Angels

The Bible reveals that angels inhabited the earth long before Man. But these angels broke God’s law! What was the CAUSE of their law breaking? And what about the angels who continued to live by God’s law? What are they doing today? God has existed from eternity. In John 1:1, we read: “In the beginning was the Word…,” He is the Spokesman. “And the Word was with God….” God, then, is another Person. There are actually two persons revealed in John 1:1. Notice : “And the Word was God… all things were made by him…” (verse 3). In the Word was Life(verse 4).

These verses in John 1 speak of none other than the two eternal members of the God Kingdom. There is ‘God’ who became the Father, and the ‘Word’ who became Christ. How did they live? The way of Love! God the Father said of the Word after He became Jesus Christ: “My beloved Son….” And the Son loved and obeyed the Father. This way of life was the attitude that guided what they both did.
 

The Creation of Angels

What did the God Family Do? God is Creator, but even before creating the physical universe, God first created angels. As both members of the God Family live forever, the Word gave this ability to the angels when He created them. They had self-contained life within themselves. Two of them, with the rank of cherub, were trained at the headquarters of God in heaven (Ezek. 28:14). One of those two was named Lucifer, which means ‘light bringer’.

Later the Word created the earth, at the same time as the rest of the universe (Gen. 1:1). Over the earth God set His government. He placed under Him angels, apparently a third of them (Job 38:4-7; Isa. 14:14; Rev. 12:4) to develop, beautify and complete the creation. Since God is Creator, God governs, rules, and determines the way of life of created intelligent beings. God’s government directs those under it into His way of life, cooperation and outgoing concern for others. To administer God’s government on earth, He set Lucifer over the whole earth (Isa. 14:12-14).
 

God’s Law of Love

All government is based on a foundational law or constitution, the basic law of God’s government, the Law of God, the way of life by which the two members of the God Family live is simply the administration of God’s way of love. God’s Law can be summed up in the one word love (Rom. 13:10). This is because God’s very nature is love (I John 4:16), and God’s Law reflects His love. And so the government of God is the application of the principle of love.

God is concerned about the good and the welfare of others. God’s love is the attitude of cooperation, serving, helping. It is the way of “give” instead of “get.” The Father, as we have noted, said of the Word when He became Christ, “This is my beloved Son” (Matt. 3:17). The Son loves and obeys the Father who has always been in charge (John 8:28-29; 15:10). The two have lived in harmony for eternity (John 10:30). The love they have for this way of life motivates everything the God Family does.

Lucifer Rejects God’s Law

The Law of God applies in principle to angels the same as to man. The principle underlying God’s Law remains the same-love toward God and love toward one another. The Bible clearly tells us that the angels who were placed on earth abandoned the way of love and began breaking God’s Law (II Peter 2:4). ‘Sin’ is the transgression of God’s Law —the way of peace, cooperation and harmony—the way of giving as opposed to the way of getting.

Lucifer allowed VANITY to lead him into the attitudes of competition. He began to live the way of ‘get’ instead of God’s way of ‘give.’ Lucifer rejected God and His Law.The government of God ceased to be administered on earth.

Lucifer finally organized a third of God’s angels into an army and ascended to heaven in an attempt to take ruler ship of the universe away from God. But they were repelled and cast back to earth. As a result, the earth became “without form and void” (Gen. 1:2). It became a darkened, ruined planet! Let’s learn the full story of what happened and the steps God is taking to restore His government and His way of life to the entire earth.

Lucifer Rebels Against God’s Government

When God placed angels on the earth, He set a great archangel over them to administer the government of God. This archangel’s original name in Hebrew meant “Light-Bringer”—”Lucifer” was his name in Latin. Lucifer was an awesome spirit being of majestic beauty, dazzling brightness, great knowledge, power, intellect and wisdom. Two Biblical passages—Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 tell us of Lucifer’s original created state and his great sin.

