Why Jesus LET Satan Rule the World

Comments · 566

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  @nathanshackelford7812 · 8 days ago

  I believe this concept, that God allows Satan to be the prince of this world, makes far more sense if we adopt the Irenaean Framework instead of the Augustinian Framework. <br> <br>In the Augustinian view, the fall was a catastrophe. God&apos;s original plan was ruined, and everything after, including redemption, the cross, and the church, is damage control. But that framework has a logical problem. If God is omniscient and exists outside time, He already knew the end from the beginning. God does not need a Plan B. There is no Plan B. There is only one eternal plan, and the fall is a stage within it, not a derailment of it. <br> <br>In the Irenaean Framework, life is a test. There is no real free will unless there is real evil and real wrong in the world. A soldier can only be brave when there is real danger. A person can only be loyal when betrayal is possible. Love can only be genuine when rejection is possible. So for God to give us a real life, a life where we make real decisions, where we are not just love robots, God had to permit evil in the world. And since God is only good, there had to be someone else to facilitate evil. <br> <br>When Lucifer fell, it became the perfect mechanism to facilitate the potential for evil, ultimately required for free will. As humans, we receive both good thoughts (through the Holy Spirit) and evil thoughts (through a theorized communication from Satan, possibly something like our gut microbiome, or simply the fallen nature within us). But it is our choice, our free will, as to which thoughts we ultimately latch onto. <br> <br>If we understood this, we would have more gratitude, because we would understand that the fall was planned by God (Irenaean Framework), not a catastrophe (Augustinian Framework). It is not that humans are responsible for the guilt of Adam and Eve. I strongly believe that is a misinterpretation of Scripture. It is that humans are born into a fallen world that Satan controls, and with temptation all around us, it is impossible not to sin. God knew that. And that is why the Cross was as much a plan from the very beginning as the fall was. Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). <br> <br>There is a beauty in God allowing Satan to do all he does while still ultimately controlling him. If Satan is only allowed to exist on God&apos;s terms, and the decisions Satan makes ultimately serve God&apos;s purposes, then Satan is really the only one who lacks free will. He thinks he is rebelling. He thinks he is winning. But every move he makes is bounded by divine permission and turned toward divine ends. He is the accuser who cannot accuse without leave. He is the tempter who cannot tempt beyond the limit. He is the prince of this world who cannot claim a single soul that does not belong to him. And in the end, every knee will bow, including his (Philippians 2:10-11). The one being in the universe who believes he is free is the one who is most bound. <br> <br>The Biblical Pattern: Satan Must Ask Permission <br>This is not speculation. The Bible consistently portrays Satan as a real, malicious, intelligent being who nevertheless operates under divine permission and divine limits. <br> <br>Job 1-2 — Satan appears before God in the heavenly council. God asks where he has been. Satan says he has been roaming the earth. God points to Job: &quot;Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him.&quot; Satan responds: &quot;Does Job fear God for nothing? You have blessed him with everything. But stretch out your hand and touch his possessions, and he will surely curse you to your face.&quot; God replies: &quot;Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.&quot; Later, Satan asks for more permission: &quot;Skin for skin! A man will give all he has for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.&quot; God again permits it, with limits: &quot;Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.&quot; <br> <br>So Satan cannot act without divine permission. And even when permission is granted, God sets the boundaries. <br> <br>Luke 22:31 — Jesus tells Peter: &quot;Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.&quot; Same pattern. Satan must ask. Jesus intercedes. The trial is permitted, but its limits are set by God. <br> <br>2 Corinthians 12:7 — Paul says he was given &quot;a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.&quot; But he also says this was permitted, &quot;to keep me from becoming conceited.&quot; Again, evil has a role, but it operates under divine oversight. <br> <br>Revelation 12:7-12 — Satan and his angels fight against Michael and are hurled to earth. But even there, he is described as having &quot;great wrath, because he knows his time is short.&quot; His power is real but temporary and bounded. <br> <br>Zechariah 3:1-2 — Joshua the high priest stands before the angel of the Lord, and Satan stands at his right side to accuse him. The Lord rebukes Satan: &quot;The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you!&quot; Again, the accuser is present, but he is rebuked by divine authority. <br> <br>1 Peter 5:8 — &quot;Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.&quot; Satan is real, active, and dangerous. But he is not sovereign. He prowls within limits. <br> <br>James 4:7 — &quot;Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.&quot; The test is real. The tempter is real. But resistance is possible, and the outcome is secured for those who submit to God. <br> <br>What This Framework Explains <br>Q: Why does God allow evil in the world? <br>A: Because without evil, free will is hollow and meaningless. For God to create humans in His own image, only to not let them make their own decisions, that was not a world worth creating in the first place. A world with no possibility of evil is a world with no courage, no loyalty, no love, no faith. It is a world of puppets, not persons. <br> <br>Q: What is the purpose of life? <br>A: Life is a test of spiritual maturity. There cannot be any real test without real free will, and there cannot be real free will without real evil. The goal is not just to be forgiven. It is to become like God, to participate in His nature (2 Peter 1:4). The fall is not just a problem to be solved. It is the context in which the journey to maturity unfolds. <br> <br>Q: Why the Cross? <br>A: Because the test is real, and we all fail it. But God did not leave us in our failure. He entered the test Himself, took human form, suffered the most painful death imaginable, and emerged victorious on the other side. The Cross is not Plan B. It is the center of the eternal plan. Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). The incarnation was always the plan, not as a rescue from an accident, but as the means by which humanity is elevated. <br> <br>The Conclusion <br>If God is sovereign and omniscient, there is no Plan B. There is only one eternal plan, and the fall, however real and painful and evil, is a stage within it, not a derailment of it. Sin is still evil. It is failing the test. And its weight is measured by what it cost God to redeem us. But grace is still central. We do not just need maturation. We need rescue. And God provided it, at infinite cost to Himself. <br> <br>The end is not a return to Eden. It is something greater: a glorified humanity, a new heaven and new earth, a city not made with hands. And the test, however severe, is worth it. Because existence with freedom is better than non existence without it. And the God who designed the workshop is not a cruel experimenter. He is a loving Father who knows exactly what His children need to grow.

