Devil -- Christianity; Spiritual life -- Christianity
Satan, in his imitation of the Most High, is also working toward a
universal kingdom of morality and peace upon earth, which will be
temporarily realized under the reign of the Beast (Rev. 13). The
difference between Satan's ideal and the purpose of God, apart from the
utter folly of the one and the glorious certainty of the other, is of
both method and time. According to the Satanic program, the present
order of society, with himself on the throne, is to be developed into an
ideal brotherhood, in which all men will practice that which is moral
and good. According to the program of God, this is an evil age of
darkness and pollution, in which the folly of Satan and man is to be
proven, and out of which He is to gather the heavenly people for His own
name. The kingdom of righteousness is then to follow, being ushered in
by Christ-enthroning and Satan-dethroning events. There will then be a
perfect humanity and social order for "all shall know the Lord from the
least unto the greatest" and "righteousness and peace shall cover the
earth as the waters cover the face of the deep."
The master passion of Satan leads him, not only to strive for the
success of his own projects, but also to wage an unceasing warfare
against Jehovah. These two lines of activity are inseparable; for he
cannot establish and develop his own kingdom, and, at the same time,
permit his subjects to be translated out of his kingdom into another,
especially when they remain in the midst as a living power and testimony
against him. Nor can he reasonably allow the accomplishment of any of
the projects of God; for it is predicted that at the completion of these
his own doom will be at hand. The present time is, therefore, to Satan,
the struggle for his own existence, as well as the realization of all
that has been his ambition in the ages past. The warfare is no mere
passing amusement for him, for he, in desperation, is facing a terrible
and awful judgment if he cannot succeed in his purpose.
The spectacle now presented to all enlightened beings of the universe,
is that of a mighty celestial being, the god of the earth, who is by
creation the full measure of perfection, both in wisdom and beauty,
making his last and most desperate warfare, both to realize his own
ambition and to thwart every movement of the Most High; knowing that in
failure there is no ground for mercy, but only the terrible destruction
that has been so long predicted. He knew when he formed this
God-dishonoring purpose that it must either wholly succeed or he himself
fall into terrible judgment. On the other side of the conflict there is
perfect calmness and certainty as to the end, for the judgment and
sentence are past; yet every true believer is implored to be instant in
season and out of season in the present projects of grace, that the
sufferings and separations of earth may be cut short in righteousness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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