The Ascension In The Believer's Daily Life
The Ascension: Satan And The Need Of Deliverance.
Standing between the Christian and a successful Christian
life are not only his fallen nature with its enmity against
God, and his innate lack of ability to do the will of God,
but also his implacable foe - Satan.
The Christian has an enemy. To deny his existence, to
underrate his power, and to be ignorant of his methods, or
to fail to give heed to the Biblical warnings concerning
Satan, can only result in spiritual loss.
The activity of Satan and his cunning counterfeits are
disclosed in the Scriptures. He often comes as an "angel of
light," in religious garb, to work with impunity among the
children of God (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). So skilled is he
in subterfuge and forgery that his activity is rarely
recognized as evil. His influence is described as a "snare"
(2 Timothy 2:26).
In a piercing exposé‚ of the character and work of Satan,
the Bible lists a number of descriptive titles; who he is, a
fallen angel of great ability; and what he does, in his
endeavor to strike out against God.
Satan is described as the believer's enemy through the title
"Adversary" (1 Peter 5:8). This characterization of our foe
is not to be taken lightly. Although it is true that the
Christian belongs to God and is under His sovereign
protection (Job 1:10), this does not mean the believer is
automatically free from all Satanic influences. By a
misunderstanding of spiritual truths or through disobedience
to God, a believer may permit such Satanic intervention in
his life that he will suffer great spiritual anxiety and
loss.
As an Adversary, Satan has a clear-cut goal. He will
endeavor in every way possible to keep the believer from any
type of spiritual progress, enjoyment, or usefulness. If we
cannot be enslaved through physical sins (Luke 4:33), the
Adversary too often succeeds by leading us to overemphasize
some spiritual truth or practice until it becomes a sin
(Acts 5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 2:10, 11; 11:13-15; 1 Timothy
3:6, 7). Every earnest Christian stands in great danger of
such a spiritual perversion. This demonic activity is more
prevalent in our churches today than we could imagine. As an
angel of light, his ministry is almost beyond detection. Who
would question the motivation of the legalist, the ascetic,
the mystic, or the one caught up in unusual spiritual
experiences? It would be plainly "unspiritual" to do so!
Our Adversary works in the lives of Christians through
temptation (1 Thessalonians 3:5). We have been frankly told
that we will not be tempted by God (James 1:13). Although
one is often tempted through his own fallen nature (James
1:14), these activities may also find their source in the
Devil. Who does not face a constant barrage?
The activity of Satan is also described as a work of
hindrance (1 Thessalonians 2:18). How often the serious
Christian has experienced this influence in his life! It
must be recognized that the paramount goal of our Adversary
is to thwart and inhibit the believer's spiritual progress.
The genuine Christian will have hindrances placed in his
path by Satan. This was true of the Apostle Paul as the
above text indicates.
A third type of activity utilized by our Adversary is that
of deception (Revelation 12:9). With a heart that is
deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), the Christian is unusually
vulnerable to this type of attack. In particular, Satan will
endeavor to lead the believer into deception concerning
spiritual truths and his own spiritual condition. The people
of Judah, for example, were slowly led to believe that they
were spiritual when they were not. Instead of loving God,
they loved only religion. They were deceived. It was their
religious deceit which finally brought their judgment and
the Babylonian Captivity (Jeremiah 7:1-16; 17:1-10). There
are some things for which there is no cure - religiosity is
one of these (Jeremiah 2:22; 8:5; 9:6; 11:11, 14; 14:12).
The believer may not listen to his own religious feelings or
conscience. If he does, he is opening the door to Satan. How
we feel about our spiritual condition is never
authoritative: all authority resides in God and is made
known through His work in history and His Word. When we
confuse the voice of God with our own voice, we open
ourselves to demonic deception (Galatians 6:3; 2 Timothy
3:13; James 1:22, 26; 2 Peter 2:13).
Satan is also given the title of "Accuser" (Revelation
12:10). This designation characterizes one of the most
serious and successful activities of our enemy. The
Christian is not only accused before God (Job 1:9; Zechariah
3:1), he is led, by Satan, into a state of false
self-condemnation.
To accomplish this insidious work the Devil adopts his
"angel of light" subterfuge, and counterfeits the convicting
work of the Holy Spirit. All serious Christians have been
suddenly engulfed by an intense awareness of personal guilt.
They are made to feel, by Satan, as though they had sinned
and were, therefore, out of fellowship with God and under
His condemnation.
Under such a demonic attack the Christian is soon rendered
helpless. No amount of confession relieves the "conviction"
of sin or the sense of estrangement. His joy disappears, he
is thwarted in his attempt to do Christian service and, most
serious of all, he is confused when his confession of sin
does not result in forgiveness and restored fellowship.
