Tagged: evil one
Ruler of This World (continued)
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
In the previous post, we explored Jesus’ words in John 12:31 as he refers to Satan as “the ruler of this world.” Moving on to John 14, Jesus calls Satan “the ruler of the world.” The Savior tells his disciples:
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful. You have heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens so that when it does happen you may believe. I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me. On the contrary, so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do as the Father commanded me. Get up; let’s leave this place” (John 14:27-31, emphasis added).
Jesus’ followers are troubled because he has repeatedly announced his imminent departure (John 14:2-4, 12, 18-19). They are worried, despite the Lord’s assurances they will do even greater works than he has done. He promises to answer their prayers and send another Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be with them and in them (vv. 12-17). Jesus also pledges to bequeath them peace – not a hollow worldly peace but an enduring one.
Indeed, the world is powerless to give peace because sinful and fallen people are unable to overcome their own pride, greed, hatred, malice, and fear. But the transcendent peace Jesus promises comes through his pending death, in which he absorbs the sins of mankind and introduces the promised messianic peace in a way no one thought possible.
Continue reading
The Evil One Doesn’t Touch Him
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
John writes in 1 John 5:18-19: “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.”
John notes the evil one twice in these verses, once to illustrate believers’ insulation from Satan, and once to explain the unbelieving world’s enslavement to his powers. The apostle also begins each of these verses with the words “we know,” bringing his epistle to a close with summarizing statements. Finally, John uses the descriptor “born of God” twice in verse 18, signifying different persons in each reference.
Verse 18 begins with a curious statement: “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin.” This is almost identical to John’s earlier statement in 1 John 3:9: “Everyone who has been born of God does not sin.” The Greek literally reads “does not sin,” but the tense often carries with it a progressive meaning. That’s why some English translations render the phrase “cannot keep on sinning” (ESV) or “cannot go on sinning” (NIV).
Continue reading
You Have Conquered the Evil One
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
John writes in his first letter: “I am writing to you, little children, since your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you have come to know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, God’s word remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one” (1 John 2:12-14).
John addresses three groups of people in these verses: children, fathers, and young men. Augustine believed, as do other commentators, that the three groups represent three stages of spiritual pilgrimage. The children are newborn babes in Christ. The young men are more developed Christians engaging successfully in spiritual warfare. And the fathers are the most mature believers, deep in spiritual knowledge and experience.
While this is a possible reading, it seems better to view “children” as all of John’s readers, and “young men” and “fathers” as those who may be distinguished by age within the church.
Continue reading
Guarded from the Evil One
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 3:3: “But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.”
Paul begins chapter 3 of his second letter to the Thessalonians with an appeal for prayer “that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (v. 1). In addition, Paul asks his readers to pray that he and his companions be delivered from “wicked and evil people, for not all have faith” (v. 2).
Paul uses two adjectives to describe those attacking his ministry. “Wicked” is from the Greek atopos and means “out of place,” “improper,” “wrong-headed,” or “perverse.” These people behave in ways unbecoming of Christians. The second word Paul uses, “evil,” is from the Greek poneros, which we already addressed in this chapter as a term meaning “bad,” “evil,” or “malicious.”
Paul seems to have a particular group in mind, perhaps Jewish opponents of the gospel in Corinth (Acts 18:6ff). In any case, these wicked people do not appear to be Christians, for Paul follows his description of them with the phrase, “for not all have faith” (2 Thess. 3:2). That is, these opponents refuse to embrace the objective truths of the gospel message.
Continue reading
Protect Them from the Evil One
The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.
In Jesus’ high-priestly prayer, he tells the Father: “I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:5).
John 17 features the longest-recorded prayer of Jesus in the Gospels. This comes after Jesus delivers final instructions to his disciples and before he is betrayed, arrested, and crucified. First, Jesus prays for himself (vv. 1-5), then for his disciples (vv. 6-19), and finally for all believers (vv. 20-26). This intercessory prayer is best known as Jesus’ high priestly prayer.
Jesus confirms he has finished his heaven-sent task with the disciples. He has revealed the Father’s name – that is, the very presence of God – to them (v. 6; cf. John 14:9). He has spoken to them the Father’s words (v. 8). And he has ensured that they received the words, understood them, and believed the Father sent Jesus (v. 8).
Continue reading
OnceDelivered.net 