The Bible is full of stories regarding good vs. evil. It doesn’t seem that anybody is immune, well, except for Jesus. He is the sole person who lived a sinless life and ultimately died and rose again for the sins of all mankind.
But other than the example of Jesus, who was able to refute the advances of Satan, the rest of us have, at one time or another, had to deal with the good vs. evil question. You’ve probably seen the cartoons about a guardian angel on one shoulder while a demon or Satan himself rests on the other shoulder. In your heart you know what you should do, but for some reason, you may end up doing something that gives you temporary pleasure but isn’t in the will of God for your life. And, probably, you know that you are making the wrong decision but proceed with it anyway.
Now that doesn’t mean that every time we realize the temptations that are before us. Even when we are aware of the danger, it is tough work to deny the advances of demons and Satan in our lives. In the book of Job, we are told that Satan actually has access to heaven and the throne room of God Himself. Yet, God allowed Satan to torment Job, as long as Job wasn’t killed. Throughout the book, Job really wonders what he has done to deserve the fate that he is experiencing.
Then there is the time that Jesus, directing His words at Peter, announces, “Get thee away from me, Satan!”
Clearly, for those of us who are Christian, those are scary words to hear. If Peter was susceptible, as was Judas, and they were with Jesus for three years, what chance do the rest of us have? In seminary we learned that when we accept Jesus as Lord of our lives, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who resides in us, in what is referred to as our “naos” – the inner temple of our bodies. And that means that Satan can’t reside there – the space is occupied by God! But that doesn’t mean that we can’t be tempted.
So why does God even let Satan exist? We know that God is stronger than Satan, and we know that in the book of Revelation, we find out about the end times – referred to as eschatology. And God wins – which means that we win as well… But why doesn’t God just banish Satan to hell now? I’m certainly not the first one to ask that question. In fact, perhaps you have asked it yourself.
In my own life, something as simple as going to church can be an inner battle sometimes. And recently, after Janet’s back surgery, I knew something had to be eliminated from my life. Should I give up my corporate clients and “retire” or give up teaching my Bible studies. I wrestled with that question until I really prayed it through. When teaching the Scripture and writing TBTB are my passions, why would a decision like that be so difficult? It sounds embarrassing as I look back on it, but at the time, I didn’t think I knew which way to go.
Satan would love it if I didn’t teach or try to advance the kingdom of God. All Christians will more than likely have to fight this battle eventually, and fighting it once is no guarantee that you won’t be confronted again! After all, every one of us who represents God on the earth is a threat to Satan’s ultimate goal. So, once again, why does God put us through these trials?
Well, it seems that there are several reasons why God allows Satan to exist – for now. For starters, God has given us free will and that means we have a choice as to whether we wish to follow God or not. The advances of Satan give us an alternative – this allows us to choose God or we have the opportunity to turn away. If there wasn’t the tug of Satan, we would not have an alternative to our Heavenly Father.
God also refines us through our trials and temptations. Building character and rebuffing the advances of Satan helps to strengthen our faith. As we mature in our faith, following God and resisting evil builds spiritual maturity and also helps us to rely on God’s grace rather than on our human strength. After all, I think all Christians should rely on God rather than their own devices.
In my own life, and I’m sure that most of you have experienced this as well, I feel good when I resist Satan and do what is in the will of God. When I have struggles, I find that I reach deeper into my faith – and those times that Janet and I have struggled, whether it be financially, physically, spiritually or emotionally, our faith has has grown as we have navigated the twists and turns of our lives.
So God uses Satan and his demons to accomplish His goals for our spiritual growth. But it can be hard work for us in our human frailty. Our verse for tonight is from the first book that the apostle Peter wrote. Peter reminds us, in 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
My encouragement this evening is God knows what is best for us. Even if it is difficult for us to make the correct decision in the moment. My prayer is that as we mature in our faith and enter into an ever deepening relationship with God, we will more quickly recognize the influence of Satan and his demons. Every time we are tempted, we have an opportunity to strengthen our dependence on our Father. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…