Children are constantly coming up with that profound argument
that they feel is an infallible guide to what ought to be-“But I
wanna.” I remember explaining to Steven one time that we don’t
always get to do what we want, and Cindy felt that was good advice.
So the next time he was refused and hollered out his most powerful
argument, “But I want to!” Lavonne and I were delighted when in
all seriousness Cindy said, “But Steven, we don’t always get what we
want you know.” That advice, like most advice, is only remembered
to be given away and not to be applied, for Cindy herself became
convinced that “I want to,” is the ultimate argument.
Adults have the same problem. We have desires and wants we
would like to fulfill, but we are hindered and frustrated and we
wonder why? Paul had this problem also. He was eagerly trying to
get back to Thessalonika. His desire to do was great, and he wanted
desperately to get back there. But when he couldn’t fulfill that
desire, he did not say it must be the Lord’s will, but he said instead
that Satan hindered him. We want to consider this adversary of
Paul and the attitude he had about this adversary.
I. PAUL’S ADVERSARY.
The first thing we see from the context is that Paul did not use
Satan as a scapegoat for all evil. He had just given a blistering
denunciation of the Jews without mentioning Satan. He did not
doubt that Satan was the instigator of it all, but those who follow
Satan are guilty by their own choice, and the blame cannot be
thrown off of them. Satan caused the fall of Adam and Eve too, but
they were punished and were not excused on the basis of a
scapegoat. We need to have some understanding of this adversary,
and so we will look at a few facts.
A. HIS ORIGIN.
The church has always agreed that Satan is a created being, and
that he was created holy. E. M. Bounds wrote, “We have no genesis
of the devil in the Bible as a direct statement.” The Bible is only
concerned with his history in relation to humanity. The curtain is
drawn and the main actors are already on the stage. Isa. 14: and
Ezek. 28 are passages often used to get information about Satan.
The text actually refer to the king of Babylon and Tyre. When we
were assigned to do research on Isa. 14:12 in the Seminary, which
reads, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
morning.” Not one of the great commentaries saw a reference to
Satan. Those who feel these texts do refer to Satan say that this was
before he was cast out of heaven. They see this as yet future just
before a great tribulation.
In spite of the lack of a definite statement the tradition of the
church has been that Satan was a perfect angel, and possibly even
the highest angel. It was because of pride that he rebelled against
God, and others followed him and were cast out of heaven. Jude 6
says, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their
own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under
darkness unto the judgment of the last day.” In the Jewish tradition
man played a major role in the fall of Satan and his angels. In The
Books of Adam and Eve Satan gives his own account of why he fell.
God created Adam and Eve and then commanded the angels to
worship them. The following is Satan’s response:
“Michael also brought thee and made us worship thee in the
sight of God; and God the Lord spoke: ‘Here is Adam. I have
made thee in my own image and likeness.’ And Michael went
out and called all the angels, ‘Worship the image of God as the
Lord God hath commanded.’ And Michael himself worshiped
first; then he called me and said, ‘Worship the image of God
the Lord.’ And I answered, ‘I have no need to worship Adam.”
And since Michael kept urging me to worship, I said to him,
‘Why dost thou urge me? I will not worship an inferior and
younger being than I. I am his senior in the creation, before
he was made was I already made. It is his duty to worship
me.’”
The result was that he was cast out with others, and in revenge
he tempted Eve and got them cast out of Eden. It is a case of misery
loving company. This idea has been held by some Christian
theologians, and a number feel that it was Satan’s aggravation with
man in some form that lead to his rebellion.
B. HIS OCCUPATION.
Jesus went about doing good, and Satan goes about devouring
good. Jesus came to serve, but all that Satan does is for the
disservice of man. In his pride Satan hates the concept of service.
Milton puts these words in his mouth: “Better to reign in hell then
serve in heaven.” Only three times does Satan speak in the Bible: To
Eve, to Job and to Jesus. Most of his destructiveness is through
action. Being a spiritual being he cannot affect us directly, but he
can use means. He can inspire and encourage that which is
immoral, and by external means cause men to chose evil rather than
good.
