image ©craiyon.com
The questions I pose in this post's title may seem inconsequential to many, but I assure you they are at the heart of the spiritual battle in which we find ourselves. I don't think it's too hard to figure out that this earth is under extreme pressure. Organically speaking, the earth's elements are deteriorating and the Bible actually tells us that they are crying out for us to take back our dominion [and rule and maintain the earth as we were assigned]. Relationally speaking, man's mandate to love the Lord God with all our hearts, minds, souls, [and spirits], and to love each other as we love ourselves, has been a woeful failure. The state of our nation and the world is a testament to our shortcomings.
And if I could point to one thing [among many] that has led to this demise of our original position on earth, it would be this .... I don't think we fully understand God's plan for mankind, or Satan's plan to foil it. It's as if we've been blinded to the actual events that began in Heaven and have played out on the earth since the account revealed to us in Genesis, chapters one through three. The universe, itself, has a consciousness of the origin of "the rebellion" and its consequences throughout the millenia, but man, himself, became more and more self-centered and therefore, has been unable to see the full agenda of God's Enemy, Satan, the author of Heaven's Rebellion. It's as if, once removed from the Garden, mankind lost his supernatural worldview and now his perception is skewed and limited to only what is available to the human mind.
As this article on logos.com reminds us, we still have the basic concept of who Satan is and what he's all about ... The Bible tells us that because of his prideful nature he challenged God's Supremacy and Authority, hoping to usurp God's Heavenly throne and rule Heaven and all Creation for himself. As my previous post reveals, the Garden of Eden was the gate [portal] that gave man access to the presence of God and his relationship with Him. But the success of Satan's offered temptation to Adam and Eve cost them [and him] that access point, and the gate to Eden was closed. Satan's judgment was "to be expelled from Eden to a new domain: earth and the underworld". And ever since, there has been a battle between man and Satan for ownership of earth.
So, if asked "where does Satan live?", I would say he doesn't have a set, permanent residence. In fact, when God asks him in Job 1:7, "Where have you come from?", Satan answers, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it". It is important that we, as God's representatives on earth, understand that only He can be present everywhere at the same time [omnipresent]. Satan can only be in one place at a time. That's why he is best seen as a wanderer, prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
So, although we need to be alert to his ways and the territories he may inhabit, it is of utmost importance that we comprehend that Satan wants full and absolute dominion over the earth. He wants it for his permanent home and he resents that even when man sinned against Him, God still allowed man to retain his dominion over the earth, by sending His Son, Jesus, as the way to forgiveness and the re-establishment of our dominion. Therefore, Satan has been determined to come up with a plan that will [for all time] destroy man's authority and jurisdiction over the earth. Satan knew that if God's plan to send mankind a Redeemer is allowed to play out [as foretold in Genesis 3:15], his deed to the earth would become null and void.
And just so I make it clear as to who the Earth belongs to, let's consider a couple of verses that are essential to a true Biblical worldview. Deuteronomy 10:14 says, Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Makes it pretty clear, doesn't it? God is the rightful Owner of everything -- first, second, and third heaven, along with the planet earth and everything in it. But wait! What about Psalm 115:16, which says, The heavens are the LORD's heavens, but the earth He has given to the children of man. Doesn't that sound contradictory? Does the earth belong to God, or does it belong to man? As Genesis 1:26-28 tells us, God created the earth and then created man in His likeness, giving us authority to steward the planet on His behalf. In other words, we were given the responsibility to look after the earth, to manage it and take care of it for God, and to keep God's order in the land.
This is why you will see recurring posts on my blog that point to warnings about recognizing the attack plans of the Evil One to rob us of our authority and rulership of this domain called Earth. Satan is jealous that we are allowed to call Earth our [temporary] home -- even though our ancestors also rebelled against Him -- and he hates us, knowing that God has set His redemptive plan in place to return us to our original abode [from which he has been permanently expelled]. And that is why Satan has become our Enemy, and through his cunning and crafty ways, has always been committed to tempting men to rebel against God. And sadly, to some, he is [as Jesus refers to him, "the ruler of this world". Just like Adam and Eve, men throughout the ages have let their willful disobedience blind them to Satan's schemes to alter our identity, which is made in the image of God. If Satan can successfully pull off his game plan, then we will no longer share our hereditary traits that identify us as part of God's family, and the highest Fallen Angel can finally claim Earth as belonging to him.
Because let's face it, the people in Jared and Noah's day didn't understand the Seed War that Satan designed [through the Fallen Angels] to corrupt the bloodline so that the Redeemer could not be born. And neither do enough of us see Satan's modern attack plan through his GRIN network (Genome manipulation; Robotics, Intelligence (Artificial), and Nanotechnology). Nothing has really changed! Satan will continue to seek ways to tempt, deceive, exploit, and corrupt man's relationship with God in the hopes that he can, at last, remove us from God's protective hand. We know that God will never relinquish us if we remain a true and steadfast believer. But we must pay attention to Satan's schemes so that we are not tempted to remove ourselves by no longer remaining in God's image.
That's what Satan's latest warfare strategy is all about ... transhumanism. By its own definition, transhumanism is "a philosophical and intellectual movement that advocates the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available new and future technologies that can greatly enhance longevity, cognition, and well-being". [Emphasis is my own]. In other words, if we are willing, we can improve on God's design of what it means to be a human. The ultimate goal behind this movement is to convince mankind that we don't need God to live eternally, gain wisdom, or enjoy good health, feel secure, or prosper. Satan's agents in this world want us to believe that technology is our new Savior; technology has become the new tree of life and the new tree of knowledge -- don't worry about whether it is knowledge of good and evil; it is just "the way" to our future; a future where God is unnecessary.
So, can you see why it matters who we think the earth belongs to? If you think God has lost ownership and authority, and his plans for this planet and the future of mankind are archaic and obsolete, and mankind would be better served by joining forces with the Usurper, then you have the free will to make that choice. As for me, I pray that men will come to the knowledge of Christ and recognize that we are in the predicament we're in because we have fallen short of our mandate to steward the earth as the God of all Creation has commanded us. Because of our fallen nature, the earth has been under God's curse (Genesis 3:17). And nothing the Enemy of God can offer us will ever replace God's righteous rule. All of the technology that is supposed to enhance and advance our condition on earth is no match for God's promise that Heaven and earth will pass away (Matthew 24:35), but we will live eternally with Him, where we will live in the new Heaven and earth, and we will rule and reign with Christ in His Kingdom (Revelation 22:1-5).
The time is now to see and understand what has been, what is now, and what will be on the earth! Do you know who you are, and whose you are? Do you understand the part you are to play? Do not ask, "Why does God allow Satan to rule on the earth?" God doesn't allow Satan's authority over men! Men choose [through their free will] to follow Satan's false rule in their lives! The true King of the Universe is coming soon! The earth and everything in it is coming under His judgment and we, who have faith in Him as the Creator and our Savior/Redeemer, await Him as the Righteous One who brings renewal and restoration. Hallelujah!
Psalm 23:6 Surely [only] goodness and mercy [steadfast love] shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall [return to] dwell in the House of the Lord forever. AMP