According to Matthew 12:24–28, there are two kingdoms that are at war with each other: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan—the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness.
Behind what you and I see, there is a furious battle raging in the spiritual world. Behind everything that goes on in this earth, there is a sinister force. And that force involves us.
In this battle, there are no civilians. But there are many casualties. No one is neutral.
Jesus plainly said, “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Luke 11:23).
If you are not with Jesus Christ, you are with His Enemy. You are helping to advance either His kingdom or the other one.
Both of these kingdoms are seeking one thing: worship.
The central question of the universe is over who will have the worship. It’s over who will have the authority. It’s over who will sit on the throne and be in charge.
This is the issue that lies behind all that is taking place on the earth today.
When the Conflict Began
Let’s hit rewind and see where this cosmic conflict began. Christians have traditionally understood Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 to have a dual meaning. One of the meanings is that there was a rebellion in heavenly places. The following was said about Lucifer, one of God’s angels:
How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isa. 14:12–14)
Self-ambition, self-assertiveness, self-absorption, and pride filled the heart of this angel. Lucifer fell and took other angelic beings with him.
Here are some of the names of our Enemy according to Scripture, all of which give us insight into his character:
- Slanderer, the meaning of “Devil” (Matt. 4:1)
- The accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10)
- The evil one (1 John 5:19)
- The tempter (1 Thess. 3:5; James 1:13)
- The prince of this world (John 12:31)
- A roaring lion (1 Pet. 5:8)
- A thief and a robber (John 10:10)
- A murderer, a liar, and the father of lies (John 8:44)
According to Genesis 1:26–28, God created humans to do two things:
- To express God’s image
- To rule and subdue the earth
When Adam and Eve fell, disobeying God, two things occurred:
- They marred God’s image. Humans became something other than what God created them to be.
- They lost God’s authority over the earth. The Devil seized Adam and Eve’s authority and he (the Devil) became the ruler of the earth in this present age. As a result, God’s rule on earth was thwarted.
Put another way, Adam committed high treason against God. And in so doing, he handed the earth over to Satan’s control. This is why the New Testament calls Satan “the god of this world,” “the prince of this world,” “the evil one,” and “the prince of the power of the air” (2 Cor. 4:3–4; 1 John 5:19; Eph. 2:1–2).
Death entered into the world, along with sickness, disease, thorns, thistles, natural disasters, etc.
From that day forward, the earth—over which humans once had control—was now in the hands of God’s Enemy.
This explains why Satan could tempt Jesus with the offer of all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would just worship him (Luke 4:5–8).
God’s Reaction
God, however, did not remain passive. He took action to undo the consequences of the fallen human race. He had a plan to get His authority back into the hands of humans.
The Old Testament unveils this plan. Beginning with God’s chosen man, Abraham, the Lord created a nation. And from that nation came a man—the One whom the Bible calls “the last Adam” and “the second man” (1 Cor. 15:45, 47).
The purpose of the second Adam was to recover what Adam had lost in the fall and to destroy what Satan had gained.
It was through this Person, Jesus Christ, that the kingdom of God found expression. It was through Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension that God’s kingdom began to invade the present kingdom.
The ultimate defeat of Satan’s kingdom was accomplished through Christ’s death on the cross.
Christ’s work on the cross is God’s answer to the central question of the universe. It went straight to the root of the problem—defeating the Evil One and undoing his consequences.
Through Christ’s death and resurrection, He reversed the effects of the fall in two ways:
- What the Devil gained in the fall, Christ reclaimed at the cross.
- Through Christ’s death, Satan’s whole legal standing was destroyed. His rights over the earth and over human souls were annihilated.
Through His death, Christ terminated the entire old creation. Through His resurrection, He became the head of a new creation.
So what humans lost at the fall, Christ recovered through His death and resurrection.
Consequently, all who receive Christ and come under His lordship are free from the Enemy’s power.
by Frank Viola Author