The devil was the first coup plotter! He was not satisfied with the highly exalted place, power, glory, and authority God gave him within his scheme of things and creation; he wanted more – he wanted the place of God the Most High (Isaiah 14:12-14). God reminded him that no matter how empowered, glorified, honored, or ‘giddy heights’ he felt about himself, he was still a creature; the Designer can ‘disable’ the design (Ezekiel 28:11-15). Unfortunately, he did not heed God’s divine-wisdom laden advice. He despised, flouted, and attacked God’s authority and refused to submit to God’s Truth. He incited and led a war in heaven, but he and his rebellious angelic colleagues were not strong enough; they were booted out of heaven so as to restore and preserve the harmony and purity of that glorious place (Revelation 12:4,7-12).
Evil is truth violated in any degree or form, knowingly or unknowingly, overtly or covertly (1 John 5:17; 1 John 3:4), and its harbinger is the devil (John 8:44; 1 John 3:8).
Cowardice is “not standing for or not being brave about what is right, good or true.” It eventually leads to gross wrong doing – aggression, intimidation, violence, hooliganism, murder, compromising and endangering others, exploitation, and lying! Aggression is angry or threatening behavior that often leads to fighting or conflict.
Evil is constantly at loggerhead with Truth (Galatians 5:17; 1 John 5:6c; Revelation 12:7-8, 17), and the core of the conflict is about Truth defending and upholding the good and wisdom of its eternal nature, sovereign power and authority, while evil tries to pervert Truth and usurp its position and authority. Truth always tries to make evil see reason through constructive dialogue and warnings, but evil would heed none of that (Isaiah 1:18-20; 55:6-7).
Evil hates engaging in any constructive debate with Truth; it dreads constructive, intelligent, open arguments with Truth; it is afraid of being unmasked and exposed for what it really is – fraudulent and destructive! It tries to hush Truth as soon as Truth raises its voice. When this fails, it tries to stifle, when this fails, it tries to taunt, smear, and discredit (propaganda). When this is not effective, it tries to choke, strangulate, and kill Truth often by killing the messenger!
But Truth is bigger than the human messenger or vessel evil tries to hush, intimidate, manipulate, discredit or kill! God is TRUTH, and TRUTH is God’s Word and its PRINCIPLES (John 14:6; 17:17; Romans 2:14-16). It is the substance or ‘stuff’ life is made of; no creature (spirit or material) can muffle, ‘kill’, or put it out permanently. This not withstanding, evil has relentlessly tried to kill Truth since time immemorial. It has tried wiping out God’s truth and its messengers (and subscribers) from our world’s system. Let’s see instances of this in the Word of God:
Cain and Abel were blood brothers of the same parents. They both offered God “gifts.” Abel paid conscious detailed attention to the quality of gift he offered to God. Cain did not show the same attitude as reflected in the poor quality of the gift he offered God. Of course, God openly responded differently to their gifts. To Abel and his gift, he was pleased and openly commended him. To Cain and his gift, he was displeased and openly chided him. Cain got angry at his brother because of this (I consider this irrational because his brother had absolutely nothing to do with the choice of gift he (Cain)offered God; it was 100% his responsibility!).
Instead of sobering up, repent, and forgo his shabby treatment of God, and humble himself to learn his brother’s way and principle of respect for God and divine matters as well as godly success, out of envy and malice, he resulted to murderous violence to ‘take the shine off’ his brother’s God-acknowledged and endorsed godliness (virtue) – he callously snuffed life out of him, and he did it without any qualms; no remorse! (Genesis 4:8). Before he embarked on his journey of cowardice, aggression, and destruction, God lovingly warned and advised him. But he turned a deaf ear to God’s loving and Fatherly appeal (Genesis 4:6-7). After the atrocity, God lovingly queried him, “Where is your brother Abel?” He replied arrogantly and insultingly, “I don’t know…Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9).
