O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted… In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Isaiah 54:11a, 14
The life of a Christian can often be filled with unexpected trials and tribulations that feel like an all-out attack from the enemy of our souls. The fact of the matter is that those who are called according to His purpose are Satan’s most calculated targets. In his first epistle to the church, Peter admonished believers not to think it strange when being faced by fiery trials (1 Peter 4:12).
Isaiah the prophet relayed a message from God on this subject that can seem confusing at first: “Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy” (Isaiah 54:16). God is saying He’s the one who created Satan—the one who steals, kills and destroys. That’s a tough thing to grasp when we see all the pain he produces in this fallen world. How could a good, loving God create something so evil? But let us not confuse evil with free will. Free will is God’s gift to humanity. Based on what scripture says, it’s a gift He’s given to the angels as well (Isaiah 14:12-17). Satan took that gift to the absolute extreme and was cast down out of heaven because of it. Evil is the result of separation from God just as darkness is the result of the absence of light. The point that God is making here is this: “I created that fallen angel, and I can destroy him!”
The following verse is proof: “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17). Again, Peter said not to be surprised when the enemy forges tools to destroy you. He also added, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy (1 Peter 4:13). Satan forged the nails that held Christ to the cross and the sword that pierced his side, but those weapons brought the blood that cleanses our sin and makes us children of the Most High!
Instead of walking around depressed, abused and defeated by the enemy, rejoice knowing that God turns every weapon of the enemy around for the victory of His children! That is our heritage as servants of God! Satan’s inheritance is sure as well: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
We win. Period.
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