One of the great lies of Satan is in how he uses human institutions such as religion and politics to make it look like God uses violence to defeat violence. This is the great myth of redemptive violence, which is seen in almost every movie, story, and legend of history, as well as within every daily newspaper and every nightly news broadcast.
We have been taught that violence is the best way to defeat violence. This is the myth of redemptive violence.
But more than that, divinely sanctioned violence is the most successful, and can even be carried out in the name of God. But Jesus reveals in His life and ministry, and especially through His death and resurrection, the true emptiness of redemptive violence. He unmasks Satan’s lie of redemptive violence for all the world to see.
Although really, as it turned out, it was Satan himself who, in crucifying Jesus, unwittingly revealed his lie to the world. The trap that Satan had set for Jesus turned out to be a trap that Jesus had laid for Satan. This is why Paul says that if Satan had known that the death of Jesus would be his undoing, he never would have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:8). In blaming God and finally crucifying God, Satan thought he was winning; but the death blow he dealt upon Jesus turned out to be his own. By using the power of Satan, Jesus defeated Satan, which in reality, turned out to be Satan causing his own defeat.
Satan Stole Dominion Over the Earth
It all began in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve were created by God, they were given dominion over the earth. But when they sinned in the Garden, they effectively handed this dominion over to Satan. He did not steal the dominion; it was freely given to him. As a result, he now became the ruler of this age, the god of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4).
Due to the nature of the dominion which God had given to Adam, God could not simply take back the dominion now that it had been handed over to Satan. God had freely given it to Adam, and Adam had freely given to Satan. The only way for God (or mankind) to get the dominion back from Satan was if Satan freely gave it back, which he was never going to do. Satan had wanted to be like God, and in gaining dominion over the earth, he became a god. Satan had an iron grip on this world, and he ruled it ruthlessly and with all dominion, power, and authority.
Under Satan’s rule, darkness, terror, death, and chaos reigned. If you have read Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (or seen the movies), imagine what life would be like in Middle Earth if Sauron had been able to obtain the One Ring, the ring of power. The reason that Gandalf and the races of Middle Earth sought to stop Sauron from regaining the ring is because they did not want their world to plunge into eternal death and chaos. But in the biblical account, this is exactly what happened when Adam handed dominion over to Satan.
Satan Blamed God for Satanic Violence
But Satan was not content just to rule by spreading darkness and terror. He wanted to get humanity to blame God for all the evil that happened in this world, and in so doing, solidify his own power even more. How did Satan do this? He used the myth of redemptive violence. He got people to believe that when evil people rose to power, whether their power was over a single person or an entire country, violence was required to overthrow that evil. And yet almost without fail, when the new rulers rose to power, they became more oppressive than the oppressors they overthrew.
In this way, the cycle continued endlessly.
Satan raised up oppressive and tyrannical individuals, governments, and religious institutions so that he might later raise up “righteous liberators” who would violently overthrow the oppressive regimes, but in so doing, become more oppressive and tyrannical than those who preceded them. Those who had power reigned with violent methods and those who came into power did so with violence. Almost always in human history, when the persecuted rise up in violence to overthrow the persecutors, it did not take long before the persecuted become the persecutors.
In this way, Satan “casts out Satan,” and thus endlessly consolidated and amplified his own power.
We will look more at this idea tomorrow. Until then, what do you think of the idea laid out above? Do you think that Satan uses violence to make it look like God is defeating Satan, when in reality, it is Satan “casting out Satan” so that it appears that God is defeating him?
How can a God who says "Love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44) be the same God who instructs His people in the Old Testament to kill their enemies?
These are the sorts of questions we discuss and (try to) answer in my online discipleship group. Members of the group can also take ALL of my online courses (Valued at over $1000) at no charge. Learn more here: Join the RedeemingGod.com Discipleship Group I can't wait to hear what you have to say, and how we can help you better understand God and learn to live like Him in this world!
You’re on to something here, the lie that the best way to deal with violence is more violence. Is that not the way of humanity, as was whispered in its ear by Satan himself?
Obviously Jesus messed up in a big way his first time here on earth. He had the power to slay his enemies and set up his Kingdom. Yet his enemies killed him. Next time around, however, the tables will be turned. The blood will run in the streets. Right? That will show us who Jesus really is. Then he can really set up his Kingdom. Is that really who Jesus is?
