Satan’s Ongoing Work

By David Ettinger

God’s Work
Bible-believing Christians know that the God who created all things – the God of Scripture – is continuing His work on Earth.

We see this in the fulfilling of end-times prophecy as well as the continued conversion of sinners to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our God is an “active” God – a sovereign ruler who is always working to bring about His “will … on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

God’s gracious hand is also on the lives of His children – molding them, shaping them into the image of the Lord Jesus (Romans 8:29). And He will continue to do so until the day we depart this life: “… He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Knowing God is actively involved in our lives individually and in the workings of His creation is a great source of comfort. We live in the confidence that God is indeed in control, and because of this, we can rest securely in Him.

Satan’s Work
But God is not the only one actively at work in the world. His great nemesis – and the nemesis of all who claim Christ as Lord – is also active. Just as God works in the lives of those who are his, Satan likewise works in the lives of those who are his.

We see this in Ephesians 2:1-2:

And you [believers] were dead in your offenses and sins, in which
you previously walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], of the spirit
that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

The “course of this world” is deceit, immorality, ungodliness, selfishness, violence, and rebellion, among others. This is the course of the world because this is how Satan wants it, as noted by the phrase, “according to the prince of the power of the air.”

God has given Satan a sphere of influence – limited by God’s authority – over Planet Earth as clearly seen in Chapters 1 and 2 of the Book of Job. And his “spirit” – his way – “is now working” within Satan’s sphere of influence.

The Greek word for the phrase “is now working” is energeō, which means “to be operative,” or “to put forth power.” This means Satan is aggressively working in those who are his, that his “work” in them may be operational and powerfully effective.

And indeed it is. Satan’s work is all around us. Rape, murder, war, treachery lying, lawlessness – and a thousand other ills – engulf our planet like a deadly fog. This “work” of Satan shows no sign of relenting, and will not relent until Christ returns in power and glory to cleanse the world of all that defiles it.

The Disobedient
Through whom, precisely, is Satan working so powerfully? Scriptures tells us: “The sons [and daughters] of disobedience.” What does this mean?

In essence, every human being who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is a child of disobedience as, ultimately, they are disobedient to God. They are energized by Satan and therefore inclined to defy, deny, and disobey God.

This does not mean every unbeliever acts lawlessly, but they are disposed to do what the Bible calls sin. For instance, sex out of marriage is no problem for most of the unsaved world; nor are abortion and gender issues.

The “sons of disobedience” scorn the Bible’s call for holiness and worshiping a “supreme being” who created all things. In doing such – even if they are relatively “good” people – they serve their master.

The Work Continues
As Ephesians 2:2 makes clear, Satan’s work in the lives of those who are his – those who reject the Lord Jesus – is ongoing, and believers need to fight against it.

How do we fight against it? By prayer (1 Peter 5:7). By standing firm in temptation (James 4:7). By not conforming to this world (Romans 12:2). By living according to the Spirit within us (1 John 4:4). By drawing near to God (James 4:8).

As Satan continues his unholy work through those over whom he rules, make sure you are praying for them. Parents, children, siblings, relatives, neighbors, friends, work associates, doctors, teachers …

You know them by name. You love them. You care about them. Do all you can to stop Satan from working through them. Lift them up by name that God may pour His spirit upon them, save their souls, and put a dent in Satan’s destructive ongoing work!

David Ettinger is a writer/editor at Zion’s Hope, Inc., and has written for Zion’s Fire magazine since its inception in 1990.

Tagged: christian living, Christian Responsibility, Christianity, Living for God, Loving God, Practical, Praying for the Unsaved, Satan, the New Testament, theology

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