VIRB

There is a dangerous misconception in our society, and in our churches, that Satan has some power in the world and over our lives. Flip Wilson made the saying popular thirty or so years ago "The devil made me do it." but that is a misnomer. The idea that the devil can somehow act autonomously, wreaking havoc in our world and our lives, elevates him to the level of being equal to GOD. This idea is completely against the Biblical view and harmful to our faith.

The Bible shows us again and again  that GOD is all knowing and all powerful. He has no equal and no adversary.  In the book of Job we see the devil as he is, a tempter and persecutor  of the elect, but we also see that he can do nothing without GOD allowing it. He comes to GOD and seeks leave to torment Job and even once he has convinced GOD to allow his mischief he is still bound by limits set by GOD. He is not free to walk the earth doing as he pleases but only what GOD allows him to do.

This is a hard pill for many to swallow. Many can not imagine "their god" allowing the evil they see in the world. It must be the devil and for some reason "their god"  can not stop him. They see the devil as an almost equal antagonist to GOD, something "their god"  can not control and that He must fight against to protect His people. Yet that is not a Biblical belief but a pagan belief of duality. A belief in a good god(s) and an evil god(s) that are in constant conflict and that we serve and rely on the good god for our protection. These people see anything "bad" in their lives as coming from the devil not GOD. But "their god" is weak and not all powerful.

It is hard to understand how our GOD, The One GOD, can allow some things to happen. Why are there wars, famine, starvation, the list goes on and on. How can a loving GOD let evil exist at all? Yet if our theology says that anything exists outside the knowledge or control of GOD then we are saying that He is not all knowing or all powerful, we are limiting GOD. I have had otherwise devout Christians tell me that they would not go somewhere (pool hall, concerts, etc) even for evangelism, because "their god" was not there. How sad that "their god" is so limited. My GOD exists in the deepest pits of Hell and the highest pinnacle of Heaven, there is nowhere I can go where He is not with me.

Where is GOD when a child suffers with leukemia, or dies of starvation in Africa? Holding that child. He is in our deepest pain and sorrow and in our highest joy. That is the love of GOD. So the real question becomes "Why?". If GOD is truly in control, not just in the good things but in ALL things, then why does He allow our suffering? That was Jobs question and GOD answered with a simple truth that we really don't like to hear. It is beyond our ability to understand. Our comfort is in our faith and in GOD's promise to us that He will always be with us and that he will never give us more than we can bare.

In Job we see that GOD sets the limits on our suffering. He is in control the whole time. He is there with us helping us through and strengthening us. We can not understand the whole of why GOD allows evil to exist in the world because, as he told Job, we did not create the universe and do not understand its workings. But we can see its effect in our own lives. Often the most tragic of events, which when they happen seem to overwhelm and destroy us, can be seen over time to strengthen and perfect us. Even in our short perspective if time we see blessings come from tragedy.

Our faith relies on the idea "all things come together for good". We have faith that whatever GOD brings into our lives it is for our ultimate good and His ultimate plan. So we can also have faith that the same is true on a universal scale and that even the evil of the world is driving the universe toward the ultimate fulfillment of GOD's purpose which is His good and perfect plan. There is no battle between good and evil (except in our own natures) where GOD is trying to unfold His plan and Satan is corrupting it and marring its beauty. GOD is in control in ever place and at every time. Satan is our 'adversary', a tempter, accuser, tormentor.... But he has no power to subvert GODs perfect will.

Satan's greatest power is in his lies. To convince us that he is in control of our destiny and that GOD has abandoned us. If he can do that then we can not see and accept GOD's grace in our lives. We become victims of the evil around us, and even though GOD is right there with us we do not see him and do not accept the comfort He gives us. By allowing ourselves to be convinced that "our god" has no part in our suffering we deny His omnipotence and turn our backs on His grace.

How then should we react to the trials and tribulations which GOD allows in our lives? Should we get angry at GOD for allowing our pain? Peter praised GOD on the cross that he was found worthy to suffer as Christ had suffered. Many early protestant martyrs sang hymns and praised GOD as they were burnt at the stake for heresy. There is a long tradition in Christianity that our suffering perfects our souls, that in some way the tragedies of life are our greatest blessings. An old Russian saying says "that which does not kill us makes us stronger". That is the wisdom and patience of the saints.

If our faith is in an all powerful all knowing GOD that guides all things for our good then even the worst tragedy can be seen as a gift and a blessing. We may not understand how a thing can possibly be for the good but that is due to our own limited perspective not on any limits to GOD. That is the nature of faith, to believe without any proof or evidence. So when we are beyond our understanding all we can do is lean on GOD and trust. It is hard when we are in the midst of our pain but we can truly "count it all joy" if we remember that GOD is right there with us.

The limited god of dualism is no help to us when his evil counterpart is tearing us to shreds. He might come later to put the pieces back together but even that is dependant on our actions not his will. But my GOD is never away form me. He is right there sharing in my grief, my pain, my anger, and bringing me through it all. My GOD is not a pagan god of love and happiness, He is the GOD of everything and in everything. He controls the flight of every bird and course of every storm but He is also intimately engaged with His creation and He suffers with the sick, cries with the hurting, and suffers the hunger of the starving. He does not impose evil on us, He stands with us in its midst.

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