The Aaron Papers  www.the-aaron-papers.net 

A SYSTEMATIC STUDY IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

CHAPTER II

-SATAN'S POWER and ABODE-

TO understand the position of Jesus within His Kingdom, we must also seek to understand the position and power of Satan.  We must attempt to understand Revelation chapter twelve, in order to understand and determine the time frame of these events pictured in God's eternal program.  Because of the prophetic nature of these Scriptures, the necessity of some speculation will always be present within these determinations.

Rev.12:1, 2, and 5—“And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.  And she was delivered of a Son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: And her child was caught up unto God, and unto His throne.”

The child that is in view in this passage is clearly that of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Making the time frame of this picture, the time of our Lord's birth and ascension.  The woman that is in view in this Scripture is somewhat obscure, and any identification will be based primarily on speculation.  Speculative meaning - (1) Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the personification of all Israel—the Israel of God.  (2) The wife of Jehovah God: This is typified by the Heavenly Jerusalem above, which is our mother. 

Rev.19:7b—The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready.  Rev.21:2—And I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, as a bride.  Rev 21:9-11—The bride, the wife, the Holy City, New Jerusalem.  The heavenly Jerusalem is the invisible body of Christ; the elect Congregation of God; the hidden Israel of God.  The pictures given in Rev.12:1, 2 and 5 would appear to be pictures of the past and the present.

Rev.12:10—“And I heard a voice in heaven saying: NOW IS COME THE SALVATION, and THE POWER, and THE KINGDOM of our God, and THE AUTHORITY of His Christ: For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them before God day and night.”  (Like Job)

If we can receive all of the Scriptures at their face value, the time frame of this picture would appear to encompass this present dispensation:

Rom.1:16—“The gospel is THE POWER of God unto SALVATION.”

Heb.5:9—“Jesus, the author of eternal SALVATION.”

2Cor.6:2—“NOW is the day of SALVATION.”

Rom.1:4—“Jesus, the Son of God, with POWER.”

Col.2:10—“Jesus, the Head of all Principalities and POWER.”

Eph.1:20-23—“Jesus, above all rule, and AUTHORITY, and POWER.”

Lu.4:36—“Jesus had AUTHORITY and POWER over unclean spirits.”

Lu.9:1—“Jesus gave His POWER and AUTHORITY to His disciples.”

Mat.28:18—“All AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth given to Jesus.”

Rev.1:5—“Jesus, the RULER of the kings of the earth.”

The KINGDOM is a major element throughout this entire study, and its fulfillment is self-evident within these many Scriptures that are given.

With the scriptural evidence presented above, which clearly establishes the time frame of Rev.12:1, 2, 5, and 10, as past and present, makes it highly probable that Satan was cast out of heaven and down to the earth at or before the time of our Lord's earthly ministry.

-Satan is cast out of heaven—a picture of the event itself:

Rev.12:7-9—“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.  And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to earth, and his angels were cast down with him.”  (Angels Ref. 2Pe.2:4; Jude.6)

Here we were told that some major changes are in the process of being made.  God is changing the location and the dominion of Satan himself.  While Satan had a presence in the Heavenly Kingdom, we are told that he was the deceiver of the whole world as well.  This change in Satan's location would also mandate a change in Satan's dominion.

Jesus openly states in Jn.12:31—“Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out.”  (Out of heaven.)

Jesus Himself is also speaking here in Lu.10:18—“I beheld Satan, as lightning, fall from heaven.”

Then in Jn.14:30, our Lord tells His disciples: “Hereafter I will not talk much with you, for the prince of this world (is) coming and has nothing in Me.”

-Victory on the cross-

1Jn.3:8b—“To this end was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Heb.2:14—“That through death He (Jesus) might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

Col.2:15—“Having spoiled the principalities and powers, He (Jesus) made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Jn.16:11—“The words of our Lord: The prince of this world has already been judged.”

Col.2:10—“Jesus is the head of all principalities and powers.”

Rev.1:5d—(Jesus is) “the ruler of the kings of the earth.”

-Satan's activities on earth-

Mat.4:1 –“Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”

Jn.13:27—“Satan entered into Judas Iscariot.”

Mat.16:22—“Satan working through Peter.”

Acts.5:3—“Satan filled the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira to lie to the Holy Spirit.”

Eph.2:2 —(The unsaved) “walk according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience.”

1Cor.5:7—“Satan is the tempter.”

           2Cor.2:11—“Satan can gain an advantage over us.”

2Cor.11:14—“Satan fashions himself as an angel of light.”

1Thes.2:18—“Satan can hinder us.”

1Pe.5:8—“Satan walks about as a roaring lion.”

1Tim.3:7—“Satan snares people.”

(Other Scriptures that warn us of our adversary the devil.)

Lu.8:12 –“The devil steals from believers.”

Eph.4:27—“We are to give no place to the devil.”

Eph.6:11—“We are to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

1Tim.3:6—“Pride is subject to the judgment of the devil.”

Jas.4:7 –“We are to resist the devil and he will flee away from us.”

1Jn.3:8 –“They that commit sin are of the devil.”

1Jn.3:10—“Through sin, the children of the devil are manifested.”

Rev.2:10—“The devil will cast some of you into prison.”

2Tim.2:26—“(Hope for the ensnared - With God's help) “they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will.”

-Satan's power is limited-

2Thes.2:5-8a (paraphrased)—“(Do you remember), that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now you know that (the Holy Spirit) which (does the) restraining, to the end that he (Satan) may be revealed in his own season.  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, only there is One (the Holy Spirit) that now restrains until He (the Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way, and then shall the lawless one be revealed.”^{33 -1}

John Calvin writes concerning verse six: "Let my reader consider... that Paul declared that the light of the gospel must be diffused through all parts of the earth before God would thus give loose reins to Satan...

I seem at last to hear Paul discoursing as to the universal call of the Gentiles—that the grace of God must be offered to all—that Christ must enlighten the whole world by his gospel, in order that the impiety of men might be the more fully attested and demonstrated. 

This, therefore, was the delay, until the career of the gospel should be completed, because a gracious invitation to salvation was first in order.  Hence he adds, IN HIS TIME, because vengeance was ripe after grace had been rejected.

7. The mystery of iniquity.  This is opposed to revelation; for as Satan had not yet gathered so much strength, as that Antichrist could openly oppress the Church, he says that he is carrying on secretly and clandestinely what he would do openly in his own time.  He was therefore at that time secretly laying the foundations on which he would afterwards rear the edifice, as actually took place.  And this tends to confirm more fully what I have already stated, that it is not one individual that is represented under the term Antichrist, but one kingdom, which extends itself through many ages.  In the same sense, John says that Antichrist will come, but that there were already many in his time. (1John ii. 18)  For he admonishes those who were then living to be on their guard against that deadly pestilence, which was at that time shooting up in various forms.  For sects were rising up which were the seeds, as it were, of that unhappy weed which has well-nigh choked and destroyed God's entire tillage.  But although Paul conveys the idea of a secret manner of working, yet he has made use of the term MYSTERY rather than any other, alluding to the mystery of salvation, of which he speaks elsewhere, (Col.i. 26,) for he carefully insists on the struggle of repugnancy between the Son of God and the son of perdition.  Only now withholding.  While he makes both statements in reference to one person—that he will hold supremacy for a time, and that he will shortly be taken out of the way, I have no doubt that he refers to Antichrist; and the principle WITHHOLDING must be explained in the future tense.  For he has, in my opinion, added this for the consolation of believers—that the reign of Antichrist will be temporary, the limits of it having been assigned to it by God; for believers might object—`Of what avail is it that the gospel is preached, if Satan is now hatching a tyranny that he is to exercise for ever?'  He accordingly exhorts to patience, because God afflicts his Church only for a time, that he may one day afford it deliverance; and, on the other hand, the perpetuity of Christ's reign must be considered, in order that believers may repose in it.

