Study Guide #4 – Free Will

Study Guide

In this study series, we present the concepts and evidence for what we have been studying, then pose questions we hope will emphasize helpful ideas, sparking discussion.

This study series focuses on our marriage with God, the wedding rehearsal events, and how our free will is preserved while being God’s partner. We believe that all of the appointed times (God’s festivals listed in Leviticus 23) have meaning and great significance for today and at the end of the age. We believe that the times listed in Daniel 9 all have a meaning at the end of the age. These studies lay the foundation for why we believe this.

Please visit our website, servantsvoice.com, for a link to each of our studies and study guides.

Humanity’s role in eliminating evil

What is humanity’s role in salvation? Are we:

• Passive bystanders; or,
• Essential participants?

Between these two poles are a spectrum of beliefs.

This document supports the idea that we are saved by grace and that nothing we do merits salvation. We have to be changed by God in order to follow the example set by Jesus. To believe in God means to allow God to reform our characters into ones that love and obey God. It means to accept the promises that God makes, which include the promise that He will never allow any temptation we cannot endure. Here, we work on the belief that to love God means to follow His instructions. Here, we adopt the idea that our actions speak louder than words and that, if we do not keep His commandments, the truth is not in us and we are not saved.

We explored these concepts in Study Guide #2 – Grace/Law.

Here, instead of exploring the Law, we are exploring the role for which we are rehearsing. We look at the evidence that God employs humans, who believe in God and who adopt the promises that He makes, to defeat Satan. We consider the idea that these humans are integral to how God eliminates evil while also preserving our free will. We look at what is at stake, why Satan may think that he can win, and why he continues to challenge God.

Earth and Heaven

As Christians, we tend to focus on the individual’s salvation. Most of the sermons we hear are about how God will help us out personally. With our focus on ourselves, we typically don’t think about the bigger picture. Why does God allow evil at all? If Jesus won the war and evil has been defeated, then why are we still here and why do bad things still happen?

If we look at the story beyond ourselves and the personal benefits we get, we find that God intends to eliminate evil throughout the universe and for all time. This story is about more than just the rescue of individuals who are born into a world of sin. It is about how evil will come to an end throughout the universe while, at the same time, preserving each individual’s free will.

The elimination of evil includes the termination of Satan, death, and suffering, as well as those who cause these things.

?? Where did evil begin?

?? What position did Lucifer hold? Ezekiel 28:16By the abundance of your trade you filled yourself with violence and you sinned. So I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God; I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the stones of fire.

?? Was Lucifer perfect? Ezekiel 28:12Son of man, sing a lament for the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘You were the sealer of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

?? How long might it have taken Lucifer to persuade a third of the perfect angels in a perfect environment to join him in his rebellion against God?

?? Is Heaven immune to evil?

?? Will it be possible for you to do evil in Heaven?

?? Where is evil brought to an end? Ezekiel 28:18By the abundance of your iniquities, in your unjust trade, you desecrated your sanctuaries. So I brought fire out of your midst; it consumed you and I turned you into ashes on the ground before the eyes of all who saw you.

Sin originated in Heaven. Sin is brought to its end on Earth.

Sin began in a perfect place and in close proximity to God. Sin existed in Heaven for an extended period of time – long enough that at least a third of the angels chose sin rather than God.

Pride took root in Lucifer, a being with free will. Sin began in a perfect being who was blameless from creation. A perfect environment does not guarantee the absence of evil. Evil can be in the presence of God. God has permitted evil to exist in His presence, both in Heaven and on Earth.

It is on Earth where evil is brought to an end. According to the Bible, the universal catastrophe of sin that has riven Heaven and decimated Earth is brought to an end and terminated on Earth. It is on Earth where Satan and death are destroyed forever. The problem that began next to God, the problem that has killed billions and has torn Heaven apart, ends on a small planet in a galaxy we call “home.”

The conflict is about far more than the rescue of each individual soul from a world of misery. It is about far more than the grace that is extended to all of humanity who are the victims of a choice that a cherub next to God made and that perfect humans (Adam and Eve) made. The story is not just about the Son of God who became human and died a human death to make it possible for humanity to be rescued. It is the revelation about how God terminates evil for all time while still preserving free will.

