The Battle Begins
Students of the Bible know that the battle for the souls of mankind began in the Garden of Eden when Saten enticed Adam and Eve to disobey God (Genesis 3). But I want to narrow the focus of our discussion to the present age in which we live - the time between the first and second comings of Christ. Though Satan has been actively opposing the work of God from the beginning, it took on a new focus when Christ died on the Cross to pay the penalty for the sin that separated man from God. The apostle John records that from the Cross Jesus declared, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). That meant that Satan, the "accuser of our brethren" (Revelation 12:10), no longer had the right to accuse us of sinning against God since Christ paid the penalty for our sins (Colossians 2:14). And when Christ raised from the dead, death - the penalty for our sins - was no longer a threat to us (I Corinthians 15:54-57). For all who have put their faith in Christ's death and resurrection s...