And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.
Revelation 12:7
In our last post, we discussed the role of angels and mankind in the Kingdom of God. Being that every kingdom has the potential for a rebel to arise at some point, the Kingdom of God is no different. Satan, the devil, formerly called Lucifer, is the chief ruler of the kingdom of darkness and god of this world system. He was the first rebel that we know of in the Kingdom of God that took a third of the angels with him when he fell from heaven and waged war against Michael and his angels, according to the scriptures. This war against God ultimately turns into a war against mankind, starting in the garden of Eden. Satan realized that God loved man and, after his fall, he saw a plan to get back into a position of authority after being kicked out of heaven. He could not overthrow The Most High God and take over heaven, so he decided to go for one of heaven’s territories – Earth.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isaiah 14:12-14
When God made man and placed him in the garden, He gave him one commandment. He told him, “Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” because in the day that he eats, he will surely die. When Eve was made, Adam had the responsibility of informing her and leading her concerning the instructions of God. And then, when Eve was made, he told her that she would be like God, knowing good and evil. The interesting part about that statement is that God had already made mankind in his image and in his likeness. However, Satan is always trying to get people to believe that they’re missing something, and most of the time they already have it. He tried this same strategy with Jesus, and we’ll get into that in just a bit.
Once Adam and Eve partake of the tree, something very interesting happens. The Bible says that immediately their eyes were opened, and they saw that they were naked. They ultimately ran from God and had to be clothed with animal skins as a result of this decision. The Bible doesn’t talk about this in detail in Genesis, however, we find out later that something else took place in that moment. Satan, who was made to be subdued by Adam and Eve in the earth as a spiritual enemy of God’s kingdom, had now acquired legal rights to the Earth and its kingdoms. Adam’s rebellion against God’s commandment put Satan in a position of rulership in the earth realm that he was never meant to have. Ultimately, Adam’s birthright as “god of this world system” was transferred to the devil as a result of his transgression. We find out more about this when Jesus comes on the scene and Satan pays a visit to him in the wilderness.
And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Luke 4:5-7
Satan claims that the kingdoms of this world that he showed Jesus in a moment of time were delivered unto him, and he can give it to whomever he will.This is a bold claim, but Jesus never actually refutes this part of Satan’s statement. At that time, the kingdoms of the world did belong to him, and he could determine who to give it to. As I said earlier, Satan is always trying to give mankind something that he already has or is already destined for. In this case, Jesus was destined to inherit all the kingdoms of the world because it was already written. The devil was simply giving him a shortcut to something that God had already promised him. However, Jesus did not take the bait, as some men do.
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. ‘
1 Corinthians 15:24
The Bible expresses here in 1st Corinthians 15:24 that the kingdom (earth) will be delivered up to God in the end when Christ comes. It also says that he will put down all rule, authority, and power, meaning that the victory has already been won at the cross, but the process of subduing all of his enemies has been in motion ever since then, concluding at his return when all the kingdoms of this world are taken over by the reign and rule of Christ upon the earth. We find further proof of this in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 11, in the following verse.
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 11:15
The angels only sounded when Christ returned, and that’s when they said that the kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of the Lord and His Christ. Until then, it is the job of the sons and daughters of God to declare or preach the Good News of the Gospel and declare to God’s spiritual enemies, which includes Satan and his demons, that the victory has been won through the cross. They must loose all those who come into agreement and reestablish their citizenship with the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ. So while Satan still has some influence and power over the systems of the earth, he loses his control and power over the believers in Jesus when they are converted and translated to the kingdom of God.
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Colossians 1:12-14
When Jesus came to earth and died on the cross, it was to redeem mankind after the fall that took place in the garden. It was also to re-establish God’s kingdom as the rightful legal authority on earth through the man Jesus Christ, which the Bible also calls the last Adam. Part of the preaching of the gospel is to declare this truth to the spirit realm and ensure all of God’s spiritual enemies are subdued in each territory that we operate in as children of God. God will ultimately judge all of His enemies, whether mankind or fallen angels. Jesus promises us authority to deal with the devil and any of his demons that we come up against. This is further proof that all authority has been given to Jesus, and He has delegated that authority to us as His governing body on earth.
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luke 10:19
Mankind has a pathway to Kingdom citizenship through Christ, while the fallen angels and Satan do not. This is why it is so important that we evangelize the world and ensure that every person has the opportunity to hear this good news. We will dig into it further in a future post, but the Devil and his angels have already been sentenced by Heaven’s justice system and it cannot be changed. As a matter of fact, God made a specific place and punishment for these rebels when it is time for them to be judged.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Matthew 25:41
This punishment was never meant for mankind, so God has made a way of escape for those of us that accept it. This is another reason why it’s called The Good News.
If you would like prayer or to be connected to the Secrets of God Network, please contact us here
