OUR PRESENT ABIDING ON THE ENEMY´S TERRITORY!

THE PRESENCE AND REALITY OF EVIL

I should begin by explaining the title of this blog. It is inspired by something C.S. Lewis wrote in his book Mere Christianity, that when Christ was born in Bethlehem, it was God landing behind enemy lines. Indeed Lewis´s Chronicles of Narnia portrays in fiction the spiritual realities that the Bible teaches about, and which is the subject of this blog. My source is as ever the Bible.

That this world is in rebellion against its Creator is of course a thoroughly biblical concept which I think we need to be reminded of.

In the words of John:

“We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” 1 John‬ ‭5:19‬ ‭

In the Letter to the Ephesians Paul writes:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:11-12‬ ‭

We are thus taught in Scripture that the world, the universe, is subject to evil powers of darkness!

WHERE IT ALL STARTED

Genesis 1-3 explains to us who we are as humans; that we have a Creator for whom we are created. An important statement from Gen. 1, is that “God saw what he had created, and it was good! (v. 31)”

The disobedience of the man and the woman in the garden was followed by their expulsion from the presence of God, the cursing of the ground, and by death and by decay.

The New Testament explains that “thus sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Rom. 5,12)

If the choice made in the garden to eat of the fruit, was a bid for freedom and independence, man found now bondage to death and to decay and to the tyranny of evil. It is in Genesis ch. 4 that the Bible chronicles the first murder.

Nowhere does the Bible clearly explain either the origin of evil, or of the evil one – the devil*. This is because the Semitic mind (contrary to the Greek) was not concerned with metaphysical speculation, but with the business of practical existence. The presence of evil in the Old Testament is a given. In the New Testament, evil is personified. The devil is the prince of demons (in the Synoptics), and the prince of this world in John 12,31, and is a power with whom humans have to deal.

THE PRESENT “TROUBLES”

As a Christian, I am convinced both of the existence of evil and of the evil one. That we have to contend with both these in our lives is what I affirm in this blog. However, certainly in the West where I live, a high percentage of the population has done away with the devil and his demons. They belong to a superstitious past! They don’t belong to the mindset of modern man in the West, with our humanism and social democracies. I believe that as Christians living in the West, often, neither the devil nor demons, nor evil spiritual powers, are part of our mindset either.

This, dear Christian friend, I believe is to our peril!

We need to understand that the Church and Christian values are under attach. The Gospel is under attack.

The Church and the Christian is under attack, because the Kingdom of God is always going to be a counter-cultural force!

If we are slow to understand this, it is because in our modern day we find alternative explanations for what crops up in our societies and in our lives.

The devil hates the Church when its ministers faithfully preach the gospel, and people come to faith.

The devil hates the Christian who is filled with the Spirit and wants to serve Jesus Christ!

Why is this you ask? Why all this talk of hate? Of conflict?

To put it bluntly, based on the New Testament: The devil hates Jesus Christ and he hates the gospel of Jesus Christ. He hates God!

If this were not true, the whole New Testament would need to be re-written! I am speaking of spiritual realities, but realities which impinge upon human affairs!

The Church and the Christian are at war – not with men and women, not with politicians or political parties, not with human authorities – our war is with evil spiritual powers in heavenly places. We need to wake up!

Though it will not be popular to say this, the whole conflict arises because it is neither the call of the Church nor the Christian to blend into society. To become politically correct (see James 4,4). The call of the Church, and of the Christian, is to be a faithful witness to Jesus Christ and the gospel. For this reason Paul writes:

“All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Tim. 3,12).

UNTIL THE KING RETURNS!

The witness of the New Testament is that the battle against evil and against the evil one was decisively won on the Cross by Jesus Christ. For the present we do not see all things under his feet (Heb. 2,8). But we await the return of the King! Then every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2,10-11) In the words of that great song by Bob Dylan:

He has plans of his own to set up his throne, when He returns!

The battles that you and I are engaged in in our lives of faith are mere skirmishes. Some we win. Some we may lose for the time being – but the final outcome is sure.

What is the New Testament basis for saying this? Let’s consider John´s gospel

In John there is no temptation story and there are no excorcisms (cp. Synoptic gospels). The devil is mentioned in chapter 8 as a murderer from the beginning, a liar and the father of lies (v. 44).

Then in 12,31-32, these words of shattering import for the believer, are spoken by Jesus:

“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ‭12:31-32‬ ‭

Jesus is alluding to his death. The world (read as humanity in opposition to God) has rejected Jesus, and in doing so it has judged itself. But the outcome is unexpected. The prince of this world – the one behind the opposition to Jesus, the enemy of all righteousness, the author of all evil, is himself judged. The verb is strong in the Greek – he is literally cast out; ousted; put out of office – out of authority; no longer ruler, no longer prince!

This is accomplished when Jesus cries out on the cross, “It is finished”!

Thus:

Where the gospel is preached, where the truth in Christ is made known, where the word of God is believed, and abides in the believer, there the devil is cast out – the powers of darkness give way to the light of the gospel.

