Daily Bread - NOV/15/07

1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober be watchful your adversary the devil as a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may devour.

If there is any one thing that God's people need to sober up about it is that they are in the midst of a conflict over good and evil (Romans 6:16; 2 Corinthians 10:5-6; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Isaiah 55:7). This is a battle between the sons of God and the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:11; 1 Peter 2:11; 3:11; 4:1; 2 Corinthians 10:3; 1 John 2:14; 1 John 3:1- 10; 3 John 11; Hebrews 5:14; John 5:29; John 1:12). The captain of our salvation has totally defeated Satan in his reign of terror over all mankind yet a battle still rages (Hebrews 2:10; Romans 5:11-21; 1 Peter 4:1-3). You may ask how can it be both? How can Satan be defeated and yet still be in the fight? There are two parallel kingdoms that run side by side at the present time: the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of the Dear Son (Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 2:2; 6:10-11; John 16:11; Acts 26:18; 1 John 2:16; 5:19; 2 Corinthians 4:4; John 14:30).

Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of darkness and in so doing He destroyed the devil who has the power of death. Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light (Hebrews 2:14; 2 Timothy 1:10; John 12:31). Yet at the same time Satan is still at work for a period of time exercising his dominion over those who are lost. Satan also desires to overthrow the faith of those who belong to the Kingdom of the Dear Son (Luke 22:31; 2 Timothy 2:18; 1 Timothy 1:19; Revelation 3:14-22). If we walk in obedience to God, Satan cannot exercise any form of dominion over us nor can he even touch us (Romans 6:1-22; 1 John 5:18; 5:4; 2:13). We have been given power over every one of Satan's works insomuch that we can trample his works under our feet by the authority that we have been given in Christ Jesus (Luke 10:19; Romans 16:20).

The name Satan means enemy or adversary. He is a formidable foe with a power of deception and deceit that could even overthrow the very elect if it were allowed to be unleashed without restraint upon the saints (Matthew 24:24; 24:11; Mark 13:22; 2 Peter 2:1- 3; 3:17). The Holy Spirit warns us by Peter to be continually aware of the attack that Satan attempts to launch against us (2 Corinthians 2:11; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15). We are to be strong in the strength of the Lord and the power of His might to stand against all of the deceptive tricks that Satan attempts to use to devour and to destroy (Ephesians 6:10-13; James 4:7; Ephesians 4:26-27). As our adversary he is a devil set against all mankind to slander and to accuse. The weapon that he uses to destroy man is sin. It was through the act of sin that this battle was set into motion and it remains central to the conflict today. If we do not observe the fact that sin is far more than something we choose as an alternative to righteousness there is no way that we will be sober about this battle that we are engaged in. We need to feel the same way about sin that God does: He hates it! (Habakkuk 1:13; Psalms 97:10; Proverbs 8:13). God so hates sin that He has judged that it is worthy of an eternal torture in a place called Hell (Luke 16:22; Matthew 8:12; 22:13; Mark 9:44-48).

So many people have a difficult time understanding how that a loving God could create such a terrible place like Hell. What they fail to understand is how awful sin is to God and what a terrible offense it is against life. We need to have the same insight and revelation as to what Satan's devices are and see it as the weapons of the powers of darkness that are set against us to destroy all mankind.

As soldiers of the Kingdom of God we have been given weapons and authority to destroy every work of darkness (2 Timothy 2:3-4; Philemon 1:2). We have been given the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God to destroy every one of Satan's lies. We have been given the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left to overthrow all unrighteousness. Like the mighty men of David's army we are trained up by the Holy Spirit to use both the right hand and the left hand equally effectively in this battle against sin (2 Corinthians 6:7; Romans 13:12; Luke 10:19; Ephesians 6:17). We are to yield our members as weapons of righteousness against sin (Romans 6:13).

Be blessed,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org