Weekly Devotionals -June 1 – 5

Monday: Memorial Day Weekend At Jane’s Parents

John and Jane Christian had driven up to spend Memorial Day weekend with Jane’s parents Earl and Dorothy. By Tuesday evening the family was settled around a campfire in the backyard with smores going and easy conversation flowing. Earl poked at the fire and said “Me and Dorothy watched the sermon Sunday evening. Good one. The three questions he opened with really got us thinking. He asked does the Bible teach that God’s primary goal is to save us from hell and take us to heaven when we die. Then he asked does the Bible teach that Satan’s primary goal is to keep us from heaven and take us to hell. And then he asked does Satan rule over hell.” Dorothy said “What struck us was watching how many people in the congregation were answering yes to all three. You could see it on their faces.” John said “Most did. And that is the point the pastor was making. Many of us have been in church our whole lives holding beliefs that are not actually in the Bible. We inherited them from tradition and never stopped to check.” Jane said “The one about Satan ruling hell is a perfect example. It is in movies, in sermons, in culture everywhere. But when the pastor went to Matthew 25:41 it was right there. Hell was prepared as punishment for the devil and his angels. It is his prison not his kingdom.” Earl said “That is what happens when we follow tradition instead of studying the Bible for ourselves. We end up with a picture of Satan and God that the Bible never actually painted.” Dorothy said “And once those misunderstandings are corrected the whole Bible storyline becomes clearer.” John said “The war is not about heaven and hell as destinations. It is about two kingdoms fighting for this earth and the people on it right now.”

What Scripture Says:

Matthew 25:41 — “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Revelation 20:10 — “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.”

Hell was prepared by God as eternal punishment for Satan and his angels. When Satan arrives there he will be tormented day and night forever. The being who declared he would be like the Most High will spend eternity as a prisoner of the Most High. His kingdom was never hell.

Tuesday: The Role of Earth In The War Between God & Satan

The campfire was still going and Earl had refreshed everyone’s smores supply. Dorothy said “I liked the way the pastor presented the four objectives both kingdoms are fighting for. Territory, dominion, worship and people.” Earl said “Territory was the one that stayed with me. This war is being fought over the physical earth. God created it, Satan invaded it and both kingdoms are fighting to control it.” Jane said “Psalm 24:1 says the earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof. God owns it. He created it as the place where His kingdom would be established and His image bearers would fill it with His glory.” John said “And then Satan gets cast out of heaven and comes straight to earth with a strategy. He came to the territory God built for His kingdom and moved to take it.” Earl said “I kept thinking about Isaiah 66:1 after the sermon. God calls the earth His footstool.” Dorothy said “I liked how the pastor explained that a footstool in ancient culture was a symbol of conquest. To make something your footstool meant you had conquered it and ruled over it completely.” Jane said “So when God calls the earth His footstool He is declaring it conquered territory under His absolute authority. Satan is fighting to seize it.” John said “And Revelation 11:15 shows how it ends. The kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. God reclaims the territory permanently.”

What Scripture Says:

Psalm 24:1 — “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” God is the Creator and rightful owner of the earth. The earth and everyone on it belongs to Him. Satan has no legitimate claim to the territory he currently occupies.

Isaiah 66:1 — “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” A footstool in ancient culture symbolized absolute dominion over conquered territory. God is declaring the earth as His domain — the specific territory where His kingdom would be established and His glory displayed. Satan’s objective is to seize that territory and establish his own rule in its place.

Revelation 11:15 — “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” The war over territory ends with God reclaiming the earth permanently. Every nation and every land coming under the rule of the rightful King forever.

How does knowing the earth belongs to God change the way you see the world around you and your place in it?

Wednesday: When Satan Gained Influence Over Earth

The fire had burned down to a steady glow and Ben had fallen asleep in his chair. Earl tossed another log on and the flames came back up. John said “I liked how the pastor built from territory into dominion. Once you see that the earth is the territory both kingdoms are fighting over the next question is who has the right to rule it.” Dorothy said “I appreciated how he went back to Genesis 1:28 for that. God gave Adam dominion over the earth. That was a real assignment of ruling authority.” Earl said “And then he showed how that authority transferred when Adam sinned. The dominion God gave mankind did not disappear. It passed to Satan.” Jane said “The word that got me was delivered in Luke 4:6. Satan is tempting Jesus and offers Him all the kingdoms of the world and says the authority over them has been delivered to him. He did not say he created it or earned it. He said it was delivered.” John said “That word delivered tells the whole story. It was transferred. The dominion God gave Adam over the earth was handed over to Satan as a direct consequence of the fall.” Dorothy said “And Jesus never disputed the claim. He rejected the offer but He did not tell Satan he had no authority.” Earl said “That is how Satan went from being cast out of heaven to holding titles like the god of this world and the prince of this world. He took what Adam forfeited.”

