Line Upon Line

We know [positively] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one. 1 John 5:19 (AMP)

There were about ten or twelve of us guys who traveled from Dublin, Georgia, to Fort Mill, South Carolina, to visit Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's Heritage Village, U.S.A. We went to check out some of their buildings--one barn-like structure in particular--that one of the men thought might give us some ideas for the new church building we were about to construct. In 1981, Debbi and I moved our family and belongings from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Dublin, and founded Dublin Christian Fellowship. The congregation had grown from 59 to 300 people in two Sunday morning services. We had run out of space in our downtown storefront buildings, so we purchased 28 acres of property out near I-69, and we were making plans for a new ministry facility.

After winding up our tour, we loaded ourselves into the van and hit the road for the 250-mile trip back to Dublin. It wasn't too long before someone started singing, and the others joined in. I was riding shotgun, and enjoying the spiritually charged atmosphere. But something interesting happened when the guys began singing, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." As they all joined in and sang that familiar Sunday school chorus, a verse of Scripture popped into my mind: "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). I thought, the whole world is not in God's hands; it's in the Devil's hands! One Bible translator expressed it this way: "the whole world lies in the embrace of the evil one."

We Are Not of This World

Now wait a minute before you run off yelling, "Heresy!" It's true that everything, including Planet Earth, is absolutely under God's control. There is no power that's not subject to Him. But at the same time, the reality is, this present world system is under the control of the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). That's why the Apostle Paul tells us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12;1,2). In another place he instructs us that, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:1,2).

I realize that I've written quite a bit lately about the spiritual battle that we're in; but, I think we tend to forget just what we face each day when we wake up in this world. Jesus said, we are "in the world, but not of it." At least that's the way it's supposed to be. Yet, too often we are influenced by the world, and end up thinking the way the world thinks. As a result, we become ineffective in our witness on behalf of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.

Greater Is He That Is In Us

Back in the days of the Charismatic Renewal, there was a lot of talk about the Devil. There were debates as to whether or not a Christian could be obsessed, oppressed, or possessed by the Devil. Sometimes, all the attention paid to the Devil caused fear to arise in God's people. The truth is, "greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). That's a good thing to remember!

Consider the following observations by E.M. Bounds from his book, Guide to Spiritual Warfare:

'The whole world lieth in the evil one' means that the world is in the power of the Devil, is held in subjection by him, and is fixed and established. The Devil is pictured not only as trying to kindle into a flame the desires that may remain in a good man's heart after conversion, but also as enfolding in his arms the whole world and making it subject to his power and submissive to his absolute control.

In these statements from the Bible about the world and the Devil, we see why the world opposes heaven. We realize the enmity between the two. Heaven is Christ's place, the place where He is, and to which He wants men to come. The world is Satan's place. His power is here. To fix our hearts on the world is to be loyal to him. To fix our hearts on heaven is to be loyal to Christ.

Here we have the reason for the world's cruel hatred of Jesus, and why it has so bitterly persecuted His followers. We see why the 'flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh' (Galatians 5:17). We see why these are not only contrary to one another, but also at war with one another. The Devil is in the flesh and rules it. Christ is in the Spirit. This world leads away from Christ.

The Christian is called to renounce his allegiance to the world. By his very relationship to Jesus Christ, he is lifted out of the world's deadly embraces, and its polluting charms are broken. In this subserviency of the world to the Devil, we have the reason for the world's intense hatred of Jesus Christ. We can see why the world has armed itself with all its forces under the power of the Devil to destroy the cause of Christ.

Guard Your Heart and Mind

It's not my intention to alarm you, but rather to sound an alarm--to awaken you to the reality of the warfare in this world. The battle is a battle for your soul. You need to watch what you see and listen to what you hear. You need to guard your heart and mind, and fix your thoughts on things above--not things on the earth. Remember, we're just passing through this place, so don't get too attached to anything here. Our treasure awaits us in Heaven, where Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father in glory!

think on these things...

John 17:15 (AMP)
I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one.

1 John 4:4 (NAS)
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Luke 10:19 (NKJV)
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

1 John 2:14-17 (NKJV)
I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

"The devil is not terribly frightened of our human efforts and credentials. But he knows his kingdom will be damaged when we begin to lift up our hearts to God." Jim Cymbala