8. And then will be revealed—that is, when that IMPEDIMENT (Gr.) shall be removed; for he does not point out the time of revelation as being when he, who now holds the supremacy, will be TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY, but he has an eye to what he had said before.  For he said that there was some hindrance in the way of Antichrist's entering upon an open possession of the kingdom.”

aaron-When we identify the Restrainer as the Holy Spirit, there are many in the Reformed community who seem to reject this idea all together.  If I understand John Calvin's comments correctly, it would seem that he identifies the Restrainer as something other than the Holy Spirit of God.  I would ask this question—what else in God's whole creation, besides the Holy Spirit, would restrain evil while the gospel was being propagated? 

If the RESTRAINER of evil is identified with any identification other than the Holy Spirit, then the credit for the dispensation of the gospel will have been sadly misplaced.   

-Satan is presently limited by the Greater Power-

1Jn.4:4b—“For greater is He (the Holy Spirit) that is in you than he (Satan) that is in the world.”^{35 -1}  (Satan is in the world!)

Calvin’s comments—"As to the main subject of this passage, it is a great consolation, that with whatever wiles Satan may assail us, we shall stand through the power of God.

But we must observe the reason that is immediately added, BECAUSE GREATER, or stronger, is he who is in you than he who is in the world.  For such is our infirmity, that we succumb before we engage with an enemy, for we are so immersed in ignorance that we are open to all kinds of fallacies, and Satan is wonderfully artful in deceiving.  Were we to hold out for one day, yet a doubt may creep into our minds as to what would be the case tomorrow; we should thus be in a state of perpetual anxiety.  Therefore the Apostle reminds us that we become strong, not by our own power, but by that of God.  He hence concludes, that we can no more be conquered than God himself, who has armed us with his own power to the end of the world.  But in this whole spiritual warfare this thought ought to dwell in our hearts, that it would be all over with us immediately were we to fight in our own strength; but that as God repels our enemies while we are reposing, victory is certain."

John Calvin calls this power that is mentioned here in 1Jn.4:4, "that of God".  And we all know from the prophets of old, that this was the prediction from God Himself: "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says Jehovah of hosts." Zech.4:6  So we must understand this power of God that we receive, as being that power which comes to us through God’s Holy Spirit.  That is, that God’s Holy Spirit is that GREATER power that restrains evil and resides within all of His people.

Jn.16:7—“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you.  But if I go, I will send Him (The Holy Spirit; the Restrainer) unto you.” 

The Restrainer, the Comforter, the Paraclete, and the Holy Spirit are one and the same. Ref.Jn.14:26 “But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things...”

The Greek HO = HE; THE ONE that appears in Jn.14:26; 2Thes.2:7; and 1Jn.4:4, is, in each of these passages, a pronoun that has a direct reference to the present operating power of God—the operation of God’s HOLY SPIRIT.

Thayour's p.433 Strong's Ref.3588 "O"—II. As the Definite of Prepositive Article (to be distinguished from the postpositive article,—as it is called when it has the force of a relative pronoun...

b. appellative names of persons and things definite enough in themselves, or made so by the context... the well-known personage who is to come, i.e. the Messiah, Mt.xi.3; Lu.vii.19 :

"Art thou HE (HO) that cometh, or look we for another?"  

-The binding of Satan-

Mat.12:25-29 /Lu.11:17-23—“And knowing their thoughts, He (Jesus) said unto them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself, how then shall his kingdom stand?  And if I (Jesus) by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I (Jesus) by the Spirit of God cast out demons, THEN IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME UPON YOU.  Or, how can One (Jesus) enter into the house of the strong man (Satan), and spoil his goods, except He (Jesus) first binds the strong man (Satan)? And then He (Jesus) will spoil his house.”

The second witness to this binding is found in Mk.3:27—“But no one can enter into the house of the strong man (Satan), and spoil his goods, except He (Jesus) first bind the strong man (Satan), and then He (Jesus) will spoil his (Satan's) house.”

John Calvin writes concerning Mat.12:, "28. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God.  Luke says, if I cast out devils by THE FINGER of God; employing the word FINGER metaphorically instead of the Spirit.  As God works, and exerts his power, by his Spirit, it is with propriety that the word FINGER is applied to him.  And this mode of expression was common among the Jews, as Moses relates that Pharaoh's magicians said, ‘This is the finger of God.'  Now Christ infers from what he has already stated, that the scribes prove themselves to be ungrateful to God, by being unwilling that He should reign among them.  Hitherto, he replied to their idle calumny (slander); but now, he treats them as convicted persons, and charges them not to make ungodly opposition to the kingdom of God. 

