Saturday, October 1, 2016

I Thessalonians 2:17,18 – “Figuring It Out”


As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

17But we, brethren, endeavored exceedingly earnestly to see your faces in much desire, being torn away (painfully) from you toward a short season, to face, not to heart.18Because we, even I Paul, wished to come toward you even once and twice and Satan hindered us.

This passage brings up a subject I’m not so sure I understand completely, and that is exactly how to figure Satan into my thinking.

Paul here is telling the Thessalonians how much he wanted to come see them, but then says he had not specifically because Satan had hindered him.

For myself, I have absolutely no problem believing that Satan exists. I have no problem believing that, in a sense, the world in which we live is the grand battlefield of Gen 3:15, the war between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. Satan is a murderer from the beginning, a liar and the father of lies, the one who deceives the nations, the great red dragon, the ancient serpent, the devil, the roaring lion who roams the earth seeking whom he may devour. He and his minions are the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience, masquerading as angels of light, and blinding the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ. I also believe that he is a defeated foe, the one who on the Cross struck Jesus on the heel, but Jesus crushed his head. His doom is already sealed. He will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire while Jesus and His people enjoy endless happiness in a new heavens and a new earth.

So what is my problem? What is it I’m not sure I understand? I will try to explain it. I pretty much try to fill my heart and mind with the truth of Romans 8:28, that in all things my great God is working for the good of us who love Him. As I have often bemoaned, I am an incorrigible worrier and want desperately to learn to see the Lord above every moment of my life, to trust Him implicitly, even recklessly, and He has helped me in this immensely just in the last year. I want to see that everything that happens, every moment, every situation, every pain and fear and hardship is Him working in my life to do me good, to help me put off my old man, to make me more like Jesus, to make me kinder, more patient, more gracious, more loving to others.

I’m trying to learn to see everything as coming from the hand of the Lord. And I think the Bible clearly teaches that is exactly the case, that this is the ground of hope and strength in our lives.

It is clear in the Bible that Satan cannot do anything except what God allows. Even his horrific, evil assaults on poor Job had to have the Lord’s permission.

The Lord reigns.

So why do I have to think about Satan at all? It seems like I could just forget about him and focus totally on the Lord. Of course he would still be there, plotting my murder and trying to feed me lies, but I’d be living inside the hedge the Lord keeps about me.

Clearly, in spite of all the teaching on the Lord’s providence and sovereign control, He still wants me to know about Satan, to be “sober and vigilant,” and to not be “ignorant of his devices.” Paul in our passage says he wanted to visit the Thessalonians – then does not say, “But the Lord did not allow it.” He rather says, “But Satan hindered me.” In II Cor 12, although the “thorn in his flesh” was given by the Lord “to keep him from becoming conceited,” yet Paul calls it “a messenger of Satan to torment me.” Peter told the Jews, “Jesus was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the Cross” (Acts 2:23).

Although the Lord does reign, although He is totally in control and works all things together for our good, yet He still wants you and me to recognize the malevolence of Satan, his minions, and people who follow him.

It suddenly makes sense to me that this is another example of the dignity the Lord grants to us. He is in total control, He certainly doesn’t need us, and He will work out His good plan with or without us. Yet He invites us to be His servants, to be involved in that mighty work – again, not because He needs us, but just because He’s kind. I think of Jesus’ words, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

I never cease to be amazed at the Lord’s endless kindnesses, but this one always floors me – when I see that He has granted me dignity, that He has allowed me some honor. It’s like when the children are small and you go on a trip. They don’t know anything about the route or maps or anything. They just play and sing and color blissfully while Dad and Mom take care of “getting there.” Yet, at some point, a good father says to the oldest, “I want you to help me,” gets out the map, explains the route and engages that child to “watch for signs.” It is much the same. The father really doesn’t need the child’s help. He would see the signs. He would get there with or without that child’s help. But it is a great honor to be asked “to help” and of course a great learning tool.

It suddenly makes sense to me that is why the Lord wants us to know about Satan and why we should be involved in the fight against him. The Gen 3:15 battle is the Great Warfare and the Lord wants us to join Him in it, to fight beside Him and under Him. Like Job we can daily place each of our children before the Throne of Grace. Like Daniel, we are allowed to know that “the prince of Persia” is warring against us, yet Michael is fighting for us. We can see that our warfare is not “with flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” and so “put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.” We can see at times that our afflictions really are “messengers of Satan to torment us.” We can see that our Gospel really does turn people “from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God.” We can see that our sins “give Satan a foothold.” And we are called to be “sober, be vigilant,” recognizing that “the devil, like a roaring lion, roams the earth seeking whom he may devour.” We actually can hear the Savior say, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”

Hmmmmm. Interesting. This is something I’ve pondered for years and never quite understood – how a knowledge of Satan is important to me when I live under a good God who is in absolute control. Now I see it is another one of His dignities that He grants to us humans, an honor to be a part of what it is He’s doing.

Lord help me always to fill my mind with You, but at the same time may I see Your enemy clearly, may I in fact be sober and vigilant, and may I work and pray as a faithful soldier in Your good army.

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