When Lucifer rebelled, he got to do something that no other created being is able to do. He has since spent vast amounts of time and energy trying to convince every other created being that we can do what he did, but he is lying and he knows it. It is very, very important that we come to understand this lie.
In order to understand this lie I need to refer back to Saturday’s posting. Human beings were created to flow in perfect harmony with a higher power. When we think of this in relationship with God it is one of the most beautiful and heartwarming thoughts that the mind can dwell on. God actually wants to incorporate me into the everlasting ecstasy that is the shared life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is my destiny. By His grace it can begin in this present life and be perfected in the life to come. There is fullness of joy in the presence of God. This joy is the heart’s response to the full expression of the almighty, unconditional love of God.
I need to conform to a higher power. I was designed to live in perfect harmony with a higher power. It is our destiny and every human being will fulfill this destiny either in perpetual light of heaven or in the dark depths of hell. But don’t expect Satan to explain any of this to you. He’s too busy lying. He’s trying to convince us that we can do what he did.
The first lie was told to Eve in Genesis 3:5. “You will be like God.” So the man and the woman ate of the forbidden fruit. And what was the result? Proud, independent, free human beings, each one the captain of his own ship and the master of his own fate? Not hardly.
The Bible makes it clear that everyone not in the kingdom of God is in the kingdom of Satan. (Acts 26:18 John 12:31) This is what I meant when I said that Lucifer got to do something no other created being could do. It isn’t really possible for me to set up my own kingdom. I have to choose the power I will serve, either God or Satan. But Satan does not want us to know this. He wants to keep us believing the lie that we really can do what we want the way we want when we want.
Unsaved people buy into this hook, line, and sinker. They have no idea they are under the dominion of a higher power. Jesus told the unbelieving Jews that the truth would set them free. They responded by denying that they had ever been slaves to anyone or anything. Jesus responded by telling them that “everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34) He then went on to say that their very natures were in conformity to the nature of Satan. “You are of your father the devil and you want to do the desires of your father.” (John 8:44)
But it isn’t only the unsaved people who get confused about this. A saved person who commits sin is also under the power of the devil. “The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
Now let’s take this down to where the rubber meets the road. When was the last time, when you were struggling with an evil desire, that you took time to think about whether or not you wanted to give Satan greater power and authority in your life? Every sin either strengthens the hold the devil already has on you or allows him to take over some new territory in your life. I suspect that there are many Christians who understand this, but once again, how many times have you stopped to think about it when you were battling against sin?
The evil spirits have trained us the exact same way that we train our dogs. Look at the cookie. Do you want the cookie? Do what I say and you will get a cookie. Don’t think about anything that I don’t want you to think about. Just look at the cookie. Think about how tasty it is. Think about how much you’re going to enjoy it. Look at the cookie, and only at the cookie.
Freedom begins when we “come to our senses” because God has given us “a knowledge of the truth.” Freedom begins when we begin to understand that we are trapped by pre-conditioned thought patterns and when we decide that we are going to begin to think long and hard about some things that Satan doesn’t want us to think about.
The next time you find yourself tempted by the cookie, start thinking about whether or not you want to give Satan increased power and authority in your life. Let’s go back to our mother Eve in the garden. “Eat the fruit and you will be like God.” That’s tempting. But this was the truth. “Eat the fruit and you will become my slave and become like me.” Somehow I think that Eve could have found the strength to resist that, but Satan didn’t tell her the truth. He won’t tell you the truth either. You’ll have to tell yourself the truth. In the next week I will be giving you some very specific instructions on how to do this.
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