THE POWER VI

Do you see satan needed permission to work over Job?  God gave satan the idea and then set the boundaries – telling satan what he was allowed to do and what he was not allowed to do.  Apparently, he also needed permission to work over Peter. “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.” [Luke 22.31]

Satan is different than us in that he has seen God and, apparently has rejected Him in a way that no human ever has.  I say that because he has actually seen God face to face – no question whatsoever that he has seen God and despite that fact – rejected Him.  No human has ever seen God face to face, as satan has, and made the same knowing and intelligent rejection.

Some liars are so good at what they do that they convince themselves that what they say is true, though it be false.  Well, satan/lucifer is such a good liar that he thinks he is telling the truth – in fact he has convinced himself.   What are satan’s lies that we so readily accept as true?  First, he thinks and says that he is God’s rival and therefore a legitimate threat to the kingdom.  He says that he is omnipresent [in all places at all times].  He claims to pose a threat to us and our salvation.  As a result we think that he has independent power and that we must fight him.

More on that in Part VII