For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. –Ephesians 6:12
Yesterday “Unknowable” urged me, “Think about the atrocious matters which you report on daily.” I’m thinking, I’m thinking…
The question is, Does Satan truly rule this world? Well, first look again at that “Let’s all worship Satan” T-shirt. I’ve been kind of concentrating, in my reporting, on spiritual wickedness in low places. I can’t get at the rulers of darkness, but all this other stuff is right out in the open where we can all see it: the lust for power over others, the denial of God’s absolute authority, the cruelty, the wickedness, and the sheer stupidity of it all. To me it always looks like the jerks who want to rule the world are just–well, jerks.
As Christians we try to extend Christ’s Kingdom, wherever we happen to be–at home, at work, in the public square. At the same time, the jerks labor feverishly to extend the Kingdom of Man, the state. Some of you think they do it because they’re satanists. I think most of them have no idea they’re satanists: they think they’re doing it for themselves. Some of them even think they’re doing it for us, and it infuriates them when we don’t seem to appreciate their efforts.
From whence come those atrocious matters which I report on daily? I think they sprout from the seed of Original Sin. And from the seed of moral idiocy. From a culture that grows more depraved by the day. It gets that way because people work to make it so.
They’re proud of it. They think they’re the bee’s knees. R.J. Rushdoony cites a European Union poster that says, “This time we will make it work.” Uh-huh. Yeah. This time their insane follies, which have failed abjectly again and again and again, will work. Because they’re so smart, it’s all bound to work.
I don’t think Satan needs people to worship him consciously. I think he gets a bigger kick out of them thinking it’s all their own brilliant ideas. The Kingdom of Man can be satanic without a lot of black masses and yahoos in black robes dancing around a fire. In fact, it probably is a lot more effective when it’s coming from smart-sounding people sitting in offices and claiming to be guided by Science.
It’ll be up to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God and King of Kings, to toss the powers, principalities, and rulers of darkness into the lake of fire where they belong. Meanwhile, here on earth, God has not given Satan the power to compel us to worship him.
The Lord commands us, “Occupy until I come” (Luke 19:13). That’s what we’re to do, in as many different ways as we can think of. All we can do, as the old hymn puts it, is “Trust and Obey.”
When you think of it, that’s really quite a lot for us to do.
Bingo! The influence of Satan is like an electromagnetic field which you can’t directly detect, but it is having its effect on mankind. Harmful ideas are disguised as being good for people.
Fifty odd years ago, the sexual revolution made it socially acceptable to participate in sexual practices which would have been frowned upon just a few years before. People rejoiced at being “liberated”, but in reality a lot of problems have happened as a result of this “liberation”. Speak out against these things in our day and you will find yourself a pariah very quickly. IMO, this is Satan’s influence and leadership at work.
There are plenty of other examples I could cite, financial irresponsibility comes readily to mind, but I think we all can see for ourselves how Satan’s wickedness is manifest in human society. It can be major, or it can be minor, but the direction of society is often influenced by Satan’s hatred of all that is good. It’s an ever-present influence which seems to manifest itself differently at different times, but always moves mankind away from Godliness.
Obviously, some people are resisting successfully, but there are many people whom act in ignorance because they have been kept away from the facts. Two days ago, in a public place, I saw a young man wearing a T shirt with several religious symbols on the front and the logo, “Burn ’em all” above these symbols. Hatred for religion is rising fast. In many cases, the complaints about religious corruption are at least somewhat based in fact, but unfortunately a lot of devout, loving decent people end up “tarred with the same brush”. I’m sure that Satan loves this.
There’s no need for an alter or the blood of goats in order to worship Satan. Just diverting people from worshipping the One True God is enough.
Satan’s time is very short. It’s almost up. This accounts for the breathtaking increase in evil manifesting in every corner. Our Lord will be back soon to reclaim this earth – and us. Meanwhile, Satan has been given temporary dominion. Otherwise he could not have made this offer to Jesus:
Matt. 4:8-9
8. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9. And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Of course we know that everything belongs to Jesus! But Satan, the tempter, the accuser, the devil has been granted a certain amount of time to convince whosoever he might.
Thus, Jesus said to watch!
Did Jesus believe Satan could actually deliver on this offer? I mean, would you trust Satan to keep his end of the bargain?
Which is precisely why his true followers – I mean the truly, intentionally wicked of this world – will be shocked when they discover where the yellow brick road leads. He’s like the carnival barker who sucks you in and rigs the game.
I believe that absolutely he could have delivered. Satan is a spirit creature, much more powerful than any human. Look at what he accomplished before the Flood, a world of untold violence and depravity.
I agree, Unknowable. Satan has dominion here now. And he will have his one world system for a time – 7 years, in fact.
God said He made Satan the full pattern. Beautiful. Brilliant. Powerful – and much more. We sell him short at our own peril.
“we wrestle not against flesh and blood,” but it is sure fun and fulfilling to call some flesh and blood people morons and idiots. There is a sense of accomplishment in calling a spade a spade.