Ok, let’s pick up this story from Part 1 where we were discussing who Satan is and where he came from. It never ceases to amaze to me when I think about what an incredible creation Lucifer was before he fall, and yet, how much his personal prideful choice caused him to lose…but we will get to that later.
If you didn’t know this already, Satan, who is also called the Serpent, was the one who caused the fall of the human race. Yes… the same guy…Now we will learn more about this in the coming episodes but it is very important to recognize that although Satan is the adversary of God, he does not appear to Adam and Eve in this manner. Rather, as Lutzer puts it, “He comes under a disguise and without revealing who he really is. He changes himself into something he is not to deceive others. He did not come to frighten, but to soothe, encourage, to instruct.”
Look at the brief story of the encounter between Adam, Eve and the Serpent below from the book of Genesis:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'”
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. [Gen 3:1-6 ESV]
Lutzer tells us that, “Literally, the first time Satan opens his mouth is to put a question where God had put a period. Satan knew that if he could get Eve to focus on the one thing she did not have, it would rob her of the joy she should derive from all of the things she did have.”
Do you understand how Satan operates? He convinced Eve to question God and from that day on, lying, deception, and sin entered this world and the human race has never been the same. Can you imagine if Adam and Eve had resisted the temptation of the serpent? And what this world MIGHT have been like? That is a whole topic unto its own and one that will not be addressed by me.
What is Satan doing right now?
We know that we are the children of God and that the whole world is in control of the evil one. 1 John 5:19
Guys, we will NEVER adequately understand the New Testament unless we recognize its underlying conviction that Satan is the “god of this world” right now. Think about that for a second. Satan is the evil one and it is his power that controls this present evil age. When Adam and Eve sinned, that is when it started.
Now, I hope this isn’t the first time you are hearing this but if it is, and you are skeptical, please read these verses I have stacked up below because the Bible is very clear about what is going on.
2 Co 4:4 – In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Gal 1:3-4 – Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
Eph 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Heb 2:14 – Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil…
1Pe 5:8 – Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Even though I say Satan is in charge, that does not mean that God isn’t in direct control of this ungodly world.
The ungodly world I am speaking of are sinful people, evil, cruelty, and injustice…all the things we see around us every day. More importantly, it is critical that I stress the fact that in no way does God desire or cause all of the sufferings in this world, nor is everything that happens His perfect will. I can tell you that God uses everything; even evil, to accomplish His purposes.
The Bible does tell us that at this present time, the world is NOT under God’s dominion, but is currently in rebellion against God’s rule and is enslaved to Satan. God, for the time being, has limited His own supreme power over this world…but I assure you, this is only temporary. That is what we see happening right now.
I know this is not the best news you have received today and I get that, but know this, because of this worldly condition I spoke about above…that is why Christ came to die for you and me.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV
…and why His plan was to reconcile the world to God
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2Co 5:17-19 ESV
So the two main points from Part 2 that I want you to understand today are:
- Satan is the god of this earth right now.
- Satan is the one responsible for bringing sin to the human race when Adam and Eve gave into temptation.
There is more detail coming on what Satan is also doing presently so stay tuned because Part 3 will be next –
Until next time guys-
IMS Team
Lutzer, Erwin, W. God’s Devil. Chicago: Moody Press, 1996
