For Our Struggle is Against the Devil

  • 2011.06.20 10:24

Ephesians 6:10~13

 

God is the creator of everything, but only angels and human beings were created by Him as spiritual beings. Why did God create them as spiritual beings? Because He wanted them to know their creator, and to praise, glorify and give thanks to Him. He also wanted them to know that He is the only one worthy to be glorified (1 Corinthians 10:31). When God made both angels and human beings, He gave them free will. So they had the right not only to challenge God and perish; but also to serve Him and be blessed. Unfortunately, the angels betrayed and challenged Him out of their free will (Isaiah 14:12~15, Ezekiel 28:14~15). They didn't keep their positions of authority, the purpose of their creation, and finally became Satan. God didn't forgive any of the fallen angels and has kept them in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the Last Day (Jude 6, 2 Peter 2:4). God blessed man to rule over all of creation and to live happily in the Garden of Eden. He told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16~17). But Satan, who was in the form of a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve, and they ate of it (Genesis 3:3~5). Adam and Eve didn't obey God’s voice and sinned against Him as Satan had done. From that time on, man became despairing beings who would surely die due to their sin. Man is constantly deceived by the voice of this world, Satan, and doesn’t listen to God’s voice. The voice of this world never helps us to escape from sin, curses, destruction, hell, and all kinds of unhappiness. The only way to solve them and preserve man is by the Word of God. The working of the devil and the fallen angels is the enemy of both God and man. Man is so blessed because God forgave their sin, but He judges the sin of the angels. God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to save man (Matthew 1:18;21~23, Luke 1:30~31). Jesus paid back the wages of sin, which is death, by shedding His blood and dying on the cross. Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior will be saved. Since Jesus’ death, all the sin of the world was resolved and men were set free from eternal death (Romans 8:1~2). Also, when Jesus rose again from the dead, the devil, the author of death, was judged forever. Jesus destroyed the working of the Devil, our enemy, by His death and resurrection forever (John 3:8). All believers should live by faith in order to overcome the devil (Ephesians 6:10~13) because the working of the devil is still deceiving and tempting men, trying to devour them like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8~9, Revelation 12:7~9, 12). Only the Word of God gives life to man (John 6:63, Romans 6:16, John 12:49~50). When the Israelites broke God's commandment and worshiped idols, they came under the control of the devil (1 Corinthians 10:19~21). But those who have the power of Jesus' blood on the cross and His absolute authority to judge death by His resurrection, will surely overcome all the working of the devil, as Jesus had (Mark 16:17~18). It is the power of the Holy Spirit that overcomes all the working of the devil. It is the evidence that we were saved by Jesus’ blood and have become holy (Matthew 12:28). We should have the fighting instinct to live forever and to overcome the devil who tries to kill us (Ephesians 6:13). The devil makes men not to live by God’s will and by His Word and by the blood of Jesus. Man should live by God’s Word and overcome sin even to the point of shedding their blood (2 Timothy 4:6~8).

트위터 페이스북 구글플러스 싸이공감 네이트온 쪽지 구글 북마크 네이버 북마크