 KNOW YOUR ENEMY
Throughout history every military tactician held one rule as
the primary rule: “Know your enemy.” When Julius Caesar went against other nations to conquer
them for the glory of Rome he always devoted time to research the people’s culture, tastes, and affections. Over and over again he found a weak link in their
armor where he could make use of this knowledge. In addition to his superior weaponry and tactics the victim-nation’s
cultural vulnerabilities is why he could take his army of ten thousand and easily conquer opposing armies of one hundred thousand
men. In Caesar’s conquest of Gaul for example, he learned a weak spot in their religion, a clumsy
superstition that taught that if they should do battle on a full moon they would lose. So, guess when Caesar attacked?
Next to the primary
rule is the second rule of military aggression: Divide and conquer. This is the other age-old tactic for military success.
This defense-breaching principle applies to the ruin of friendships, marriages and nations. And
when a nation becomes divided, politicians and philosophers alike have encouraged national unity if a nation is to survive.
Even the New Testament Saviour of the human race, Jesus Christ acknowledged the value of unity when He
said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself
shall not stand.” Matt.12:25
But
while the world uses the weaknesses of man for selfish gain, when the LORD Jesus Christ came he used the weaknesses of men
to apply the balm of the Gospel to heal the wounds of sin as it is written: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” “Now
when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he
did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for
he knew what was in man.” Jn.10:10; 2:23-25. Jesus understood the moral poverty of the human race,
and how we were all born into a world with a cruel nature that we did not give our consent to receive. And
it was this vulnerability of all men that Jesus came to bring the assurance of GOD’S salvation and demonstrate the Healing
Love of Heaven when Jesus went to the Cross on Calvary.
It is this loving care demonstrated through the life of Jesus Christ that Satan has always opposed. And
when it comes to the wrath of Satan, the Bible describes his every goal as well as his limitations. And it is
Satan’s clear agenda that the Christian church does not seem to be taught, nor do they understand the leading reason
for Satan’s rage against the human race and how men’s destruction serves his purpose to reduce his own punishment
from GOD in the Great Judgment when every man and fallen angel stand before Jesus Christ to give an account of their deeds
done in life.
The Old Testament gives
a profound prophecy on Satan’s primary objective in his relationship with man. In the law of Moses is revealed
how Satan desires every man to perish in his own sins. And we need to understand why. Many
of the ceremonial laws of Moses have great significance for us today, teaching valuable lessons on faith declaring GOD’S
Sovereign Authority to limit Satan’s jurisdiction over men and nations if men would only come under GOD’S legal
jurisdiction to bless and to protect. For example: the moral principles described in the book of Deuteronomy
will be held until the end of sin’s reign. This is verified by Jesus Himself, who often quoted from
the book of Deuteronomy in His many lessons.
The LORD’S design for the Hebrew sanctuary service was all about the use of visual aids to help us see the various
features of Christ’s atonement for sin and Satan’s responsibility for every sin. And among
these many lessons there is one lesson that reveals why Satan is so adamant to lead men to perish in their sins. In
Leviticus 16:7-9,21 we read: “And he [Aaron] shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other
lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering
[representing the sacrifice of Christ]… [v.21] And Aaron shall lay both his hand upon the head of the live goat, and
confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them
upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness.”
The two goats in the above passage both represent sinfulness,
as Jesus described goats as representing the unrepentant in the Great Judgment: "And before him shall be gathered all
nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the
sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." Matt.25:32,33. It is important to see how the
goat offered "for a sin offering" represents the sacrifice of Christ when he took fallen humanity to His Divine
Person. It was that sinful side of His adopted humanity that perished on the Cross. And
it was the power of GOD’S Divinity within Him that raised Him from the dead. But the scapegoat, which
also represents sinfulness is prophetic to the moment of time when the Innocent Christ as man's "high priest"
(Heb.7:26) places the sins of every faithful soul who has ever lived on the head of Satan who is the sole guilty party for
sin’s existence. GOD’S many warnings to His children of heaven's judgment against sin also
applies to Satan and his angels no less than men, as Paul said, “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” (I Cor.6:3).