At the end of the story, death will be no more. Pain will be gone. The things that make us cry will no longer exist.

The inhabitants of Heaven and Earth are all characters in the story of the origination and termination of evil.

God allows all of this evil. In the book of Job, we hear Job say that all of the bad things that have happened to him – the death of his children, his wife’s rejection of him, the loss of all that he owned, the great pain that he suffers, and being told by his friends that he brought all of this on himself, all of these things Job says God is responsible for. Job doesn’t blame Satan. Job blames God. God accepts responsibility for allowing all of this evil to exist. God does not contradict Job when Job claims that he has done nothing wrong.

While each of us is important to God, God doesn’t force us to accept Him. God does not stalk us until we submit to Him out of fear or exhaustion. The idea that only those who actively reject God are lost is simply not Biblical. In fact, the Bible tells us something very different.

Consider all of Proverbs 2My child, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, making your ear attentive to wisdom, and your heart inclined to understanding—if you call out for insight, and cry aloud for understanding—if you seek it like silver, and search for it like a hidden treasure—then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He stores up effective strategy for the upright; he is a shield for those who live with integrity, to guard the paths of justice, and to protect the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and fairness—every good way. For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the person who speaks perversely, from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of evil, who are crooked in their ways, and devious in their paths. It will deliver you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress who flatters with her words, who leaves the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. For her house sinks down to death, and her pathways to the departed spirits. None who go to her return; they do not reach the paths of life. So you will walk in the way of good people, and will stay on the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it. But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted from it..

?? Proverbs 2:21For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it. – Who will reside in the land?

?? Proverbs 2:22But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted from it.– Who will be removed from the land?

?? What does God give to the upright?

Proverbs 2:5then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:6For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:7He stores up effective strategy for the upright; he is a shield for those who live with integrity,

Proverbs 2:8to guard the paths of justice, and to protect the way of his faithful ones.

Proverbs 2:9Then you will understand righteousness and justice and fairness—every good way.

Proverbs 2:10For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you.

?? What does God require to receive the gifts?

Proverbs 2:1My child, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,

Proverbs 2:2making your ear attentive to wisdom, and your heart inclined to understanding—

Proverbs 2:3if you call out for insight, and cry aloud for understanding—

Proverbs 2:4if you seek it like silver, and search for it like a hidden treasure—

?? What determines if you are wicked or upright according to Proverbs 2My child, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, making your ear attentive to wisdom, and your heart inclined to understanding—if you call out for insight, and cry aloud for understanding—if you seek it like silver, and search for it like a hidden treasure—then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He stores up effective strategy for the upright; he is a shield for those who live with integrity, to guard the paths of justice, and to protect the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and fairness—every good way. For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the person who speaks perversely, from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of evil, who are crooked in their ways, and devious in their paths. It will deliver you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress who flatters with her words, who leaves the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. For her house sinks down to death, and her pathways to the departed spirits. None who go to her return; they do not reach the paths of life. So you will walk in the way of good people, and will stay on the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it. But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted from it.?

Your Role

Humans are not passive bystanders in this story. Humanity plays an active role in defeating evil. The choice we make is not just for ourselves but for everyone in the universe. The Bible tells us that Satan is defeated by humans who accept the protective blood of the Lamb and who, by their actions, demonstrate that it is possible to be like Jesus.

Revelation 12:11But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they refused to die. and they [meaning those who follow the example set by Jesus ] conquered him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony [witness], and they did not love their lives until death.

Reading that again:

Revelation 12:11But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they refused to die. And those who follow the example set by Jesus conquered Satan by accepting the sacrifice made by Jesus and by living the example set by Jesus even if it means death.

Just as Adam and Eve’s decision made a difference in the lives of future generations. Paul calls Jesus the “last Adam.” If we are the Bride of the Bridegroom (Jesus), then we are effectively Eve. We have an opportunity to choose more appropriately for all mankind.

We tend to think that the conquering of Satan that happens here is just the defeat of Satan in our personal, individual life. But, this conquering of Satan is beyond the individual victory. It is the demonstration to the universe that a sinner can change and allow God to live within, all while God still preserves free will. This ushers in the end of evil.

Jesus came to Earth and took on human form for the purpose of demonstrating what it is that God wants each of us to be. The story does not end with Jesus. Jesus is who we are to become like. The story ends with the union of God with those who choose to accept Him.