1. Was Lucifer one of the anointed cherubs who covered God’s throne? Ezek. 28:14; Ex. 25:18-20.

Lucifer, then, had been stationed at the very throne of God (Ezek. 28:14). He was trained in the administration of God’s government before God placed him in charge of angels on earth.

2. Did the former Lucifer decide to leave the earth and ascend to heaven in an attempt to exalt his throne (which was in Eden,- the garden of God) above all the angels, “stars” of God? Ezek. 28:13; Isa. 14:12-14.

3. Did Lucifer actually want to be like the Most High God? Isa. 14:14.

COMMENT: It is apparent that Lucifer had nothing less in mind than knocking the Creator God off His throne and becoming the Supreme Ruler himself! Here was the supreme masterpiece of God’s creative power, as an individually created being, turning on his own Creator—as a Frankenstein monster attempting to destroy its own maker—in an attempt to assume all power to rule the vast universe!

His would not have been a government based on the principles of God’s love—of giving, of outgoing concern for the good of others—but rather based on competition, self-centeredness, vanity, lust and greed; on envy, jealousy, hatred, violence and destruction; on spiritual darkness and error, instead of light and truth; on ugliness instead of beauty.

4. Lucifer, the super archangel, was perfect in all his ways from the day of his creation until something happened in him. What was found in him? Ezek. 28:15. Did he become vain? Did he corrupt his wisdom? Verse 17.

COMMENT: When Lucifer began thinking thoughts of competition, vanity, envy, lust and greed, then thoughts of resentment and rebellion, his ability to think rationally changed. His mind became perverted, distorted, twisted. His thinking became totally warped! Lucifer was no longer satisfied with rule over only the one planet. He wanted to rule the universe! He said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars [angels] of God…” (Isa. 14:13). He became the first rebel!

Lucifer subtly, perhaps very, very gradually, subverted the angels over whom God had placed him until he succeeded in turning their minds to rebellion. (This might have taken Lucifer a very long time —the Bible does not say.) Lucifer made the angels feel dissatisfied and wronged by God, injecting resentment and bitterness into their minds.

5. What happened to Lucifer’s and his angels’ attempt to wrest control of the universe from their Creator? Isa. 14:12; Rev. 12:3-4. How did Jesus Christ describe Satan’s fall from heaven? Luke 10:18.

COMMENT: Lucifer deliberately became his Maker’s adversary. That was his choice, not God’s—yet God allowed it! And so God changed his name to what he became—satan—which means ‘adversary, competitor, enemy’. And the angels who were cast back down to the earth with him became known as demons.

Earth Becomes a Ruined Planet!

God’s Law is the basis of God’s government. And as we learned previously, SIN is the transgression of God’s Law (1John 3:4). We also learned that sin carries penalties. Notice what was the cataclysmic effect of the sin of the angels.

1. Does the Bible plainly state that angels rebelled? II Peter 2:4.

COMMENT: Since sin is the transgression of God’s Law, these angels transgressed—rebelled—against God’s law of love—the very foundation of God’s government—God’s way of life!

2. Does the Bible clearly show that worldwide sin brings worldwide destruction? II Peter 2:5-6; Gen. 6:5-13.

COMMENT: These verses in Genesis 6:5-13 show human law breaking brought worldwide destruction to the earth’s surface! Only Noah found grace and forgiveness in God’s sight. Only Noah “walked with God.” So the Flood destroyed all human life on earth, except for Noah and his family.

Later, the homosexuality and other sins of Sodom and Gomorra spread over the entire territory of those two cities. And so physical, destruction came from God to the entire area and destroyed everything!

The sin of the angels, which occurred before man was created, was worldwide; therefore the effect of their sin upon the earth was also worldwide. The angels who “kept not their first estate [the earth], but left their own habitation…” (Jude 6), resulted in the physical destruction of the entire face of the earth! But how?

