What does that entail?
It has been a little more than a month since I posted The Lord Jesus Christ’s P.H.D. Part 1.
That post was a continuation of the the post talking about God’s P.H.D., that emphasized that God’s Word was His Prophetic Historical Document of Jesus Christ who is the Word of God, made flesh.
Presently I am not prepared to continue with The Lord Jesus Christ’s P.H.D. Part 2.
Why?
Something else has been pressing on my heart.
That something is a topic that many believers in the Church understand; yet many other believers in the Church do not fully understand; and many believers do not want explained to them; or in some instances, I assume have discounted this teaching completely.
What has been on my heart?
Consider the following questions.
Q: What do you understand about spiritual warfare?
Q: What does your local church believe about spiritual warfare?
Q: What does your pastoral staff teach about spiritual warfare?
In short, is this important?
I affirm that it is absolutely important.
Therefore, I put forth this question.
Q: Why is there so much conflict in the world today in which we live?
I am not a scholar nor a theologian; but I would like to share some insights.
There is not a new spiritual conflict.
Let us go back to a beginning.
Can we even determine when the beginning was?
You can research many different theories regarding when this conflict began.
For me, I believe that it began in eternity before the foundation of the world; therefore before the creation of Adam and Eve.
The conflict is the result of one archangel*, Lucifer, a creation of God, who personally determined that his status and position as a created being by God was no longer something that he was satisfied with so he rebelled and made the decision to exalt himself to be higher than God. [*some scholars believe that he was an archangel; and many others do not. I will leave the resolve of that issue to your own study.] {emphasis mine}
Regardless, the fact remains that it was Lucifer (Satan), who made that decision.
It is recorded in Isaiah 14:12-14; and is paralleled in Ezekiel 28:1-19.
In both passages, there is a dual reference to the King of Tyre manifesting His pride and arrogance; and the pride and arrogance exhibited by Lucifer (Satan) (insert mine)
Lucifer decided that he would be exalted over God.
The consequences of that decision are stated in Isaiah 14:15, and Ezekiel 28:16-19.
In Isaiah 14:12-14, the five “I wills” of Lucifer are stated.
Lucifer said I will be exalted above God; the result of his five “I wills” is:
“Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” (Isaiah 14:15, NKJV)
Lucifer who desired the highest point of exaltation received the absolute lowest place in God’s universe.
Lucifer(Satan) has not been assigned to Sheol yet. (insert mine)
Revelation 20: 10, NKJV, tells us where Lucifer is eternally assigned because of his rebellion against God. “The devil (Lucifer), who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (insert mine)
Note on Revelation 20:10, in the MacArthur Study Bible, page 2022, says, “Continuous, unrelieved torment will be the final state of Satan, fallen angels, and unredeemed men.” (emphasis mine)
Why does mankind need the Gospel?
So that mankind can be redeemed from Hell and not spend eternity in the same final state as Satan, and the fallen angels. (emphasis mine)
One of the great unknowns throughout the entirety of the Word of God is, why has God allowed Satan to be an influence in this world?
The answer to that quandary has been addressed by many authors and theologians.
My understanding is summarized in this conclusion.
God uses Satan for His own purposes.
Ask Job!
God allows Satan to have influence in the dealings of mankind.
As you read the Word of God, and you understand the Sovereignty of God, coupled with His eternal purpose formed before the foundation of the world, a believer in Christ, must come to understand that Satan does have an influence in this world, but that influence is governed by God; and that the Church has a responsibility in standing against that influence.
Therefore, the Church must be governed by God.
That is a truth that the Church must understand; as well as, every believer in Christ Jesus.
Paul writing to the Ephesian Church states in Ephesians 6: 10-18, reminds the Church that our adversary the devil is real, and that he (Satan) is the Church’s spiritual opposition.
We are to “…stand against the wiles (scheming) of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (humanity), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (insert mine)
Do you believe that?
Read Ephesians 6:10-18.
We must be willing to accept the truth of these words and rest by faith in His omniscience. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
The following , too, is a foundational truth that the Church must understand; as well as, every believer in Christ Jesus.
Jesus didn’t just come to ‘save’ us.
The total work of the cross is much more inclusive than that.
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came in human flesh, and became the Son of Man, totally and completely, satisfied the wrath of God against sin; provides for mankind’s salvation by grace through faith in Christ’s death; the shedding of His blood; and His broken body; resulting in Christ’s death, burial, and glorious resurrection where those who call upon the name of the Lord will receive eternal life where old things have passed away and all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Christ’s death on the cross, not only made the way for mankind to be reconciled unto God, the Father; but completely broke the power of sin, caused death to die, and made an open spectacle of defeating the power of Satan. (See Colossians 2:11-15; Hebrews 2:14-18; 1 John 3:7-8)
Satan’s authority and influence has been completely defeated.
Yet the final and ultimate consequence of that defeat because of the work of the cross, because of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection has been held in abeyance by the Sovereignty of God until what God has said will happen does in fact take place. (See I Corithians 15:20-28; Ephesians 1:15-23; Hebrews 2:5-18)
Therefore, Jesus, prior to His ascension back into the presence of His Father, makes this declaration to His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18b, NKJV)
Paul writing to the Philippian Church about the coming, the person, and the ministry of Jesus Christ, clearly presents the humility of the Son of God, who took on human flesh to become the Son of Man. He also outlines the mind of Christ to fulfill this commission given to Him by His Father before the foundation of the world. (See Philippians 2:1-11).