?? What does Jesus instruct us to do in John 13:13-16You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are speaking rightly, for that is what I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example—you also should do just as I have done for you. I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

?? What are we instructed to do in Ephesians 5:1-2Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.

?? Why did Jesus die? 1 Peter 2:20-24For what credit is it if you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong? But if you endure when you do what is right and suffer, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no one, but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we may die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

?? How are we to walk? 1 John 2:6The one who says he resides in him ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked.

?? Did Jesus command the impossible in Matthew 5:48Therefore, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.?

?? Do you believe Jesus does “all things,” including making you perfect – Matthew 19:26Jesus looked at them and replied, ‘This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible.’?

?? Who is doing the doing in Philippians 4:13I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.?

?? Do you believe 1 Corinthians 10:13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it. is true?

It is by following this example set by Jesus that Satan is conquered. Satan is conquered both in our personal life; but, far more importantly, Revelation tells us that evil can be conquered throughout the universe by the choices you make.

Look at the following verses. Fill in the blanks and note the promised reward in bold.

Revelation 2:7The one who has an ear had better listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will permit him to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

, I will grant to him to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.’

 

Revelation 2:11The one who has an ear had better listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will in no way be harmed by the second death. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

will never be harmed by the second death. ‘

 

Revelation 2:17The one who has an ear had better listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give him some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone will be written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

, I will give to him some of the hidden manna, and I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

 

Revelation 2:26And to the one who conquers and who continues to do my works until the end, I will give him authority over the nations. And and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him authority over the nations,

 

Revelation 3:5The one who conquers will be clothed like this in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels. in this way will be dressed in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, and I will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.

 

Revelation 3:12The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God) and my new name. , I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never go outside again, and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God, and my new name.

 

Revelation 3:21The one who conquers, I will give him the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. , I will grant to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also have conquered and have sat down with my Father on his throne.

 

Revelation 12:11But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they refused to die. And him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives until death.

 

Revelation 15:2Then I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I also saw those who had conquered the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding the harps of God. And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and the beast and his image and the number of his name were standing by the glassy sea, holding harps from God.

 

Revelation 21:7The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son. will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

 

Especially note Revelation 12So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. and 15Then I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I also saw those who had conquered the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding the harps of God. that report it is humans who defeat the dragon, the beast, and his image. These are God-inhabited humans.

How do we reconcile the idea that there is nothing we can do that will earn us salvation with the idea that we are told to conquer the beast? In Study Guide #2 – Grace/Law, we tried to answer this question. In short, as we find in 1 John 1:8-10If we say we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us., if we confess our sins and seek forgiveness, God is faithful to cleanse us from unrighteousness. These are choices we make. We are not saved unless we make these choices. If we make these choices, then God will do the work of cleansing us. As Proverbs tells us, we need to make the choice to seek out God like we would seek out a treasure. Proverbs tells us how to conquer. Essentially, we make the choice to allow God to live within us, then let God do the work for us. God does this work in us and for us. And, as God does this, we exhibit the fruits of the Spirit because we are one with God. But, God does not replace us as He does this. God allows us to retain our free will and our ability to sin even as He inhabits us.

It appears that God takes those who have been born in sin and uses them as willing participants in the elimination of evil. God chooses individuals who express their desire to follow the example set by Jesus as His instruments through whom He works.

Revelation 12So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. and 15Then I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I also saw those who had conquered the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding the harps of God. are not telling us that we conquer the beast by ourselves. It isn’t telling us that we defeat the dragon by our own power. Rather, the passages are telling us that God uses humans, who have allowed God to make His home in them, to be the tools God uses to eliminate evil while preserving free will. God only accepts volunteers in His army – volunteers who are loyal to God over everything else, including our human family.

Immediately after His resurrection, Jesus could have returned with the angel armies of Heaven, reclaimed the planet, and terminated evil. But, Jesus didn’t do this. Instead, God allowed more millennia of abject depravity and the death of billions to continue. God has set an appointed time for the end of evil. And, that end is at least 2,000 years after Jesus set the example of how we are to live. God the Father has set a time when Jesus will return to Earth to collect His bride.

