Bible Study God's sovereignty over Satan and evil.

[Dave...]

I'll try to make it short and simple.

I remember in a church that I used to go to, there was a big debate over what Paul's thorn in the flesh actually was, even though the passage clearly tells us what it is. The guesses were everything from a back ache to bad eye sight.

1 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

Did you see it?

Elsewhere, Satan asked permission from Jesus to sift Peter as wheat. Yet, instead of Zapping Satan, Jesus told Peter that He prayed for him, that his faith would not fail.

Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

While there is a cosmic battle of sorts between good and evil, Satan or his fallen spirits cannot do anything without God allowing it to happen for His own purposes.

Dave

 

[follower]

Learned decade(s) ago from the Bible as God Reveals the Truth in the Bible:
God allows the world, many churches , many forums, many pastors, many priests, many doctors, many teachers,
with perfect mercy,
with perfect love,
with perfect knowldege of truth,
with perfect wisdom,
to believe lies they grow up being taught; lies taught by people they trust(ed);
to be tested to see who they will obey.
To be sifted by hasatan.
God says many are called,
God says few are chosen.

 

[electedbyHim]

I'll try to make it short and simple.

I remember in a church that I used to go to, there was a big debate over what Paul's thorn in the flesh actually was, even though the passage clearly tells us what it is. The guesses were everything from a back ache to bad eye sight.

1 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

Did you see it?

Elsewhere, Satan asked permission from Jesus to sift Peter as wheat. Yet, instead of Zapping Satan, Jesus told Peter that He prayed for him, that his faith would not fail.

Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

While there is a cosmic battle of sorts between good and evil, Satan or his fallen spirits cannot do anything without God allowing it to happen for His own purposes.

Dave

I agree.

I would like to add that there are a lot of churches that preach more on the "enemy" and what satan can do to a person than they preach on God.

They are so fixated on satan that they give him sovereignty and do not know it.

 

[for_his_glory]

Paul's thorn in the flesh was that of Satan's messenger trying to buffet him. Buffet here means to strike repeatedly as Satan used his demons to come against Paul and persecute him everywhere he went. Paul prayed three times for God to take these persecutions away and God said no as He said "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness".

God is not going to keep us from being persecuted as even His own Son Christ Jesus was persecuted to death on the cross and many martyrs after him in other ways. Even so still today as many are persecuted even to death for the witness of Christ. God gives us His power and authority through His grace to give us strength when we are persecuted like Paul said:

2Corinthians 12:9 Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Act 9:15; 2 Corinthians 4:8-12; Galatians 5:11; 2 Timothy3:10, 11; 1 Corinthians 15:30-32; 2 Corinthians 4:7-18; 6:3-10; 11:23-28; 12:5-10; Galatians 4:13, 15

2Co 6:3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
2Co 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
2Co 6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
2Co 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
2Co 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
2Co 6:8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
2Co 6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
2Co 6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

 

[Dave...]

I think of those churches that walk up and down streets, through neighborhoods rebuking Satan. Like Glory said, you might be rebuking a work that God is doing in your life ("My grace is sufficient").

If you want Satan to leave you, unless God has a purpose in it, like with Paul, then James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,". In other words, stop sinning. If you get lazy with sin, expect the evil activity against you to increase. I know from experience. It always increases with spiritual laziness.

Dave

 

[electedbyHim]

I think of those churches that walk up and down streets, through neighborhoods rebuking Satan. Like Glory said, you might be rebuking a work that God is doing in your life ("My grace is sufficient").

If you want Satan to leave you, unless God has a purpose in it, like with Paul, then James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,". In other words, stop sinning. If you get lazy with sin, expect the evil activity against you to increase. I know from experience. It always increases with spiritual laziness.

Dave

I get what you are saying.

Nevertheless the majority blame satan 100% of the time, when most of the time it is their own flesh that is sinning.

Not. the devil made me do it.