BETRAYED

Betrayed

Adam sought autonomy from God and in doing so betrayed all humanity into the hands and power of an invisible enemy. Thus, ever since Adam ate the forbidden fruit mankind has been under the invisible influence of Satan. He is the ‘strong man’, ‘the god of this age’ who has blinded the minds of those ‘who do not believe’ (2 Cor. 4:4). Satan influences whole nations, ‘For all the gods of the nations are idols’ Psalm 96:5. ‘Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? … Against the LORD and His Anointed, saying. “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us’ Psalm 2:2. Even true believers ‘once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience’ Ephesians 2:2.

Loch Lomond (from the Dumplin)

The good news is that Christ by His perfect obedience to God, His atoning death and justifying resurrection has tied up the strongman. ‘No one can enter a strongman’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds up the strongman. And then he will plunder his house’ Mark 3:27. Indeed, to a certain extent the West was won as Christ, by the breath of His mouth, began casting out the gods of the nations. ‘For the Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes’ Romans 1:16.

Jesus says, ‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ John 8:33. And, in His High Priestly prayer He says to His Father, ‘Sanctify them by the truth, Your word is truth’ John 17:17. Thus God’s Word, the whole Bible, every jot and tittle thereof, brings freedom (Matt. 5:17-18). With this in mind, what were Satan’s first words as recorded in the Bible? ‘Has God indeed said?’ Genesis 3:1. Satan wishes to sow the little seeds of doubt into the mind against the truth of God. And being the father of lies he then waters these seeds with the saliva of his lies.

As experienced by early Christians, when they were fed to hungry Roman lions, not all nations that follow other gods rush to embrace freedom. Today Christians are suffering persecution in African and Middle Eastern countries for the Faith. Communist China seeks to suppress and control Christianity within its borders. In the West Secular Humanism uses Materialist Philosophy, with its denial of God, angels, mind and soul, to cast doubt on and undermine God’s Word. The Sadducees were of the same mind when Jesus was on earth (Acts 23:8).

The Book of Job is one long narrative of Satan, the betrayer, seeking, through many means to destroy Job’s faith in God. The LORD had blessed Job with many blessings. The LORD said to Satan, ‘“Still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him without cause.” So Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘“Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life”’ Job 2:3b-6. Notice three things: 1. Satan tried to incite the LORD against Job (Job 2:3b), 2. Satan works invisibly against Job. 3. Satan only gets to do to Job what the LORD permits. Therefore though Satan tries to incite God against us, and though Satan works against us invisibly, he only gets to do what God permits him to do. Indeed, a whole legion of demons had to beg Jesus’ permission: ‘So all the demons begged Him. Saying, “Send us into the swine, that we may enter them.” At once Jesus gave them permission’ Mark 5:12-13a.

We should be encouraged that the LORD has tied up the strongman and is now plundering his house! How did the LORD bind the strongman Satan? By His cross! When Adam betrayed the LORD in the Garden the LORD said to the instigator of the betrayal, that serpent Satan, ‘I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed, He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel’ Genesis 3:15. The LORD was betrayed again by a man, Judas Iscariot, after the Lord’s Supper, ‘And the supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Him’ John 13:2.The LORD permitted Satan to do this through Judas. However, the LORD said to Simon Peter, ‘Indeed Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren’ Luke 22:31-23. Peter buckled under pressure when Jesus was arrested, but the LORD restored him! After Christ’s resurrection there was no stopping Christianity!

Dear reader, do not betray the LORD, ‘And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ Romans 12:2a.