The Prince of this world!

People often ask, if God is a God of love, why is there so much suffering in the world? They also question if God is good, then does He not have the power to defeat Satan? But the Bible tells us that God is both all good (Psalm 25:8, Matthew 19:17) and all-powerful (Psalm 115:3, Matthew 19:26). But now the world belongs to Satan because Man joined Satan's rebellion by his disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Dr. Kurt Wise explains this beautifully in his notes on the book of Genesis. He says that when Satan fell, there was no curse on all Creation. But everything was cursed when Man fell because the Creation was designed with Man in mind, not angels. Therefore, man's sin destroyed the earth, and natural disasters and disease punished man. Throughout history, God has used natural and moral evil to accomplish His plans for good in the life of His children. And God will destroy evil at His own appointed time. 

When God created Man, God gave the earth to man and said, "have dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, over every moving and creeping thing for I have given it unto thee. It is yours" (Genesis 1:26). But Adam gave up his blessing of having 'dominion' to Satan by disobeying God and obeying the devil. While God is still the owner of all Creation, it is Satan who is ruling over it after the fall. Paul called Satan "the god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4). Jesus Himself called Satan the prince of this world. During the Temptation of Christ in the wilderness, Satan took Jesus up unto a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and said, "I will give these all to you and the glory of them if you will bow down and worship me, for they are mine and I can give them to whoever I will" (Luke 4:6-7). And Jesus did not dispute Satan's claim. The world is in Satan's control and is in rebellion against God. When we receive Jesus Christ, we become a child of God and an alien in the world. But this fallen world is still under Satan's power and control. 

My friend, God has not left us without help in this fallen world. Christ came to die on the Cross and defeat the devil. Jesus bore our sin, shame, and sickness on that Cross so that the Holy Spirit can empower us. May God help each one of us to live a victorious life in this fallen world.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to overcome the devices of the devil with the help of the Holy Spirit.  Amen

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