Transcript
Ben Fallon: I want to introduce today's question with these opening verses from the book of Job 1:6-7.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
So, Paul, today's question comes from Heather who asks, “What is the devil's accessibility? Is he omnipresent?”
Paul Tripp: Yes, that's a really good question. There is no theology of the omnipresence of the devil in Scripture. He's not omnipresent, he's not omnipotent. It's one that the Bible has a lot to say about. So, I want to center my answer on four passages of Scripture. First one is 1 Peter 5:8-9; I think this is a very significant passage. It says:
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Now what Peter is saying is, “If you're going to be a sober-minded Christian, you're going to believe in the devil.” You're going to believe that our theology says that there's a presence of real personal evil, and he uses as a word picture that the devil is like a prowling, roaring lion. I had the experience of going on a safari, and we actually tracked lions on the hunt. That’s a very rare experience. And we watched them separate five kudu deer and then attack them, and it was bloody and gory, and I won't go into detail. The next morning, our lodge was up on a hill, and I was sitting outside the lodge, just overlooking the South African bush, and I heard what sounded to me to be like thunder. And I said to one of the stewards who was with us, I said, “It sounds like it's going to rain.” He laughed and he said, “You're obviously a newbie,” he said, “That's the lions roaring.” And he said, “That's what they always do after the hunt; they just roll around in the dirt and they roar. It's like a celebration of having their bellies filled.” And it made me think of this passage. You don't hear the roar of the lion until after the kill. And so, the passage is saying, “Be aware of the devil. Don't give him an opportunity in life. Resist him.” (Paraphrase) So, yes, there is a devil. Yes, that's part of our theology.
Then I think right away of Matthew 12:29. In this account, Jesus is accused of driving out demons by the power of the devil. And Jesus says, “Wait a minute, boys, that doesn't make any sense at all. How would the devil drive out the devil?” (Paraphrase) And then he says something profoundly encouraging to a believer; he says, “Or how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.” (Paraphrase) He says, “Don't you understand that my person and work, my presence on earth, is to enter the strong man's house (That's the devil.) and tie him up and bind him.” (Paraphrase) You say, “When did that happen?”
Well, the first binding of the devil is in the “Temptation of Jesus.” There, Jesus demonstrates his divine power over the enemy. The ultimate place where the devil, the strong man, is bound is at the cross, where Jesus defeated the power of sin and death in his death, resurrection, and finally his ascension where he is now the reigning Royal King. So, in Christ, there is the defeat of the devil.
Third passage, Colossians 1:13, this is talking of Christ, for “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Paul wants us to know that as believers, we are no longer in the dominion of darkness. We do not live under the dominion of Satan because we have been transported out of that kingdom into the kingdom of the Son, who is the one who has tied up the strong man.
And then the final passage, I love, love, love this passage. It says, “Submit yourself therefore to God.” This is the answer, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” In Christ, you have the same power that Jesus has over the devil. If you resist the devil, he will flee from you. The devil does not have power over the believer because the believer is now in Christ, and as you resist the devil, he will flee from you. And then it says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” (James 4:7-8a)
So, should we take the presence of personal evil seriously? Peter says, absolutely! But we also need to know our identity in Christ. We are now the objects of love of the one who defeated the devil. And so, we have power over the devil because we are in Christ. We don't have power in and of ourselves; we have the same power that Jesus has because we are now in Christ. And so, if we resist the devil, he will flee from us.
Now, ‘sober-mindedness’ means that you should take that seriously. The devil is not omniscient. He is not God part two. He does not have power analogous to the power of Jesus, but he is an evil foe. And we should be aware of his wiles, his temptations, his desire to do wrong to us. The devil cannot remove your salvation, but he can mess up the journey. And so, in Christ, we have the power to resist him, and that is good gospel news.
BF: Thanks, Paul. Keep joining us every Thursday and Saturday for new episodes of “Ask Paul Tripp.” And please share these answers with others. Every time you do, you're connecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.
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