Paul states unequivocally that what Christ accomplished through His death, “even death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8b NKJV), results in the following absolute truth.
“Therefore God has also highly exalted Him and given Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on the earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11, NKJV)
This post, The Time to Continue, points back to these previous posts: Pentecost-50 Days After Passover Part 1, and Part 2; The Lord Jesus Christ; and The Lord Jesus Christ is Glorified.
I encourage you to revisit these posts. It will renew the foundational thoughts for us to continue forward.
A final thought.
The perceived conflict in the world is real; yet it is not in question because our God alone is God; Our God is Sovereign; He is “one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:6 NKJV)
See also, Psalms 103:19; Daniel 4:35; Lamentations 3:37-38; Psalms 46:8-10.
The origin of the conflict, the struggle, the wrestling we encounter is because Lucifer asserted his ‘I will be’ against the God who created him who is ‘ I am that I am’.
What Lucifer witnessed God receiving from His angelic beings, he desires for himself.
He did not want to be a ‘giver’ of worship unto God; he wanted to be a receiver of that worship. Therefore, he said within himself, I will be greater than God.
Consider this, the internal attitude that Lucifer asserted against his creator God is the exact same attitude that he (Satan) in the Garden of Eden presented to Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. They were not God nor were they ever to be God.
What did Satan say to Eve?
Genesis 3:1-5, NKJV. “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you ear of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Lucifer, Satan, the serpent (all names of one and the same) who had said within himself that he want to be higher than God; now comes to the pinnacle of God’s creation, mankind, who has been created in His image and likeness, and puts forth the thought that they can be (if I may say it this way) greater than God’s original purpose of their creation.
This is the exact same thing that Lucifer asserted within himself.
He was totally rejected.
Now he asserts his personal pride and arrogance at God’s creation, Adam and Eve, proposing to them to leave their designated purpose as God created them; and to command their own destiny to be ‘like God, knowing good and evil’.
In short, Satan, wants Adam and Eve to redirect their attention away from God and give it to him.
The result of Adam and Eve’s decision to step out from their Creator’s purpose for their existence with Him, resulted in exactly what God said would happen.
They died internally.
Their fellowship with God by the spirit was severed (died) because of their disobedience.
The result of their disobedience can be read in Genesis 3:6-24.
B.U.T.(Believer Understand This) God, because of His grace, mercy, and loving kindness dealt judiciously and mercifully with Adam and Eve.
That is the message of the Cross.
However, before He dealt with Adam and Eve. He dealt with the serpent. (See Genesis 3:14-16.)
God’s dialogue with the serpent, Adam, and Eve put into motion the plan of salvation that was purposed before the foundation of the world.
Can we fully grasp that Christ, the Eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8 NKJV). See also Ephesians 1:3-14.
Have you ever wondered why the scripture so adamantly tells us that God “opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”? (I Peter 5:5 NKJV)
I believe it is because it is rooted in Lucifer’s original pride, arrogance, haughtiness, lying, evil behavior, etc.
Pride represents Lucifer’s assertion that he will be greater than God.
Remember, Lucifer wanted what God received; therefore he sought to displace Him.
Lucifer’s pride resides in humanity’s ‘unregenerated’ heart.
Do you now clearly see why Christ came?
Christ, the second Adam, perfectly obeyed His Father, in a body.
There was no sin of pride in Him.
See Philippians 2:5-11.
Satan tried to penetrate Christ’s humanity, and get Him to sin; but Jesus did not succumb to the lies, the deceit, and the temptations of Satan to do evil.
In the wilderness, where Satan tempted Jesus, his third temptation (Matthew 4:8,9) was his attempt for Jesus (who is the Son of God/Son of Man) to do the very thing that Satan had pridefully desired to experience in eternity past.
Satan wanted to be in the place, where God would bow down and worship him.
Here is the dialogue, (Matthew 4:8-11 Amplified Version) “Again, the devil took Him up on a very nigh mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the the world, and the glory [splendor, magnificence, and excellence] of them; and said to Him, “All these things I will give to You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan. For it is written and forever remains written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” [Deuteronomy 6:13] Then the devil left Him and angels came and ministered to Him [bringing food and serving Him].” (emphasis mine)
Did you see it? The very words spoken by Satan to Jesus “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” tells the complete story of Lucifer’s desire to displace God, and receive the worship and recognition of God for himself that he witnessed God receiving from His angelic beings, Lucifer included.
Satan’s tactic is the same today.
He still seeks worship and recognition.
As a believer in Christ, let us remember to humble ourselves in the presence of God, our Father. (See, James 4:10; I Peter 5:6; Matthew 18:4; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 23:12; I Peter 5:5.)
James 4:7 instructs us to humble ourselves in the presence of God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. That is what Jesus did when confronted with Satan’s temptation to turn away from God, the Father.
Can you understand the intensity of the heart of God, the Father, for His creation, especially, His humanity?
For God-so loved-the world-that He gave-His only begotten Son-that whosoever believes in Him-should not perish-but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-19 NKJV (hyphens mine)
It is The Time to Continue, in humility before God our Father.
Q: Is the Church walking in humility before the Lord Jesus Christ?
Q: More importantly, am I walking in humility, content with the place that the Lord has ‘given by grace’ to me in the Body of Christ?
Am I abiding in Romans 12:3, Amplified Version, “For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and purpose designed for service].
Blessings, a brother in Christ, deo
Living Words of Encouragement 