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2003-06-08 - Angels
The Doctrine of Angels Part 5 ~ Sphere of Activity
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The Origin of Satan (Cont'd)
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The Sphere of Satan's Activity
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God's Throne
"One day the angels came to present themselves before
the LORD, and Satan also came with them" (Job 1:6).
"Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come
the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority
of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our
God day and night, has been hurled down" (Revelation [;12:10).
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The Earth
"The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan
answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth
in it"" (Job 1:7).
"Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take
a census of Israel" (1 Chronicles 21:1).
"in which you used to live when you followed the ways
of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who
is now at work in those who are disobedient" "For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against
the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 2:2, 6:12).
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What Satan Does
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Tempts: The most familiar passage presents Satan's tempting of Christ.
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be
tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these
stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live
on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then
the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point
of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down.
For it is written: "He will command his angels concerning you, and they will
lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against
a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: Do not put the Lord your
God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I
will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said
to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God,
and serve him only.'" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended
him" (Matthew 4:1-11).
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Deceives
"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand
it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This
is the seed sown along the path" (Matthew 13:19).
That they will come to
their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive
to do his will" (2 Timothy 2:26).
"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your
stand against the devil's schemes" (Ephesians 6:11).
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Hinders the Work of God: To which I would add, only as God allows.
"For we wanted to come to you certainly I, Paul, did,
again and again but Satan stopped us"
(1 Thessalonians 2:18).
In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not
unaware of his schemes. To keep me from becoming conceited because of these
surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a
messenger of Satan, to torment me" (2 Corinthians 2:11, 12:7).
"The field is the world, and the good seed stands for
the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the
enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and
the harvesters are angels" (Matthew 13:38-39).
It is vital that when we speak of Satan that we recognize his limitations.
After all, as we noted at the beginning of this study, his strength comes
from people either not believing in him or holding him as an equal to God,
and that in the battle between good and evil the outcome is not foreordained.
GKragen@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org
http://www.gkragen.com
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CFD | June 2003
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