He does not confine himself to a single miracle, but takes occasion from it to discourse on the object of his coming, reminds them that they ought not merely to look at one remarkable fact, but at a far more important truth, that it was the will of God, by revealing His Messiah, to raise up their salvation which was fallen, and to restore his kingdom among them.  Thus we see that Christ complains of their ingratitude, in madly rejecting from the midst of them the inestimable grace of God.  THE KINGDOM OF GOD HATH COME TO YOU.  The word COME is emphatic, and implies that, without any request from them, God appears as their Redeemer, while they do everything that is in their power to drive him away, and, when he is present and prepared for their salvation, refuse to give him a place.

29. How can any one enter into the house of a strong man?  Though the Evangelists differ a little as to words, there is a perfect agreement among them as to the substance of this discourse.  Christ is pursuing the subject, on which he had lately touched, about the kingdom of God, and declares it to be necessary that Satan be violently driven out, in order that God may establish his kingdom among men.  What he now states is nothing else than a confirmation of the preceding statement.  But to ascertain more fully the intention of Christ, we must call to our recollection that analogy which Matthew (viii. 17) traces between the VISIBLE AND THE SPIRITUAL favours which Christ bestows.  Every benefit which the bodies of men received from Christ was intended to have a reference to their souls.  Thus, in rescuing the bodily senses of men from the tyranny of the devil, he proclaimed that the Father had sent him as a Deliverer, to destroy his spiritual tyranny over their souls.

I now return to his word.  He maintains that a strong and powerful tyrant cannot be deprived of his dominion, TILL HE IS STRIPPED OF HIS ARMOUR; for if he is not met by a force superior to his own, he will never yield of his own accord. 

Why is this asserted?  First, we know that the devil is everywhere called THE PRINCE OF THE WORLD.  Now the tyranny which he exercises is defended on every side by strong ramparts.  His snares for entrapping men are beyond all calculation; nay, men are already his slaves, and so firmly bound by a variety of fetters, that they rather cherish the slavery, to which they are devoted, than make any aspirations after freedom.  There are also innumerable evils which he inflicts upon them, by which he holds them in wretched oppression under his feet.  In short, there is nothing to prevent him from tyrannizing over the world without control.  Not that he can do anything without the permission of the Creator, but because Adam, having withdrawn from the dominion of God, has subjected all his posterity to this foreign sway.

Now though it is contrary to nature that the devil reigns, and though it is by a just punishment of God, on account of sin, that men are subjected to his tyranny, yet he remains in quiet possession of his kingdom, and may insult us at his pleasure, till A STRONGER THAN HE shall rise up against him.  But this STRONGER person is not to be found on earth, for men have not sufficient power to relieve themselves; and therefore it was promised that a Redeemer would come from heaven.  Now this kind of redemption Christ shows to be necessary, in order to wrench from the devil, by main force, what he will never quit till he is compelled.  By these words he informs us, that it is in vain for men to expect deliverance, till Satan has been subdued by a violent struggle.

He expressly accuses the scribes of ignorance, in not understanding the principles of the kingdom of God.  But this reproof applies almost equally to all, for all are chargeable with the same folly.  There is no man who does not loudly boast that he desires the kingdom of God; and yet we do not permit Christ to fight boldly, as the occasion requires, in order to rescue us from the power of our tyrant; just as if a sick man were to entreat the aid of a physician, and then refuse every remedy.  We now see the reason why Christ introduced this parable.  It was to show, that the scribes were hostile to the kingdom of God, the beginnings of which they maliciously resisted.  Let us also learn that, as we are all subject to the tyranny of Satan, there is no other way in which he commences his reign within us, than when he rescues us, by the powerful and victorious arm of Christ, from that wretched and accursed bondage."

** Remember well what Jesus stated in Mat.12:28—If He cast out demons by the Spirit of God, that the Kingdom of God has already come upon us. 

This determinant fact of when the Kingdom of God came into existence, and its time index within God's program of reconciliation, is crucial to our understanding in eschatology.