God created the earth to be used, maintained, improved and beautified. This use is regulated by God’s Law. When the angels rebelled against God, the Law of His government ceased to be administered on earth. And so the preservation of the earth and all its original beauty also ceased. The result was decay and finally darkness on the face of the earth! Lucifer was created a perfect bringer of LIGHT, now he became the author of DARKNESS, error, confusion and evil.

3. How does the Bible describe the extreme conditions on the earth which resulted from the angels’ sin? Gen. 1:2.

COMMENT: By now you might be wondering if God knew, in advance, that Lucifer and the angels under him would sin and cause this earth-wide destruction. After all, doesn’t God know everything?

The answer is no! If God were to decide to know in advance what choice they would make, He would have had to “program” their minds to do so and force them to make it. Instead, God gave these spirit beings, as He also gives all human beings, the power to think for themselves—to reason, to choose, to make decisions. Otherwise they, and we, would be mere automatons doing what we were preset or made to do!

God chose to make angels, and later humans, free moral agents—capable of free choice. Otherwise neither angels nor humans could develop righteous character. God bestowed upon angels minds of their own possessing great knowledge—superior to that possessed by man. One might suppose that, endowed with such great knowledge, they would never choose wrongly, or break God’s law.

They came to resent God’s rule over them. They chose to follow their own way—the way of “get”—and rejected God’s way—the way of “give.” By this deliberate choice they formed within themselves evil character. But God did not leave planet earth in a state of decay and ruin after Lucifer’s rebellion. God set about to restore the earth so it could support human life—the next step in His plan—as described in Genesis chapter one.

A Successor Had to Qualify

When Lucifer rebelled against God he ceased to administer the government of God and disqualified himself from further ruler ship in God’s government. But he (his name now changed to Satan- destroyer) must remain on that throne over the earth until his successor who has qualified to replace him has been inducted into office!

The very fact that Satan was in Eden to tempt the first humans—that he is even now “the god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4) and “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2) who had “all the kingdoms of the world” to give to Christ (Matt. 4:8) is sufficient evidence of this basic principle of succession in God’s government. When Lucifer turned to rebellion and a third of the angels followed him, it became obvious that only the two members of the God Family would not and could not break their own law.

The next step for God was to begin reproducing Himself through human beings who would, once becoming members of God’s Family, would never rebel against His government. It was also within God’s plan that a successor qualify to replace Satan as world ruler while living on an earth still ruled by him. He had to withstand the temptations of Satan to prove that he would obey God instead Satan. And so God gave the first man, the opportunity to replace Satan. But Adam failed!

Why First Adam Failed to Quality

1. What kind of trees did God cause to grow in the Garden? Gen. 2:8-9. And what specific command did He give Adam regarding these trees?  Verses 15-17.

2. What was to happen to Adam if he chose the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Verse 17.

COMMENT: The tree of “life” and the tree of the “knowledge of good and evil” have tremendous significance for us today. These were literal trees, but they were also symbolic. The tree of life represented God’s Spirit and the opportunity to live forever. It also represented the way of God’s government which is the spiritual Law of God. By making this choice spiritual knowledge could be understood.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil represented the way of Satan—the way of rebellion against God’s government, the way of deciding for ones self right from wrong. It pictured breaking God’s law and its penalty, which for man is death (Rom. 6:23). And so God commanded Adam not to take the fruit of this tree. Let’s really understand.

Adam was made from the ground and given a temporary, physiochemical existence. He did not have the ability to live forever. Like a wound-up clock running down, he was in the process of aging with every breath he took. At any time he was, “only one breath away from death”—cessation of existence.

God offered Adam the tree of “life,” which represented God’s Spirit and the opportunity to live forever. The first man and woman could have chosen the ability to think like God. God’s Spirit would have provided the strength to perfect the character of God in them, and finally have their bodies changed into spirit-being members of the God Family!

God’s Spirit would have also given them spiritual knowledge, understanding and wisdom. It would have revealed an understanding of the spiritual Law of God—the way of life that leads to peace, happiness, contentment, success in life, cooperation and mutual concern for others.

