Hi all,
I've changed this to a 4 part series rather than 3 parts. As a result we'll cover an area of the NT this week and get into Job next week. This lays a foundation for that.
We've established that Satan is on the earth tempting, testing, trying people.
He comes to steal, kill and destroy Jesus said. The Father is not tempted/tested/tried with evil, nor does He tempt/test/try with evil. He does however, put limits on what Satan can do, and make a way of escape for us. (John 10: 10, James 1: 13, I Corinthians 10: 13)
With this understanding that God is not tempted by evil it means He therefore doesn't grant him permission. He instead limits what Satan can do, it means Satan could do much more than he is allowed. Jesus said he comes "only to steal, kill, and destroy."
How often have we realized Satan could have killed us, but didn't? How many times have we thought if not for God we would be dead, in prison, or living some lost and sin filled life? Yes, Satan COULD have done and could even today do much more to us, but our Father has placed limits on Satan throughout our lives. He has always limited tests/trials/temptations at the level but not over the point we were able to handle them. AND always makes a way of escape.
Even in Matthew 24: 22 Jesus speaks of Him returning to cut those days short, for if allowed to continue, no one would survive. So even at the end He is limiting what Satan can do to mankind.
Satan doesn't ask permission
To suggest Satan comes to our Father to gain permission to tempt or try us, turns the Father into a perverted hypocrite. He can't say He loves us and nothing can separate us from Him and give us Christ in us on the one hand, and then coordinate with our mortal enemy to bring death and destruction into our lives on the other. No! He does not bless with the right and curse with the left!
The Father pours grace into our spirits, into our lives, protecting us from threats unknown to us. We never know this side of heaven about the drunk driver headed our way that was pulled over by a policeman just before he would have swerved into us. We never learn about the wet floor in the work bathroom that was dried by the janitor just before we wanted to use it and would have slipped and injured ourselves. How many thousands of times have we been spared, known only by our Father?
Jesus, Satan, and Peter's sifting
Jesus said in Luke 22: 31-34: 'Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith not fail. And when you are converted, that you would strengthen your brethren.' Then Peter said, 'Lord, I'm ready to go with you to prison and to death.' And He said: "I tell you Peter, before the rooster crows you will have denied me three times.'
The word 'desire' means 'to fully hand over' (Peter). God isn't tempted to hand over Peter, nor by any desire for evil that Satan has. God limited Satan's involvement in Peter's life.
(There is a way however for people to turn themselves over to Satan at his will: Paul wrote in II Timothy 2: 25-26 people caught up in strife and opinions held to the point of strife. He said 'they are taken captive by Satan as his will...' What a horrible thing to do to oneself! Being in strife opens a person up to being taken captive by Satan at his will. Wow....run from strife!)
Look back on any challenge in life that brought you to the point of a major decision: A confrontation at work, a moral crisis where you found yourself doing something you swore you would never do. Something involving fear of man and the choice to admit a wrong doing, or to lie under pressure. Peter folded. But he recovered, never losing his faith in the Lord, but he denied knowing Him.
Peter was flawed from the start
We see an unpredictable and unstable character, with any number of areas Satan might steal, kill, and/or destroy him. Jesus' response to knowing Satan's plans was to pray for Peter that his faith not fail, and prayer for his future, that he would afterwards, strengthen the brethren. Jesus did not see Peter's denials as a failure of his faith, but rather a character issue within Peter.
Jesus can't override his free will to make him not deny Him. What Jesus could do is pray for Peter, that through the sifting he might learn and grow from the experience.
In Acts 27:10 Paul is a prisoner of Rome on a ship,
He tells them he perceived if they sailed they would lose the ship, the cargo, and their lives. That was a revelation of Satan's plan from the Father - very often the Father reveals Satan's plan and we out of ignorance, rebuke the Holy Spirit thinking because it is a negative it can't be from God.
But Paul perceived God was showing him they would lose the ship, cargo, and their lives if they continued. After much fasting and prayer on the storm-tossed seas, an angel stood by Paul and said that God had spared all the people, (276 of them) though they would still lose the cargo and ship. Paul also was instructed they would run aground on an island and they must stay with the ship until it starts to break up for all 276 to be spared. (There are always conditions to grace). (v21-31)
In this case, Satan tried to kill Paul, but God put limits: He gave all 276 their lives, AND gave instructions how to survive. Even better, once rescued, God healed a leader on the island and many got saved. How's that for limiting Satan's original plan to kill Paul!
Look at those times: Where did the enemy gain access into your life? Through friends? Through unwise decisions you had made? By other unwise decisions? How did he try to kill, steal, or destroy you - now look for the limitations God put on Satan. What do you see, what could have been?
What was the way of escape? Was it to repent? Was it to take counter measures? Was it to change habits or break off relationships?
Look at your life and you will see the same pattern outlined in I Corinthians 10: 13: An attack, a limitation placed on the attack, a way of escape. Look for the grace.