Thanks. Yes, one of the great lies of Satan is that violence can be used to defeat violence. The problem is that is seems to work! For a time, anyway.
Most biblical scholars agree that Satan was a late invention or was borrowed from the Persians around 200 BCE. There is no evidence that the ‘tempter’ in the garden was Satan. Previous references to Satan as in job use the lower case ‘satan’ as a description rather than as a name. ‘satan’ as in Job means ‘adversary’. Thus, Satan could not have ‘stolen’ dominion over the world in the garden – he did not exist in Hebrew mythology at that point. You preachers love to display Satan as the prime villian because then you can answer the question suffering with, as the church lady used to say, “could it be… Satan?”
I am interested what your reply is to this Jeremy. It is for me the first time to hear this. But very interesting to read after searching big G for this topic.
@Harold
There is a tension between:
* Knowing the name gives power over;
* Using the name generates energy for;
Names are not used, as a means of minimizing the available energy.
As descriptions, titles, and the like begin to be used, they become alternate names. For negative deities, new descriptions, euphemisms, etc. are generated, only to fall into disuse, when they become too popular, or well-known.
Reading the Bible chronologically, one can follow the rise, and subsequent fall of the majority of dieties described therein.
Harold, Taco, and Jonathan,
Yes, I know that the theology of Satan did not really develop until 200 BC or so. But there are other ways of writing about the things Satan did without using the term “Satan” or thinking of him as a being. In fact, I am not certain that he is a “being” exactly as we think of “beings.”
For many of us the term Satan describes evil. It describes something more than an individual, although I suspect it is possible for evil to be personified. In one sense it is a concept, in another it is also very real. Three good friends have had personal encounters with evil beings who are not of this world. I don’t know what to make of that, but believe their stories and wonder what those beings are.
Harold I hear what you are saying but what is your point? Just to come out with the old chestnut there is no devil, cant be called connecting with the statement. Satan mentioned in Genesis 3 had no power to make Adam and Eve sin, however as today we all desire what we have not and to get it we have learnt the tactics of the devil, which are lying and cheating, to get.
once we decide to live in the camp of the evil one, we give up the rights given to us by God and give them away for what we feel is something better.
Can you not see as each day goes by that the world is becoming more and more wicked, where the end justifies the means. Russia like us is hungry for power and control as the devil convinces us that we are all surrounded by the enemy. We believe these lies to be true so act accordingly. Jesus statement
is the truth “l Am the way the truth and the life, follow me”.
Christ was fulfilling the sacrificial system set in place for sin. Before it was animals blood to pay the cost of sin for the wages of sin is death. After Christ there was no other sacrifice needed. Satan and devil are descriptions of the name LUCIFER or the “system of the Dragon”IE Lucifer. The first part of sin was adding to the commandments of God see proverbs 30:6. The serpent was testing Eves knowledge which lead her to add to the commandment adding ” we shall not even go near it” referring to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was when the serpent saw this he knew he could convince Eve to take and eat and disobey the command of our father. Forget not that there is a prophecy in Genesis speaking of Christ in Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Let us examine the words here. Usually a women’s seed would never be phrased epically in the Hebrew culture unless it was the only half that came from the woman as in the case with Marry and Christ. The woman is not the seed but the egg, also note that a bruise to the heal is a minor victory as oppose to a bruise to the head is a defeating victory such as was Christ. Note “thou shalt bruise “his” heel. In 3:14 we notice that the serpent must now craw on his belly and eat the dust of the earth ? We know serpents do not eat dust and we know Satan walks about like a Lion ready to devour that whom he may….Man is the dust and came from the dust….