The Character Of Those Who Conquer

God doesn’t rescue everyone. God doesn’t save all of humanity. Will you be included with those who are saved? God retains the character of those He rescues from Earth and who He, then, allows to freely roam a universe from which evil has been purged. As it says in 1 Corinthians 15:52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed., we will change in the twinkling of an eye, but God preserves our character and our free will without rewiring our brain.

God doesn’t change our character into a being incapable of sinning. If God did that, He could have skipped all of the years of evil. From the beginning, God could have just programmed robots to always love Him. God could have made sin impossible. But, God values free will so much that He chose to allow evil rather than forfeit this trait. That is an incredibly high price to pay for free will.

?? Are you willing to love a God who allows abject depravity just so each of us can choose whether or not to sin?

How does God eliminate evil while permitting free will? A perfect environment does not guarantee the absence of evil. Pride took root in Lucifer, an initially perfect being, in a perfect place and in close proximity to God for an extended period of time.

What is happening on Earth now is part of God’s solution to permanently eliminate evil while preserving free will. Humans are not just passive bystanders in this universal conflict. What started in Heaven is finished here on Earth.

The Bible tells us that God intends to unite with the humans who choose to join with God. This marriage is described as a father-child relationship and as a husband-wife oneness. John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the bridegroom. Jesus calls Himself the bridegroom.

Everything we read in the Bible tells us that God wants us to be like Jesus. There are those who will conquer. There are those who will follow the commands of God. There are those who will endure all temptations. Who are these people?

What does Galatians 5:22-23But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. tell us we will be if the Spirit of God lives in us?

• Loving
• Joyful
• Peaceful
• Patient
• Kind
• Good
• Faithful
• Gentle
• Self-controlled

When we accept Jesus, these are the things that we will be.

?? How do we know if our faith is dead? James 2:17, 24-26So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

As we follow these instructions, God reveals more of Himself and the wonders of His creation. Growth is continual. The more we learn, the more is revealed. As we adopt and follow these additional revelations, we gain a better understanding of the God who wants us to be like Him and to join Him in eternity.

This is the character of those who believe in God. They follow where God leads. They follow the instructions of God, even if they don’t understand them at the time. They choose to trust God, and they make the choice to let God transform them into someone who exhibits the fruits of the Spirit.

This is what God has asked of every human throughout human history. Those who follow these instructions are those who conquer. They inherit the land.

Why Humans?

Why does God use humans to conquer the dragon, the beast, and the image of the beast? Why not just annihilate evil directly?

It seems that God enjoys taking “impossible” situations and using them to demonstrate His power. There are multiple stories in the Bible that show this. Moses at the Red Sea. Daniel in the lion’s den. Feeding the multitudes with a few loaves of bread and a few fish. The protection of Jerusalem when Assyria surrounded the city. These are but a few.

To eliminate evil, Jesus took on human form, set an example, died, and then lived again. He merges with humans who, by their own free will, opt to accept God and allow God to transform them into temples of God. God, the all-powerful, the creator of the universe, seems to do the impossible and inhabits individual humans. God marries His creation by becoming one with them.

• If I choose God, Jesus lives in me. Galatians 2:20I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
• Those who choose God are created in Jesus. – Ephesians 2:10For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.
• Those who choose God are seated with Jesus in Heaven – Ephesians 2:6and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
• Those who choose God are the church, the body of Jesus – 1 Corinthians 6:15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!, 12:27Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it.
• Those who choose God are resurrected with Jesus – Colossians 2:12having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.
• Those who choose God become one flesh with Jesus – Ephesians 5:30-32because we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great—but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
• When I choose God, Jesus is formed in me – Galatians 4:19My children–I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you!
• When I choose God, Jesus is in me – 2 Corinthians 13:5Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless, indeed, you fail the test!
• When we choose God, our old self dies and we live anew with Jesus – Romans 6:3-4Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.
• When we choose God, Jesus dwells in our hearts – Ephesians 3:17that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,
• When we choose God, we are in Jesus – 1 Corinthians 1:30He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

In Jesus, we are:

• Accepted and glorified – Romans 8:30And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
• Adopted – Ephesians 1:4-5For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He did this by predestining us to adoption as his legal heirs through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will—
• Called – 1 Corinthians 1:9God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
• Created anew – 2 Corinthians 5:17So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!
• Filled with God – Colossians 2:10and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
• Made alive and saved – Ephesians 2:5even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive with Christ (by grace you have been saved)
• Made holy – 1 Corinthians 1:2to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
• Without condemnation – Romans 8:1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

These are just a few of the many references to the concept that there is a union of God with the humans who choose God. To choose God means we are a new creation.

