Where There is No Jesus, Satan Moves In

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(7) Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (8) But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. (9) The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.’ (Revelation 12:7-9); ‘(1) As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, (2) in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.’ (Ephesians 2:1-2)

Why is there sin in the world?  Why is man and the world inherently evil?  We find in Revelation 12 the answer; an angelic war in heaven, fought between Michael the archangel and his Godly legions, against Satan (aka Lucifer) and his ungodly legions that comprised of one-third of all angels.   Satan and his minions were removed from heaven and ‘exiled’ to earth. 

Although God is not linear in time (he is timeless, without beginning or end), we humans who are linear in time can place this event happening just after Creation (since the Earth had to exist for Satan to be exiled to) and either just before or at the time of Adam and Eve’s creation and residence in the Garden of Eden.  The ‘serpent’ that tempted Eve into eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge is Satan, and thus he started his work into undermining the relationship of God and man and the destruction of God’s Creation.

Why Satan took this position (to promote evil) is not entirely known by us (yet), with assumptions made of him being jealous, narcissistic, and/or him desiring to be equal or better than God Himself.  What we do know is that since the dawn of man, Satan has been determined to wipe out mankind, and especially the Jews since their appointment as God’s Chosen people.  Satan has almost succeeded in doing both; we had the flood of Noah, the failed genocide of Haman in Esther, the Holocaust of World War II.  Satan has attempted to gain footholds in the lives of people throughout the Earth, through lies and deceit.  False religions under false pretenses using lies and feelings instead of facts. 

To be blunt, where there is no Jesus, Satan moves in.  This is why it is so important for us who proclaim Jesus as our Lord to obey Him in performing the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), to go and tell others the Gospel of Jesus.  See where Jesus is not, and you will see evil; the slaughter of men, women, and children by Hamas in southern Israel and the disregard for their own lives within Gaza; the persecution of people (both Christian and non-Christian) in China, such as the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and others; the persecution of ‘Boers’ (whites) in South Africa.  The shooter in Maine is filled with evil, as no one with the Holy Spirit would be led down such a heinious path.

In the US, we see the lies expanding (even in churches calling themselves Christian) in abortion, gender fluidity and racial profiling that are overturning Godly principles for ungodly practices.  If you seek an answer why the world seems to be falling apart, it is because Satan is alive and well on Earth.  If people do not know Jesus as their Savior, their heart is empty and thus Satan can move right in and claim occupancy.  Man is either guided by the Holy Spirit (God Indwelled) or by indwelling evil led by Satan.

But, never lose Hope, never despair!  We as Christians know the answer as we know the end of the story; Jesus wins!  God prevails!  Satan is defeated and forever incarcerated in the Lake of Fire in Revelation 20:10; in Revelation 22:3 Jesus Himself proclaims the curse of sin is forever removed and the new heaven & earth are enjoined in God’s eternal rule.  Before then, however, we must persevere through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and our obedience to God, to his precepts and by sharing Jesus to others. Let us get to work!