Change Point-Of-View

"God's Word is clear. He is love. He destroyed Satan."

DEVILS DELIBERATELY choose violence. They are consumed with it. People, without Jesus, do the same. Sin is the cause in both. We see this spoken in Romans 1. What I want you to understand is sin is the problem.

We, the church, have made the cause of everything we fight to be devils. We sing they are "in our ear". We teach the devil speaks to us, destroying individuals, controlling governments. This is wrong. Only God is omnipresent, in all places at once. The earth is His (Psalm 24:1). He holds the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1:18). In giving the devil stature, we have increased the error, making battles of things that aren't one. We need to hand God our sword and pick up His, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Timothy 3:16)

We like to argue. That's the issue. Though God says, "love one another", "pray for all men", and “pray for your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), our first reaction is to make a defense. We have our comeback. JESUS IS OUR COMEBACK! And to fight something He destroyed is futile. Hebrews 2:14 says, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he [Jesus] also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Jesus' death rendered the devil useless. That is the meaning of "destroyed". What is useless cannot harm us. Is not active. And this goes to any other verses that seem to say otherwise. They don't. Not the devil as an angel of light. Not the devil seeking whom he may devour. Not Satan being released for a season in John’s Revelation. That, alone, is out of God’s character. He did not die and rise again to save the entire world, only to watch it crash and burn. We've gotten our thoughts tangled. God’s Word is clear. He is love. He destroyed Satan.

He destroyed unclean spirits. Yes, they are out there. No, they are not powerful. 1 John 3:8 says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” “The works”, here, being sin and death, sickness and disease, and all fallen spirits. The word “destroyed” means “dissolved." Devils cannot do what they did before Jesus died, including what we see written in the gospels. Jesus was manifested, a word which comes from a root word meaning "to shed light" (G5316), in order to dissolve all they were. We must see this and watch our words.

It feels good to fight back, but anger leads to sin (Ephesians 4:26). Anger leads to violence. And violence makes us like them. Jesus is the Prince of peace, the God of peace who came to earth to bring “peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:14).” Our loving Father, who sent Him to become like us, asks us to stand firm on the work of the cross and Resurrection. Salvation, makes us new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17), “called out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9).” We no longer give into our human nature and the desire to argue. In the face of violence in our ears, we choose peace. Silence. We hear what the Spirit would say instead and change our point-of-view.

Because He is our defense. Jesus is our healing. Not because of anything we do but because what He grows in us is love, joy, peace, patience, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

“Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm.” (Psalm 37:8, BSB)


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com