For the past year, there has been lots of hype on social media about the last days, tribulation, and the antichrist. Some have been true and others false, even lost people understand this world is evil.
They can see this world is cursed and perishing (Genesis 3:14-17, 1 John 2:17). Somehow, they know the signs of the end of the world (Matthew 24:3-13).
- Wars
- Global warming
- Greed
- Pride
The evil spirit of the world (Yetzer Hara) is having its way with God’s creation. People are suffering. Injustice is accepted and hatred is stronger than love. Satan is feeling at home in this fallen world.
Satan
Christianity teaches that Satan is a fallen angel of God who works against God’s people to cause hardship and suffering in this world. The devil rebelled against God in heaven and led a third of the angels astray.
Because of his pride and deception, God cast him and his angels out of a perfect heaven (Ezekiel 28:12-18). It was Satan who deceived Adam and Eve in the garden. Satan is translated as either as either “accuser” or adversary” and is viewed as God’s enemy.
Ha-Satan
Judaism doesn’t view the devil as Christianity and other religions. Ha-Satan is more of a spirit of evil than a being. This spirit is anything that contradicts or opposes God and His purposes.
Ha-Satan is the spirit of evil that rules this world. Sometimes this spirit is personified in the Bible as individual beings who opposed and attacked God’s people. Below are a few times when evil opposed God’s people as beings:
- when the Philistines opposed David (1 Samuel 29:4)
- Rezon of Damascus (1 Kings 11:22)
- Satan opposed King David (1 Chronicles 21:1)
- Against Job (Job 1-2)
- King of Babylon (Isaiah 14:12- 14)
- The kings (Daniel 7 19-25)
- Accuser of Zachariah (Zachariah 3:1-3)
- Tempting Jesus (Mark 1:13)
- The antichrist (1 John 2:18)
- The devil (Revelation 12:11)
The spirit of evil has been roaming the earth since God expelled it from heaven. This spirit is the cause of suffering and temptation for God’s people. The Apostle Paul warned the early church that our battle is not against the rulers and governments of this world, but against dark spiritual forces of this world and in heavenly places (2 Corinthians 11:14, Ephesians 6:12-20).
Ha-Satan is the evil sin within each of our hearts. The Apostle Paul shares his battles with the evil within himself (Romans 7:14-23). This is our Yetzer Hara, the fight between good and evil within each of us.
The Good Fight
The promise of the Jewish Messiah was more than just for an earthly victor for God’s people; the Messiah came to conquer death and the Ha-Satan of this fallen world. The Messiah came to redeem God’s creation from its sinful and evil nature.
He is the “Good” Shepherd of Israel who protects God’s people from the evil intentions of the adversary (John 10:10-11). God’s people are called to be the salt, and the light of the world to fight against Ha-Satan.
The ways of the world are evil, We are called to follow the ways of our Master and Lord Jesus.
- Generous
- Compassionate
- patient
The Apostle Paul reminds us to bear fruits of the Spirit and not the flesh (Galatians 5:22-23). The first Adam took the fruit of the flesh and followed the spirit of Ha-Satan. The second Adam was led by the Spirit and produced Heavenly fruit (Matthew 3:16).
Jesus told His followers to deny themselves and follow Him and not the ways of Ha-Satan (Matthew 4:18-20).
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