Not sure i am convinced because how do you explain the verse an eye for an eye in the old testament there have always been consequences for wrong doing and stiill are for sin.If we believe the word then that word is from God not satan.As far as satan is concerned he uses violence as his tools of trade he works on our fears and is limited to robbing stealing and destroying he doesnt have anything else.Violence confirms to us that there is a spiritual battle going on both on the earthly plane and in the heavenlys and the battle is over souls.The verse the kingdon of heaven is expanding and violent people take it by force is referring to that spiritual battle and as satan uses violence to expand his dominion so does God use violence to counter him.So what does he mean by that term for me i think it is saying that the the force of evil that satan uses or violence is overcome by a greater violence or force a more powerful one that being the Love of Christ.Through the cross we see that clearly portrayed and in our lives that very same battle is still happening right now for dominion be clear if we walk in the flkesh satan will have dominion over us but if we walk according to the spirit and abide in Christ we have freedom from our old nature.and satan.He can oppose us but he wont be able to influence us if we are in Christ. There is a battle raging but we are overcomers through Christ who strengthens us.brentnz
The word is clear he who lives by the sword dies by the sword otherwise jesus would have overthrown the romans but that clearly was not Gods will..or his way salvation was through the cross.brentnz
If we want to be clear, then the quote is actually ” he who takes the sword will die by the sword ”
I think that your conclusion is correct there is no Christian holy war of battle arms authorised.
If we consider the rise of ” Christendom ” perhaps it could be claimed that Jesus overthrew the Romans ?
Those were the words of Jesus to Peter and relates to the building of his Kingdom it is not being build on violence but on love.We are living in a fallen world satan is alive and is using violence to control through fear.We are in a spiritual battle and are expected to fight in prayer and intercession and in the earthly level surely that battle wages on the earthly plane a good example is Israel they must fight to protect her borders and squash any terrorism they put in place necessary safeguards to protect there citizens thats not violence thats common sense and for there own self preservation.So isnt it that we should not kill out of anger or use unneccesary violence if there is another way to resolve issues but in the case where an enemy is out to destroy you like satan who is using men and countries to do that then we must make that decision to fight back in the Lords strength and it could come to war and we then have to decide whether it is right for us to make that choice to fight for our God for our country and for our family.On paper it is an easy decision but in reality it not so clear cut.brentnz
Jeremy since we are talking about satan casting out satan heres a question for you.Have you ever wondered why Jesus helps satan at times or at least it appears that way.Mat 8:28-34 Why would he do that in the case of the demonic man the demons requested that Jesus cast them them into the pigs which he allowed it seems that not only did he help satan to have his way in destroying the pigs but destroyed the livelihood of the people in that area.You could argue at least it saved one man but is it acceptable to save one life but affect the lives of many ? Its something that got my attention as it seems out of character for Jesus to do and doesnt fit the bible context the word says that Jesus came to destroy the works of satan in this case he appears to be helping him.Interested in your thoughts.I have got my conclusions on this thanks to the holy spirit it certainly doesnt shake my faith in Christ he is still the same yesterday today and forever.brentnz.
That is an excellent question, and one I have wondered about as well. I do not have a good answer to it. If you run across one, please let me know!
Jeremy i was stumped to on this one as well so i asked the holy spirit to help me i looked at alot of different possibilitys commentarys really werent any help apart from the background.Thinking that Jesus was somehow implicated with satan in any way seemed to be a contradiction of who he was.The holy spirit revealed that to understand these types of passages we can fully trust that God is who he says he is he he doesnt change his character or who he is.He is almighty holy trustworthy faithful and more .So Jesus is revealing to us the battle between satan and God.The battle lines are clearly marked as God is who he is holy righteous satan is also clearly seen as the one who robs steals and destroys that the pigs were destroyed shows satans purpose. Gods came to set the captive free.God is always in control he calls the shots not Satan he is in control his motives and purposes we cannot understand but we do know his character is always for good and he always has a plan.It is spiritual lesson from a real life situation.I am jumping way ahead here but at the time the people sent Jesus away the demoniac man was sent back to his family when you read later because of his testimony the next time they visit years later to those towns many people are saved because of him so again yes some pigs died one man was set free but that man went and told his story and many were saved and added to the kingdom so to God be the glory.brentnz
Today as i was thinking about Jesus sending the demons into the pigs and i thought God is not punishing but judging and he made a decision.This idea came from your other discussion which i believe is what he does he decides to make a judgement call he is sovereign and it shows his tender heart and mercy that not a single person was afflicted.The pigs unlike men have no soul so have no eternal consequence upon them they live and they die.either way they were going to get killed.We can be assured that Gods judgements are right and just the pork was going to the gentile nations who worshipped other Gods and no doubt would have been offered to idols so there is a consequence when we disobey the Laws of God even even when we dont know or understand his laws.brentnz