3. But did Satan cleverly delude Eve into disbelieving God and disobeying His command? Gen. 3:1-7. Did he lie by promising her that she had an immortal soul in a material body and would not die? Gen. 3:4. And did Satan subtly imply that God was hiding certain vital “knowledge” from her which she ought to have? Verses 5-6. (Notice the words “make one wise” in verse 6.) Did Adam deliberately go along with this. Verse 6.

4. Was Adam deceived into disbelieving God, or did he really know better? I Tim. 2:14. Did he nevertheless choose the way of disobedience to God. Gen. 3:6.

COMMENT: Adam rejected spiritual knowledge from God. He made the choice that limited him to knowledge of the physical and material. He rejected the spiritual knowledge that would have produced a happy relationship with God and with others. He rejected God’s Spirit, God’s love, God’s government, and the opportunity to live forever! Adam brought the penalty of death upon himself and all his descendants! (Rom. 5:12-19; 6:23.)

5. What happened to their minds after they chose to follow the way of Satan? Gen. 3:7.

COMMENT: The eyes of both of them were opened. Satan, who is a spirit, gave them the attitudes of vanity, of selfishness, of “get,” of resentment of authority. Those characteristics we call “human nature”—the carnal mind (Rom. 8:7) described in Jeremiah 17:9-come from Satan himself!

6. Were they denied access to God’s Spirit? Gen. 3:22-24.

COMMENT: When Adam disobeyed, he cut himself off from God (Isa. 59:2). And God cut him and his descendants off from receiving His Spirit. Man, had no access to God’s Spirit, except for a special few who God individually called.

Second Adam Qualifies to Rule

1. Who is the “second Adam” spoken of in the Bible? I Cor. 15:45-47.

2. Did Christ make God’s Spirit and opportunity to live forever available again? I Cor. 15:22; John 1:4; 10:10; 7:37-39; I John 5:11-12. But since Jesus’ first coming, is it only those who God the Father calls who may receive His Spirit and later become one of His “first fruits”? John 6:44; James 1:18.

COMMENT: Mankind was not offered this until Christ, the second Adam, established His Church (those first fruits the Father would call before Jesus’ Second Coming). Some of you are being offered this today! And you must choose.

We all have Satan’s evil influence to contend with, so it is not easy to overcome now. But God helps us to obey Him through the power of His Spirit. Those who demonstrate that they want to follow God’s way of life will be the first humans changed to spirit and will receive a leadership role in God’s Family forever!

3. Before Jesus’ human birth, did God reveal that He was to become a ruler and be given a throne? Luke 1:30-33. Will there be no end to the increase of His government? Verse 33; Isa. 9:6-7.

4. After Adam failed to replace Satan as world ruler, did God reveal that a future descendant would conquer Satan? Gen. 3:14-15.

COMMENT: This prophecy actually foretold the birth of the ‘second Adam’ who would overcome Satan—that Jesus Christ would succeed in qualifying to replace Satan and restore the government of God on earth!

5. How did the second Adam qualify to replace Satan as ruler of this world? Matt. 4:1-11.

COMMENT: As God had allowed Satan to test Adam, He now allowed him to test Christ, but only after Jesus had fasted 40 days. Under the extreme pulls of hunger, He quoted and obeyed Scripture three times in resisting Satan.

Jesus proved that He was loyal and faithful to God’s government and that nothing could move Him to defy or disobey it! Jesus qualified to replace Satan as world ruler—to administer God’s government over all nations. But Jesus was not then inducted into office.

6. After qualifying to replace Satan and to become King over the entire earth, and after His resurrection to His former state, Jesus Christ returned to heaven (Acts 1:9-11). Until when is Jesus scheduled to remain in heaven? Acts 3:20-21.