Charles Moeller, a Catholic author, wrote, “The sanctuary of
free will, of the spirit, remains entirely inaccessible to the devil; he
can never act directly upon the spiritual faculties of man, but only
indirectly by disturbing from outside the sensible equipment (the
body, the senses, material objects and so on) used by the soul for the
realization of spiritual activity.” This is why he failed to tempt
Christ to sin. Jesus did not respond to any of his lures. Eve did, and
every time we sin we chose to respond to something external. Paul’s
being hindered by Satan was some external force that did not affect
Paul’s inner man at all. And we want to consider Paul’s attitude
toward this adversary.
II. PAUL’S ATTITUDE.
Paul was no pessimist. He was hindered by Satan, but he never
sat down and gave up. He didn’t get to do what he wanted, but he
did not, like an immature child, say, “But I want to.” Paul rejoiced
in spite of his frustration because in spite of the hindrance he had
perfect confidence that ultimate victory would be his. He bypasses
Satan’s present hindrance, and he sees beyond to the glorious day to
Christ’s coming. He knows whether or not he ever sees the
Thessalonians again before that day, he will see them then, and they
will be his crown and joy. What a day that will be for Paul, and
what a day for all of us, for we will recognize one another and
rejoice together.
It is no wonder that though he was bothered by Satan Paul was
never beaten. Satan was his foe in the battle for men’s souls, but
Paul knew that Satan could not halt the Gospel, even if he could
hinder it. Why did he have such assurance? It was because he had
the word of his Lord who saved him and commissioned him. We
read in Acts 26:15-18, “Then I asked, who are you Lord? “I am
Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the Lord replied. “Now get up
and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a
servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will
show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the
Gentiles. I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they
may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are
sanctified by faith in me.”
The most important thing we can know about Satan is that
Jesus has defeated him. All the teaching of the Bible about Satan
centers in the Christ event, which includes His life, death,
resurrection, ascension and second coming. This means that we
must find a middle ground between the view that sees Satan cast out
of heaven in the ancient past, and the view that sees this event in the
future. We find this middle ground just where we should expect to
find it. It is at the central event of all time-the cross. Jesus said that
if He was lifted up He would draw all men to Him, for the power of
Satan over them would no longer be unbreakable.
Consider some primary passages from the words of Christ.
Luke 10:17-20 says, “The seventy-two returned with joy and said,
‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’ He replied, ‘I
saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. I have given you
authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all
the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not
rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names
are written in heaven.’” How was it possible to invade the domain of
Satan? It was because Jesus had already defeated Satan in the
wilderness, and he invaded his domain over sickness and disease.
On the cross Jesus would enter Satan’s realm of death and
personally bind him. In Matt. 12:26-29 we read Jesus saying, “If
Satan drives out Satan he is divided against himself. How then can
his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by
whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your
judges. But if I drive out demons by the spirit of God, then the
kingdom of God has come upon you. Or again, how can anyone
enter a strong man’s house and carry off his positions unless he first
ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.”
Paul uses strong language to emphasize the victory of Christ.
He writes in Col. 1:13, “He has delivered us from the control of
darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his
love.” In 2:14-15 he writes, “Blotting out the handwriting of
ordinance that was against us...nailing it to His cross, and having
spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly,
triumphing over them in it.” John wrote in I John 3:8, “For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the
works of the devil.” In Heb. 2:14 we read, “That through death he
might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.”
All of the biblical writers recognized that Satan still has power,
and that we are to be cautious in our battle with him. All our
confident that with the whole armor of God we can not only resist
him, but defeat him, and even invade his kingdom of darkness with
the light of the Gospel and rescue those who are bound by him.
Satan is bound right now in the only sense that the New Testament
says he will ever be bound until his final doom. And that is in the
sense that he can no longer deceive the nations. That is why the
Great Commission of preaching the Gospel in all the world can be
fulfilled. It is confidence in the power of Jesus to gain the victory
that motivates the world wide program of the church. Greater is He
that is in us than he who is in the world.
Paul knew where he was going, and though he did not always
get what he wanted, he knew God would accomplish all that He
wanted, and with that attitude even the devil cannot rob him of his
joy in the service of Christ. If you cannot accomplish what you want
for the Lord, never be discouraged, but look beyond to the assured
victory when you experience Satan’s hindrance.
