06-11-2007, 08:41 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Victoria
Posts: 196
Rep Power: 2
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May I suggest a slightly different perspective…with the greatest of respect?
The context of 1John 3:8 is that of our own sin, not the devil himself.
“8</SPAN>He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
Christ came in order that WE may be transformed into servants of God, not that one fallen spirit with horns and a pitch fork could be dealt with in a Hollywood shoot out. The works of the devil are the actions of human beings living in opposition to God’s perfect nature. Christ came in order to demonstrate to us, as one of us, how we might emulate Him in our own lives.
If our focus is on chasing the adversary, we are looking away from the creator and will ultimately stumble. Even the archangel Michael was careful in his approach to Satan and merely invoked the authority of God while focusing on doing God’s will.
The best way to fight the works of the devil is to pursue individual holiness…chase God, not devils. God does indeed allow affliction in the life of the righteous precisely so that we will not recline in complacency, but will get up and actively seek Him. Satan is not (and never was) a valid contender for rule of the universe; God remains in complete control, therefore even Satan himself is God’s unwitting servant. Nothing and no one, even the devil, can exist at all unless God allows (even directly sustains) said existence. Everything comes from God, and God only gives what is good. This is a paradox for those of us who cannot see past our individual trials and suffering in order to comprehend God’s ultimate purpose…He chastises those He loves, and medicine does not always taste sweet.
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Good questions, when answered, innevitably lead to better ones. The light is in the search, and the search itself is the destination.
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