COMMENT: The government of God, which ceased to be administered on the earth when Lucifer and his angels rebelled, will be restored at Christ’s Second Coming. Jesus Christ is coming to restore God’s government over all nations—one supreme government which will bring the world lasting peace, prosperity and the knowledge of God’s plan to all mankind!

7. What work must be done before Christ’s return to reestablish God’s government on earth? Matt. 24:14; Mark 13:10.

COMMENT: We now have had almost 6,000 years during which humanity has been cut off from God. During this period God has not attempted to save the world spiritually (Heb. 9:27). All who have lived and died without understanding the truth of God will be returned in a resurrection to physical life at the end of the coming 1,000 years.

Only a few are recorded as having turned to God’s way during the first 1,900 or so years. Abraham obeyed, believed, and relied on God. God promised Israel national wealth, greatness, and power, but not His Spirit. Through all these millennia only the prophets and a select few others were given God’s Spirit— to carry out an assignment from God (see Jeremiah 7 for an example). Then came Jesus proclaiming the same knowledge He revealed to the first humans. Many believed on Him, but did not believe Him!

And so as we learned about the 7,000 year plan God allotted for human history, God turned over to Satan, 6,000 years in which to demonstrate the falsity and utter futility of his “get” way. As a result this entire world’s civilization has become mentally, morally and spiritually sick, and has been making progress in reverse. It has become decadent and is now bringing about its own destruction. The terrible state of this present evil world is the end result of past and present living by Satan’s way.

So God has permitted Satan to dominate the earth for 6,000 years. God said in effect to Satan, “six days shall you labor and do all your work”—in this case Satan’s work of deception and hostility toward God—”but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord God; in it you shall not do any work” (Ex. 20:9-10). Thank God we are near the end of Satan’s dominion. God’s thousand-year “Sabbath day” is about to dawn.

Utopia After Satan’s Removal!

At the return of Jesus Christ, Satan responsible for the sufferings of this world and for bringing mankind to the brink of annihilation, will be totally restrained from deceiving the world for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1-3).

People will find security and happiness. Fears and worries will disappear. Sickness and disease will be eradicated, people will find purpose. Families will live together in peace not just out of a sense of duty, but in warmth, happiness, and harmony. Broken homes and divorce will be a thing of the past.

In the world tomorrow, people will learn what abundant living really is. And it is then that God will set His hand to save the world spiritually. Now that we have compared 6,000 years of Satan’s rule to Christ’s 1,000 year rule over the earth, what about the angels who long ago chose to remain obedient to God? What are they doing today?
 

Role of Righteous Angels Today

The Bible indicates that two-thirds of the angels remained loyal to God. These countless millions of created beings are His servants in helping to carry out His plan for mankind, as well as performing other responsibilities. Let’s see what God’s Word tells us about them.

1. In the Bible are described various types of angels whose appearance and function differ. Are there ‘cherubim’ at God’s throne? Ps. 99:1. And ‘seraphim’? Isa. 6:1-7. Are there other angelic creatures and ‘elders’ surrounding God’s throne? Rev. 4:2-11.

COMMENT: Cherubim are associated with God’s throne, either transporting it, or carrying out important directives from that throne, such as guarding the tree of life after Adam disobeyed (Gen. 3:24). Lucifer, an ‘anointed cherub’ (Ezek. 28:14), was given great authority to administer God’s government over millions of angels on earth.

The best description of ‘cherubim’ is found in the book of Ezekiel. In chapters one, nine and ten, we read of cherubim transporting God’s throne. They are large, powerful, and described as four-faced creatures with four wings. The ‘seraphim’ bear a general resemblance to the human form, the ‘living creatures’ are described as having the combined features of cherubim and seraphim. No description of the 24 elders is given in the Bible except for the fact they are dressed in white clothing, each having a golden crown on his head.

2. Does God also have angels who continually walk through the earth to observe and report to Him overall conditions in the world? Rev. 5:6; Zech. 4:10; II Chron. 16:9. Are there other untold millions of angels serving God at His universe-ruling throne in heaven? Dan. 7:9-10.

