The Problem of Satan
Why does Satan exist? What is his purpose? Questions come up like, "If God is sovereign, what's up with these principalities and powers in Eph 6?" It sure does seem in some places in the Bible that there is a dualism going on. It doesn't seem Satan is "on a leash" the way some passages are written. The question came to mind this morning, "Piper said Satan doesn't even show up in the warfare book of Romans until chapter 16 - that's how little space he gets in the spiritual warfare picture - most of it is war against our own flesh. Then what about Acts? How much of this warfare stuff Paul mentions in Eph 6 actually shows up in the books of Acts?" I couldn't remember, so I skimmed it this morning. What I found, on a cursory look, is that there is much resistance by the kingdom of darkness to what the Holy Spirit is doing, but the Irresistible (God) cannot be resisted. And thinking on Eph 6 and on Acts, what I find is a few things:
§ The Holy Spirit is unstoppable.
§ Satan and his demons are ever present in the scenarios that the Apostles face (Simon the sorcerer, the evil spirits cast out by nonbelievers, and perhaps even the viper that struck Paul)
§ There is apparently no relevant struggle between the Holy Spirit's power working through apostolic ministry, (Paul shows up, speaks, demons flee).
§ This warfare passage in Eph 6 is often interpreted as a dual between good and evil. But the passage makes clear that there is no uncertainty in the destructive power and defensive capability of these weapons. They obliterate enemy resistance.
How compatible is the current evangelical or charismatic view of Satan with the sovereign God view of Satan - that God holds Satan on a leash; that God is completely in control of all things in heaven, on earth and under the earth? Most people seem to think Satan is sovereign in this world, holding power over all people against the will of God, and God is doing His work through us to crush him and rescue captives from darkness to the kingdom of light. Sounds good. I used to believe that. But is it biblical?
Not completely. As is, it's dualism. I will admit here that I don't know everything, and will never know everything, about this spiritual warfare, about this invisible reality of Satan, demons, principalities and powers. But what I am finding in the Bible is that God is sovereign, that He is allowing Satan control over the peoples of the earth for a season, that these principalities and powers are Satan's strategy by which he maintains this control. And perhaps it is all for God's people. Perhaps it's all part of the process of sanctification, that God is using Satan and evil in multiple ways in our lives.
One way God is using Satan is to purify our faith through testing (Jas 1:2-4). Satan has power to afflict and tempt us, permitted by God, so that our faith will be tested and perfected.
A second way God uses Satan is to keep our mind set on things of the Spirit. "Life is war 'til the day we die." The war is, first and foremost, against our own flesh (sinful nature). God constantly sharpens us as we face and overcome temptation by the power of His Spirit.
But God also loosens the leash when we are rebelling against God by indulging the flesh. Satan is allowed to torment us, which is God's effectual disciplining of His children. This disciplines comes in many forms, both external and internal. But it is discipline, not condemnation. Satan, sometimes being an instrument of this discipline, speaks condemnation to us. But we must remember we are not condemned (Rom 8:1-2), that God is disciplining us "as a father disciplines a son" (Heb 12:6ff)
A third reason God uses Satan is so that we, heirs with Christ, get to partake in the victory of the cross. We actually get to fight in the battle and share the spoils of victory. God already won the war on the cross. But if the enemy weren't allowed to remain in the land, we wouldn't get to be part of the battle.
Perhaps a fourth way God uses Satan is to turn people over to deeper levels of depravity, and to keep those God has chosen to condemn in their sinfulness. Romans 1 seems to communicate this, that God turns degenerate people over to deeper levels of their sinful nature. I have to do further study on this, but it makes sense. The power of darkness must have some sway over the perpetuation of depravity in the degenerate.
Yet in all this, "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Rom 8:37). More than conquerors means (from Piper's sermons on Romans) that we are not merely ones who have conquered evil in battle, defeating an enemy; no, we have done more than conquer; we have also subdued him into servitude. Being more than a conqueror means all our enemies, whether Satan or sin or our own flesh, are now our servants - THEY SERVE US for our good. Sins serves us. Flesh serves us. Disease serves us. Death serves us. All things serve "the good for us who are called according to His good purpose" (Rom 8:28). How do they serve us? They sanctify us. They turn our eyes toward Jesus. They increase our trust in God. And, finally, one of them (death) opens a doorway into eternal delight where we will live forever in God's presence and for His glory and our everlasting joy.
