The world as Satan's kingdom

[Blessed]

Why do certain Christians say the devil is the ruler of this world when God made this world? I read this on allot of forums. People seem to be under the belief this world is "Satan's Kingdom".

It doesn't make any sense. Are there any scriptures to support this misconception?

[LittleHamster]

Why do certain Christians say the devil is the ruler of this world when God made this world? I read this on allot of forums. People seem to be under the belief this world is "Satan's Kingdom".

It doesn't make any sense. Are there any scriptures to support this misconception?

Good question. I've been thinking about this for a while too. All I can find is....

that Matthew 4:9 seems to imply this (when Jesus is being tempted by the devil)... "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." and Corinthians 4:4 - "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God".

From an experiential point of view, I reckon just about everyone is under his influence in some way - mostly seen as bad thoughts and unbridled desires. There is some esoteric stuff I can dig up that explains a little on how our thoughts and desires are influenced by Satan (Lucifer) - scary stuff though. I'll have to dig around for it.

[RickD]

Blessed wrote:
Why do certain Christians say the devil is the ruler of this world when God made this world?

Because that's what the Bible says, in John 14:30.

Edit:

Are there any scriptures to support this misconception?

Since John 14:30 says, almost word for word what you call a "misconception", do you still think it's a misconception?

[Blessed]

Why do certain Christians say the devil is the ruler of this world when God made this world? I read this on allot of forums. People seem to be under the belief this world is "Satan's Kingdom".

It doesn't make any sense. Are there any scriptures to support this misconception?

Good question. I've been thinking about this for a while too. All I can find is....

that Matthew 4:9 seems to imply this (when Jesus is being tempted by the devil)... "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." and Corinthians 4:4 - "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God".

From an experiential point of view, I reckon just about everyone is under his influence in some way - mostly seen as bad thoughts and unbridled desires. There is some esoteric stuff I can dig up that explains a little on how our thoughts and desires are influenced by Satan (Lucifer) - scary stuff though. I'll have to dig around for it.

This is a good explanation. No. Don't dig around for it.

[Blessed]

So then God "gave" Satan this world or let Satan "borrow it"? For what purpose would God do this?

It doesn't help your psychology to view the devil as the ruler of this world. When I go sailing or look out over the ocean or an in the forest or mountains I'm not seeing the work of the "devil" am I? I don't think so ..

[RickD]

So then God "gave" Satan this world or let Satan "borrow it"? For what purpose would God do this?

It doesn't help your psychology to view the devil as the ruler of this world. When I go sailing or look out over the ocean or an in the forest or mountains I'm not seeing the work of the "devil" am I? I don't think so ..

Satan is the ruler of this world, and Christ said that his(Christ's) kingdom is not of this world.

Why do you have such difficulties accepting what scripture says?

[Blessed]

So then God "gave" Satan this world or let Satan "borrow it"? For what purpose would God do this?

It doesn't help your psychology to view the devil as the ruler of this world. When I go sailing or look out over the ocean or an in the forest or mountains I'm not seeing the work of the "devil" am I? I don't think so ..

Satan is the ruler of this world, and Christ said that his(Christ's) kingdom is not of this world.

Why do you have such difficulties accepting what scripture says?

Because God made this world and everything in it. There are beautiful and good things in this world.

[1over137]

Answers are nicely written here https://www.gotquestions.org/Satan-god-world.html
Satan rules over unbelieving hearts.
God is sovereign and Satan can only do what God let him do.

When you look on the ocean, on the beautiful mountains, what you see is the beauty of God's creation.
So, continue to enjoy it

[B. W.]

Humanity's first parents turned over their governance of this world over to the devil and his minions. Like the article says, Satan governs fallen humanity. Jesus came to reconcile us back to the Lord and breaks that control over the life of His people.

The earth, all creation, all angelic beings, and all people belong to the Lord...
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[Philip]

Satan is used as a tool of God that causes us to choose per opposites. He represents a great contrast that allows us to more clearly see the stark contrasts per what we must choose. The demonic causes pain and suffering that we can clearly see are evil. And in the midst of various, Satan-caused trials and suffering, we can see and know there is an alternative to merely going along with how most live their lives. What we don't have is a world of love and good vs. the merely neutral of those things. We see a great battle is before us.