What Scripture Says:

Genesis 1:28 — “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” God gave mankind real ruling authority over the earth. This was the dominion mandate — God choosing to rule the earth through His appointed image bearers.

Luke 4:6 — “And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.” The word delivered reveals a transfer. The dominion God gave Adam was handed over to Satan through the fall. Satan now exercises that authority over the nations of the earth and uses it to advance his rival kingdom.

How does understanding that Satan gained his authority through a transfer rather than creation change the way you see his power and its limitations? How wonderful will it be to witness Jesus reclaim full authority over the earth?

Thursday: Satan Want’s You To Worship Him

The evening had cooled off nicely and Dorothy had brought out a fresh round of hot chocolate. Jane said “I liked how the pastor connected worship to the war. Most people think of worship as something that happens on Sunday morning but the sermon showed it is the central prize both kingdoms are fighting for.” John said “The pastor did a good job explaining that the word worship comes from the Old English word worth-ship — meaning to declare someone worthy. It is not just singing. It is declaring who has your highest allegiance and obedience.” Earl said “That reframed everything for me. Every act of obedience to God is worship. Every act of disobedience is redirecting that worship somewhere else.” Dorothy said “The pastor did a good job proving that God’s objective has always been the worship of all nations. Psalm 22:27-28 says all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee for the kingdom is the LORD’s. Worship and the kingdom are inseparable.” Jane said “And Satan’s desire for worship goes all the way back to Isaiah 14. He did not just want power. He wanted the honor and recognition that belong only to God.” John said “The pastor proved that in Luke 4 when Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship. He connected worship directly to rulership. Whoever receives the worship rules.” Earl said “And Revelation 13:4 shows Satan finally getting it openly during the tribulation. The nations worship the dragon. That has been his objective since the beginning.”

What Scripture Says:

Psalm 22:27-28 — “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.”

Luke 4:7-8 — “If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Revelation 15:3-4 — “Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee.”

Friday: People & God’s Kingdom

The fire was still going and nobody seemed in a hurry to call it a night. Earl said “I liked how the pastor tied it all together with people. Territory, dominion and worship all require people to mean anything.” Dorothy said “A kingdom without people has nobody to govern, nobody to obey its laws and nobody to give worship and allegiance to the king.” John said “The pastor did a good job proving that God created mankind specifically to fill the earth with His image, exercise His dominion and worship Him as King. People are how every other objective gets accomplished.” Jane said “And Satan understood that from the beginning. That is why he went straight for Adam and Eve. Whoever controls the people controls the kingdom.” Earl said “I appreciated how the pastor used Romans 6:16. To whom you yield yourselves servants to obey his servants you are. Every person is already serving one of two kingdoms through their daily choices.” Dorothy said “And Colossians 1:13 shows what salvation actually is. God delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His Son. It is a transfer of people from one kingdom to another.” John said “That answers all three opening questions. God is not primarily fighting to evacuate people to heaven. Satan is not primarily fighting to populate hell. Both kingdoms are fighting for people on this earth because people are how kingdoms are built, territories are filled, dominion is exercised and worship is given.” Jane said “The war is here. The prize is people. And every person alive is already advancing one kingdom or the other.”

What Scripture Says:

Romans 6:16 — “Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness.” Every person is already serving one of two kingdoms through their daily choices. Yielding to sin advances Satan’s kingdom. Yielding to God advances His. There is no neutral ground in this war.

Colossians 1:13 — “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” Salvation is a kingdom transfer. God reaches into Satan’s kingdom and moves a person into His own as a citizen, a worshipper and a representative of His rule on earth. That transfer comes with a mission — to advance the King’s kingdom until He returns to establish it fully and permanently forever.