PTM E-UPDATE -- FEBRUARY 8, 2010
Is Jesus in competition with the devil?
Ask this question to someone walking down the street and chances are they will say something like, “Sure – Jesus and the devil are always scuffling over something.” A letter we received recently reflects this popular view -- from someone who should know better, as he identifies himself as an evangelist. He comments,
“This is exactly what life is – from the cradle to the grave: God versus the devil, love versus hate, angels versus demons, eternal life with God versus eternal damnation with the devil. Ephesians 6:12, ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood.’”
Even most four-year-olds are aware of a difference between good and bad, right and wrong. And if they’ve been given any religious training in the Judeo-Christian tradition, they should know that God and the devil are seriously at odds. But as we grow, our understanding of the nature of that conflict should also grow – especially in Christianity. Are Jesus and the devil actually in an ongoing war? Is there some question as to the outcome? Does the fate of the world hang in the balance every day as the forces of Jesus battle the minions of Satan?
Some Christian teachers (especially those involved in the "Spiritual Warfare" movement) would have us believe that God and Satan are in a constant struggle, with the winner uncertain. They would have us believe that the outcome is based on the combined efforts of us Christians. If we fight really hard, God wins. If we don’t, the world is in trouble. It’s all up to us!
But if this is the case – and if Jesus and the devil are really competing with each other, then several things follow:
• The playing field is level. The devil is as powerful as Jesus. They are equally matched.
• Since they are equally matched, we don’t know the outcome of this conflict. Satan might win. Jesus might win. We don’t know. We must live with this uncertainty.
• It’s a numbers game. Jesus and Satan are each trying to win souls. Satan is trying to increase the population of hell while Jesus is trying to get more souls in heaven. The winner is whoever has the biggest number of souls in the end.
• Jesus desperately needs our help. When Christians slack off, things look good for Satan. When our "witnessing quotas" drop, Satan wins more souls.
• Satan, of course, is trying to conquer America, since America is the last bastion of godliness on earth (as it seems some within Christendom believe). Atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, gays, Catholics and mainstream Protestants don’t count as godly, so it’s all up to American fundamentalist Christians, who must work hard to pass laws and vote for politicians who will keep their country comfortable for Christendom.
Some Christian teachers (especially those involved in the "Spiritual Warfare" movement) would have us believe that God and Satan are in a constant struggle, with the winner uncertain. They would have us believe that the outcome is based on the combined efforts of us Christians. If we fight really hard, God wins. If we don’t, the world is in trouble. It’s all up to us!
Unfortunately, this thinking makes sense to too many. But it doesn’t square with the Bible:
• The playing field is not level. Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17). Jesus created the one who became Satan, who can do only what Jesus allows him to.
• We know the outcome. We have already won. “But thanks be to God! He gives (present tense) us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
• It’s not a numbers game. I can’t cite a scripture here because the Bible doesn’t even raise the issue of how many people will end up in hell (a state of eternal separation form God) versus how many people will end up in heaven.
• Jesus doesn’t need our help to save the world. Several passages mention Jesus as the Savior of the world, but nothing mentions you or me as saviors of the world. Rather, Jesus saves us and works through us. He has already saved us and saved the world, without any human help, before we even knew anything about him (Romans 5:8). It’s a done deal. It’s over. It’s finished.
• America is not the world’s last bastion of godliness. Never was. As flawed human governments go, America may be among the best, but the freedoms we enjoy also allow people the freedom to sin – to make mistakes. To some degree, this reflects the free will that God gives his creation (a freedom that too many human governments and religion want to restrict). But as far as being the last bastion of Godliness, American Christians would do well to learn the lesson that the apostle Peter acknowledged when he said, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34-35).Okay then -- what about Ephesians 6? Doesn’t this passage seem to say that Christians are in a constant pitched battle against evil and demonic forces? Well, yes and no.
Ephesians 6 is often used by Spiritual Warfare teachers as a war cry. But what does the historical and cultural context tell us about this passage? Ephesus was a major commercial hub of the first century Roman world. Cosmopolitan Ephesians dabbled in all sorts of religions, philosophies and creeds. Ephesus was also cult headquarters for the popular goddess Artemis -- a center of great religious power. So how were the Ephesian Christians to survive in this pluralistic and sometimes hostile environment? Paul answers this question in his letter to the Ephesians.
In the first five chapters of Ephesians, Paul lays the foundation that Christ has already done the work of overcoming sin and evil -- not us. We are saved by God's grace through faith. Believers must therefore reflect God's light in the midst of evil and darkness. While evil -- and Satan as its personification -- has been defeated and its days are numbered, it is still very much present in the world. In this context, Paul observes that our enemies are beyond what we can see (6:12). Dark spiritual powers lurk behind Christ-less human religion and philosophy. What should Christians do? Rather than engaging or attempting to depose these powers -- Paul advises Christians simply to be prepared, to be equipped and to stand their ground against the devil's schemes (6:11, 13). The war has eternally been won by Jesus, but the battles are not quite over for us.
Expanding on a metaphor from Isaiah 11:5, Paul compares the Christian attributes of spiritual battle-readiness to the armor that was standard equipment for Roman soldiers (6:13-17). Yet the spiritual battle equipment that Paul lists here is not our own, but that of our Lord. Paul advises Christians, "Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 13:14). Paul goes on to describe each attribute of Christ that will defend us against evil. Together these constitute the "full armor of God"-- gifts that he provides to protect us against evil.
"The belt of truth." The belt was essential for a Roman soldier because much of his equipment was held in place by it. Truth withstands falsehood. Yet, it is not our own truth that does this -- but Jesus Christ, who is the truth (John 14:6).
"The breastplate of righteousness." A breastplate protected a soldier's vital organs. For a Christian, righteousness is the most effective defense against evil. The righteousness spoken of here is not our own but that of Jesus.
"Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." Boots or sandals studded with sharp nails enabled soldiers to move quickly and to stand firm in the face of an enemy. Christians are ready to move through rough times and to stand firm in the face of evil because of the reassurance of the gospel.
"The shield of faith." As soldiers used shields to stop spears and flaming arrows, so faith, or belief in God, is what blocks our spiritual enemy from harming us. But, as Paul reminds us earlier in Ephesians, faith is a gift from God and not our own.
"The helmet of salvation." As the helmet protected a soldier's head, so we are protected by the knowledge that we are saved, and that our salvation has already been secured by the work of Jesus.
"The sword of the spirit which is the word of God." Paul here uses the term for the Roman short sword, used for close combat. For the Christian, the sword is symbolic of the word of God -- not our own words. It is the Lord who rebukes the spiritual powers -- not us (Jude 9).
Interestingly, in his description of the armor of God, Paul makes no mention of the spear, the main offensive weapon for Roman soldiers. Throughout this passage, the spiritual combat tactic Paul advocates is to stand one's ground or to resist -- because Christ has already defeated the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15). We can therefore stand safe and secure, clothed with the armor of Christ, protected by his power.
Jesus is not in "competition" with the devil. He never has been (even though the devil may think otherwise). Jesus has the upper hand, always has and always will. As God, Jesus is not constrained by time and space. He has always won, has always been victorious and has always been in charge. He allows us to experience evil for a short time in this physical, temporal world so that we might better know how good he is and how much we need his salvation.
In Christ,
Monte WolvertonRETURN TO PTM WEEKLY UPDATE CONTENTS PAGE
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