God uses His human partners He joins with to destroy evil.

It seems that God chooses this approach because it offers a path for redemption to those who were born condemned and because it simultaneously preserves free will.

Conquering the dragon

Each of us is called to be a dragon fighter.

The dragon is defeated by following the example set by Jesus.

Revelation 12:11But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they refused to die. And they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives until death.

Accepting the blood means that I have accepted His Spirit and that, in doing so, I become joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. These traits become me – not because I can force them to exist by will, but because I have allowed God to make His home in me and these are the natural exhibitions when I do so. This becomes my testimony. It is God working in me Who defeats the dragon – not only in me, individually, but it is also how Satan is defeated in all of the universe.

?? What does 1 John 5:6-12This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree. If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, because it is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. say about testimony?

Sinful human beings, born in sin, become one with God and, together, defeat evil, death, pain, and suffering. This union of God and humanity conquers Satan. Those who accept all that it means to become one with God are a critical part of the eternal end of evil. Sin originated in Heaven but it is on Earth where evil is conquered. God chooses to use former sinners, who the dragon claims as his, as the swords that slay the dragon. Where and when to fight the dragon is directed by God’s Spirit in us. Sometimes the Spirit of God tells us to shake the dust off our feet and engage the dragon on another front. Sometimes, like David vs Goliath, the Spirit calls us to engage when no one else will.

God’s Objectives

Why does God allow Satan to exist? An all-powerful God can extinguish evil any time He wants. But, God doesn’t do this. The reason is that God wants to be loved, not feared, by His creation. And, at the same time, God does not want you to be a robot who is programmed to love its creator.

?? Do you love God enough to obey all of His commandments all of the time? 1 John 5:2-3By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

?? Do you believe you can withstand all temptations? 1 Corinthians 10:13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.

?? Yes, you have sinned. Does this mean that you will always sin?

If this was just a contest of strength, God would easily defeat Satan. But, this is not a contest of strength. God has chosen to be judged by those He created. Each of us is given the ability to choose who wins our loyalty. Do we judge God to be our partner, or do we judge God to be incompatible with our desires? Will we be loyal to the law of God or to ourselves? If we choose ourselves, we lose but God also loses. If all sentient beings choose ourselves, God loses all.

If all of creation rejects the Creator as having a law that is impossible or too onerous to keep, and breaking the law results in death, then there is no one left alive. For God to win, those who He created must keep the law out of love rather than fear. And, for those who have once sinned, it is impossible to keep the law without God making His home in us. If we choose to allow the Spirit to reside in us, then we will be in harmony with the law. And, by grace, past sins are removed and forgotten. But, God only inhabits those who choose to accept this transformation.

?? Do you choose to allow God to make you holy?

Satan’s Objectives

Satan argues that the three-day nap that Jesus took was no sacrifice.

?? Did Jesus know he was going to resurrect Himself after His death? John 2:19Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” and John 10:17-18This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is the command I have received from my Father.

Satan may say, “God’s law demands the death of the sinner and Jesus isn’t dead today, so where is the demanded death? Napping isn’t dead enough.”

Satan may say, “Isn’t God breaking His own law by accepting a nap and calling it death? Isn’t God breaking His own law by accepting sinners as they continue to sin, all under the cover of a divine nap?”

These types of arguments appear to be persuasive, as at least a third of the angels have joined Lucifer in his rebellion.

Today, it is common to hear from the pulpit that it is impossible to keep the law. The natural reaction is to, then, decide there is no need to even try.

Today, it is common to hear from the pulpit that we are forgiven, even as we continue to intentionally sin. The natural reaction is to, then, decide there is no need to even try.

Today, it is common to hear from the pulpit that we are saved by grace and that nothing we do will save us. The natural reaction is to decide there is no need to even try.

Today, it is common to hear from the pulpit that we have to actively and decisively reject God; otherwise, we will be saved. The natural reaction is to follow our own desires with a feeling of impunity.

