“and the wicked one does not touch him”
(1 John 5:18b, NKJV)
It is not by chance that Jesus’ last words were, “It is finished.” (John 19:30, KJV). Through his crucifixion he “disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them” (Col 2:15). On behalf of his ekklesia he triumphed over sin and death. Paul aptly notes in Rom 8:2 – Jesus has freed us “from the law of sin and death”. Her warfare is accomplished.
But alas – this amazingly great truth is not a reality in our lives. We do not live within Jesus’ triumph over Satan and his forces – we pound our fists in the air (1 Cor 9:26) without knowing what it is that we are aiming at, without knowing who or what counts as our enemy.
In the short allegory of Rev 12:1-9 a tale of a woman (which one could typify as the church), gives birth to a “man-child”, (verse 12, KJV) (=the collective of the Bride). This collective figure is said to be triumphant, and that he will receive the nations as his inheritance, and rule over them (Rev 2:26-27). He is then brought to heaven by God – which is where the Bride currently reigns from, “seated … together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6, EMTV). But the church is still under great Satanic attack. Notice his attempts to hurt her – “So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.” This water which might sweep away the believer who is not yet walking within his calling, is false teaching. Throughout Scripture the Word is likened to water, as in Heb 10:22 where it is said that “our hearts [are] sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water”.
The false teaching about Satan is often found in our traditional churches, as well as in Pentecostal and Charismatic churches, and is perhaps one of the most important reasons why the Bride cannot escape from organised religion (Rev 18:2).
Does Satan exist?
Definitely.
Are we at war with him and his forces?
Definitely. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12). As the Lord’s Prayer reiterates – “Deliver us from evil.” (Matt 6:13).
But we have the assurance of 2 Thess 3:3 – “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” In John 17:15 Jesus prays – “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” [So much for the rapture J].
And then 1 John 5:18 comes with this undeniable verdict – “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.”
- Sela: What implications do this teaching hold for you?
- Read: Judges 19-21
- Examine how this has been fulfilled: Judges 19. (Tip: John 16:13)
