The War Against Evil
The War Against Evil
On the cross of Calvary the papers for our release were given to the warden. But he will not let us go. It will be during the "third" day of redemption, prophesied by Micah, that the doors will be open and we shall walk out of the prison.
Seventy "sevens" are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. (Daniel 9:24)
The common understanding of Christian people is that: "sin can never enter Heaven. It is a holy place, and those who are privileged to enter Heaven automatically become righteous, holy, and obedient to God.
"No matter how casual we have been during our Christian life, once we die and go to Heaven we will become a disciple of Jesus, and filled with righteousness, love, joy, and peace."
If this only were the case!
It may be difficult for us to realize that sin began in Heaven, and that Satan still is able to accuse the saints before God. The war against evil has not been won as yet. I would guess we are about halfway there.
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 6:12)
The atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary did not put an end to sin in God's creation, as is obvious today. However, it has given us the legal authority to take back what Satan has stolen.
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. (Revelation 12:1-3)
The struggle between good and evil is portrayed graphically by the woman clothed with the sun, representing righteousness, and the enormous red dragon.
The paragraph above sums up the condition at the present time. The woman, who is true, eternal Israel, the true Christian elect, not the religion of Christianity with its unscriptural doctrines and liturgical practices, is pregnant and crying out in pain..
The dragon is Satan, the source of all that is evil. He also is in Heaven, ready to devour her child as soon as it is born.
Such is the war against evil.
It is worthy of note that the dragon is intent upon devouring the Child, not the mother. Here is something we of God's Church are going to learn in the coming days. Our religious practices do not alarm Satan. It is the "Child" who is Satan's concern.
No matter what we of the churches do in our desire to help God perform His will, the only eternal answer to the problem of evil is the Child who is about to be born.
At the present time there is evil is in people, even in Christians. I am referring to our worldliness, the evil spirits that reside in our flesh, and our disobedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.
God has promised to put an end to sin. But how does He plan to do this? There indeed shall be an end to all sin and unrighteousness, all disobedience, to God, and it shall be accomplished through Him whom the woman is travailing to bring forth.
The Child is Christ in us, the hope of glory.</p>
Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. (Revelation 12:4)
The "stars" mentioned here are Christian people who never have "died" to their self-will, and therefore do not obey Christ's commands, trusting in "grace" to save them.
Satan and the wicked angels are thrown to the earth after the battle waged against Michael and the righteous angels.
The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Revelation 12:9)
As I have said in other writings, we are in the third great day of redemption. One of the characteristics of the third day of redemption is the removal from God's Presence of those Christians who still are guided by their own self-will, rather than giving over their lives to the Lord Jesus.
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. (Hebrews 12:26,27)
Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. (Daniel 8:9,10)
If one is a simple follower of the simple Jesus, and then sees the heavily adorned prelates moving about in their dazzling robes, he would have a difficult time believing that these religious leaders have anything to do with our Lord Jesus. Their pomposities are quite sufficient to obscure our view of the humble Lamb of God.
During the third day of redemption, all that is made by humans in the name of Christ will be stripped away until God and the world see only the eternal Oneness of God, Jesus, and those who have become an integral part of the Lord Jesus.
God cannot be pleased, nor can He help us remove evil from the creation, until we are delivered from the ecclesiastical posturing which is mixed with the worship of our Lord.
All of the Christian religion that has been made by the good intentions of the believers is, after all, a product of self-will. Satan's entire person is one portrayal of self-will. Thus his tail sweeps that which is manmade, former Christian "stars," from the "sky" and flings them to the earth.
Only that which has been brought forth by the Lord Jesus Christ will stand during the shaking which may be beginning already. Jesus said He would build His Church upon the Rock which He Himself is, the Christ of God, and that Hell would never prevail against it.
The trappings of the Christian religion are just one symptom of the fact that our self-will may still be strong among us. Some Christian stars at the right hand of God in Christ are moved by their self-will rather than obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is rebellion against God and is how Satan can cast them down to the earth—they who once were prominent in the Christian religion.
The Christian leaders make many plans to save the world. But where is the Spirit of God in all this planning?
Because of rebellion , the Lord's people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. (Daniel 8:12)
Did you notice that "rebellion" is the factor that enables Antichrist to deceive God's people?
Today we are emphasizing "grace" instead of doing God's will. In the days of Antichrist it is this nullification of God's Word that will enable Antichrist to deceive God's people and remove them from the right hand of God.
Does the Scripture warn us in vain: "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown"?
Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. (II Peter 3:17)
Beyond all doubt, the concept contained in the popular saying "once saved always saved" has been one of the most destructive ideas ever presented to Christian people. A high-school student who knew the New Testament could soon show that such a belief is not scriptural .
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who "will rule all the nations with an iron scepter." And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. (Revelation 12:5)
Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. (Isaiah 66:8)
My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, (Galatians 4:19)
Of the numerous plans, activities, enterprises of the Christian churches, the only event of eternal importance is the bringing forth of Christ in the Christian people.
I mentioned previously that we are entering the third day of the Divine program of redemption. One of the most important characteristics of the third day is the removal of sin and self-will from the Christian people. If there is any worldliness, the sins of the flesh, or disobedience to Christ in us, the bringing forth of Christ in us will be hindered or made impossible.
We have to take steps to remove ourselves from unnecessary involvement in the antichrist world system. This includes placing limits on our involvement with the television, Internet programs, and other electronic devices. All of these bring worldly values and attachments into our home.
As far a the sins of the flesh are concerned, when the Spirit of God points out some sinful urge dwelling in the members of our body, we are to ask Christ to help us clearly confess the sinful urge and vigorously proclaim that it belongs in the Lake of Fire, not in the Kingdom of God. This is an eternal judgment on the sinful spirit.
Thirdly, we must be promptly, completely, and cheerfully obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ. Stern obedience to Christ is the highest priority in the Kingdom of God. Those who will not obey Christ, even though they "accept Christ," will eventually find their eternal home in the Lake of Fire.
Today, these three areas of sin in us are being dealt with by the Spirit of God. It absolutely is impossible for us to move forward into the rest of God until they are removed from us. It absolutely is impossible for us to join in the effort to remove sin and all unrighteousness from the creation until worldliness, the sins of the flesh, and self will are confessed and diligently renounced by us.
Every true member of God's elect is in a travail to bring forth Christ. No matter what demands the travail makes on us, we must place the bringing forth of Christ in our personality as the most important aspect of our life.
I would venture that the most effective action we take to aid the forming of Christ in us is to look to Jesus, day and night to insure that we are where we are supposed to be and doing what we are supposed to be doing.
It also is of prime importance that through Christ we overcome every temptation to sin and disobey God. As we walk in victory over every lure of Satan we are nourished in the spirit realm by the body and blood of Christ. This is an important aspect of Christ being formed in us.
Next Part The body and blood of Christ are our resurrection life!