When Satan Applauds
By C. S. Craig
Written To My Children March 29, 2001- Revised June 12, 2001 (yet applicable to all).
I guess I never really thought about or fully understood the implications of the phrase “we live in the devil’s world.”
There are two worlds (realities):
- God’s world in Heaven – His Dwelling Place (1 Kings 8:30; Psalm 2:4; 115:3; 123:1; Isaiah 6:1; 66:1; Matthew 6:9; Acts 7:49; Hebrews 8:1; Revelation 4) and
- satan’s world here on earth (Luke 4:5,7; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2).
And yes it most certainly is the devil’s world because we handed him the keys, the ownership, and the power we had over the world when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. Wonder why evil exists? Wonder why bad things happen? That’s why.
As there are God’s and satan’s worlds, there are also two different thought patterns or viewpoints – God’s and satan’s. The contrast between these two viewpoints is as different as night and day, good and evil. Every thought every human has is influenced by satan or by God, and each of us has the freedom to choose where we’ll direct most of our thoughts based on the following:
- All knowledge flows from God (Exodus 8:10; 18:16; 31:3; 2 Chronicles 1:12; Psalm 119:66; Proverbs 1:4; 2:6; Ecclesiastes 2:26; Isaiah 28:9; Jeremiah 24:7; 31:33; Daniel 2:21; Habakkuk 2:14; Matthew 11:25; 13:11; 1 Corinthians 1:5; 2:12; 12:8).
- All knowledge therefore flows from Heaven to earth, from God to man. God’s thinking was sent to earth via the Holy Spirit and put in writing called the Scriptures (the “Mind of Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:16b).
- All Scripture is inspired of God (God-breathed, as in 2 Timothy 3:16).
The key is, we must learn to interpret the world from God’s viewpoint, by God’s Word.
There are countless ways of interpreting knowledge, but only one way to know whether it is from God – the Scriptures. Divine viewpoint comes from satan by his direct influence in the world and on the world. All humanistic thought is in direct conflict with God’s thinking (Isaiah 55:6-11). Human viewpoint looks at the world from a viewpoint in the world. Divine viewpoint looks at the world from Heaven where God knows all, sees all, and gives all knowledge. The Word of God denies (rejects) humanistic thought.
God’s Truth should dictate what we put into our minds because our thinking determines our actions.
If we as Christians do not feed on the Word of God daily, we are literally starving our spirit and our soul. As food nourishes our bodies every day, Bible Doctrine nourishes our spirit. “God’s Word is food for thought to be digested and pondered and, finally, applied to our thoughts, our actions, and our lives.”
Much of the spiritual warfare in the world encompasses the battle for the souls of unbelievers, AND the thinking of believers by the subtle infiltration of Satanic influence.
It stands to reason that because there are two types of thought, satan’s and God’s, then our human thinking is influenced by one or the other (and that means at all times; it’s either one or the other, with nothing in between, no middle ground). This also means there are two ways to look at the world – as God sees it and then as man sees it, when under satanic influence.
Without God’s Word as the sword that cuts through the world of deceit, lies, and propaganda (Hebrews 4:12), we would not be able to distinguish between good and evil, black and white. Everything would become gray. There is no such color or reality as gray when it comes to the Word of God. Therefore it is imperative for the believer to seek God. Search the Scriptures. Let His Word dwell in you richly (Colossians 1:5,6; 9-23; 2:7; 3:1-4; 15-17).
Now that you understand the differences between satan world and God’s world, be alert to the fact that you are either serving and glorifying God or serving and glorifying satan via your thoughts and actions (by default, this literally applies to every moment of every day).
As Christians, our battle lies within our thinking. This brings up the need for consistent self-evaluation because satan’s work is slow and methodical, subtle so as to not be readily noticed. Be on guard, believer. Believe that.
Without studying God’s Word daily, you are inviting satan and the world around you to influence your thinking… and guess what, he will and it does. We all form habits. Some are bad, and those that are bad for us are also against God. Some habits are good, like attending Church faithfully, praying fervently, and studying under a bible-teaching ministry, then meditating upon and applying what was learned from God’s Word. We habitually serve satan, saying no to God, or we habitually serve God, saying no to satan and no to self.
Perhaps you have heard the phrase “self-serving.” We all serve self more than anyone else or anything else in life. Learning to say “No!” to ourselves (sin nature) is one of the “details of life” which must be mastered if we are to serve God effectively. Mastery of life is the mastery of self. Mastery of self is God transforming our minds by the washing of his Word and the renewing of our thinking, conforming us to Christ (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22,23; Colossians 3:10).
Are you ever frustrated? Do you really have peace with God? Do you have peace in your relationship with your spouse? Do you live in a house divided? Are you happy? Do you regularly attend a Bible-teaching Church? Are you studying God’s Word daily? Answer these questions, honestly, to yourself, based on your thoughts and circumstances and the way you respond (not react) to them.
People do not log enough time under the teaching ministry of God’s Word. Pursuing God isn’t difficult because God isn’t going anywhere. It is God who pursues us. His Word does not evade us. It is rather us who evade God’s Word. This is human nature.
God’s antidote to humanity’s nature and humanity’s depraved condition is His (God’s) Mind (1 Corinthians 2:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:12,13). True, lasting happiness comes only from God. Truth comes only from God. Denying God is indulging and affirming self.
If satan is winning the battle for your time and your talent, then he is winning the battle for your mind. You must learn to defend yourself against the world, the flesh, and the devil by putting on the whole armor of God – Bible Doctrine from the Word of God.
I want you to remember that the world, the flesh, and the devil are the greatest enemies of God, of the Cross, and of you.
Next time you pick up the newspaper, open a phone app, or sit down to watch a “sit-com” on the tube, ask yourself “Is this something that God wants me to inhale?” Satan is subtle and the shrewdest of the shrewd. He probably has you right where he wants you and you aren’t even aware of it. He probably has you right where you don’t want to be and you don’t even know it.
When you don’t go to Church or study and meditate upon God’s Word, satan applauds! Let the angels applaud in Heaven because you changed your thinking and got right with God.
Angels rejoice every time a believer acknowledges the sin-indulgences at the core of their being and turns back to God, this is repentance for the believer (the changing of the mind, as in Luke 15:10). Live what remains of your life in the “Light of Divine Viewpoint” (God’s Word) while living in a world of satanic illusion. Yes, angels rejoice and applaud in Heaven and they watch the struggle between good and evil. They are indeed curious and that is awesome – “the angels are curious” (1 Peter 1:12; Luke 15:7,10). Wow.
Let Heaven applaud because of your life spent in the study and reflection of God’s Word. When Heaven applauds, God receives the Glory (1 Timothy 1:17). When you allow satan to applaud your life choices and thoughts, then satan receives the glory. When satan applauds, you lose! Overall, it’s a pretty simple choice, eh?
Christ can turn things around in your life if you will study and reflect upon His Word.
Thank You Father for Your Word, for Your Son, for Your Justice, and for Your Plan for believers.
Thank You for the Light of Your Word in Christ. Let all Heaven applaud Jesus Christ in Who’s Name we pray. Amen.
“Wisdom is the endless pursuit of God and His Wisdom.” Amen!
Happy Studying!