Your Adversary the Devil

After the interlude of examining near-death experiences, we move on with our study of John's Revelation. The great drama of our rescue from the power of the dragon is portrayed by the woman (the church or true believers) giving birth to a male child (the promised Messiah) who ascends to His throne to rule the nations with a rod of iron (Ps 2:7-9). The Child is safe, but what about the woman? She too is safe. "She has a place prepared by God in which she is nourished in the wilderness, just as were the Children of Israel in the days of Moses.

Before we study how the woman is safe and nourished let us pause to consider what it means that the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, has been thrown down to the earth, and his angels with him (Rev. 12:9). As noted earlier, the scene shifts now from heaven to earth where Satan pursues the woman and  her offspring.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. - Rev 12:7-9 ESV

Satan Falling (A Scribe From Beneath) 

. . . the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--

But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. - Rev 12:12-13 ESV 

Bodie Hodge posted a detailed study of Satan's fall from heaven. He points out that the name The Satan is first found 10x in Job 1-2 and literally means the adversary in Hebrew. The Satan is also found 3x in Zechariah 3:1-2. The early church father Justin Martyr (Dialogue, chp. 103) gave us the Hebrew etymology of the name. Satan without the definite article is used 10x in Scripture and can be translated as an adversary (e.g. Num. 22:22,32; 1 Sam. 29:4; 2 Sam. 19:22, etc.).

Hodge traces the etymology of the name Lucifer to the Latin translation of Isa. 14:12. The Hebrew heylel there means "light bearer" or "morning star" (cf. Isaiah 14:12 ESV). The Greek version of the OT (the Septuagint) translates the Satan as diabolos (slanderer). Diabolos is the same word found in the Greek N.T. The English word devil is derived from it. Nowhere else in Scripture is Satan referred to as Lucifer. We cannot be certain the Isa. 14 passage even refers to Satan, the devil. If it does it refers to him during and after his fall—not before. Nevertheless, many Christians feel that the Isaiah passage refers to Satan's being "thrown down to the earth," as proclaimed by John's Revelation.

The war in heaven to which the Revelation refers is beyond our reckoning, outside time. The serpent/tempter appears from the beginning of Bible history (Gen. 3:1-6). We cannot date Satan's fall.  It happened outside of human history. It is enough to know the dragon and his angels have no place in heaven. What awaits them is the abyss, the lake of fire, as noted earlier and detailed later in the Revelation (Luke 8:31; Rev. 9:2; 19:20; 20:2,3,14,14).

What is important for us to note, however, is what the Apostle Peter points out:

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. - 1Pe 5:8-11 ESV

Tempting God

The devil's temptations of Jesus (Matt. 4:1-11) are a summary of all the temptations we face. In similar manner the prince of this world seeks to destroy our faith in the Father in heaven. He failed in his attempts to tempt Jesus, but he did not stop there. Throughout Jesus' ministry the devil kept at him. And each time he was tempted our Lord showed us how we are to resist them.

We catch hints of Satan's activity throughout the Gospels. He continued his devious work through the Sadducees, Pharisees, Scribes and even Jesus' disciples.

• And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. - Luke 4:13 ESV
• But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." - Mat 16:23 ESV
• When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." - Luke 22:53 ESV
• I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, - John 14:30 ESV
• Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. - John 12:31 ESV
• And when (the Helper) comes, he will convict the world . . . concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. - John 16:7, 11 ESV

Our Lord does not remove us from this world when he calls us to faith and gives us new birth. We are not immediately transported to heaven. No indeed. We are his disciples, walking with him day by day, fed and led by him who is our Good Shepherd. But he also allows us to walk with him through the valley of the shadow of death; he permits us to face temptations. He knows they are also a way to grow our faith. They teach us to rely completely upon his promises and upon the power and presence of his Spirit. With this in mind we turn to the second of Jesus' temptations.

Pinnacle of Herod's Temple

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" 

Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" - Mat 4:5-7 ESV

Once more doubt: "if you are the Son of God. . ." This time the prince of darkness used the very Scriptures by which Jesus had resisted the first temptation, misquoting and misapplying them.   The quote is from Psalm 91:1-16 where we are taught to hide as a little chick under the shelter of  a great eagle's wings. There we will always be safe, regardless of what serpents and lions may try to do to us. Regardless of what you do, said the devil, "he will command his angels concerning you . . ." So jump from the temple pinnacle and consider how impressive it will be when you land safely after a fall of over 100 feet. Then people will surely realize who you are and what power is in your hands. 

That meant, however, that Jesus was to try to become the Messianic king by trickery. He would force the Father to break the rule of gravity. Forget the cross, forget suffering and death. Fly from the temple's pinnacle and become the king you were meant to be. The angels will bring you safely to ground.

To resist this powerful temptation Jesus used a quote from Moses' record of Israel's Exodus. The LORD had brought them out of slavery in Egypt. He had destroyed the Egyptian army and caused the sea to be parted for their safe passage. But then they ran out of water and they demanded that Moses give them water to drink.

Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." 

And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" 

But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" 

So Moses cried to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." - Exd 17:2-4 ESV

The gracious LORD did give them water when Moses used the staff given to him to strike a rock. Later Moses reminded them of this event as they were about to enter the promised land. He warned them never to "put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah."- Deut. 6:16 ESV. Massah means trial, test or temptation. In other words, Israel—and we—are strictly forbidden to test the LORD and His promises. Who are we to put the LORD God to the test? Who are we to question His guidance, providence and protection? Who are we to demand anything from Him?

We are ever to humble ourselves before Him, trusting in His promise to lead and guide us safely to the Father's house. On the cross the Lord has rescued us from the slavery of our sin. Through the cross we have received forgiveness and the certain promise of the resurrection to endless life. Whatever He sees fit to put us through, we trust and submit.

The Life-giving Word From God

We continue our discussion of temptation in the Christian's life with a more detailed look at our Lord Jesus' temptations by the devil after his baptism.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" - Matt 4:1-4 ESV

Everything Jesus did was for us. Empowered and led by the Spirit, he spent 40 days in the wilderness. No one lived in the wilderness. In the wilderness John the Baptist called the Jewish people to repent. The wilderness had symbolical meaning. After their exodus from Egypt Israel was born while wandering for 40 years in the wilderness. John called his people to remember their history, to rethink who they were and whence they had come. He called them to turn away from their sinful ways, seek forgiveness from God for their sins and recommit themselves to His service. Jesus accepted this responsibility by being baptized by John out in the wilderness. At first John insisted that he was the one needing baptism by Jesus, not the other way around. To this Jesus replied,

"Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. - Matt 3:15 ESV

The Father in heaven sent Jesus to live in complete and total obedience and to give himself as the final sacrifice for all men's sins. In this way he fulfilled all righteousness. As Jesus said,

"My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. - John 4:34 ESV (see also John 3:16-18)

But Jesus also knew he would have to fight the devil in our place. He must be tempted by him as are we. And he must show us how to overcome these temptations. We study these temptations in order to learn what to expect and how to resist them.

The first thing the devil did was to plant a seed of doubt: "If you are the Son of God." Jesus had gone without food for 40 days and was extremely hungry. He was probably so weak that he wondered if he could even make it back to civilization. Had his Father forsaken him?

In a 1997 editorial in the British Medical Journal, Peel briefly reviewed the available literature regarding human starvation. Generally, it appears as though humans can survive without any food for 30-40 days, as long as they are properly hydrated. Severe symptoms of starvation begin around 35-40 days, and as highlighted by the hunger strikers of the Maze Prison in Belfast in the 1980s, death can occur at around 45­ to 61 days

In such extreme cases of starvation the most common cause of death is heart or other organ failure. 

People are still starving in our day. For example, the United Nations World Food Programme has suspended operations in southern Somalia after recent terror threats, leaving a million people at risk of hunger because of the severe drought that is currently devastating the Horn of Africa.

Our Lord identified himself with Israel's wilderness journey by his life-threatening 40-day fast. He also identified with all the millions that starve to death because of lack of food. And he faced the temptation to doubt his Father's love as a result. Why does the heavenly Father permit such things to happen? The answer is sometimes hidden in the unknown counsels of God. 

In this extremely fragile situation the devil tempted Jesus to set aside his humanity and simply command the stones and rocks of the wilderness to become bread. To be sure, he could have done that, but then he would not have completely emptied himself of his divine nature and been completely one with us (Phil 2:6-8).

This he refused to do. Instead he threw himself into the hands of his Father by drawing on the written account of Israel's wilderness experience. Israel also had no food all the days of the Exodus. Each day they went out to pick up manna, that strange food that simply appeared. In this way they learned complete dependence upon the LORD. Moses reminded them of this as they prepared to enter the land of promise.

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. - Deu 8:3 ESV

So Jesus teaches us about hunger, weakness, starvation, suffering, sickness, the danger of death and how to deal with the temptation to doubt in those situations. We must not question what the Father allows to happen. Our task is to trust and submit. The Father may well answer our prayers and provide manna. Or he may not. In any event we know that our earthly lives are in the hands of our loving Father. We know it because we have Jesus. He is our life. In him we have been reborn and he lives within us (2 Cor. 12:9; Gal. 2:20). Regardless of what may come in this present age, that is enough.

"'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

 

Why Do We Pray, "Lead Us Not Into Temptation"?

