Nowhere to Run!
Running Out of Time
by David Jeremiah

When he brought his deceptive scheme into the Garden of Eden, Satan posed as a beautiful serpent and pretended to speak with the wisdom of God (Genesis 3:1 ff.). Adam and Eve-in spite of having perfect minds-fell for Satan's ploy and fell from their created state of perfect fellowship with God. They followed the first faker and lost their legacy of life with God.

The Bible then becomes the story of God's redemptive provision for not only Adam and Eve but all of their descendants who would embrace His sacrifice for sin and salvation through Christ.

The Bible is also a record of Satan's attempts to fool the entire human race one way or another. It contains the true story of a real fake-an exalted angel who tries to make people believe he is God. Fortunately, Satan's fakeries and forgeries have been exposed so that we need not be fooled, falling into deception like our first parents.

Forgeries, Fakeries, and Final Failings
Satan is the father of all lies and liars (John 8:44).

First, Satan's forgeries. Not long after Satan's first effort to counterfeit the wisdom of God in the Garden of Eden, we see him at work in the courts of Egypt.

God sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh to demand he let God's people go. When Pharaoh demanded a miracle to validate the power of the Hebrew's God, Aaron threw down his staff and it became a snake (Exodus 7:8 ff.). But Pharaoh's sorcerers and magicians threw down their staffs, which also became serpents. By their occult "enchantments" (verse 11), Pharaoh's wise men counterfeited the power of God-almost: Aaron's snake ate up the magicians' snakes.

Two more times, Satan counterfeited the power of God through the Egyptian magicians. But then, Satan's power ran out. The magicians were unable to duplicate the remaining plagues God brought upon Egypt, declaring, "This is the finger of God" (Exodus 8:19).

Satan is a forger who can counterfeit some of the power of God. Don't fall for every miracle you see unless you want your spiritual bank account to be drained.

Second, Satan's fakeries. The apostle Paul came face-to-face with Satan's fakes in his missionary efforts, especially in Corinth. There were fake apostles ("false apostles" 2 Corinthians 11:13) in Corinth who were trying to be something they weren't: God-called apostles like the apostle Paul. They were "transforming themselves into apostles of Christ," fooling perhaps some, but not Paul.

Paul was not surprised at such fakery and suggests we shouldn't be either: "For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" (verse 14). How ironic-the prince of darkness trying to pass himself off as an angel of light! Follow a fake light and you'll be stumbling in the darkness in no time.

Finally, Satan's final failings. While it may seem Satan has been free to deceive for thousands of years, nothing could be further from the truth. We already know where he is going to end up: the Lake of Fire, with no time off for good behavior (Revelation 20:10).

God keeps Satan on a short leash (Job 1-2). Yes, he wreaks havoc in this world, but only with God's permission to accomplish some greater and ultimate purpose. First John 5:19 says that the whole world lies "under the sway" of the wicked one, but 1 John 3:8 says "the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." Satan is a forger and a faker and an ultimate failure. He and all his works will one day be destroyed forever.

The Ultimate Fugitive
Satan, the ultimate fugitive from God's justice, is living on borrowed time. Like all fugitives, Satan can run but he can't hide. He has nowhere to go that God cannot see his every move.

Be sober . . . be vigilant . . . be on your guard . . . be discerning. But don't be afraid of this one on the run. For "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

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This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's monthly devotional magazine. If you would like a complimentary copy of Turning Points, call 1-800-947-1993 to place your request.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009