Overcoming Evil

 

“Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” So he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.” – Luke 10:17-20 NET

Jesus has sealed his cosmic victory over the forces of evil through his death, burial, and resurrection from the dead. When demons are being cast out, the devil is cast down. Satan (the satan) is not a personal name – it’s a title. The New Testament refers to this leader of the demonic realm as the devil. He is an accuser, slanderer, and adversary of God’s people. He seeks to obstruct, oppose, divide, and wage war on the world.

One way the devil wages war with us is with godless ideologies, that result in the persecution of believers all over the planet. His agenda is carried out through ethnic and territorial conflict. He is behind war, disease, death, and extreme poverty in this world.

The present turmoil in America is demonically inspired and led by the ancient serpent himself. The lines between good and evil in the political battle between the right and the left are sometimes blurred.

Marxism is atheistic at its core. The devil’s mission is to lead all nation’s astray and into chaos, and Carl Marx was one of his evil apostles. Excessive materialism or crony capitalism can be just as dangerous to our souls, but it is much more subtle. But freedom (even with its abuses) is always preferable to an Orwellian society.

While the serpent has lost the war with God over the world – we still must fight him until Christ returns. Scholars often refer to the “already and not yet of the Kingdom.” Even though the devil has been defeated – he still takes people captive to do his will. He has been dethroned but still engages in guerilla warfare on this planet. When someone turns to Christ they leave the realm of spiritual darkness that he leads to becoming children of the light – led by King Jesus.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” – Rev. 12:11 KJV

If you are reading this then you are being called to wage war against the fallen one and his army. But how do we fight? We overcome our ancient foe through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony while living a surrendered life. We learn to pray and oppose evil and injustice in all its forms. We proclaim and live the gospel of the Kingdom and seek the reconciliation of people to God. We love our neighbor as ourselves and speak the truth about God’s moral and ethical commands, which can only be lived out through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Those who seek social change through destructive acts are being led astray by the evil one. As Christians in America, we must pause and ask ourselves; are we seeking God for a spiritual solution or a political one to the turmoil we are presently in?

Let’s pray for God to change the hearts of our enemies. While we demonstrate the love of God to our neighbors.