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  @pupsymila · 9 days ago

  now i see clearly why we have to help buy back people by witnessing to them and fill the earth with redeemed people

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  @matthewhjort5021 · 8 days ago

  All I can say is Thank You Father Jesus and Spirit

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  @End-times2026 · 9 days ago

  Admittedly I started late in life reading the scriptures. I really enjoy learning something new, especially when it&apos;s explained in a way that&apos;s easy to understand.

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  @Debunked421 · 8 days ago

  I love Pastor Josh tears up, God is so awesome when you think about HOW and WHAT the LORD has done, you cant help but bend the knee

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• KI

  @KingofAmerica777 · 9 days ago

  “It’s my world,your just living here rent free” God almighty

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• KA

  @KariChunn · 8 days ago

  Oh man, this teaching is phenomenal! Thank you for this enlightenment Josh.

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• FO

  @foothillgirl7989 · 7 days ago (edited)

  I&apos;m 62 all my life in church. &nbsp; I haven&apos;t heard this teaching before at least not tied to the deeds. &nbsp;In fact I haven&apos;t heard any novel exposition of the scriptures in 35 years. &nbsp;Glad I found you.

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• KA

  @karinjudd1442 · 9 days ago

  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. <br> And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? &nbsp;The slain Lamb God, Jesus Christ. &nbsp;Amen

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• VZ

  @vzBrodie · 8 days ago

  Excellent! 🤍🕊<br>Praise Father Son &amp; Holy Spirit! 🙌

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• JU

  @Jumper-hk4bb · 8 days ago

  All Glory To Our God ✝️

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• PO

  @poxdaccy · 6 hours ago

  Jesus bless you for explaining this - Brilliant

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