent, defeat, and depression.
Satan continues his attempt to gain equality with God (Isa. 14:14). Thus, he opposes God at every opportunity. Since the believers in Christ have become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4), Satan delights to thrust his “fiery darts” at the divine Person who indwells them. Every time we remain “strong in the Lord” (Eph. 6:10) and resist Satan’s temptations and attacks, he will flee from us (Jas. 4:7). In this way, we are privileged to manifest to the heavenly hosts the superiority of God to Satan.
Specific ways in which Satan tempts and harasses the believer are given in the current series of articles under The Race.
Satan is already judged. The Lord Jesus, speaking to His disciples of His impending death, declared, “Now shall the prince of this world be cast out…. The prince of this world is judged” (John 12:31; 16:11). We also read that Christ, “through death,” destroyed “him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14; see also Col. 2:14,15).
But if Satan was “cast out,” “judged,” and “destroyed” through the death of Christ, how is it that he seems to be very much alive and active today? It is because it was a legal sentence that was pronounced upon Satan at the cross; that sentence is yet to be carried out. (It is similar to the judgment pronounced upon King Saul and the anointing of David as the new king many years before David actually ascended to the throne; 1 Sam. 15:28; 16:13). But at the same time, the believer is privileged to view Satan as a defeated enemy. The power of God is far greater than the power of Satan, and God wants every Christian to draw upon God’s power and resources to resist Satan at all times (Eph. 6:10-18). The actual judgment of Satan will begin during the period of great tribulation that is to come upon the earth. A further stage of judgment will come upon Satan at the return of Christ to set up his 1,000-year reign over the earth. Satan’s final and eternal judgment will come to pass at the end of the 1,000 years. (See Assignment 8)
Will Satan continue to rebel against God throughout eternity? Perhaps in his heart he will, but he will be among those spoken of in Phil. 2:10,11:”At the name of Jesus every knee [shall] bow, of [beings] in heaven,… in earth, and … under the earth, and … every tongue [shall] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Running the Race
IN WHAT WAYS DOES SATAN TEMPT AND HARASS US? (III)
Let us continue our study from Eph. 6:14-18 of ways in which Satan tempts and harasses the Christian.
4. “Taking the shield of faith … to quench the fiery darts of the wicked [one].” In addition to reminding us of past sins, Satan may toss other kinds of unwanted thoughts into our minds. These “fiery darts” may be blasphemous thoughts or doubting questions: “How do you know there really is a God?” “The Bible is a bunch of lies and myths.” “Jesus was an imposter, not the Son of God.” No doubt, all believers, at some time or other, have experienced some such thoughts. Most are able to dismiss them immediately as untrue. However, some believers may become very upset and agitated by such thoughts, thinking that they initiated the thoughts, and wondering if they could really be saved and think such thoughts. To protect against these “fiery darts” we need to take “the shield of faith,” that is, unwavering belief in the Word of God.
Satan may also at times plant impure pictures or profane words in our minds. I am not talking about the impure, sinful thoughts that may flood one’s mind while trying to read the Bible or pray or worship after having filled his mind with an R-rated movie/video or a pornographic magazine. Such thoughts are probably not from Satan, but from one’s own sinful flesh. However, on other occasions such thoughts may indeed be from Satan. But we have power from God–“the shield of faith”–to dismiss such thoughts immediately from our minds. Such thoughts only become sin if we dwell on them rather than immediately dismissing them.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Three of our readers completed all of the assignments for 1994. For the second straight year, the top scorer was Julie Johnson of Bedford, Pennsylvania (98.1% correct answers). Close behind were Philip Johnson of Anoka, Minnesota and Andrew Johnson of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Three others–Lisa and Carrie Keillor of Acton, California and Sue Butler of Ramsey, Minnesota–completed the assignments for only part of the year, but got at least 13 correct answers. Finally, Kevin Bennett of Jessup, Maryland received the back issues of GROWING in January 1995 and completed all of the 1993 assignments by the following month.
Assignment 8: Write out verses in Revelation 12 and 20 that describe the three stages of judgment to be carried out against Satan in the last days.