As we have sighted elsewhere, that the Kingdom presently has more than one state of existence.  While Jesus presently sits on His Kingly throne at the Father’s right hand, Jesus also plainly tells us that: The Kingdom has come upon [or unto] us.  We find in Col.1:13—We who are members of the invisible priesthood, have already been translated into the Kingdom of the Son of God.  It is also in the Lord's prayer that we use the phrase Thy Kingdom come, which would seem to suggest that the Kingdom would come in a future time.  The Greek word used in this Scripture: Mat.6:9-13 and Lu.11:2-4 is eltheto, which has the implication of growth.  When the Kingdom is full grown; Or, fully developed, Jesus will deliver the Kingdom up to God. 1Cor.15:23-24  When He [Jesus] ascended on high He led captivity captive. Eph.4:8  Also remembering Col.2:15—Having spoiled the principalities and the powers, He(Jesus) made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 

And now, once again, Rev.12:10a—And I heard a voice in heaven, saying: NOW IS COME THE SALVATION, and THE POWER, and THE KINGDOM of our God, and THE AUTHORITY of His Christ:

1) Has SALVATION come unto us?                                -YES!-

2) Has the POWER of the Holy Spirit come unto us?             -YES!-

3) Has the KINGDOM of God come unto us?                       -YES!-

4) Has Jesus received His AUTHORITY?                          -YES!-

5) Was the cross of Christ sufficient?                       

-YES!-

6) Is Jesus now the Head of all principalities and powers?    -YES!-

7) Did not Jesus, through death, bring the devil to nothing?  -YES!-

Some in the Church have a speculated teaching that Satan still has access into heaven, where he [Satan] accuses the saints before God.  Satan has already been judged and has absolutely no right into heaven.  If Jesus had nothing what so ever to do with the prince of this world when He was here on earth, could we ever think that the evil one would find any sort of welcome at all with Jesus in Heaven?

Jn.1:51—“And He (Jesus) said unto them: Truly, truly, I say unto you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Rev.20:1-3—“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is called the devil and Satan, and he bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him.”

Rev.1:18—“I (Jesus) am the First and the Last, and the Living One, and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for ever more, and I (Jesus) have the keys to death and Hades.”

Rev.17:8—“The beast that you saw was, and now is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss, and go into perdition (destruction). (Ref. Rev.9:2, 19:20 and 20:10)

As we examine the teaching of Job.1:12 and 2:6, we see God's protective hand upon His people.  Satan, at that time, was going to and fro in the earth and walking up and down in it.  Satan was not satisfied with the masses of humanity that he had dominion over: He also wanted access to the people of God.  God grants Satan permission to test Job in any way that he desired, but with these two exceptions: He could not touch Job in the first case, and he could not take Job's life in the second.

  It would appear that, within the New Testament era—within this final dispensation of grace, Satan's jurisdiction has been changed considerably.  He no longer has unlimited power over the inhabitants of the earth, but is operating in a limited capacity: The mystery of lawlessness is already at work, only there is One that now restrains that lawlessness.  During the Church age—during this final dispensation, where the gates of salvation have been opened to all peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations, Satan is now operating under the restraint of the Holy Spirit.  His (Satan's) power is limited, nevertheless he is able to operate.  He is allowed to influence the sons of disobedience.  He is still the tempter.  And he is still allowed to exercise his many attributes that were noted earlier in this study.

The limiting of Satan's power is synonymous with the binding of the strong man; or placing him in chains; or imprisoning him in the pit of the abyss.  The important revelation in this study continues to be the establishment of the Kingdom of God.  The Scriptures tell us, that if Jesus, by the Spirit of God, cast out demons—which He did: Then is the Kingdom of God already come upon us.

Now to review the main points that have been presented in this portion of our study:

1)     The Kingdom of God has positively come upon us.

2) The Holy Spirit now operates in God's stead over the powers of darkness.

3) God's people are no longer limited to the visible nations of Israel, but now come out from all the nations of the earth.  Some selected peoples from all of the nations have now been placed under God's protective hand.  So Satan, during this dispensation of grace, is no longer permitted that freedom to deceive all of the nations in the four corners of the earth.