God's Devil by Erwin W. Lutzer

Author:Erwin W. Lutzer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 2015-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHRIST’S VICTORY TODAY

Today Satan and Christ no longer meet in the wilderness of Judea. Christ is seated in heaven as head of the church at the right hand of God the Father. He has in His possession “the key of David.” He describes Himself as “the holy one, the true one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens” (Revelation 3:7). A key represents authority. In His case it is unquestioned, sovereign authority.

The trustees of our church in Chicago issue different keys to different employees. Some keys will just get you into the building; others will also let you into the office area. Then there is another key that will take you into the building, the office area, and a specific office. Finally, there is the master key that will open any door in the facility, including the closets and the storage areas.

Christ has the master key to the universe. There is no closet on planet Earth that is closed to Him. We do Him no honor when we say that there are countries that are “closed to the gospel.” If we think that there is some pocket of resistance that the gospel cannot overcome, we diminish His authority in the world. He has the key to every family and every heart. He also holds the key to our suffering and our struggles with the devil.

One day a minister told me about a town he described as the “occult capital of the Midwest.” He said it had more covens, satanic rituals, and demonically controlled individuals per capita than anywhere else. His church was struggling, he said, because the area was “a minister’s graveyard.” Arsonists tried to burn his church and the members were harassed.

I can appreciate the opposition he was receiving, but I have some good news for him. I know of a church next to a nest of satanically induced worshipers and yet the church flourished because of the direct intervention of Christ. This was the church in Philadelphia, situated along the seacoast in Asia Minor.

Because He has the key of David, Christ could say to this church, “Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. … Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them to come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you” (Revelation 3:8–9). We might be tempted to think that Satan had the key to this synagogue; after all, it was dominated by his authority and power. But Christ can override the evil one and assure the church that these Jews will become believers; the followers of Satan will become the followers of Christ.

Satan’s key to this synagogue will only get him so far. Christ has the master key. Or better, Satan only pretends to have the key, deluding others to think that he is the one who can shut doors and open them.

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