LAKEVIEW MISSIONARY CHURCH
Weekly Update for May 11, 2022
SATAN'S POSITION IN THIS WORLD
The Christian life is not a stroll down Easy Street arriving at Heaven without any scratches, bruises, or sores. It is a spiritual war between our Christian walk with Christ and Satan who wants to mug us along that Christian walk. Satan is able to cause harm to us because of his position in this world.
The Bible says that Satan is the god of this world. Paul told the believers in Corinth that Satan is the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4, NLT). He is the god of this world in two ways. First, Satan hides the good news of the Gospel. Paul wrote that the Good News he preached was “hidden behind a veil” (2 Corinthians 4:3) because Satan has “blinded the minds of those who don’t believe” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Second, Satan has a level of authority over the world. When Jesus was led into the wilderness Satan took Jesus up high and showed him all the kingdoms of the earth (Luke 4:5). Satan then told Jesus, “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them because they are mine to give to anyone I please” (Luke 4:6). Notice that Satan says the kingdoms of the earth are his possessions that he has the authority to give away. Also take note of 1 John 5:19, “We know that . . . the world around us is under the control of the evil one.” The “evil one” is Satan, who has control of this world.
Satan is the leader of a hierarchy of evil demonic spirits. The current state of Satan’s army is described in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians where he told the believers that they should “stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:11-12). Yikes! Satan is in charge of evil rulers and authorities in the unseen spiritual world, and he seeks to attack Christ’s people. The book of Matthew tells us that Satan has “demons” under his authority (Matthew 25:41), and the book of Revelation tells us he has “angels” in his army (Revelation 12:8).
Satan has a position of authority in this world and he has an army that helps him. Therefore, Christians must heed Peter’s command: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The Christian’s walk should include reading God’s Word daily, praying regularly, and maintain fellowship with other believers. These things will keep you safe and protect you from Satan.
Christopher L. Scott
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