[LittleHamster]

Oh no, it's Armageddon

"This is no ordinary War, to be judged and fought on the principles of the historic conflicts of the past. This war is Armageddon, or to use a common phrase, a totalitarian struggle waged not only by the force of Arms on earth, but carried on in full intensity within the spirits, minds and hearts of people everywhere, soldiers and civilians alike. It is a stupendous and almost universal wrestling match to the death between the forces of darkness and the Power of Light – between the demons and God, both sides working through human channels. Our adversaries are possessed by the full potency of the spiritual powers of darkness and are using and being used by them. On our side we have not yet put on the full armour of God."

- Wellesely Tudor Pole (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellesley_Tudor_Pole)

[B. W.]

The New Living Translation brings out some of the nuances if Isa 44:6,7 which helps explain, why the devil was allowed to challenge God.

Isaiah 44:6-7 NLT - New Living Translation

6 This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: “I am the First and the Last; there is no other God.

7 Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future.

You see, God is all powerfully able to live true to his own character and nature with absolutely no shadow of turning from these. God cannot deny himself as 2 Timothy 2:13c says, "He (God) cannot deny Himself."

God is a life-giving God, he gives life. Our own mortal life dies but however our spiritual being does not die. Angelic beings do not die. God takes back no gift, calling, or promise. God is faithful. He is Holy, righteous, full of truth, exercises equity in all things he does. He is merciful, gracious, kind, and absolutely just to himself and all whom made with high reason and intelligence with a free moral will and with that he tests creation, tests angels, and human beings.

God exercises governance thru his created beings (angelic and human) because he is more than all powerfully able to work thru such to carry out his will. This demonstrates that he is certainly all powerful to carry out his plans and purposes. He is all knowing and omnipresent too. He is the creator of all and justly works howsoever he so wills.

I mentioned all this to point out that the devil long ago challenged God and rebelled as it says in Ez 28:12-19 and Isa 14:12-15. The devil games the traits of God's character and nature in hopes he can overthrow God. He does so by trying to prove to God that God cannot live to His own standards. The devil was the first true progressive liberal Cultural Marxist.

YHWH has no fear of this and in due time collects enough empirical evidence against the devil and his minions there is no wiggle room for them to weasel their way of. The fallen angels and demons all know this and already have been found guilty and know their time is limited.

So as Isa 44:6,7 points out in the NLT - we read: "This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: “I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me?

Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future."

Prove to you his power... yeah right, we can't do that, idols which represent demons cannot, and neither can the Devil do that.

So, though we may not like it, or ignore it, we are in the midst of a great spiritual war where God gathered the combatant fallen watchers – angels - see Rev 12:3,4,7,8,9 midst humanity who were originally designed to exercise dominion over the earth. Which accordingly means over fallen angelic beings as well too which Jesus restored that authority by our names being written in heaven per Luke 10:19,20. Jesus came to reconcile us back to God and our inheritance among the saints of God.

After careful examinations and years upon years of study and prayer on this subject as why did God allow evil of the devil and his minions to fall into rebellion, I have come to the conclusion that there would be no other way to purge evil out of the universe of creation other than justly according to God's own nature and character. To purge evil, then iniquity must come first to free moral beings in order to test according to equity and then remove it.

To do so involves being just in a manner way beyond what any mortal like us could ever think so that Revelation Chapters 21 thru 22 is actualized. To be no more sin, there must first be sin found somewhere, justly, and it clearly defined and proven as why sin is wrong.

How can we tell God anything about what he should have done better!
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[Philip]

B.W: The devil was the first true progressive liberal Cultural Marxist.

[1over137]

Reading B.W.'s post, thinking about this...

Without the bad, we would not see the value of the good.
Such is human nature. We disobey, need to see other side, need to be independent, realize we are wrong, return to the good.
How lucky we are that God is patient.

[LittleHamster]

Consider also the way in which the devil and his cohorts might play a part in regards to the way in which humanity comes back to the God the Father (as depicted in prodigal son). Does anyone reckon that he may actually be helping those, through suffering, trials and tribulations to finally come to their senses and ultimately, make their return ?

No Devil and we'd all still be stuck in Paracide* without those good and bad experiences. Its those experiences that makes us really appreciate and understand our heavenly destiny and acceptance as a child of God.






* ancient godandscience term for 'paradise'.