SHALL WE TALK ABOUT THE THIRD PERSON ON OUR STAGE OF LIFE AS CHRISTIANS ?

As some are reading the above title for this particular entry, there may be some confusion or even pause…..what third person ? Rather than a long diatribe I’m going to make it REALLY SIMPLE. In our life, there is ME, GOD, and SATAN. As Christians it is very easy to talk about God. God created us, God loves us, God sent His Son to SAVE US from sin and death, and GOD IS THE ULTIMATE POWER FOR GOOD IN OUR LIFE ! As we walk around the stage of our life, we interact with God. We look around us and see His Amazing Creation. We know that We Are Created In His Image. His Word tells us that directly in Genesis. Genesis also tells us that God Is Good, and that everything He Created Is Good, including US. So, if everything is so good, and our God is so good, WHY IS THERE EVIL, AND SUFFERING, AND CHAOS ? The answer is actually very simple. These things and struggles and circumstances exist because SATAN IS ON THE STAGE OF OUR LIVES. Each and every one of us. Not some made up Boogey Man, Not some imaginary force. Satan is a Creature, made by God. In fact, before he fell from God’s Grace, Lucifer was known as “ The Light Bearer “.; most likely the highest ranking angel in all of God’s Kingdom. Once an amazing part of God’s Kingdom, HE FELL ! How could this happen ? Lucifer became full of Envy for who and what God Is. The envy lead him to see himself as equal to or perhaps even superior to God, and thus he became arrogant and prideful and battled God until he was defeated and cast out. His hatred for God was so intense that he focused his rage and deceit directly on God’s most precious creation of all….Mankind. Us. In the Garden Of Eden, Satan used his cunning and deceit to fool Adam and Eve into thinking that they too should be equal with God. Satan pulled mankind out of Paradise and Relationship with God into two very sad places in our life, SIN, and DEATH. No matter where you are in your life, no matter your belief or unbelief, EVERY ONE OF US needs to recognize that Satan IS REAL and that HE IS ON STAGE WITH YOU. Lets take a look at just Who He Is, shall we ?

“HOW YOU ARE FALLEN FROM HEAVEN, O DAY STAR, SON OF DAWN ! HOW YOU ARE CUT DOWN TO THE GROUND, YOU WHO LAID THE NATIONS LOW ! YOU SAID IN YOUR HEART. ‘ I WILL ASCEND TO HEAVEN, ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD I WILL SET MY THRONE ON HIGH; I WILL SIT ON THE MOUNT OF ASSEMBLY IN THE FAR REACHES OF THE NORTH; I WILL ASCEND ABOVE THE HEIGHTS OF THE CLOUDS; I WILL MAKE MYSELF LIKE THE MOST HIGH.’ BUT YOU ARE BROUGHT DOWN TO SHEOL, TO THE FAR REACHES OF THE PIT.” Isaiah 14: 12-16

AND HE SAID TO THEM, “ I SAW SATAN FALL LIKE LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN.” Luke 10:18

BUT I AM AFRAID THAT AS THE SERPENT DECEIVED EVE BY HIS CUNNING, YOUR THOUGHTS WILL BE LEAD ASTRAY FROM A SINCERE AND PURE DEVOTION TO CHRIST. 2 Corinthians 11:3

BE SOBER MINDED; BE WATCHFUL. YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL PROWLS AROUND LIKE A ROARING LION SEEKING SOMEONE TO DEVOUR. 1 Peter 5:8

Far too often as Christians we walk around woefully blind to the fact we have an ENEMY that wants to destroy us, and he is very cunning, very persistent and VERY EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL….IF, we are unaware, unprepared, and DO NOT HAVE JESUS AS OUR DEFENDER, and the ARMOR OF GOD AS OUR PROTECTION. Do we really think that the Armor Of God is in Scripture just as an analogy or metaphor ? NO, IT IS REAL AND IT IS TO STAND AGAINST SATAN ! As we walk through our life, we spend a lot of time being prepared. We have a game plan, we study, we run simulations, and role play. We always PREPARE, and there is nothing more important than to BE PREPARED FOR SATAN IN YOUR LIFE. He will Deceive, Divide, Lie, Tempt, Flatter, and do anything else to keep us from TRUSTING IN GOD. The best piece of his strategy is to hide and fool us into Blaming God for all that goes wrong in our lives and the world. It’s God’s fault. Why didn’t God help me ? Why did God let this happen ? And The Sad Truth ??? WE LET IT HAPPEN. We gave up our relationship with God in its perfection to allow SIN AND DEATH TO PREVAIL. SATAN TOOK OVER THE EARTH, and it is his presence and evil that causes the pain and misery in our lives, along with our Free Will and Choices.

WE KNOW THAT WE ARE FROM GOD, AND THE WHOLE WORLD LIES IN THE POWER OF THE EVIL ONE. 1 John 5:19

IN WHICH YOU ONCE WALKED, FOLLOWING THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD, FOLLOWING THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, THE SPIRIT THAT IS NOW AT WORK IN THE SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE. Ephesians 2:2

IN THEIR CASE, THE GOD OF THIS WORLD HAS BLINDED THE MINDS OF THE UNBELIEVERS, TO KEEP THEM FROM SEEING THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST, WHO IS THE IMAGE OF GOD. 2 Corinthians 4:4

We need to realize that we have an Enemy. His name is Satan. HE IS NOT GOD. He is a created being, not a creator. HE HAS NO POWER OVER THOSE WHO RESIDE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST ! He is an accuser and a liar. He plays with us and causes us problems because we choose to think he isn’t real, or we sit in a woefully Unprepared state to Battle Him. Remember, he tried to tempt and fool Jesus when he was on earth, but he failed. Jesus had the Armor and the Sword of God’s Word to defeat him. The world we see before us is controlled by him, but WE HAVE THE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO FIGHT BACK, AND WE MUST ! Reaching out to others in sharing the Gospel, make sure they actually know that Satan is Real and he wants their soul. Prepare yourself in God’s Word and an intimate relationship with Jesus to defeat Satan. Remember that The Holy Spirit resides in you and is your best ally every day to BE STRONG AND COVERED. JESUS WILL RETURN BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND TO GOD AND HIS KINGDOM BE THE GLORY :) BE READY/JAA

HE HAS DELIVERED US FROM THE DOMAIN OF DARKNESS AND TRANSFERRED US TO THE KINGDOM OF HIS BELOVED SON. Colossians 1:13