Who is Really in Charge?
John 16:11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world (society) is judged.
1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world (society) lies under the sway of the wicked one.
Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course (age) of this world (society), according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.
The Ruler of this World
This ruler of this world is a bad one. We often hear that God is in control. While He is Sovereign and while He does set limits, it is quite evident that He has allowed Satan a lot of latitude when it come to the affairs of this society or world. Down through the years there have been different ages of this society. But ever since Adam and Eve sinned, Satan has been working his evil and his deceptions in each of these ages by getting society programmed to do his will. So when we say God is in control, is He? Or has he allowed Satan to deceive the world and to test the world’s faithfulness to Him, the Living and True God? Is he allowing Satan to test those who claim the name of Christ today? When evil raises its ugly head, can we really blame God for that?
Who is this Ruler?
According to Ezekiel 28:13, he was created. He was perfect until iniquity was found in him. According to Isaiah 14:13-14, he wanted to be like the Most High. He wanted the exalted place in heaven. He wanted to be in charge. A lot of what we know about him is allegorical. While some of the passages we are quoting might refer to a man who will one day rule on earth as a sovereign despot, the imagery also seems to refer to Satan who is called the Serpent and the Devil and the Liar. One of the best pictures of the way he works is seen in Absalom, David’s son who tried to usurp the throne. He stole the hearts of the people by coming between them and King David.
Sometimes this ruler appears as a bear who seems harmless but is very dangerous. Sometimes he is a roaring lion who is on the attack. Sometimes he appears is an uncircumcised Philistine who is nine feet plus tall, and who likely represents the enemy called the flesh. The flesh is associated with ungodly appetites or lusts that many of us cannot overcome. But whether he comes as a lion or a bear or as an uncircumcised Philistine, he is the enemy of God and of the people of God. He is a great deceiver. And today, within the limits set by God, he controls this particular age of this society in which we live. The events taking place in our world are not random but are carefully orchestrated to defeat all that honors the Lord Jesus.
If He can’t Keep us from the Lord, He will try to keep us from Serving the Lord
Satan is very clever. He tested the Lord in the wilderness at the beginning of the Lord’s public ministry. He tested Him in the Garden of Gethsemane just before the Lord went to the cross. In both cases angels ministered to the Lord. And you can be sure, that if he tested the Lord, He will test anyone who claims to believe in the Lord. He knows how to deceive us. Recently, many people voted in an election for the lessor of two evils. But Satan managed to back them into a corner. By their own admission, they voted for evil. We often find ourselves doing things that we really shouldn’t be doing in order to win the favor of the unsaved in the hopes that we can advance the Gospel and see some saved. He is really a bad one!
Satan blinds, Satan deceives, Satan destroys. The Lord enlightens, the Lord tells the truth (He cannot lie), He saves. How can we make sure that we are not believing the Liar and destroying rather than saving? How can we make sure that our lives reflect Christ and not our own self will? How can we be sure that we are teaching divine holiness which requires separation from the world and not practicing ungodly divisions? These are hard questions. I personally wrestle with them all the time. But I believe that when we truly believe God and rely on His Word and when we pray, the Holy Spirit will guide us. The path may not be smooth, and the wind may not always be at our back, but we will know the peace of God that comes with being faithful to the Lord who has been faithful to us.
So in answer to my question, in many of the affairs of life, God has relinquished control for a time and has allowed Satan the right to deceive and to destroy. I believe he has done that because that is what mankind has wanted down through ages. He has wanted to be in charge and to call the shots and to worship a god that makes him happy rather than a God of righteousness. And God has allowed Satan to really foul us up. It is time to admit that and to admit that we need the salvation and guidance of the Lord. We can only find that in that old archaic book called the Bible and then only after much prayer and soul searching.
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of November 13, 2016