3. In Hebrews chapters one and two, Paul speaks about the difference between man and angels. Are we plainly told that “the world to come”—the Millennium and thereafter—will not be ruled by angels? Heb. 2:5. But if we become the Sons of God, are we promised ruler ship over angels? Heb. 2:6-8; I Cor. 6:2-3.

COMMENT: God inspired Paul to point out that man has been made a little lower than the angels for now, but will in the future be placed over God’s “works”—all His creation, including angels!

4. What, besides composition, accounts for the tremendous difference between angels and man? Heb. 1:5, 13.

COMMENT: Man, now lower than angels, has a destiny far higher! Neither animal, nor angel, nor any other being, except man, was created to literally enter God’s Family.

Angel’s can never become a literal part of the FAMILY OF GOD!

5. What is God’s purpose for His created angels? Heb. 1:7, 14. Are true Christians the “heirs” Paul is talking about? Rom. 8:16-17; Gal. 3:26-29; 4:6-7.

COMMENT: Angels were created to be God’s servants, messengers, and representatives in the administration of His universe-ruling government. Now, in relation to man, angels are commissioned to minister to and serve the children of God who are His spiritual “heirs.”

To illustrate the primary activity of God’s angels today, we might consider the status of the young son of a wealthy man. While still a child, he may be under the care of an adult guardian designated by his father. The servant is older, farther advanced in knowledge, much more developed physically and mentally—but far lower potentially. For when the son is mature, he will inherit his father’s wealth and power. The servant, older and more mature, is only a servant “ministering” to the young “heir.” It is the same with the Angels.

6. Are some who are in close contact with God the Father protected by angels? Matt. 18:10; Acts 12:15.

7. Are angels powerful? II Peter 2:11. Do the angels of God keep close to those who obey God, to protect them from accidents, and other evils? Ps. 34:7; 91:1-12. Will God’s angels also fight our enemies for us? Ps. 35:1, 5-6.

8. Do God’s angels have the power to physically take on the likeness of men in order to carry out their duties? Dan. 9:21; Heb. 13:2. Also read all of Genesis chapter 18 and verses 1-22 of chapter 19.

COMMENT: Angels are also messengers. They appeared to Abraham, Lot, Hagar, Moses, Gideon, Elijah and many of the prophets and apostles. When these angels manifest themselves to human beings, they do so in the form of ordinary men. Paul points out in Hebrews 13:2 that they sometimes travel, not revealing that they are angels. But righteous angels never capriciously appear and disappear merely to amuse either themselves or men.

9. Why did the prophet Elisha ask God to open the eyes of his servant? II Kings 6:15-17.

10. Did God commission a special angel to watch over Israel and bring them into the promised land? Ex. 23:20-23.

11. Is Michael (one of the archangels who remained loyal to God) the chief guardian of the descendants of ancient Israel? Dan. 12:1. (“At that [end] time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people,” is how the Revised Standard Version renders Daniel 12:1.)

COMMENT: The Bible mentions by name three angels of very high rank: Lucifer (Isa. 14:12), now Satan. Gabriel, who appeared to Daniel on two occasions (Dan. 8:16; 9:21), to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19), and later to Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-27); and Michael, called one of the chief princes (Dan. 10:13), and whom Jude identifies as an archangel (Jude 9). Michael is the archangel specifically assigned to protect and minister to the twelve tribes of Israel.

It is interesting to note that twelve of God’s angels will be the gatekeepers in the new city of Jerusalem (Rev. 21:12), one for each tribe of Israel. These twelve may be assisting the archangel Michael right now.

12. Was Gabriel sent to give the prophet Daniel understanding of visions, and even to fight spiritual battles with powerful fallen angels (“princes”) of Satan in order that God’s will be carried out among the governments of men? Dan. 8:15-16; 9:21-22; 10:10-14; 20-21.

