The Battle Belongs to the Lord
There is a cosmic battle that rages, from Genesis to Revelation. It is played out on the canvas of human history, from the day God created man and angels to the last Day of the Lord (Mt 24:29–31). The conflict, designed by God to display His glorious attributes, has God as the protagonist and Lucifer as the antagonist.
Lucifer is Satan, the devil, the leader of fallen angels, who serves God as the primary usurper to the throne of God. This chief demon is a deceiver and a murderer from the beginning (Jn 8:44). In Genesis, he took on the form of a serpent to tempt Eve and thwart Adam’s dominion. In this, he took on the title “god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4), as he enslaved humanity in sin. Jesus called him, “the ruler of this world” (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
Sin is lawlessness (1 Jn 3:4); and with man’s defection from Eden’s paradise, every intention of the human heart is only evil all the time (Gen 6:5). Man’s estrangement from his Creator and King, only invited the just wrath of the Lord and secured man’s eternal home in the hell of the lake of fire (Rev 20:14–15).
God is eternal, and His predetermined plan for this dramatic conflict included the salvation of a predestined group of people (Acts 2:24; Rom 8:29–30), who would carry the name “Israel” (Is 49:3, 6). These chosen ones would be redeemed and be set apart for God’s eternal purpose, which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph 3:11). Just as the Holy One of God would suffer persecution, even death, at the hands of the devil’s children (Jn 8:44; Acts 2:23; 1 Jn 3:10), so the elect, redeemed people belonging to Christ, join in His sufferings (1 Cor 3:23; Col 1:24; 1 Pet 2:9).
The “mother-promise” as Frederick Leahy calls it, is the first hope following the fall from Eden (Gen 3:15). The battle would rage between the seed of the woman and the seed of the devil. This would produce two groups of people throughout history, and they would be known by the fruit they produced (Mt 7:15–20; Gal 5:19–23). In other words, their actions would reveal their hearts.
The unregenerate human heart is wicked and deceitful above all else (Jer 17:9). It is deceived into believing it is good (Rom 3:12), and it goes on deceiving others (2 Tim 3:13). The enemy’s tactic is first to excuse men in the temptation to sin. God is portrayed by Satan, as an ogre and killjoy. Then, when it comes to judgment, he serves as the accuser.
With savage allure, the devil grants innumerable idols for men to worship him. Each idol offers some hope to humanity that they, too, shall be gods (Gen 3:5). This is seen wherever pride is recorded. The conceit of Lucifer is seen in his children, who build cities, towers, in the quest to make a name for themselves (Gen 11). Even the elect would suffer delusion were it not for God’s grace to discipline and preserve them.
When Jesus Christ took on flesh and entered the war zone, Satan’s attempt to thwart Him was intense. Herod’s slaughter of the innocents, the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, Peter’s misguided advice, the test of Gethsemane, and the trials of Jesus, were all direct assaults on the eternal Son of God. Everything was ordered by the Adversary, to re-direct Jesus’ trajectory away from the cross at Calvary.
It was at the cross that our Lord defeated the enemies of God (2 Cor 2:14; Col 2:15). Their power was to entice men to sin, only to throw the book of God’s Law at them. The latter power was taken from Satan. Divine justice was satisfied, when the Law of God was fulfilled in Jesus’ perfect sinless life (Mt 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15). His death brought reconciliation, for in His mediatorial role, He paid the price required to redeem God’s elect people. His precious blood was the price required for the cancellation of the certificate of debt (Col 2:14; 1 Pet 1:19).
The Lamb of God offered Himself as the substitute sacrifice that fully atoned for the sins of His people (Jn 1:29), who He came to save (Mt 1:21). The infinite value of His life, poured out in death, was ample to pay for the sins of the whole world…and ten thousand worlds besides.
Now in battle, the devil comes to the brethren to accuse them with the Law, and the child’s reply is, “nothing but the blood of Jesus availeth for me.”
With Christ’s victory on the cross, the war is surely over. There is no more sacrifice for sins, and now we wait for the ingathering of all God’s elect, in every era and from every place. When the full number is registered, then, the end will come (Mt 24:14). Christ Jesus will arrive for His second advent to separate His people from the wicked, reprobate masses of humanity, who remained allied with the evil one (Mt 3:12).
As an imprisoned strong man, the devil knows his time is short (Rev 12:12), so he rages against the people of God in an effort to destroy as much as he can (Rev 12). Still, he has no permission to touch Christ’s beloved bride, His church. The physical body he may kill, but then, we have the hope of the resurrection to glory, yet to come (Jn 5:25–29; 1 Cor 15).
With the truth of Christ, the Lord, the King of glory, He will put an end to the rebels and the rebellion. Peace, security and prosperity will dwell in the midst of righteousness (2 Pet 3:13), amidst the new heavens and the new earth, His new creation (Is 65–66; Rev 21–22).
Then, the war will be over, and the enemies of God will be put into their place of eternal torment. On that day, be it in heaven or hell, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess (Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10), either in reverent joy or anguished bitterness, “Jesus Christ is Lord.”
There is no change in this proclamation, for our Lord Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). What will change is the knowledge men hold of this truth. They will recognize that Satan was an imposter and his kingdom was a sham. Even hell will marvel at how men and angels had been bamboozled by such a wily con-artist (Is 14; Ezek 28).
The Bible teaches the believer that the sovereign God of eternity and time, of spiritual and physical realms, of men and devils has all in His control from beginning to end…for the battle belongs to the Lord. We who believe are more than conquerors, always being led by God, in the triumph of Victor Emmanuel.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
October 16, 2022
