the basic message # E149
1 Thessalonians 2:17-18
But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in
presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great
desire.
Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once
and again; but Satan hindered us.
How did Satan stop them? Did he: blow-up the roads? Sink the ship? Make Paul extremely ill? I don’t believe that Satan is capable of doing anything himself without human help. Only God can make a tornado or an earthquake. Satan can do neither, but he can corrupt the hearts of weak men to cause them to loot stores and rob homes during times of disaster. Without humans, Satan is effectively out of business. Unfortunately, there has never been, nor will there ever be a shortage of humans eagerly volunteering for service in Satan’s army.
John 13:27
And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus
unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
Was Judas an innocent man? I don’t think so. I tend to think that Judas always had a burning need to be a man of importance whatever the cost. Does that mean he didn’t believe in the deity of Jesus Christ? No, I believe that Judas did indeed realize that Jesus was the Messiah, but Judas also had his own agenda.
Luke 13:16
And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom
Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
My study Bible tells me that the woman in this story was plagued with some sort of spinal
disorder. Did Satan have specific access to
her, or is this the concept of “all good things come from God, and all bad things
from Satan”? I don’t really know,
but again, I believe that Satan has direct access to Christians only through other
people.
Acts 5:3
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart
to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
In this passage, Ananias pledged to give the proceeds of a property sale to the church, but in reality held back part of the money. Now, bear in mind that he wasn’t being forced to give any money- it was strictly a voluntary action. Apparently Ananias’ pride was the key factor in lying about the money. He believed that men would praise his generosity and that, in turn, would fuel his ego. There was only one problem with the plan: He wasn’t lying to men, he was lying to God. God’s response? Ananias was struck dead on the spot.
Did Satan “steal” Ananias’ body for his own use? Again, I think Ananias, like many humans, had so much pride and self-righteousness that he was a willing participant. What would Satan have to wave under your nose to recruit you? Money? Women? Men? Power? Toys? Make no mistake, Christian, Satan is watching you carefully. Who is on the top of his list for conquest? Those who love God the most, obviously. Satan has no need to go after what is already his. He likes the tough cases. If Satan isn’t bothering you, maybe you already belong to him.