Therefore, the passage of Leviticus
16 is prophetic of the closing scene of Earth’s present history just prior to Christ’s 2nd Advent, where man closes
his probation on salvation and every sin of GOD’S faithful children will at that time be placed on the head of “the
scapegoat,” who is Satan, the “murderer from the beginning” (Jn.8:44), where he will be let go “into
the wilderness” [representing the coming millennium of desolation on the earth as prophesied by Isaiah: "Behold,
the LORD maketh the earth empty; and maketh it waste..." (Isa.24; Rev.20)].
Satan, the father of sin must bear the punishment for every sin of GOD’S children and reside in a barren, lifeless
Earth for a thousand years, as it was prophesied nearly 2000 years ago: “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having
the key of the bottomless pit [same meaning as the Hebrew, a lifeless Earth: “without form and void” (Gen.1:2;
Jer.4:23)] and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan,
and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should
deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had
received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the
rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” Rev.20:1-5.
In these words we see another reason for Satan’s
hatred of man. The saints will be given what Satan coveted all along: to share the very throne of GOD (Isa.14:13;
Rev.3:21).
So the tactic used in Satan’s
objective is simple: He leads men through temptation to violate the same Ten Commandment Law that condemns him. And
those who do not repent of their sins must bear the punishment for their own sins in the Great Judgment. And
every sin that men bear themselves, Satan does not have to bear himself when the Judgment of GOD against his sin is meted
out in the lake of fire cleansing of the earth as it is written, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the
lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Rev.20:10. Note: The words “for ever,” “eternal,” and “everlasting”
are used many times to describe what has and will come to an end through the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The
above verse (Rev.20:10) is summarized thus: “the devil…shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Keep in mind: “the beast and the false prophet” are not included in this punishment assigned
specifically to the father of sin, Satan. In other words: after all have perished in the “lake of
fire,” Satan will suffer on. “Day and night” he must suffer the retribution from his incessant
violence against life. His unceasing torrents of transgression against the Ten Commandments must be met
with an equivalent punishment: no more, no less (Gal.6:7). GOD’S Word will be fulfilled—to
“destroy…devour…bring…to ashes upon the earth” the author of sin.
Of the Great Judgment Day, when Satan stands before Christ,
The LORD prophesies to Satan, “I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.”
Men will then say on that day, “Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the
world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?” Eze.28:17; Isa.14:16,17.
Multitudes of unrepentant men and women will
also be standing before the LORD Jesus Christ in the end of time: all who fell prey to the devil's leading deception to
keep GOD'S wayward children from retracing their steps from sin and repent of their evil deeds. "YOU'VE
GONE TOO FAR," is the devil's leading temptation to discourage repentance. These words are a lie,
and denies the forgiveness GOD is eager to lavish on His children, "that through his name whosoever believeth in him
shall receive remission of sins." Acts 10:43. This one temptation has cost untold numbers for "the kingdom of heaven."
But "what saith the Scripture? How readest thou?" "All that the Father giveth me shall come
to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Jn.6:37. Scripture is filled with stories
of those who fell into the pit of sin, and how the drawing LOVE of GOD delivered them from their evil ways. And
with tears of gratefulness and joy they gave GOD praise.
Nevertheless, men to this day will not hear the wisdom or warning of God, given over 2,700 years ago: "Woe unto
them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and
sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty
to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness
of the righteous from him!" Isaiah 5:20-23.
So, the LORD Jesus would have us take a stand to resist those who emulate the spirit of Satan: 1. Those who could care
less for you or those you love, as evidenced by their actions against others; 2. Who also tell themselves, My lust for gain
demands the sacrifice of others on the altar of my ambition; and 3. Hey, I'm not going to be around when the ripple effect
of my actions brings harm to greater numbers of people.
Man has proven unfit to govern himself. And the Only One Who is fit and able to rule, the world
denies His Authority. But more importantly the tender care He showed by His Life, Death, and Resurrection.
Jesus didn’t obey to make sure He made it to heaven; He obeyed to make sure we made it to heaven.
And when we follow that example for those around us we give honor to “the faithful witness, and the first
begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from
our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever
and ever. Amen.” Rev.1:5,6.
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