Satan Cast Out

It is so important for us to recognize our true eternal identity, as it will affect our very eternal existence. But part of that identity entails our position or station - where will you spend your eternity? Before attempting to zoom in on that prospect, it is important to zoom out first.

Many leaders would want to propose that the main reason for Jesus’ incarnation was and is to reveal the Father, but surely, as John put it, from the eternal sense, putting Sin aside forever must have been foremost in His mind. John wrote in 1 John 3:8b, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” In essence, the “priority” is of no real importance for us, but the revelation of Father-God is just as important. His meticulous plan and mystery also unveiled an eternal Wife for the Lamb who made the ultimate sacrifice for Sin.

So, as we return to the issue at hand, we still encounter too many ungodly beliefs concerning the enemy and their ability to induce deception, shame and guilt.

I found it so enlightening to highlight the truth that the devil has lost his access to third heaven. Why? The first of these we see when Jesus told His disciples, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” in Luke 10:18. And then three times, yes THREE TIMES, this truth is attested to in the book of Revelation.

Firstly, “The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water - the name of the star is Wormwood [or Bitterness]” (Revelation 8:10-11). And no other creature is as embittered as the devil himself.

And then, “Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit” (Revelation 9:1). Bearing in mind that the devil tempted Jesus in Luke 4:6-7 - “ I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”  As the king of the demonic realm, he had the key to inflict pain on the inhabitants or dwellers on earth.

But then, gratefully, we see the Eternal Woman of God protected in Revelation 12. And we are told without a shadow of a doubt, that access to the third heaven is denied the enemy, “Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. The dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.” Ezekiel foresaw this victory, in [Ezekiel] chapter 28:16, “So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire.”  This is then borne out by Paul defying the accuser of the brethren in Romans 8:33, “Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one - for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself.”

Why is understanding this crucial? Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.” And in Romans 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Again, why is this pertinent to our identity and function? We must realise that we are seated in third heaven in Christ, where the enemy is denied any access, and we must begin to appreciate who we are in Him, and what authority we carry, even though we are still at war here on earth as pilgrims and sojourners. When we grasp the immensity of the situation, I believe so many more believers will be able to overcome, lifting their vision beyond this world, appreciating their access, victory and intimacy with Almighty God and rule and reign effectively in Him, able to spread that fragrance of life wherever they go.

And the key to accessing and releasing this authority does not only lie in understanding and embracing these truths, but it also becomes reality and it is activated by unified, heartfelt worship, adoration and loving obedience to Holy Spirit who has befriended us eternally.

Be blessed

Ben

Our thanks to Ben for this month’s Blog contribution

If you were blessed by this article, please do share it with others