The battle that begun in heaven isn’t over, it has just changed places! Earth is the ground upon which the great controversy between good and evil would be fought, where Satan would demonstrate his kind of government and how he would run the world. But why Earth? Why did our planet have to become the “theatre of the Universe?” It is easy to blame God for the world’s heartbreak and devastation, but who is really responsible for the havoc? The devil is clearly identified as the perpetrator of evil. Ephesians 6:11-12 tells us that the devil is a schemer and that it is a personal war for every one of us. In this war we need the spiritual equipment that this passage talks about. Paul was chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote this and took his inspiration for what he saw in the physical war to the spiritual realm.

Against the schemes of the devil, we need to put on the spiritual armour of God that includes the belt of truth, sword of the spirit which is the word of God, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness and the sandals of service.

One day when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue one Sabbath, He noticed a woman bent over with a crippling deformity. Touched by her pathetic circumstances, Jesus healed her. The rulers instantly criticized Him because the healing took place on Sabbath – God’s holy day of worship. But notice how He defended His actions: Luke 13:16. How many years was the women bound and by whom? 18 years by satan.

Who plagued Job, who killed his servants, livestock and children and caused his sores? Satan. Job did not have the first 3 chapters of the book to enlighten him as to the source of his troubles, but Moses, Job’s author, clearly identifies the source of his troubles. Job was the first book of the Bible to be written.

Think about this: Satan is responsible for all the evil and suffering on the planet. You and I are caught in the centre of a bewildering cosmic drama, a conflict between authority and lawlessness, between the Creator and satan, the original rebel. We are not spectators. We are involved, whether we want to be or not. Jesus said you are either (Luke 11:23) FOR ME OR AGAINST ME.

The idea that satan is only a myth or an influence leaves us totally unprepared to confront the intelligent being he actually is. Peter likened our adversary to a roaring lion. (1 Peter 5:8) What is he trying to do? Devour or destroy us.