Next week, how Job opened the door to death, but God intervened several times to limit Satan. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
http://www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
I've changed this to a 4 part series rather than 3 parts. As a result we'll cover an area of the NT this week and get into Job next week. This lays a foundation for that.
We've established that Satan is on the earth tempting, testing, trying people.
He comes to steal, kill and destroy Jesus said. The Father is not tempted/tested/tried with evil, nor does He tempt/test/try with evil. He does however, put limits on what Satan can do, and make a way of escape for us. (John 10: 10, James 1: 13, I Corinthians 10: 13)
With this understanding that God is not tempted by evil it means He therefore doesn't grant him permission. He instead limits what Satan can do, it means Satan could do much more than he is allowed. Jesus said he comes "only to steal, kill, and destroy."
How often have we realized Satan could have killed us, but didn't? How many times have we thought if not for God we would be dead, in prison, or living some lost and sin filled life? Yes, Satan COULD have done and could even today do much more to us, but our Father has placed limits on Satan throughout our lives. He has always limited tests/trials/temptations at the level but not over the point we were able to handle them. AND always makes a way of escape.
Even in Matthew 24: 22 Jesus speaks of Him returning to cut those days short, for if allowed to continue, no one would survive. So even at the end He is limiting what Satan can do to mankind.
Satan doesn't ask permission
To suggest Satan comes to our Father to gain permission to tempt or try us, turns the Father into a perverted hypocrite. He can't say He loves us and nothing can separate us from Him and give us Christ in us on the one hand, and then coordinate with our mortal enemy to bring death and destruction into our lives on the other. No! He does not bless with the right and curse with the left!
The Father pours grace into our spirits, into our lives, protecting us from threats unknown to us. We never know this side of heaven about the drunk driver headed our way that was pulled over by a policeman just before he would have swerved into us. We never learn about the wet floor in the work bathroom that was dried by the janitor just before we wanted to use it and would have slipped and injured ourselves. How many thousands of times have we been spared, known only by our Father?
Jesus, Satan, and Peter's sifting
Jesus said in Luke 22: 31-34: 'Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith not fail. And when you are converted, that you would strengthen your brethren.' Then Peter said, 'Lord, I'm ready to go with you to prison and to death.' And He said: "I tell you Peter, before the rooster crows you will have denied me three times.'
The word 'desire' means 'to fully hand over' (Peter). God isn't tempted to hand over Peter, nor by any desire for evil that Satan has. God limited Satan's involvement in Peter's life.
(There is a way however for people to turn themselves over to Satan at his will: Paul wrote in II Timothy 2: 25-26 people caught up in strife and opinions held to the point of strife. He said 'they are taken captive by Satan as his will...' What a horrible thing to do to oneself! Being in strife opens a person up to being taken captive by Satan at his will. Wow....run from strife!)
Look back on any challenge in life that brought you to the point of a major decision: A confrontation at work, a moral crisis where you found yourself doing something you swore you would never do. Something involving fear of man and the choice to admit a wrong doing, or to lie under pressure. Peter folded. But he recovered, never losing his faith in the Lord, but he denied knowing Him.
Peter was flawed from the start
We see an unpredictable and unstable character, with any number of areas Satan might steal, kill, and/or destroy him. Jesus' response to knowing Satan's plans was to pray for Peter that his faith not fail, and prayer for his future, that he would afterwards, strengthen the brethren. Jesus did not see Peter's denials as a failure of his faith, but rather a character issue within Peter.
Jesus can't override his free will to make him not deny Him. What Jesus could do is pray for Peter, that through the sifting he might learn and grow from the experience.
In Acts 27:10 Paul is a prisoner of Rome on a ship,
He tells them he perceived if they sailed they would lose the ship, the cargo, and their lives. That was a revelation of Satan's plan from the Father - very often the Father reveals Satan's plan and we out of ignorance, rebuke the Holy Spirit thinking because it is a negative it can't be from God.
But Paul perceived God was showing him they would lose the ship, cargo, and their lives if they continued. After much fasting and prayer on the storm-tossed seas, an angel stood by Paul and said that God had spared all the people, (276 of them) though they would still lose the cargo and ship. Paul also was instructed they would run aground on an island and they must stay with the ship until it starts to break up for all 276 to be spared. (There are always conditions to grace). (v21-31)
In this case, Satan tried to kill Paul, but God put limits: He gave all 276 their lives, AND gave instructions how to survive. Even better, once rescued, God healed a leader on the island and many got saved. How's that for limiting Satan's original plan to kill Paul!
Look at those times: Where did the enemy gain access into your life? Through friends? Through unwise decisions you had made? By other unwise decisions? How did he try to kill, steal, or destroy you - now look for the limitations God put on Satan. What do you see, what could have been?
What was the way of escape? Was it to repent? Was it to take counter measures? Was it to change habits or break off relationships?
Look at your life and you will see the same pattern outlined in I Corinthians 10: 13: An attack, a limitation placed on the attack, a way of escape. Look for the grace.
Next week, how Job opened the door to death, but God intervened several times to limit Satan. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
http://www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
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