Is Satan Really The God Of This World?

As much as it might not sound right or feel good, Scripture labels satan as a god, but certainly not as Almighty God, the Creator of all. “In whom the god of this world [satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2Corinthians 4:4 KJV). Remember how Asaph described the heavenly scene? “God [Hebrew, elohim, singular] has taken His place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods [Hebrew, elohim, plural] He holds judgment” (Psalms 82:1 ESV). Jesus referred to Psalm 82:6-7 defending His claim to be the Son of God in John 10:34-36. But, Asaph noted, unlike the Almighty “like men you [the created, lesser gods or angels] shall die, and fall like any prince” (82:7). LORD, we worship You alone as the Almighty, the High and Lofty One That Inhabiteth Eternity. There is none like You. May we not be frightened by the god of this world. Preserve us from his devices. Give us of Your Word, that we may resist him, as Jesus did in the wilderness. There are “gods many and lords many” (1Corinthians 8:5 KJV), but only one Almighty. Establish Your throne in our hearts, and we look forward to You judging this wicked liar and usurper with his just deserts in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10). Bring this to past. Return quickly, deliver Your people, and judge Your enemies. In Jesus’ almighty name, we pray. Amen and amen. 

Israel: Pariah of the World

Following the Holocaust of WW2, sympathy for the downtrodden Jew was most prevalent. The modern Jewish state of Israel has repeatedly fought and won wars with neighboring Arab nations since its 1948 reincarnation. With the most recent invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, it was unreasonable for Hamas to defeat and occupy Israel, but Hamas could fight a limited war, sacrificing the lives of an estimated 36,000 Gazan fighters and residents, in exchange for a growing sympathy from the world for the plight of Gaza and an increased hostility toward Israel. Now, Israel is the pariah or outcast for its war in Gaza. Anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiment is now acceptable among the liberal establishment that once championed the right of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or age. What has changed? The secular world is governed by satan, “the god of this world” (2Corinthians 4:4 KJV), who hates Israel because Israel is loved by the LORD, who says, “My kindness shall not depart from thee” (Isaiah 54:10). It may take a bizarre, otherworldly change of events for Israel to have friendly relations again with its near neighbors, much less to fulfill the End Times predictions of the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27). But, the Almighty is positioning all things for this certain confrontation. LORD, You are the God who overrules the wicked one. Cause Your Church to be taught about what will come to pass. Help us to understand the capabilities of Your enemy. Cause us not to be blindsided by our foes from the Unseen Realm. Grant to Your Church the ability and the understanding to appreciate what You are about to do. Even so, return quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen and amen.