Pergamum 11
Why is Satan permitted to persecute and even kill the saints of God? Is there honour in dying for your faith? If so, what is this honour? What does Satan gain by killing the saints?
To understand why these things are permitted I think we should understand death and what it means. Having said that, I did not realise just how big a subject death is and how great the power of the resurrection from the dead is over death!
Firstly, death is a spiritual entity that uses the power of sin to bring destruction and death. We commonly refer to death as Satan or the Devil. When Adam yielded himself to the Devil’s temptation to sin by disobeying God, he gave access or opened the door for Death to enter the realms over which he had dominion. As a result, all creation, not just humanity, came under the power and control of Death.
Satan was the one that had the power of death; however, he no longer has it. Jesus Christ is now Lord over death, and He is the one that holds the keys to death and the grave. Both of these are coming to nought under the power of the resurrection life that we have in Christ Jesus.
One of the revelations that Jesus reveals is that He is the One who WAS, who IS, and who IS TO COME. He has conquered death, He is conquering death, and He will conquer death. In the realm of heaven death has already been defeated. Death has no victory or sting in the eternal realm where the Father lives with the saints whose bodies are in the grave, the angels and a host of other heavenly creatures.
However, His victory in the heavenly places or the invisible realms around the earth is still in progress. This is because you and I have authority over these realms, and it is our responsibility to overthrow the power of sin and death in the heavenly realms and the earth. The church of Jesus Christ is God’s fully armed and authorised power in these realms. He is the head of His army which is His body. He cannot bring about His final victory over death in the physical realm without us.
The times and seasons for our final victory over death is in our hands. Jesus is making known to the satanic principalities and powers His victory over them through the church. God’s incredible wisdom and victory over Satan was revealed through the cross – the death and resurrection of the Lord. Amid all this you have this incredible power called “the BLOOD.”
If there is one thing that the world of darkness cannot stand it is the VOICE OF THE BLOOD.
Back in the beginning God came to Cain and asked about Abel because He heard Abel’s blood cry out. There is a voice that is associated with the blood and I believe that is the voice of the soul. Blood has a voice.
Satan has a lust for blood and incites wars and violence against humanity to satisfy his lust. Sadly, those who love Satan have the same lust for the shedding of blood. In his lust for blood, Satan killed the Lamb of God. However, he did not realise that the Blood of the Lamb, the blood of God Himself, would be his death and destruction.
The blood, or the voice of the saints is a curse to Satan, and he will do whatever it takes to silence that voice. However, the voice of the saints can never be silenced; it continues to be heard in the heavenly realms, even though the saint is no longer physically present. In short, the VOICE of the Lord – His voice together with the saints – is becoming louder and louder, stronger and stronger, and will culminate in our ultimate victory over the realms of darkness, redeeming them through the light, life and love God reveals through His blood.
Physically there is no seeming victory but fear not and don’t loose heart. Your blood, your voice, will sing the praises of God throughout the heavenly realms and your victory over death and the grave will be completed on that glorious day when your body rises from the grave.
Going to heaven once you die is not the “death” of you and neither do you “cease to exist” in the heavenly realms with power and authority. Physical death is not your end. Life in Christ Jesus is both your beginning and your end, and in the fulness of time you will have conquered death and the grave.
Satan, as the god of this world hates anything and anyone that carries the sound of His voice as it interferes with his business of war, death and destruction. In his blinding rage he will have them killed – IF POSSIBLE. But the saints, being willing to die for the sake of Christ, unite with Him in His death thereby enforcing and ensuring the ultimate overthrow of Death.
We, the saints, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, are the agents of DEATH to death! We win. We destroy the works of sin and death. We are fearsome, majestic, wonderful, and powerful. We are the saints of the Most High God, children of God, born of Him and made in His image and likeness. We are His champions, His mighty ones in heaven and on earth.
Lord, let your kingdom come and your will be done, here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Scripture references: Rom 5; 1 Cor 15:21-26; 1 Cor 15:54-58; Eph 3:10-11
Let love abound.
Yvonne
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, comment, and share. God bless.
Amen