In this situation the Christian who has discernment of the
ways of the enemy will take spiritual stock. He will
recognize the ambiguity and confusion which has
characterized his "conviction." This will indicate to him
that he has not been the recipient of the ministry of the
Holy Spirit but has been under the accusation of the Devil.
When the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, His ministry is always
characterized by clarity. The erring Christian is clearly
shown what he has done wrong and what he is to do about it.
In direct contrast, the accusing work of Satan is always one
of ambiguity. The Christian never knows what he has done or
what he is to do to correct his situation. He is simply made
to feel guilty and uneasy.
It is extremely important for the believer to learn this
distinction between the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the
counterfeiting of the Devil. As long as the believer accepts
the accusations of Satan as true, his condition is hopeless.
He must recognize what has happened, resist the Devil, and
totally reject the accusations by a forthright decision of
faith.
The titles of "Murderer" and "Liar" are also attributed to
Satan (John 8:44). His objectives and actions in these areas
are self-evident. His endeavors to take life and to pervert
truth began in the Garden of Eden (1 Timothy 2:14; 1 John
3:12) and will continue with the human race until the final
judgment (1 Timothy 4:1). We may not accept the demonic
suggestion that our daily lives are without meaning and that
self-destruction is the only "spiritual" alternative left.
Nor may the believer allow himself to become the tool of
Satan by accepting and repeating the insinuations and
distortions of gossip. The Apostle Paul flatly stated that
the person who is a gossip had been influenced by Satan (1
Timothy 5:13-15). It is important to recognize that of the
seven things which God hates, the one who gossips has
involved himself in six of these sins (Proverbs 6:16-19)!
The believer has an enemy and is in desperate need of
deliverance.
The Ascension: Satan And The Provision Of Deliverance.
The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world as man's
Representative to defeat Satan and to deliver His people
from all demonic influence. As the last Adam He triumphed
victoriously in the very area where the first Adam had
completely failed (Romans 5:12-19).
Under Satanic temptation, the Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ
not only corrected the demonic half-truths which were
suggested to Him but also repulsed the enemy and commanded
him to leave His presence (Matthew 4:1-11). It is important
to understand that Jesus Christ took refuge in and employed
the written Word of God.
In His daily ministry Christ's power over Satan was
continually manifested. There was a constant recognition, on
the part of demons, of Christ's divine Sonship, and of their
total subjection to Him (Mark 3:11; 5:7; Luke 4:33-36).
The Apostle John boldly stated that the reason Jesus Christ
came into the world was to destroy the works of Satan (1
John 3:8). The writer of Hebrews made a similar statement.
He explained how the Incarnation was necessary so that
through His death, Christ could strip the Devil of his power
(Hebrews 2:14) and deliver His people from Satan's bondage
(Hebrews 2:15).
The Apostle Paul affirmed the atonement of Jesus Christ to
be a public exposé of the defeat of Satan in which the Son
of God triumphed gloriously (Colossians 2:15). Because of
this victory over Satan it must be recognized that although
the Christian has an insidious and implacable foe in the
Devil - he is a defeated foe!
That which the Lord Jesus Christ obtained by His death He
assumed and demonstrated in His Ascension. The Ascension,
therefore, is filled with meaning for the believer. Christ
has entered Heaven, not only as Intercessor (Hebrews: 4:14;
6:20; 7:25; 8:1; 9:11, 12) and the Head of the Church
(Ephesians 1:22), to give gifts to His Church (Ephesians
4:8-11) and to bestow the Holy Spirit upon all believers
(Acts 2:33), but also to rule over His enemies.
Jesus Christ was seated at the right hand of God in victory
over Satan and all his forces of evil (Ephesians 1:19-23;
2:5, 6; Hebrews 1:13; 1 Peter 3;22). They were all placed
"under His feet."
This deliverance and position of authority over Satan has
been legally given to the believer. We have been made to
"sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians
2:6). Jesus Christ acted on our behalf as our
Representative. As a "joint-heir" with Christ we share in
His victory (Romans 8:17; Ephesians 6:16).
The Ascension: Satan And The Provisions Of Deliverance.
In his salvation, the believer was delivered from the
kingdom and power of Satan and brought into the kingdom of
God (Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13). He, therefore, no longer
lives under the dominion of the god of this world (Ephesians
2:13; 2 Corinthians 4:4). He has been set free.
However, it is one thing to be free from Satan in the area
of salvation and quite another to maintain that freedom in
the area of sanctification. The believer, through divine
grace in salvation, now belongs to Jesus Christ. Therefore,
he will never again belong to Satan. This does not mean,
however, that Satan cannot make the believer's life
miserable and ineffectual.
The Christian has been exhorted to resist the Devil (James
4:7; 1 Peter 5:8). This simply means to refuse to accept, or
act in harmony with, the insinuations, accusations, or
temptations of the enemy. The Apostle Paul was right in
warning us that this takes sobriety, vigilance, and
steadfastness (1 Peter 5:8, 9).