COMMENT: From these accounts in Daniel and elsewhere in the Bible, we can gather that the spirit world is teeming with activity! God works (John 5:17) and His righteous angelic servants are busy helping to carry out His will for mankind. Satan and his demons are just as busy trying to tear down, and destroy the plan of God.

13. What did an angel of God do when the civil rulers put some of the apostles in prison? Acts 5:17-20. Did this enable the apostles to continue preaching the truth of God? Verse 21.

COMMENT: We have covered only a few of the many verses showing how God’s angels serve Him and His people today. Let’s be grateful to God for sending His powerful, holy, and righteous angels to assist and watch over the work of His Church and those who are His heirs, soon to be born into the ruling Family of God!
 

Beware of Your Adversary!

God did not create Satan. God created a cherub of high rank—an archangel named Lucifer—perfect in his ways, but with the power of free choice. Lucifer transformed himself into Satan by his rebellion against the government of God! By his own choice in opposing God, he made himself God’s adversary.

Lucifer and all the other created angels were never destined to be more than the servants of God. None of the angels can become God and born into the Family of God as mankind can be. After the rebellion of Satan and his angels, God created humans and opened to them the potential to enter His Family and to rule this earth and ultimately the entire universe with Jesus Christ.

Satan and his demons know and hate this fact! Consequently, Satan views human beings as a grave threat to his way of life. With his perverted and twisted mind, Satan, who tried to take all power and authority from God, now looks upon humans as “competitors” because God has designed man to replace him and his demons as rulers of this world!

What could be better, Satan reasons, than to cause these “competitors” to disobey God and disqualify themselves so God cannot use them! Satan’s whole self-willed purpose, beginning with Adam, is to destroy all mankind, he hopes to, destroy the plan of God. That is why Christ called Satan a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44).

Satan attempted to defeat God’s plan to reproduce Himself by first succeeding in getting the first man to rebel against God, disqualifying himself from replacing Satan. He then attempted to have Christ, killed by the civil human government while He was a young child. Then, when Christ was an adult, Satan attempted to spiritually destroy Him by tempting Him.

Had Satan won this spiritual battle, he would have retained world rule. If Christ won, He would depose Satan and become world ruler at His Second Coming. Christ did win that battle by proving He would, resist Satan, and faithfully rule by God’s Law throughout eternity. And so must we if God is to have us rule the entire universe with Christ!

We, too, must overcome Satan by the Word and Spirit of God as Christ did. God shows us how we can win the battle.

1. Are we plainly told that we are in an all-out battle for our spiritual lives? I Pet. 5:8; Eph. 6:12. Can we afford to be unaware of Satan’s battle tactics? II Cor. 2:11.

COMMENT: We are in a spiritual warfare. We need to know how to protect ourselves from these invisible enemies who are out to destroy us spiritually!

2. What is the chief weapon Satan uses in his attempt to destroy God’s people? Eph. 2:2-3.

COMMENT: Satan, formerly the great archangel Lucifer who was originally created perfect in his ways (Ezek. 28:15), developed his satanic nature by his own reasoning and choice. Humans, in turn, acquire Satan’s nature which is part of what we call “human nature.” Notice how Paul described this: “The carnal mind [an attitude acquired from Satan] is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7).

But once the Spirit or mind of God is added to a person’s mind upon repentance and baptism, he has the spiritual awareness and strength to resist the attitudes of self-centeredness, lust, greed, vanity, jealousy, envy, resentment, bitterness and hate, which are “broadcast” to the mind by Satan!

No person is compelled to respond to and obey these impulses from Satan, he has no power to force anyone to think or do wrong! But the unsuspecting automatically do so without realizing what is taking place in their minds. Most people just drift along, responding to emotions and impulses which are often expressed in a sinful way (Gal. 5:19-21).

