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In view of the current coronavirus scare another passage that comes to mind is Psa 91:1-16;
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.
8 You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked.
9 For you have made the Lord, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
10 No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.
11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.
12 They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
14 "Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
15 "He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
16 "With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation."
Rev 12:9; And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
These days satan deceives the entire world with mental idolatry. He uses the false narrative from the public lie to create false ideas and concepts that doctrineless people believe is true.
Exod 20:1-6; Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
False gods and their associated Idolatry is comprised of anything that is promoted above or in opposition to God consciousness, divine establishment, believing in Jesus, or PMA of Bible Doctrine.
2Cor 10:3-5; For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...
We are presently in a study of the doctrine of evil that is the product of believing the false narrative of the public lie that satan, the god of this world, fabricates and raises up in opposition to truth and righteousness that are the product of believing the Person and Word of the Living God of the universe.
Last time we started looking at Lewis Sperry Chafer's description of satan's system in his Systematic Theology Volume 2 pages 100-111. Backing up a bit from where we left off...
There should be no surprise at this termination of the entire fabric of Satan's weaving; yet those of the cosmos are influenced not at all by God's Word, nor are cosmos-Christians much impressed with the solemn truth God has spoken.
Such is the far-reaching effect of the satanic deception. Satan's original independence of God which permeates the whole order, his deceptions about himself, about his purpose, and about the extent of his enterprise, constitute the primary aspects of Satan's method in the cosmos.
Since in pursuing his determination to exalt himself above God Satan must oppose the divine undertakings, his opposition naturally will be exerted where God is acting at a given time.
Since God has no present program which He is following along lines of reformation, education, or civilization (and any record that such undertakings are in God's present purpose will be sought in vain), there is no conflict or satanic resistance in those spheres
The present relation of God to the cosmos, beyond His sovereign permission and restraint of it, is to save out of it an elect people for His heavenly glory. On the other hand, Satan's twofold objective -to exalt self, and to oppose God-is the key by which much may be known that otherwise would be unknown.
It is still further disclosed that the enmity of Satan is not only toward the Person of God from whom he has everything to fear, but also toward every true child of God. Too much emphasis cannot be placed on this fact.
Satan has no controversy or warfare with his own, unregenerate people, but there is abundant Scripture to prove that he makes unceasing effort to mar the life and service of the Christian.
The motive for this effort is all-sufficient: they have partaken "of the divine nature" (2Pet 1:4;), and afford, therefore, a possible opportunity for Satan to thrust his fiery darts at the divine Person who indwells them.
Thus the believer becomes a medium of connection between the divine Person and the satanic order, for it is also true that God literally loves the unsaved through the believer (Rom 5:5;).
On the other hand, the prince of the satanic system is seeking an opportunity for a thrust through the believer at the Person of God. Several important passages on the latter point may here be noted:
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33);
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim 3:12;);
"Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you" (1John 3:13);
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (1Pet 5:7-9;)
"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles ['artifices'] of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:10-12; R.V.)
The teaching of these passages clearly indicates the satanic enmity toward the believer, and the believer's utter helplessness apart from the divine sufficiency.
They also reveal a degree of enmity which would result in the believer's life being crushed out, were it not for the evident answer to the prayer of Christ: "I pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world [cosmos], but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15, R.V.)
Certainly there is abundant reason for the believer to expect the fiercest opposition from Satan and Satan's host in all his life and service, and faith alone insures his victory over the world (cosmos).
The believer is also the object of the satanic attack because of the fact that unto the child of God is committed the great ministry of reconciliation, that by his testimony both in life and word, and by his prayers, the truths of redemption may be given to the world.
If Satan can cripple the believer's service he accomplishes much in resisting the present purpose of God. No other explanation is adequate for the dark pages of church history, the appalling failure of the church in world-wide evangelism, her present sectarian divisions and selfish indifference, or her final estate as pictured in Revelation 3:15-17;
This blighting, satanic opposition may be detected in every effort for the salvation of the lost. It may be seen in the fact that no personal appeal is ever made to the vast majority even in this favored land; moreover, when an appeal is made, it is easily distracted or diverted into the discussion of unimportant themes.
The faithful pastor or evangelist is most sorely assailed, every device of Satan being used to distort the one all-important message of grace into something which is not vital.
The evangelist's call for decisions is often cumbered with that which is misleading or is a positive misstatement of the terms of salvation; thus the appeal is lost and the whole effort fails.
Again, the opposing power of Satan may be seen in the matter of Christian giving. Millions are given without solicitation for education, culture, and humanity's physical comfort, but real worldwide evangelization must ever drag on with its shameful limitations and debts.
This warfare of Satan is even more noticeable in the believer's prayer life. This, being his place of greatest usefulness and power, is subject to the severest conflict. It is likely that there is comparatively little effective prevailing prayer today, yet the way is open and the promises are certain.
If the believer cannot be beguiled into indifference or a denial of Christ, he is often tempted to place an undue emphasis upon some minor truth, and, in partial blindness, to sacrifice his whole influence for good through the apparent unbalance of his testimony.
Satan's warfare against the purpose of God is still more evident in his direct hindering of the unsaved. Not only are they constantly blinded to the gospel, but, when the Spirit would draw them, their minds are often filled with strange fears and distorted visions.
Their inability to cast themselves upon Christ is a mystery to themselves, and nothing but the direct illuminating power of the Spirit in conviction can open their eyes and deliver them from their gross darkness.
Satan has always adapted his methods to the times and conditions. If attention has been gained, a complete denial of the truth has been made, or, when some recognition of the truth is demanded, it has been granted on the condition that that which is vital in redemption should be omitted.
This partial recognition of the truth is required by the world today. For, while the direct result of the believer's testimony to the cosmos has been toward the gathering out of the Bride, there has been an indirect influence of this testimony upon the world, which has led them to see that all that is good in their own ideals has been already stated in the Bible and exemplified in the life of Christ.
Moreover, they have heard that every principle of humanitarian sympathy or righteous government has been revealed in the Scriptures of Truth. Thus there has grown a more or less popular appreciation of the value of these moral precepts of the Scriptures and of the example which Christ presents.