Except for unusual situations, as those described in the
book of Job, the only way Satan can influence the Christian
is through some aspect of sinfulness. This is what the
Apostle Paul was referring to when he warned the Ephesian
Christians, "Neither give place to the Devil" (Ephesians
4:27). When the believer allows the Devil a "place" or
"foothold" in his life, the Devil will exploit that
opportunity to the fullest.
There are at least four illustrations in the New Testament
of giving opportunity to Satan. Two of these illustrations
have to do with the pastoral office and two with the
membership in the church.
The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that the pastor may not be a
novice and that he must have a good report among those who
are not Christians. A novice would be almost certain to
become proud, and if one did not have a good report he would
not only be open to criticism but would be tempted to be
hypocritical. These, Paul stated, would make the pastor
vulnerable to the condemnation and snare of the Devil (1
Timothy 3:6, 7). Pride, inconsistency, and hypocrisy have
caused the fall of many. They leave the Christian
defenseless.
The third illustration has to do with forgiveness among
church members. The church at Corinth had disciplined one of
its members for immorality and was now exhorted to receive
him back, since he had repented. Paul wrote to the church
and warned them to forgive the man and to love him. Not to
do so would have presented to Satan an "advantage" (2
Corinthians 2:1-11).
Many Christians and churches have failed to obey this
exhortation. Not only have the people displayed a lack of
forgiveness but they have added the sin of gossip. To make
the situation worse, many repentant believers have not found
love upon returning to their church but, instead, a cold
stony indifference. Satan had been given the "advantage."
The fourth illustration describes two church members.
Ananias and Sapphira pretended to be more spiritual than
they were. Their profession did not match their inner walk
with God. They had accepted a suggestion of Satan and had
put it into practice. Their judgment serves as a warning to
all hypocrites (Acts 5:1-11).
Any failure to obey God opens the door to Satanic influence.
When the Christian chooses to disobey God, he is acting as
did Eve in the Garden. Eve allowed Satan to question the
authority of God's Word and accepted his demonic
interpretation. Having done this, it was quite easy for her
to put the insinuations into practice. When the believer
chooses to sin, he is acting, as did Eve, on the premise
that the Word of God is not final authority. By failing to
obey God we not only destroy our spirituality, but we allow
Satan to ensnare us (2 Timothy 2:25, 26).
To escape this tragic situation and its inexorable result we
must learn to obey God and "resist the Devil." In response
to Satanic questioning of the Word of God and deceptive
insinuations concerning the will of God, we must steadfastly
affirm the truthfulness of the Word and will of God (1 Peter
5:8, 9; Matthew 4:1-11).
In obeying the exhortation to resist the Devil, the Apostle
Paul stated that the most important factor was understanding
and using the "shield of faith" (Ephesians 6:16). This we
are to do "above all." The shield is more valuable than any
of the other items of the Christian's armor (Ephesians
6:11-18). This "shield" is a symbolic representation of a
believer's decision of faith, which will successfully thwart
the attacks of Satan. The Apostle Peter stated the same
truth (1 Peter 5:9).
The faith to which both Peter and Paul were referring is the
believer's wholehearted trust in, and commitment to, Jesus
Christ and His successful triumph over Satan. This faith is
the decision to stand in the value of, and to appropriate
the power of, Christ's victory. The Christian has every
right to do this since the power of Christ's work has been
imputed to him. When we make the decision to obey God fully,
to trust in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, and to live
accordingly, we will learn what it means to resist the
Devil, and we will have the ability to do so. We will have a
"shield of faith."
These exhortations are summarized in the book of Revelation
in the description of the Overcomers (Revelation 1211). The
secret of their victory over Satan was three-fold. The
reference to "the blood of the Lamb," indicates the
victorious triumph of Jesus Christ in Whom they trusted.
"The word of their testimony," refers to their decisions of
faith to appropriate Christ's victory. And, finally, the
statement, "they loved not their lives unto the death,"
portrays their committal to Jesus Christ even though it
meant death.
For too many Christians this description of life is entirely
foreign to their own daily existence. The problem is not
with the provision of God nor with the Biblical
exhortations. The reason many Christians do not experience
deliverance or even feel the need of divine help is because
of their attitude: they couldn't care less! With that kind
of attitude about spiritual things the average Christian
will very likely not be bothered by Satanic influences. He
has made his own life ineffectual!
In Diagram 13, we see the provision God has made for the
Christian's daily walk in resisting the Adversary.
The Key To Success: Resist The Devil By Rejecting His Insinuations And
Temptations. Refuse, In The Name Of The Lord Jesus Christ,
All His Attempts To Enter Your Daily Life. If The Adversary
Gains Entrance Through Sin, Repent, Apologize To God, And
Take Back The Ground You Have Given To The Devil. Maintain
The Armor Provided By God.