And John writes in his letter:

“….but he who was born of God (that is Jesus) protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:18‬ ‭

And to the young men (and women) John says:

“I write to you, young men (and women), because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2:14

They overcame because of the word of God abiding in them.

And thus to cite Paul, we must

“Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of eternal life to which we were called.” 1 Tim.‬ ‭6:12

‬Until he returns – let us abide in the truth, in the Word, in Jesus!

WHERE OUR FOCUS NEEDS TO BE IN BATTLE

So how are we as believers equipped to fight the good fight of faith? What are our weapons?

I want to make some important opening statements.

Firstly, as noted above: Our war is not with flesh and blood, i.e. not with people. Jesus commands us to love, even to love our enemies.

Secondly, though we in ourselves are no match for the powers of darkness, and for the prince of darkness, yet we are to think of him as a defeated foe! Jesus has defeated him. In Christ, and using the weapons, the spiritual weapons at our disposal, we triumph. Listen to the words of Jesus to his disciples:

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” Luke‬ ‭10:19

‬Thirdly, though this blog is devoted to understanding the wiles of the devil, that is where it stops. We need to be wise to the way he works – to his influence in people’s lives, but our eyes are on Jesus our Lord. We neither give the devil room in our minds or in our lives (Eph. 4,27) – our minds and our lives are taken up with Jesus! ‭

Under that heading it is very important to realise that we are not «out to beat the devil» with our fleshly means. That is a grave misunderstanding of the situation as if we were any match in ourselves for the powers of darkness.

No!, No! Jesus has already de-throned him – bound the strong man. He is already defeated. The weapons of our warfare are not fleshy, but spiritual:

It is the truth, God’s word, the preaching of the gospel, the word of Christ and the name of Jesus that defeats the devil, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God , see 2. Cor. 10,4-5.

We are to submit to God, and resist the devil – and he will flee from us (James 4,7).

WISE TO HIS WAYS

How does the enemy seek to influence our lives? What power can he yet have over the Christian?

• He has the power of suggestion – as he had in the garden of Eden. Has God really said??

• He seeks to destroy God’s work, through lying and deceiving. He seeks to malign, to slander and to speak falsely of God, of you and I as believers – to set believer against believer, create strife and enmity in the Church.

• He seeks to deflect you from what God called you to do – as he sought to do with Jesus in the wilderness. He will sow fear and doubt in you regarding what God has told you, maligning your person and your integrity – undermining your faith with doubt and self-doubt; seeking if possible that he may cause you to act out some of his fear-driven strategies and plans.

• The Lord leads us in paths of righteousness, the devil leads us away from God and onto the paths of sin and unrighteousness.

• Like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5,8-9), he seeks to instill fear in believers, to bring them into sin and condemnation – that he may lead them away from the flock and devour them.

• The devil is a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy in John 10,10. I know that in the context, this may refer to the Jewish leaders in chapter 9, but the bigger picture is that these Jewish leaders are aligning themselves with those whom Jesus calls the children of the devil in John 8,44; they are carrying out the will of their father who is the devil!

• Though I don’t believe that the devil is directly behind every sickness and disease, I believe he is indirectly. I view sickness and disease as the work of evil in our minds and bodies – because Jesus did. He reversed the situation by healing all who came to him for help (e.g. Acts 10,38). Full stop! We should fight sickness and disease with every weapon available to us; with prayer, with faith and with the word of God, with what medical science can provide, and be uncompromising in our desire to see that person well. But when it doesn’t happen for whatever reason – and much will remain mystery until we see the Father face to face – we know that the sick one is safe in Father’s love – for no person and no disease; whether it is cancer, diabetes or covid 19 is able to snatch that loved one out of the Shepherd´s hands, and Jesus said, “My Father is GREATER THAN ALL, and nothing or no one can snatch that loved one from out the Father´s hands. John 10,28-29.

THE VICTORY IS OURS!

The above does indeed amount to a litany of lies, deception and destruction.

Yet victory for us is always secure!

We are to stand firm when we experience any of the above. The Holy Spirit is our great help in such a time. Remember: He speaks truth about you – he is the Spirit of truth. The devil is a liar!

We are to put on the whole armour of God, that we may stand against the schemes of the devil (Eph. 6,10ff).

Let us follow the exhortation from Paul: Praying for the saints (our fellow Christians) and for Christian leaders, and especially those who preach and teach the word of God. Keeping alert with perseverance. Loosely from Eph. 6,18.

We are to know that the devil is a defeated foe, but that he will oppose and challenge us with every step we take to serve the Lord. Give him no room nor opportunity (Eph. 4,27).

We are to know that we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8,37).

Lastly, let’s stay joyful when under attack. Let’s stay in fellowship with the Church and other Christians. Let’s stay worshipping! We will be victorious!

BE BLESSED!😊👍

*Devil: I know that some point to Isa. 14,12-15 and/or Ezek. 28,12-17. The motif of Rev. 12,7-9 which is about Satan, echoes to some extent these scripures. For the Isa. text see Lk. 10,18. You can certainly construct a narrative explaining the origin of Satan if you add together information from all these texts. That, however, I would say is questionable exegesis!😊

Living the Legacy of C.S. Lewis

About C.S. Lewis Official website