| Knowing Satan's Power 3/04/06 George Poulo In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves: If God peradventure will give them repentance to the Acknowledging of the truth: And that they may receive Themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken Captive by him at his will. 2Tim2:25-26 The plight of the lost is bleak who know not God. Without a God who can establish them in righteousness, they are divided among themselves, a mixture of conceit and condemnation, never able to come to the truth and single-mindedness and see God (Math5:8). That kingdom cannot stand. Without repentance the lost are subject to the "snare of the devil, which are taken captive by him at his will." Due to the sin of our first parents, Satan gained power that belonged to Adam. We see Job, for example, a righteous man, being attacked mercilessly by Satan until he proved himself faithful allowing God to intervene. God cannot as yet neutralize Satan's power without our cooperation. Notwithstanding, the lost do not know how to cooperate. Simon, Simon Satan hath desired to have you, That he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for Thee, that thy faith fail not: And when thou art converted, Strengthen thy brethren. Luke22:31-32 What is of interest here is that Jesus did not tell Peter that he would stop Satan, because Satan can take the unregenerate at his will, but rather, that Peter�s faith would prevail, a far different matter. God cannot as yet render Satan powerless until he puts him in the pit of hell at the end of time. For now, to render Satan powerless requires our cooperation and the obedience of faith. Yet it is not even the case that being born again and Spirit filled is sufficient. Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom He may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished In your brethren that are in the world. 1Peter5:8-9 Our adversary will devour any he can, both lost and saved. Only by steadfast resistance, the battle of faith, can we withstand his onslaughts. Peter who himself felt the fury of Satan.s attack tells the church to be sober and vigilant. Satan will attack anybody he wants whenever he wants. It does not matter if you are unsaved, saved for a day, or twenty years in the Lord. The unsaved are helpless to combat Satan by any but natural means. The new born require the faith and the anointing of the elders of the church (James5:14) to resist the devil (James4:7). The elders, however, having a tried faith and the full armor of God (Ephes6:12-17) can use the authority and the word to diffuse any satanic attack. The work of the anointed is to regain through the word and the blood of the Lamb all the territory Satan gained through deceiving both Eve and Adam. We must fight the "good fight of faith" (1Tim6:12). Peter tells the church to be sober and vigilant because if the church isn�t, Satan will gain a foothold and attack. We as the church of God must be steeped in scripture, confess the word, and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. There is no short road to entering into the rest of God. We must use the gifts God has given us to take ground against the devil and for those of us who are mature, we must educate and impart the gifts of the Spirit to those who are in need of milk and not strong meat (Heb5:13-14). We must divide the enemy and not ourselves. By doing so God�s kingdom will be established on earth as it is in heaven and we will reign as kings over our kingdom. Amen. |
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