Again and again we Christians pray to our Father in heaven to "lead us not into temptation." Since we know he does not tempt us to sin, why pray such a prayer at all? This is a puzzle I'd like to help us solve as we move into this Lenten season of penitence. Let's start by looking at the petition itself.

. . . And lead us not into temptation." - Luke 11:4 and Matt. 6:14 ESV

The word translated as lead is eispherō in Greek. In the N.T. we find the word in a variety of contexts. 

• some men brought in their paralyzed friend to Jesus - Luke 5:18-19
• Jesus advises his disciples not to be anxious about what to say when rulers and authorities bring you before them - Luke 12:11
• The Athenians were quite fascinated by the strange teaching Paul brought them - Acts 17:19
• Timothy is to remind his flock that "we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of it - 1 Tim. 6:7
• Just as the bodies of sacrificial animals brought into the holy places by the high priest were burned outside the camp, so Jesus suffered outside the gate - Hebr. 13:11-12

It seems Jesus teaches us to petition our Father not to bring us into temptation. Is he thereby reminding us that the Father does in fact bring us to places or situations where we might be tempted to disobey or reject Him? It is interesting to note that this is precisely what the Father did with Jesus. We hear about it at the very beginning of his public ministry. Jesus must have reported it to his disciples, because it was a very solitary encounter between himself and his arch-enemy, Satan himself. The account is found in Matt. 4:1-11. Its about what he experienced after his 40-day fast. More about that in later posts. 

It appears that the devil and his minions are always roaming about like hungry lions on the prowl and we who follow Jesus are the juicy meat they desire (1 Peter 5:8). Add to that the fact that our sinful human nature loves to join the demons in giving in to the temptations and we live in a world filled with equally sinful men. Given all that, why would our Father in heaven bring us into temptation or allow us to be tempted as was His Son? What's the point?

Let's go back to the petition and read the whole sentence this time. 

. . . And lead us not into temptation, BUT deliver us from evil - Matt. 6:14

A couple things to note: 

• Luke's version of the prayer does not have "but deliver us from evil" (Luke 11:4)
• Matthew's version actually has τοῦ ponēros - the evil one

What Jesus teaches is that we will be tempted by the evil one, the devil or those personal demons assigned to us. This wrestling and fighting is bound to happen in this world controlled and led by the devil, the real god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). The Father does not take us out of the world, but rather permits us to be tempted in order that we may grow in faith and trust. He wants us to grow up in Christ. This is part of the discipling process, the training for life here and now AND for the life we will live in the age to come. It is proof that we are His children. Here's what we're told: 

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the encouragement that addresses you as sons? 

"My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." 

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. - Hbr 12:4-11 ESV

So lift up your dangling, droopy hands and brace your weakened, wobbly knees. Get back on the straight path so your lame legs won't be put out of joint, but will heal. And focus on Jesus who endured such testing, personal attacks, hostility and eventually the cross for us. And always remember that he will not allow us to be tested beyond our strength, but will with the trial also provide a way out.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. - 1Cor 10:13 ESV

More about temptation in my next post. 

Halloween And The Reformation

A friend told me recently that his granddaughter asked him an interesting question. "Grandpa," she said, turning with a puzzled look, "why do we always have Reformation Sunday right after Halloween?" She saw no connection, even though she and her family are Lutherans and active church goers.

All the emphasis upon scary costumes, trick-or-treating kids parading from house to house, spooky displays of skeletons, ghosts, spiders, witches and evil faced pumpkins in yards, in restaurants and shopping malls has turned the Eve of All Hallows into another time of lets pretend and have a party. This season also reflects the widespread interest in places like the Devil's Tramping Ground and other unexplained supernatural phenomena. All this certainly distracts from the church's original intent in establishing the Feast of All Saints (All Hallows). Since then believers have associated All Hallows Eve (Halloween) with everything opposed to All Hallows, a time when demons and devils came out to laugh at and mock God's ways. In a sense we join their party by dressing in ghoulish costumes and spreading or threatening to spread chaos around the neighborhoods.

Mary Reed Newland explains the Eve of All Hallows in this way:

A celebration much like our Halloween, with bonfires and feasting on apples and nuts and harvest fruits, was part of pagan worship for centuries. The Britons celebrated in honor of their sun-god with bonfires, a tribute to the light that brought them abundant harvest. At the same time they saluted Samhain, their "lord of death," who was thought to gather together at last the souls of the year's dead which had been consigned to the bodies of animals in punishment for their sins. The Romans celebrated the same kind of festival at this time in honor of their goddess Pomona, a patroness of fruits and gardens. Whether the Church "baptized" these customs or chose this season for her feasts of the dead independent of them, their coincidence shows again how alike men are when they seek God and His ways, give praise, use the language of symbols to express the inexpressible. 