This is why Satan exists and is allowed to reign in the world. It is all for God's good purpose. Praise God forever! Ω
11/16/06
§ The Holy Spirit is unstoppable.
§ Satan and his demons are ever present in the scenarios that the Apostles face (Simon the sorcerer, the evil spirits cast out by nonbelievers, and perhaps even the viper that struck Paul)
§ There is apparently no relevant struggle between the Holy Spirit's power working through apostolic ministry, (Paul shows up, speaks, demons flee).
§ This warfare passage in Eph 6 is often interpreted as a dual between good and evil. But the passage makes clear that there is no uncertainty in the destructive power and defensive capability of these weapons. They obliterate enemy resistance.
How compatible is the current evangelical or charismatic view of Satan with the sovereign God view of Satan - that God holds Satan on a leash; that God is completely in control of all things in heaven, on earth and under the earth? Most people seem to think Satan is sovereign in this world, holding power over all people against the will of God, and God is doing His work through us to crush him and rescue captives from darkness to the kingdom of light. Sounds good. I used to believe that. But is it biblical?
Not completely. As is, it's dualism. I will admit here that I don't know everything, and will never know everything, about this spiritual warfare, about this invisible reality of Satan, demons, principalities and powers. But what I am finding in the Bible is that God is sovereign, that He is allowing Satan control over the peoples of the earth for a season, that these principalities and powers are Satan's strategy by which he maintains this control. And perhaps it is all for God's people. Perhaps it's all part of the process of sanctification, that God is using Satan and evil in multiple ways in our lives.
One way God is using Satan is to purify our faith through testing (Jas 1:2-4). Satan has power to afflict and tempt us, permitted by God, so that our faith will be tested and perfected.
A second way God uses Satan is to keep our mind set on things of the Spirit. "Life is war 'til the day we die." The war is, first and foremost, against our own flesh (sinful nature). God constantly sharpens us as we face and overcome temptation by the power of His Spirit.
But God also loosens the leash when we are rebelling against God by indulging the flesh. Satan is allowed to torment us, which is God's effectual disciplining of His children. This disciplines comes in many forms, both external and internal. But it is discipline, not condemnation. Satan, sometimes being an instrument of this discipline, speaks condemnation to us. But we must remember we are not condemned (Rom 8:1-2), that God is disciplining us "as a father disciplines a son" (Heb 12:6ff)
A third reason God uses Satan is so that we, heirs with Christ, get to partake in the victory of the cross. We actually get to fight in the battle and share the spoils of victory. God already won the war on the cross. But if the enemy weren't allowed to remain in the land, we wouldn't get to be part of the battle.
Perhaps a fourth way God uses Satan is to turn people over to deeper levels of depravity, and to keep those God has chosen to condemn in their sinfulness. Romans 1 seems to communicate this, that God turns degenerate people over to deeper levels of their sinful nature. I have to do further study on this, but it makes sense. The power of darkness must have some sway over the perpetuation of depravity in the degenerate.
Yet in all this, "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Rom 8:37). More than conquerors means (from Piper's sermons on Romans) that we are not merely ones who have conquered evil in battle, defeating an enemy; no, we have done more than conquer; we have also subdued him into servitude. Being more than a conqueror means all our enemies, whether Satan or sin or our own flesh, are now our servants - THEY SERVE US for our good. Sins serves us. Flesh serves us. Disease serves us. Death serves us. All things serve "the good for us who are called according to His good purpose" (Rom 8:28). How do they serve us? They sanctify us. They turn our eyes toward Jesus. They increase our trust in God. And, finally, one of them (death) opens a doorway into eternal delight where we will live forever in God's presence and for His glory and our everlasting joy.
This is why Satan exists and is allowed to reign in the world. It is all for God's good purpose. Praise God forever! Ω
11/16/06
posted by Ron | 9:33 PM
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