3. After receiving God’s Spirit which makes one a real Christian (Rom. 8:9), will Satan continue to try to deceive his or her mind and lead the person away from Christ and His ways? II Cor. 11:2-4. Did some Christians in Paul’s day begin to fall victim to Satan’s prompting once again? Gal. 1:6-8; 3:1. Does Satan also have his own ministers though whom he works? II Cor. 11:13-15.

COMMENT: He continues to “broadcast” the attitudes of his nature to our minds. When Jesus spoke of overcoming, He referred to overcoming the ways of Satan, which are contrary to God’s law. Those who have turned from Satan’s way are to be on guard against him and must fight to overcome his subtle urgings and remain true to God’s law.

4. Are we today also to resist Satan by remaining firm in the truth God has revealed to us? I Peter 5:9. What must Satan do if we resist him? James 4:7.

5. The apostle Paul gives us specific instructions on fighting against the impulses and attitudes of Satan. What are we to put on in order to fight this spiritual battle? Eph. 6:10-13. Of what does God’s spiritual armor consist? Verses 14-20.

COMMENT: Truth refers to the inspired Word of God (John 17:17),

The shield of faith refers to the faith of Jesus Christ which can be within us (Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3:9), not just to our own human faith. This faith is God’s gift by His Spirit (Gal. 5:22). And it is this faith that will enable us to overcome Satan and breaking God’s commandments!

The helmet… is the knowledge of what it involves, the purpose of life, the true goal and potential of mankind becoming members of the Family of God! The sword… refers to the written Word of God (Heb. 4:12). It is our offensive weapon in fighting against Satan. To rightly use this knowledge in waging a winning battle.We must study the Bible and learn God’s will and His promises!

What Paul finally mentions in withstanding the attacks of Satan is prayer. we are to draw close to God in persevering prayer (I Thes. 5:17) praying for God’s Church, and our protection. This is the way to overcome Satan and force him to leave! This is the perfect strategy for defeating Satan. If you follow this formula, your success in overcoming will be guaranteed!

Satan’s Final Attempt

Satan, aided by millions of fallen angelic beings, is the “god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4) the invisible world ruler who incites mankind to disobey God. Although Satan and his demons were cast back to the earth after their attempt to dethrone God, they still seek to take rule from God. These are the ambitious, and ruthless angels who, not being members of the God Family, seek by any and every way they can to make themselves the ruling “gods” over and above God and His Family.

1. Did Jesus reveal that Satan would make another attempt to win control from God? Rev. 12:7. Would he be cast back down to earth again? Verse 9. Does verse 10 show this happens shortly before Christ’s coming to establish the Kingdom of God? Will Satan be permanently cast out of God’s presence and from ever having part in the government of God again? Verse 8.

2. Will Satan then bring great anger upon the whole world? Rev. 12:12. Will he be especially angry against the end-time Church of God? Verses 13-17. Why will he be extremely angry at this time? Verse 12, last part. “A short time” before what? Rev. 20:1-3.

COMMENT: Once cast back to the earth for the second and last time, Satan will know that only a very short time remains before he will be completely restrained from further deceiving the world for a thousand years, and from attempting to destroy God’s Church both physically and spiritually. Therefore he will pull out all stops in a last effort to destroy the remnant of God’s Church-those who are not “accounted worthy to escape” (Luke 21:36).

3. Revelation 12 speaks of God’s end-time Church, as a woman. Will God provide His Church with shelter away from the anger of Satan? Rev. 12:14-16. (Also read Revelation 3:10.) However, will a “remnant” of God’s Church be lukewarm spiritually, and not be accounted worthy to escape? Verse 17; Rev. 3:14-19. Will God rebuke and chasten them, allowing them to suffer Satan’s anger to wake them up spiritually? Verses 18-19.

COMMENT: This end-time prophecy tells of an escape for God’s faithful servants from the terrible tribulation caused by Satan. God’s Church will be in a wilderness where she will be protected from Satan’s anger, his human agents, and from the devastation of a world at war.

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