It's a raw deal but...
So you are saying that Satan must approve all that happens in this world? This is a lot of authority. How much power does Satan actually have?
...it 'seems to me' that the enemy has been given a very long leash...
The Angel, Michael
[SUP]7 [/SUP]And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, [SUP]8 [/SUP]and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. [SUP]9 [/SUP]And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole [SUP][
d][/SUP]world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. [SUP]10 [/SUP]Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. [SUP]11 [/SUP]And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even [SUP][
e][/SUP]when faced with death. [SUP]12 [/SUP]For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who [SUP][
f][/SUP]dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has
only a short time.”
[SUP]13 [/SUP]And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male
child. [SUP]14 [/SUP]But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she *was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the [SUP][
g][/SUP]presence of the serpent. [SUP]15 [/SUP]And the serpent [SUP][
h][/SUP]poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. [SUP]16 [/SUP][SUP][
i][/SUP]But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon [SUP][
j][/SUP]poured out of his mouth. [SUP]17 [/SUP]So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her [SUP][
k][/SUP]children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
On a side note...
The Temptation of Jesus
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [SUP]2 [/SUP]And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He [SUP][
a][/SUP]then became hungry. [SUP]3 [/SUP]And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” [SUP]4 [/SUP]But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
[SUP]5 [/SUP]Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, [SUP]6 [/SUP]and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command His angels concerning You’;
and
‘On
their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”
[SUP]7 [/SUP]Jesus said to him, “[SUP][
b][/SUP]On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
[SUP]8 [/SUP]Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; [SUP]9 [/SUP]and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and [SUP][
c][/SUP]worship me.” [SUP]10 [/SUP]Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and [SUP][
d][/SUP]serve Him only.’” [SUP]11 [/SUP]Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and
began to minister to Him.
So my question is...would this really be much of a temptation of the enemy couldn't deliver what he offered...being physical/worldly power (for a short time), followed by a physical and permanent death? It seems for some, that temptation is too great to pass up.
Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as
we are, yet without sin.
Peace, love, and life to you all,
P.