As I start down this road of discussion over our souls, many thoughts come to mind as to just how lengthy this subject can become simply based on millions of individual opinions. This does not in any way mean that my opinion is any better than another however; I do hope that each reader takes these topics into serious consideration. With that said, it is also my hope that all readers enjoy this book and shares with others.
From the beginning
Since the beginning of time when God created Adam and Eve, the spirits of good and evil have been in a continuous battle over our souls. God created mankind to be perfect and in His image yet perfection was stolen from mankind by an evil serpent called Satan. This devil or Satan has been manipulating our lives ever since trying to win our souls and keep us from the joys of life that our creator provided to us.
Mankind was created to rule over all the earth to include all the animals, plants, water, trees, crops and everything that has life on earth in order to maintain perfection just as God created it on earth. The problem with this beautiful picture of how things should have been is the fact that Satan has also been working very hard to destroy that perfection as pure defiance to God.
Believe it or not Satan was also created by God in heaven and Satan’s name in heaven was Lucifer. Lucifer was one of the greatest angels in heaven to help perform every request that God made and to rule over many other angels in heaven. Lucifer’s status went to his head and he started feeling proud of himself for everything he has accomplished for God.
Because of this pride, Lucifer started to feel that he could rule the angles and the earth just as good as God so he tried to convince as many other angles as possible that he could do this so that many angles could follow him personally and praise him just like God. Well, God is the Creator of everything and obviously the most powerful so God decided to punish Lucifer for his pride and sentenced Lucifer to earth forever and ever.
Since Lucifer (Satan) was bound to earth forever, he felt that the best way to get back at God would be to lie and deceive mankind so that mankind would also fall away from God. As you may know, Satan has been trying to steal our souls ever since and has actually won many, but that devil can be defeated by the name of Jesus Christ.
Satan became known as the prince of the earth and he knows that when time is over for all of mankind on earth, he will ultimately be destroyed. Since this is the case, Satan’s goal is to steal as many souls as possible so that any human being who follows him will also ultimately be destroyed with him in fire.
Now since he used to be a great angel in heaven, he also knows the Bible so he knows exactly how to manipulate the followers of Jesus Christ which is by using and twisting the words of God as an attempt to win our soul. If we (mankind) follow Jesus Christ, we will ultimately live forever in Heaven with God and Jesus and all of the Angles in Heaven to experience all the joy, fellowship forever and ever.
In the very beginning of the Bible and in the book of Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” So we are told exactly who created everything. The Bible is the Living Word of God and was provided to mankind to read and apply the truth to their everyday lives. My point here is that God created the heaven and the earth Not Lucifer so God is master over the Angels and all the earth.
The fall of Lucifer (Satan)
Pride will cause mankind to fall just as pride caused Satan’s downfall. God created him with such splendor that Lucifer looked in the mirror one day and thought, I should be running things around here. He conspired with a third of the angelic host to launch a coup against the Lord God Almighty. When Lucifer made his move, God cast him out of heaven so fast, his ejection resembled a bolt of lightning streaking across the sky.
And He [Jesus] said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven”“I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18).
Even though God cast Satan out of heaven, He did not forever ban him from re-entering the heavenly realm. There was a time when Satan went back to heaven and tried to make Job look bad.
Job 1:6-12 “One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them’ And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’
So Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!’ And the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.”
What really happened is that Satan got fired. He lost his rank, beauty, power, and–most important, his relationship with God. The bitterness from his dismissal is likely what has transformed him into a being of pure evil. Satan’s removal from office also came with a promise of future punishment. God, at some point, created hell and the lake of fire. The latter had the devil’s name written on it.
Isaiah 14:12-15 “”How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain? I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.”
Having lost his position in heaven, Satan took up residence on earth. Several passages describe him as the god of this world. He and the legion of fellow angels that fell with him are the driving force behind many world empires. Satan received a temporary boost when he caused Adam and Eve to fall from grace. By polluting the world with sin, the devil thought that he had bought himself some time.
Jesus came into this world to defeat Satan, but it wasn’t clear just how He would accomplish this goal. Satan knew that the arrival of the Messiah spelled trouble for him. When Christ was still a child, the devil tried to kill him. Jesus latter validated Satan’s reason for fear when He said, “now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:31).
The demons who encountered the Lord were scared out of their minds. They thought Jesus was coming to set-up His kingdom and imprison them in hell. They were very direct, saying, “Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know there who thou art; the Holy One of God” (Luke 4:34). Other demons begged that He would not “torment” them (Mark 5:7).
