“And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.” (Job 2:6)
The god of this world, the one who has the power of death, the accuser, liar, dragon, serpent, but not the one that is the cause of all mankind’s woes. We hold a part in this.
Satan is extremely well versed in human nature and understands fully how to manipulate us to sin, but the choice to do so has always been up to us, his power is beyond anything imaginable, but it is limited by the Almighty. It was Satan that caused Peter to say the words that the Lord rebuked him for, it was Satan that spoke to the religious leaders and agreed with them for the price of betrayal, but it was not him who makes you sin.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;” (Romans 1:28)
We are witnessing in these days the actions of devils, demons if you prefer, who have, either continuously or temporarily at times taken over the bodies of human beings, but unlike the days when the Lord Jesus Christ walked amongst men, they are not throwing them into the fire or living amongst the tombs, they are leading nations and corporations, they are in the highest positions of authority and power on this planet, and whether they know it or will admit it, they are being led to a desired end by the Almighty. Like the commandment to the great ocean, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?” (Job 38:11) there have been limits placed upon them.
Between the combination of the satanic host and the wrath of the Most High God, mankind has no hope in the great Tribulation. “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matt. 24:22)
If you have been born again, if your life is hid in Christ, you will reach your final destination, you will enter into the Kingdom of heaven, but that does not mean that God will tell Satan to spare your life.
I believe it is important to inform you of this truth, for far too many have forgotten that serving Christ means expecting pain and suffering, trials, tribulations and persecutions, far too many think that He who did not spare His own Son is going to spare them. Many of us may be the examples that the Lord uses for those that He will call to Himself during the days of Jacob’s Troubles, those that will not love their lives to the death, and you should be prepared for this. You must be prepared to echo the words of righteous Job, “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10) while not expecting seven-fold more, but death.
God knows your end, I do not, I am no more than a messenger. I know the truth of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” I believe the promises of Deuteronomy 31:8, “And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” I believe He will walk through the valley of the shadow of death with each of us, but I also know that not all get to the other side of that valley in this life.
You must prepare yourself to suffer, and suffer for His glory if that is what He chooses for you, you must hide His Word in your heart for not only comfort in that moment if it arrives, but as a testimony to those who may not only be your tormentors, but those that will be left behind and then called to be your brothers and sisters in Christ, you must prepare yourself to be used as an example, if that is what He chooses for you.
You must believe the truth of Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”