Satan’s goal is to cause the whole world to reject God. If this happens, then Satan thinks God will be faced with the choice of acknowledging that His own law is impossible, and that, in this case, God’s law is the problem. Satan has been saying this from the beginning. God will have to destroy who He wills and all survivors will serve out of fear and God loses. God does not win by killing everyone who disagrees. God wins when the created freely choose to love and keep the laws of God. We know that God wins because the Bible tells us that He will but Satan is betting that is not true and that no one will love God once it appears that Satan has won everything.

This is a war for the loyalty of the created. Who will the created love? Will there be any who love God so much that they will allow God to move in and clean house. Or, will our selfish and rebellious nature hate being told what to do? As everyone is judged by their works through faith, will there be any who survive the purifying fires of God living in them? While salvation is often described as received through faith in Jesus Christ, genuine faith will be evidenced by one’s actions and behavior. God’s judgment is not solely based on a profession of faith, but also on how that faith is lived out.

?? How does Revelation 20:12And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened—the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. describe our judgment?

?? Who worships the beast? Revelation 13:8And all who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.

?? What happens to those who do not worship the beast? Revelation 13:7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. He was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

?? What is the difference between those who worship the beast and those who are conquered by the beast?

For Satan to win, he does not need to defeat God using his strength. Rather, Satan can win by:

• Persuading all of creation to reject God; or,
• Persuading all of creation to worship God out of fear rather than love.

Satan is defeated when you choose to obey God out of love rather than fear. To obey God means to confess your sins, seek forgiveness, and to choose to follow the example set by Jesus. It means believing Jesus when He tells us to be like Him.

As you do these things, you allow God to defeat Satan in your life and for God to use you as His instrument to destroy evil throughout the universe for all time. You, a former sinner, are a critical part in defeating Satan’s war objectives.

We are told that when the appointed time comes, that time when not even Jesus knows, there will be a certain number who are blameless.

?? What does it mean to be blameless? Revelation 14:5And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

 

Satan does not need to defeat God in order to win. Satan needs to make sure that the number of blameless humans doesn’t happen.

?? In Genesis 18:22-33The LORD and Abraham conversed about the number of righteous people needed to spare Sodom. They agreed on the number 10., God and Abraham agree on a number of godly people that are necessary for Sodom to be spared. What was the final number they agreed on?

 

?? What number is named in Revelation 7After this I looked and saw a vast crowd, an innumerable multitude that no one could count… and 14Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. as being godly?

?? Why is the dragon filled with terrible wrath? Revelation 12:12…the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows he has a short time.

?? What do those who the dragon wages war against do? Revelation 12:17So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

Satan has a huge advantage in this war. Satan is familiar with every human weakness. We all start out with a natural tendency to sin. We all have sinned. Unless we choose to allow God to transform us, we will continue to sin. All Satan has to do is track down those who love God and persuade them to abandon God. They are relatively easy to find. Those who God lives within will stand out as being unique. They exhibit the fruits of the Spirit. In a world full of evil, that is very noticeable.

?? Will the sinner love you for being like Jesus? John 15:18-25If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you… They hated me without a cause.

?? Why did people hate Jesus? John 15:25But they did this so that the word written in their law would be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

We all crave approval of those around us. We like to be accepted. It is hard to be hated. Most of us modify our behaviour so that we can be accepted. But, what happens when God’s commands differ from what our family, friends, and peers want us to do? Who do we put first?

?? Who does Matthew 10:37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. tell us to love less than we do God?

 

?? If you have to choose between God’s commands or your relatives, who will you choose?

?? Who put God’s commands before their employer’s instructions? Exodus 1:17But the midwives were God-fearing, so they did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.

?? Who ignored their religious leader’s instructions? Acts 5:29But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than people.’

?? Who ignored their political or military leader rather than dishonor God? Daniel 3The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image, choosing instead to obey God.

Many have more loyalty to family, work, religion, or authority than they do God. Many believe that to comply with the wishes of those around them, evil is necessary and that God will forgive.

?? What does Jesus say of those who do not make God the priority? Matthew 10:37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

?? What does it mean to not be worthy of God?