In one of his numerous journeys in life, Abraham went to Egypt to live there for a while because of famine. When they were about to enter Egypt he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me and let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you” (Genesis 12:11-12). In other words Abram was saying to Sarai, “Be the fall guy; take the bullet for me while I am safely protected and tucked away.” So, what happens to Sarai’s life, honor, and dignity as a woman and wife? She was not entitled to them, right? Cowardice!
Mr Haman Hammedatha was Prime minister of Medo-Persia kingdom during the reign of King Xerxes (Ahasuerus), and as such a man of great power, authority and influence in the kingdom. A man in the presidential palace, named Mordecai (a concealed relative, secret personal adviser, and mentor to Queen Esther, wife of the king), ‘offended him.’ Mr Hammedatha took his grievances against Mordecai too far when “he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead, (he) looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes” (Esther 3:6). In all of this, Mr Hammedatha did not know that Mordecai was uncle to the queen! The Scripture records: “Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so” (Esther 2:10).
What Haman set out to do was simply demonic; pure satanic inspiration and influence – a man offended you and you wanted to exterminate him and the whole of his race! It took divine intervention to stop him (Esther 7:1-10). This is clearly more than just ordinary hate, aggression or animosity – it’s purely evil. Many times too in our journey through life, we are assaulted by potentially destructive hate and fury of satanically influenced people.
The Pharisees had issues with Jesus. It was about who was wrong or right between the two parties about authentic divine claim to TRUTH. It was supposed to be an intelligent educative debate, giving room for time to prove who was right or wrong after the parties have clearly proclaimed their positions. But at a point in time during the frictions, the Pharisees could not stand the authority, power, wisdom, and depth of his message. Their next line of action; they plotted to kill him. Jesus challenged them, “Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” (John 7:19; 11:45-50).
Not too long after crucifying Jesus (praise God, he rose from the dead 3 days later!), the Sanhedrin had issues with Steven’s position on Jesus’ message – what Truth actually is. They accused him of false spiritual claim (heresy). He defended himself with intelligent and sound factual Scripture arguments. They couldn’t present a superior argument to prove him wrong. The Scripture says, “…These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom, or the Spirit by whom he spoke” (Acts 6:9-10). Then, in frustration they set him up and killed him (Acts 6:12-14; 7:54-60). Again; cowardice!
Evil has the ‘shark’ or ‘wolf’ temperament, and there are a lot of ‘shark’ and ‘wolf’ people in our world; people energized by the spirit of Satan manifesting the ‘shark’ and ‘wolf’ spirit – acts of aggression, intimidation, and cowardice. They hate and resent truth, fair-play, and propriety. They cheat people out of their rights, peace, homes, lives, trust etc. They are back stabbers, traitors, bullies, murderers and haters; men and women who go for others’ jugular for flimsy excuses; people who destroy others for petty grievances and reasons.
They compromise and slaughter others on the slab of personal or group interest; people with vengeance, betrayal and manipulation energies running so high in them, while their compassion, forgiveness, faithfulness and truthfulness energies are very low or non-existent! They have literally turned our world into a living hell.
But thank God. We need not be afraid or upset about the ‘hooliganism’ of the devil, his hosts, and their evil. God has not left his children without tactics, means (weapons) and strategies to ‘engage’ or ‘confront’ the devil, his agents, and their evil in battle. God won’t just sit back and watch Satan destabilize his work. He responds to the wickedness, violence and deception of Satan with his TRUTH (the Word; Jesus Christ). Jesus Christ is God’s ‘strategy’ and ‘instrument’ of victory over all the hostilities, aggression and lawlessness of the devil, his agents and his kingdom. The Scripture says, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” (Revelation 12:11a).
Are you being intimidated by evil in any way, or you are an agent of evil? You need not fear or be hopeless; you can overcome and break free from it by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of God. Call to Jesus for help NOW. Shalom!
Photo credits: gopetsamerica.com and zazzle.com via googleusercontent.com.
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