It was in the eighth century that the Church appointed a special date for the feast of All Saints, followed by a day in honor of her soon-to-be saints, the feast of All Souls. She chose this time of year, it is supposed, because in her part of the world it was the time of barrenness on the earth. The harvest was in, the summer done, the world brown and drab and mindful of death. Snow had not yet descended to comfort and hide the bony trees or blackened fields; so with little effort man could look about and see a meditation on death and life hereafter.

She goes on to tell about how the Eve of All Hallows was celebrated in various countries around the world.

Many protestant and Lutheran churches celebrate the Reformation on the Sunday nearest Oct. 31. The Sunday following is the Feast of All Saints, a time to remember all who have entered heaven during the past year by God's grace. Their names are spoken aloud and prayers of thanks are offered.

So back to the question. What does Halloween have to do with Reformation Sunday? In sixteenth century Germany All Saints Day, November 1, was a big day. Many would be present at worship on that day. Further, the door of the castle church at Wittenberg was where one posted important items. So anticipating all the worshippers, Dr. Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses there on October 31, challenging the sale of indulgences. Needless to say, his theses set off the great storm that we now call the Reformation. More about this in my next posts.

Let Us Start To Talk About The Two Kingdoms

We who are disciples of Jesus Christ are committed to the care of the whole person, physically, mentally, spiritually and socially. This is because the Spirit of the living Christ dwells in us, teaching us to love one another even as we are loved.

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. - 1Jo 4:19-21 ESV

Part of the vision of George P. Mitchell in developing The Woodlands, TX. in the early 1970s was to have the churches that grew up in that planned city to be in charge of what were and still are called human services. In the early years of my ministry as pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church, Spring, 
TX.. the congregation sponsored the development of Living Word Lutheran Church in The Woodlands and I served on the initial board of Interfaith Ministries, a coalition of churches that continues to guide and supervise human services in The Woodlands. In this planned community of over 100,000 people

Interfaith Programs and Services are available to qualifying individuals and families who reside in The Woodlands and the South Montgomery County area with employment assistance in six counties. Most programs are free of charge and are funded by the generous financial support of corporations, congregations, foundations, civic groups and private individuals.

Interfaith of the Woodlands provides many services and events including The Woodlands Directory,  senior services including senior transportation, the Interfaith Child Development Center, child care The Woodlands, employment services, family services, a food pantry, job assistance, job counseling, crisis assistance, workforce services, and The Woodlands Golf Tournament. See our programs page for more information on all our programs.

Both Resurrection and Living Word also provide support and care specifically for individuals and families of their congregations, as well as cooperate with other churches of their denomination in deeds of mercy throughout the world. I could share many stories of how that was done during the years of my pastorates at both churches. 

I mention all this by way of introduction to a deeper look into the Biblical teaching about how we Christians, both in our vocations and in our gathered congregations, operate in what has long been called two kingdoms. The very use of that phrase, however, requires some sorting and defining, because for hundreds of years it has been the source of much contention and confusion. 

Let us start with the fact that in this world there is a constant battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. Listen to our Lord

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons." Knowing their thoughts, he (Jesus) said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. - Mat 12:24-28 ESV 

The kingdom of Satan, prince of demons, began to operate at the very beginning when the devil led Eve and Adam to rebel against their Lord God and their son Cain murdered his brother Abel. This kingdom and the spiritual forces behind it continue to cause suffering, sorrow, pain and death to the very present. Jesus openly accepted the fact that the world is under the control of this prince. Jesus came, as He said, to overthrow the rule of the prince of darkness and to establish the kingdom of God. When some Greeks approached Philip to ask if he would introduce them to Jesus, Jesus spoke about how he would overthrow the devil's rule by his death upon the cross.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." 

Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." 

Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. - Jhn 12:24-33 ESV

 The devil loses control of our lives when we come under the rulership and reign of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul writes that our heavenly Father has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. - Col 1:13-14 ESV

It is at this point that confusion about the two kingdoms begins. Permit me to return to a brief look at my story about The Woodlands and the churches of The Woodlands. That coalition of churches that guides the activities of Interfaith is made up of a very mixed group of Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Universalists, Christian churches of various denominations and several non-denominational churches. Not all by any means embrace Jesus Christ as God, Savior and Lord. Now the hard questions:

Are all those churches that reject the lordship of Jesus part of the devil's kingdom? And should we Christians reject them and refuse to cooperate with them in developing and supporting the various acts of mercy and care provided by Interfaith? There are some who say yes to that question. They do not support Interfaith and, in fact, have not located their church properties within The Woodlands.

It is here that I will continue this discussion in my next post.