Satan and his demonic underlings didn’t know that the cross was God’s chosen method of redemption. One of the reasons Satan hates the cross is that he played an active role in sealing his own fate. When Jesus rose from the grave, the bondage of sin was broken and the countdown to Satan’s doom resumed.
As we grow in our walk with the Lord, we become more in tune to God. While we are babes in Christ we may very well get lost in Satan’s lies. Those who are walking with Jesus and allowing Him complete control of their lives have a shield that is impregnable by the enemy’s lies. Those who reject our Lord Jesus have no defense, no shield, and no hope of fending off his lies.
Satan uses many different deceptions to pull people into his diabolical schemes. Remember, his only desire is to keep people from believing in Jesus Christ; Satan knows his ultimate destination and desires as much company as possible. Immorality, idolatry, and false religions are added benefits for his amusement. Keep in mind, Satan will go to any length to achieve his purpose. He’s quite adept at fogging our minds so we can’t see truth. This leads to the hardening of the heart, and it’s difficult to be brought back to the truth of the gospel of Christ once in that hardened state of mind.
For this reason God hates pride. Lucifer fell from grace because of his pride and Satan is now our adversary. He is completely evil and he will suffer the punishment God has promised. Until that time comes Satan will continue to spread his evil lies across the globe.
False religions are of Satan, false doctrines are also of Satan. So many deceived souls, how could this be? Just like Eve, they have believed the lie of Satan instead of the truth of God’s word. Any religion that refuses to accept Jesus Christ as God Almighty is a false religion and of Satan. Satan’s lies should be obvious to all who profess to be born again Christians. As we read and study our Bibles we see God’s truth as it comes alive before our eyes and we can see the falsehoods that are passed around by His enemy.
Salvation – Our Armor of Defense
The vast majority of people have a negative view of Satan. What they don’t realize is that they are doomed to share his fate unless they turn to Christ. Sin has made us all contaminated with the same corruption that afflicts the evil one. The blood of Christ is the only cure that will break that bond and make us children of the Living God. [Jesus said,] “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6).
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” Unlike Satan, whose fate is forever sealed, we have the option of choosing Jesus as our Savior. One accomplishes this by repenting and making Christ Lord of his or her life. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Hopefully, many will read, believe, seek God, repent and be saved. Salvation is very simple, so simple to attain, in fact, that most people cannot accept its simplicity; thereby reject it completely. If you want to be saved and have eternal life, simply accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
The truth is in fact that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine, He raised from the dead on the third day and ascended to heaven. He lives today on right side of the Heavenly Father and He will come back to get us (the Church) so we can live eternity in heaven too.
“Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and ask you to forgive me of my sins and prepare for me a new heart. I surrender my life to you.”
Armor – Knowing who we are in Christ and the power of His name Jesus Christ!
John the Baptist says in 1 John 4:4 “Greater is He (Jesus) that is in you than he (Satan) that is in the world.” So we do not need to get panicky because of these evil hosts that are waiting to attack our souls.
God has said in Ephesians 6:10-11 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this age, and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” There are wicked evil spirits pulling strings behind the curtains of the world’s affairs but we can defeat them by the name of Jesus and knowing He lives within us.
Paul then provides us with wonderful encouragement in Ephesians 6:14-17 “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
The only defense we have against the devil is a right relationship with God, which includes submission to His will. Sin in our lives is like an invitation for the devil to work. When we entertain sin, we effectively shut out the voice of the Holy Spirit, which gives an opportunity for the devil to move in our lives.
When we face the devil on our own power, the situation is hopeless. But, as believers in Christ, we are promised the power of God in our efforts to thwart the plans of the enemy. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”
I am a good person, so I can count on going to heaven, right?
By whose standards are you measuring your goodness?
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” This verse very clearly says that all people are unworthy of God’s goodness. So that answer is No but that does not mean that you should start being a bad or mean type of person, it just means that being good isn’t enough; we can only get to heaven through Jesus Christ and our goodness needs to shine the light of our Lord to all the world.
Being a good person can help you get through this life on earth, it can earn you some good friendships and cause people to trust you and may even give you a good job status or position. None of that however; will get you into heaven. Jesus made it very clear that nobody goes to Father in heaven except through Him.
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.”
God has known since the beginning of time that Man is incapable of perfecting himself, so He has been trying to show us our need for a Savior through our own weakness. Here it is, the entire Gospel: 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
The first step is recognizing that you are NOT good enough. Second, you need to repent of your sinfulness, especially the sin of pride—believing that you have somehow done something to make yourself worthy to spend eternity in the presence of God. Only then can God cleanse your heart.