When I was an early teen, I would often bike around our neighborhood with a buddy of mine. We would often cut through alleys that divided backyards. On one occasion, as we passed by an open lot between houses, I noticed a large white image charging at us from my peripheral view. As I turned to better visualize what this image was, adrenaline kicked into gear as my legs began peddling faster and harder. This was because that large white image was an enormous, and apparently, a ravenous pit bull chasing us. At the time it seemed more like a smaller polar bear.
Come to find out this dog broke free from its backyard. It was unleashed and able to terrorize anyone out and about in the neighborhood. Even if on a bike. Eventually this pit bull was re-connected to its leash. Its free movements were curtailed. And thus, the neighborhood was no longer subject to this dogs animalistic surprise and unrestrainedattacks.
Similarly, the devil has been tied to a leash. As we’ve seen SGC, Jesus has bound this mongrel. This mut. Satan isn’t free to run amuck without the restraint of a leash. He isn’t a free range devil or adversary.
To be sure, he has never been able to freely inact or instigate his devilish schemes, carte blanche, apart from God’s providential consent and sovereign approval. We’re reminded of this very uniquely in Job chapters 1-2 as the Lord our God oversees, so to speak, Satan’s activities and instigations against Job. Apart from God’s sovereign approval, Satan would have had no business with Job. To be sure, God Himself, introduces Job to the devil’s consideration (1:8, 2:3).
“Satan isn’t free to run amuck without the restraint of a leash. He isn’t a free range devil or adversary.”
On one level, Satan’s mobility has always been limited to the Lord God’s own purposes among Creation. And subject to our Lord’s will as it’s being worked out among humankind. On another level, he has always been, “going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” (1:7, 2:2). And, still, on another level, Satan has been able to have a locution among the heavenly host of God, in some sense (1:6; Zechariah 3:1-2).
However, as we’ve seen from Revelation, in particular, Satan has been permanently cast out of heaven. As John is given vision in chapter 9, “I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth.” This star is who Jesus had in mind when mentioning during his earthly ministry, “I saw Satan fall like lighting from heaven” (Luke 10:8). Upon his falling, John envisions Satan being, “given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit” where he unleashes a flurry of demonic activity as is described in 9:1-11. After all, Satan is the king of this bottomless pit ‘into’ which he has fallen (9:11).
Although, this Satan instigated flurry of demonic -or fallen angel- locomotion is, as it has always been, subject to the Lord God. All of this demonic commotion is restrained. Or leashed. “They were told not to harm the grass of the earth. . .but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (symbolism of ownership and belonging in their time)” (9:4). What is more, their tormenting actions among those unsealed by God – those unsaved by God or those not elected (Rev.7:3,13:8,14:3-4; Matthew 24:22, 22:14{1-14},13:36-39) by God for salvation – are also limited and restrained in various ways throughout history until Jesus returns (6:2-3,9:5,13:7).
All satanic and demonic oppression is leashed SGC. Anything such spiritual powers unleash is limited by the leash God has tied them to. This is such an assurance for believers, for the true church and Bride of Jesus. We are protected from such devilish and demonic oppressive influences and movements, spiritually and personally and salvifically. We can have such confidence in the security and permanence of our salvation that Jesus goes so far as to say, “For false Christ’s and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, IF POSSIBLE, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). Jesus is conveying the impossibility of the elect being led astray into unbelief. And, what is more, Jesus makes this confidence boosting statement in the context of the final and intensified tribulation just prior to His return (24:25-31).
“This is such an assurance for believers, for the true church and Bride of Jesus. We are protected from such devilish and demonic oppressive influences and movements, spiritually and personally and salvifically”
And, to amplify this confidence, Jesus promises just prior to 24:24, that the greatest persecution of the church will be shortened “for the sake of the elect” (24:23). This speaks to our Lord’s care and concern for our condition and suffering. Such oppression and suffering just prior to Christ’s return, won’t be permitted for long. He will bring great and eternal relief from sins suffering and God’s judgments against sinful unbelief.
For all who are brought to saving faith in Jesus, there isn’t a power of hell that can disqualify nor ruin our salvation. As Jesus himself reminds us, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29).
The devil may do his ‘darndest’, as we say in the south, to nefariously influence us with unforgiveness, and yet, there isn’t a single thing he nor anyone can do or say to nullify or cancel our forgiveness in Christ. This gospel truth is what brings Paul to joyously and confidently assert, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The assumed answer is no one! “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn (us for sin). . .Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution?” etc. The answer to these three rhetorical questions is an emphatic and unflinching, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers. . .nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31-39)
“For all who are brought to saving faith in Jesus, there isn’t a power of hell that can disqualify nor ruin our salvation.”
Our confidence in sins forgiveness SGC, is in Christ. He has suffered God’s judgment for the whenever’s of our sin and the whatever’s of our sin. He has satisfied the righteous wrath of God against our sin. He has paid the full penalty of our sin by bearing the full weight of our sin on the cross, in our place.
Moreover, Our security in God’s salvation, is also in Christ. As Hebrews 7:25 reminds us, “he is able to save to theuttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for us”. Our salvation knows no expiration. Only aspiration. We see this when Christ prays for Peter in Luke 22:31-32. “Satan demanded to have” Peter, “that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail”
And this is why the Son of God and Son of Man, took upon Himself human nature in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). And this entails Jesus coming to “bind the strongman” -aka Satan- as He entered the “strong man’s house” to “plunder his goods” (Matthew 12:29). An entering and plundering that commenced upon Christ’s earthly ministry. And, arguably began when Jesus defeats Satan on his own turf in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). As Willliam Hendrickson goes so far as to say in his book More Than Conquers, “This work of binding the devil was begun when our Lord triumphed over him in the temptations in the wilderness”
The ‘Away from me, Satan!”, Jesus declared and established as He was tempted by the devil in that wilderness, has also become our declaration in Him!
We will explore this more in the next post.
SGC Pastor's Blog 