After Jesus had fasted for 40 days the devil came and tempted Him, “…the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, FOR IT HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO ME, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and HIM ONLY SHALL YOU SERVE.’” (Luke 4:5-8), Jesus was quoting from, Deuteronomy 6:13.
What did the devil mean when he said, “I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me…” Paul tells us, “The god of this age (Satan) has BLINDED THE MINDS OF UNBELIEVERS, so that they cannot see THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) Paul teaches us in another place, “Once you were under God’s curse, doomed forever for your sins. You went along with the crowd and were just like all the others, FULL OF SIN, OBEYING SATAN, the mighty PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, who is at work right now in the hearts of those who are against the Lord.” (Ephesians 2:1-2)
Why was Satan called the “god of this age”? Way back in Genesis, “Now the serpent (Satan, the devil) was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD GOD had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall NOT EAT OF EVERY TREE of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1) NO, what God said was, “Of EVERY TREE of the garden YOU MAY FREELY EAT; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil YOU SHALL NOT EAT, for in the day that you eat of it YOU SHALL SURELY DIE.” (Genesis 2:16-17)
“Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4) The devil is saying that God is a liar, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So, when the woman saw that the tree was GOOD FOR FOOD, that it was PLEASANT TO THE EYES, and a tree desirable TO MAKE ONE WISE, she took of its fruit AND ATE. She also GAVE TO HER HUSBAND with her, and HE ATE.” (Genesis 3:5-6) They SINNED against God, they were forced to leave this beautiful garden because of that sin. God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of THE TREE OF LIFE, AND EAT, AND LIVE FOREVER” (in a sinful state)— therefore the LORD God SENT HIM OUT of the garden of Eden…” (Genesis 3:22-23) Adam and Eve were no longer saved, some how many think today that its ok to sin because we don’t really get SEPARATED FROM GOD. But we cannot be joined to God when we are SINNERS!
When Adam and Eve sinned they temporarily gave their allegiance to the devil. That’s when Satan became the “god of this world.” When we are born in this world, we are born into sin “for ALL HAVE SINNED and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23) Paul said, “that Christ DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:3) And that we must “Repent therefore and BE CONVERTED (saved, born again), that your sins may be BLOTTED OUT, so that times of refreshing (when we become a brand new creation in Christ) may come from the presence of the Lord…” (Acts 3:19)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham