Satan’s Enmity Against the Law The very first effort of Satan to overthrow God’s law –undertaken among sinless inhabitants of heaven- seemed for a time to be crowned with success. A vast number of angels were seduced; but Satan’s apparent triumph resulted in defeat and loss, separation from God, and banishment from heaven. When the conflict was renewed upon the earth, Satan again won a seeming advantage. By transgression, man became his captive, and man’s kingdom also was betrayed into the hands of the archrebel. Now the way seemed open for Satan to establish an independent kingdom, and to defy the authority of God and His Son. But the plan of salvation made it possible for man again to be brought into harmony with God, and to render obedience to His law, and for both man and the earth to be finally redeemed from the power of the wicked one. Again Satan was defeated, and again he resorted to deception, in the hope of converting his defeat into a victory. To stir up rebellion in the fallen race, he now represented God as unjust in having permitted man to transgress His law. “Why,” said the artful tempter, “when God knew what would be the result, did He permit man to be placed on trial, to sin, and bring in misery and death?” And the children of Adam, forgetful of the long-suffering mercy that had granted man another trial, regardless of the amazing, the awful sacrifice which his rebellion had cost the King of Heaven, gave ear to the tempter, and murmured against the only Being who could save them from the destructive power of Satan. There are thousands today echoing the same rebellion complaint against God. They do not see that to deprive man of the freedom of choice would be to rob him of his prerogative as an intelligent being, and make him a mere automaton. It is not God’s purpose to coerce their will. Man was created a free moral agent. Like the inhabitants of all other worlds, he must be subjected to the test of obedience; but he is never brought into such a position that yielding to evil becomes a matter of necessity. No temptation or trial is permitted to come to him who he is unable to resist. God made such ample provision that man need never have been defeated in the conflict with Satan. As men increased upon the earth, almost the whole world joined the ranks of rebellion. Once more Satan seemed to have gained the victory. But omnipotent power again cut short the working of iniquity, and the earth was cleansed by the Flood from its moral pollution. However, once again, released from God’s judgments, the descendants of Noah rebelled against the Lord. Twice God’s covenant and His statutes had been rejected by the world. Both the people before the Flood and the descendants of Noah cast off the divine authority. Then God entered into a covenant with Abraham, and took to Himself a people to become the depositories of His law. During their bondage in Egypt, the descendants of Abraham had, to a great extent, lost the knowledge of God’s law, and had mingled its precepts with heathen customs and traditions. God brought them to Sinai, and there with His own voice declared His law. Satan and evil angels were on the ground. Even while God was proclaiming His law to His people, Satan was plotting to tempt them to sin. By leading them to idolatry, he would destroy the efficacy of all worship. At the very foot of Sinai, Satan began to execute his plans for overthrowing the law of God, thus carrying forward the same work he had begun in heaven. While God was writing down His law, to be committed to His covenant people, the Israelites, denying their loyalty to Jehovah, were demanding gods of gold! Satan’s enmity against God’s law had impelled him to war against every precept of the Decalogue. Satan, who was a murderer from the beginning, and as soon as he obtained power over the human race, he not only prompted them to hate and slay one another, but, the more boldly to defy the authority of God, he made the violation of the sixth commandment a part of their religion. Polygamy was practiced at an early date. It was one of the sins that brought the wrath of God upon the antediluvian world. Yet after the Flood it again became widespread. It was Satan’s studied effort to pervert the marriage institution, to weaken its obligation and lessen its sacredness; for in no surer way could he deface the image of God in man and open the door to misery and vice. From the opening of the great controversy it has been Satan’s purpose to misrepresent God’s character and to excite rebellion against His law, and this work appears to be crowned with success. The multitudes give ear to Satan’s deceptions and set themselves against God. But amid the working of evil, God’s purposes move steadily forward to their accomplishment; to all created intelligences. He is making manifest His justice and benevolence. Through Satan’s temptations the whole human race have become transgressors of God’s law, but by the sacrifice of His Son a way is opened whereby they may return to God. Through the grace of Christ they may be enabled to render obedience to the Father’s law. Thus in every age, from the midst of apostasy and rebellion, God gathers out a people that are true to Him –a people “in whose heart is His law” (Isaiah 51:7). Fortunately, even today, there are those who follow all the commandments of God. They are referred to as a remnant group in the Book of Revelation, because they are few, not the majority of self-professed Christians. Remnant means that the church in the last days before the return of Christ will finally be identical in doctrine to the church created by Him. They will not follow the traditions of men, but instead follow all the commandments of God. However, we are convinced that there will be people in heaven that did not keep all the commandments of God because they did not know better. But those who knew better and did not keep the commandments, in open rebellion against God, and taught others to do likewise, will meet their fate in the Lake of Fire with Satan and his angels. The Bible is very clear about this! Revelation 22:14 says, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they might have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers…and whoever loves and practices a lie.” There you have it! The Bible ends by telling us that only those whose loyalty to God is expressed by keeping His commandments will be in the New Jerusalem, while those who did not keep the commandments and taught others to do the same, those who listened to Satan`s lies and practiced them, will be forever cast away from the presence of their Creator, and suffer the second death in the Lake of Fire from which there is no resurrection. For more information about this and other biblical topics go to amazingfacts.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 13:11:27 +0000