Family, work, religion, and authority are all powerful tools in Satan’s arsenal. There is actually a very long list of things the Bible warns us that Satan will use to break our relationship with God.

One could easily get the idea that God is wanting people who will make the effort to choose God. This is the opposite of what is preached from multiple pulpits. We often hear the idea that God will pursue us and that it is difficult to not be saved. Yet, given all of the traps and enticements God allows Satan to use, it appears that God is wanting us to search for wisdom like we would treasure.

God says that He wants us to be passionate in our deeds.

?? What does Revelation 3:15-16I know your deeds, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were either hot or cold! So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth. say God will do with those whose deeds are mediocre?

We might worry that we can never measure up. Yet, Jesus directly addresses this in the Sermon on the Mount.

What is our response supposed to be to all of the wiles of Satan?

?? What are we not to do according to Matthew 6:25Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing??

?? Will worrying help? Matthew 6:27Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to his life?

?? What are we to make a priority before food, drink, and clothing? Matthew 6:31-33So then, do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’… But above all, constantly seek his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

?? What does Paul say we are to worry about? Philippians 4:6-7Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

?? What happens if we fret? Psalms 37:8Let go of anger and abandon rage; do not get upset—it leads to evil.

 

In essence, the Bible repeatedly instructs His followers to lay aside worry and anxiety because:

• God is sovereign and knows our needs.
• Worry is unproductive and cannot change outcomes.
• God cares deeply for His children.
• There is a better alternative: prayer, trust, and seeking God’s kingdom.

So, don’t worry about all the things Satan is doing to separate you from God. Don’t worry about Satan being able to touch you. When you choose to let God be your father, you are protected.

?? Who is Satan prohibited from touching or harming? 1 John 5:18We know that everyone who has been fathered by God does not sin, but the one fathered by God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot touch him.

Satan’s touch can hurt the Earthly things we care about. Satan was permitted to touch Job’s family, wealth, and health. But, Satan was not permitted to touch Job where it mattered.

?? What of Job’s was Satan prohibited from touching? Job 2:6The LORD said to Satan, ‘All right, he is in your power; only preserve his life.’

?? Satan is allowed control of this world. But, what is it that Satan cannot take? John 10:28-29I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them from the Father’s hand.

Conclusion

We are told that God wins. We are told that there will be blameless people. We have the example of Job. We have the example of Jesus. The question is, to whom will you pledge your loyalty? You are free to choose.

And, because you are free to choose, Satan only needs to defeat you in order to win. And, if the war is decided by the choices people like me make, then the outcome is in far more jeopardy than we like to think. Yes, God wins but this is only because there are godly people who follow the example set by Jesus. These are the people who are hated by Satan. These are the people who choose to let the Spirit live within them and who, therefore, can give the testimony with their lives of the transforming power of the blood of the Lamb.

You can be one of these people. This is what the entire Bible is about. It is about the story of evil and how, if you confess sin, seek forgiveness, and accept the Spirit within your life, you will live in harmony with God and His law.

Will your name be written in the book of life? You have the freedom to choose. God values your freedom to choose so much that God allows evil to exist. God allows you to be deceived; but, He promises that if you seek after God and give your life to God, your eternal life cannot be touched. It is your choice.

Satan will lose. Yet, because he is fighting against you and not God, he thinks he has a chance. However, within you lives the Creator of the universe. Because God lives within you, you are invincible. Your deeds are the deeds of God. Your works are God’s works. When they see you, they see God in you. God has promised you all of this. God has promised the entire universe that He will take residence in once sinful humans and, together with His sons and daughters, will crush evil for all time.

God wants you as His dragon fighter. God wants you as His friend, as His partner, as someone with whom He can share the wonders of the universe. With God as our partner, all things are possible. Realize that all of the problems of this world are there to tempt you to break your connection with God. Keep your eyes on what is at stake. Your mission is to choose God. Nothing else matters. By doing this, evil is not only conquered in you but everywhere, forever. The universe depends on your choice. And, there is no need to worry. Nothing can snatch you from God. You have the blood of the Lamb in your veins, and God is written on your heart. With God living in you, victory is assured.

?? Will you accept the invitation to be a dragon fighter?

Revelation 12:11, 17 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. So the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. turned into a song by miYAHmusic

Please visit servantsvoice.com for a link to each of our studies and study guides.