The Supernatural Lifeနမူနာ

Hidden in Plain Sight

Intelligent evil—Satan, demons, the lesser gods who rule the nations—do not know everything. They do not have the mind of God, nor can they penetrate it. We tend to presume that because they are supernatural they are all-knowing. Not true. There is only one omniscient being—God. And he happens to be on our side.

Because of the fall, Satan had rightful jurisdiction over us all. . . . Because of Adam’s sin, “death spread to all” (Romans 5:12). The serpent was cursed, cast down to rule over the realm of the dead—the underworld, or what we refer to as hell. Because of the fall, everyone is destined to die and go to the realm of the dead—where the devil reigns.

That all changed when Jesus came the first time and fulfilled God’s plan of salvation by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. The first step to restoring Eden was to provide a means for humanity to escape the curse of death. All who believe, who are made members of God’s family and kingdom, are no longer hostage to the curse of death and the lord of the dead. This is why Jesus, when beginning his ministry of reviving the kingdom (Luke 10:1–9), said: “I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Jesus knew his death and resurrection would pay the sinner’s debt, leaving Satan with no claim on our souls. The kingdom was the beginning of the end for the lord of the dead.

We must, again, remember who we are—and where our identity comes from. Believers, collectively as the church, are called the body of Christ. And Jesus’ body was raised. We will rise because he has risen (1 Corinthians 15:20–23). He is the firstborn of the dead. We are “the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” (Hebrews 12:23). As John said, “But as many as received him—to those who believe in his name—he gave to them authority to become children of God” (John 1:12 LEB). 

Satan has no claim on the children of God because they will rise from death. There is no reason to look for the living in the realm of the dead.

God wouldn’t reveal his hand to anyone—be they human or divine, loyal or adversarial. The specifics of how the Messiah would accomplish God’s purposes had to be hidden. But God would let them know in unmistakable terms that when the Messiah appeared, he would be God in human flesh, and the restoration of the Edenic kingdom was the endgame. [That] was just enough information to prompt faith in people’s hearts and to bait the powers of darkness into putting their own destruction into motion.