Who Is The Ruler Of This World?

By: Gladys Raquel Hernández



"Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil´s tricks. We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over you will still be standing firm”. (Ephesians 6:11-13)

“This world´s people are now being judged and the ruler of this world is already being thrown out!. (John 12:31)

It is possible to view through these biblical verses that there is an opponent, an adversary, an enemy who opposes our love relationship with God. This spiritual being once belonged to God´s army in heaven and was the protector cherubim: one of God´s winged attendants and the most important angel in God´s kingdom, who was in charge of taking care of all God´s creation in the holy mountain. This spiritual being was perfect to fulfill his mission, but he had a shortcoming and made a serious mistake: he became conceited with his complete beauty and perfection and wanted to occupy God´s place. Therefore, God threw him down to the earth. This spiritual being was Lucifer. Lucifer is Satan, the angel rebelled against God and forced out of his place in heaven together with a third of angels in his favor.

We can appreciate the following biblical verses that establish these concepts:

“At one time, you were perfect, intelligent, and good-looking”. (Ezekiel 28:12)

“I appointed a winged creature to guard your home on my holy mountain, where you walked among gems that dazzled like fire”. (Ezekiel 28:14)

“You said to yourself, I´ll climb to heaven and place my throne above the highest stars. I´ll sit there with the gods far away in the north. I´ll be above the clouds, just like God Most High”. (Isaiah 14:13-14)

“You traded with other nations and became more and more cruel and evil. So I forced you to leave my mountain, and the creature that had been your protector now chased you away from the gems”. (Ezekiel 28:16)

“But the dragon lost the battle. It and its angels were forced out of their places in heaven and were thrown down to the earth. Yes, that old snake and his angels were thrown out of heaven! That snake, who fools everyone on earth, is known as the devil and Satan”. (Revelation 12:8-9)

Satan as well as his demons (fallen angels) thrown down to the earth are full of hatred and rancor towards the entire human race, which they have been enticing and deceiving since the very beginning, because the devil and his demons know that they will be finally thrown into the lake of fire and burning sulfur from which they will never get out and will be in pain day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:10 and 21:8)

“Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord´s followers are suffering just as you are”. (1º Peter 5:8-9)

That final fate is also reserved to all the human beings who have rebelled against God, according to the biblical prophecies. We, the human beings, have the same sinful nature as Satan (Revelation 20:13-15).

However, our good God, who is completely merciful, loved us so much that He planned to redeem us if we accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior, who died in our place in order to save us from our sins. (John 3:16)

We can view the way the human beings also wanted to reach God on their own, by building the Babel´s tower. This attitude clearly shows that we have the same sinful spirit as Satan:

“They said: let´s build a city with a tower that reaches to the sky! We´ll use hard bricks and tar instead of stone and mortar. We´ll become famous, and we won´t be scattered all over the world”. (Genesis 11:4)

BUT THE LORD GOD DID NOT ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN!

We can view it through these biblical verses:

But when the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower, he said: These people are working together because they all speak the same language. This is just the beginning. Soon they will be able to do anything they want. Come on! Let´s go down and confuse them by making them speak different languages – then they won´t be able to understand each other. So the people had to stop building the city, because the Lord confused their language and scattered them all over the earth”. (Genesis 11:5-8)

We can see the Holy Trinity´s presence working over the human race, that is, God Father, God Son and God Holy Spirit, who are coexisting, infinite and eternal, through these biblical verses where God says “Let´s go down and confuse them” as well as when He says “Now we will make humans and they will be like us.” (Genesis 1:26)

God loves the sinner but He hates the sin. We can view this biblical verse:

“The Lord corrects the people he loves and disciplines those he calls his own”. (Hebrews 12:6)

Therefore, God created men to be like Him and corrects them when they make mistakes due to His endless love, because His holiness so demands.

Probably, we may wonder why God decided to condemn Satan and the demons, and to forgive the human beings who accept Jesus and repent of their sins, if they all have a sinful nature. If we consider when Satan was Lucifer, the protector cherubim, who lived in a state of complete harmony and happiness together with the other fallen angels in heaven, a condition of life we never knew, perhaps, God, in His justice, wants to make a difference and condemn those who never had any pain, disease, anguish, sorrow, grief, despair and desolation whatsoever and, in spite of it, they rebelled against God, and to redeem the human beings through Jesus Christ, who do suffer affliction on earth.

Now, we can view the devil´s possibilities:

- He brought down other nations. (Isaiah 14:12)
- He made the world tremble. (Isaiah 14:16)
- He shook up kingdoms. (Isaiah 14:16)
- He made earth a desert. (Isaiah 14:17)
- He captured every city. (Isaiah 14:17)

Some of the devil´s power´s traits are:

- The sinners are under the power of the devil. (1º John 5:19)
- He distresses God´s children. (Job 1:12)

Other sources of God´s children´s distress are:

a. Caused by men´s negligence. (Deuteronomy 9:14)
b. Caused by God Himself. (Genesis 22:1-2)

- The devil blinds the minds of unbelievers. (2º Corinthians 4:4)
- He fights against God´s children. (Ephesians 6:12)
- He fools people on earth by pretending to work all kinds of miracles, wonders and signs. (Ezekiel 7:10-12 – 2º Thessalonians 2:7-10 - Revelation 13:13-14)
- He entices, deceives and tests everybody. (Luke 4:13)
- He makes false promises. (Matthew 4:8)
- He accuses God´s children. (Job 1:9 – Zechariah 3:1 – Revelation 12:10)
- He causes painful sores. (Job 2:7)
- He steals, murders and destroys. (John 8:44)
- He is a liar. (John 8:44)
- He deceives and fools people. (Matthew 7:21 – Revelation 12:9 – 1º John 4:1-3)
- He tests people. (Luke 22:31)
-He stops God´s work. (1º Thessalonians 2:18 – 2º Thessalonians 2:7-10)
- He wants to get the better of us. (2º Corinthians 2:11)

The following are some traits within the demons´ organization:

- They are organized according to hierarchies. (Ephesians 6:12)
- They are distributed worldwide. (Daniel 10:13-20)
- They use unbelievers to cause harm. (John 8:44)

The demons (fallen angels) serve Satan. Their illegitimate authority comes from the one of Satan himself. Jesus showed His power over the enemy by forcing out demons easily during his earthly life. Upon unmasking and destroying the power of hell, He made the kingdom of heaven of His own dominion.

1.- Christ forced out demons. (Matthew 12:27-29)
2.- God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. There Christ defeated all powers and forces. (Colossians 2:14-15)
3.- The demons were tormented by Jesus Christ. (Luke 4:34 – Luke 8:28)
4.- Jesus Christ freed people under the power of the devil. (Luke 4:41)
5.- Jesus Christ destroyed all that the devil has done from the very beginning. (1º John 3:8)
6.-God´s own Son, Christ, protects His children and the devil cannot harm them. (1º John 5:18))
7. Everybody was amazed for Christ´s authority and power to order evil spirits out of people. (Luke 4:36)

God´s children have authority and power on evil spirits.

We can view the following biblical verses:

“In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us”. (Romans 8:37)
“Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God´s Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world” (1º John 4:4)
“I am sure that nothing can separate us from God´s love – not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God´s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 8:38-39)
“Jesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them complete power over all demons and diseases”. (Luke 9:1)
“Everyone who believes me will be able to do wonderful things. By using my name they will force out demons, and they will speak new languages”. (Mark 16:17)
“God´s Spirit doesn´t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love and self-control”. (2º Timothy 1:7)
All God´s children must know that they cannot be possessed by evil spirits.

It is important to notice the following biblical verse:

“We are sure that God´s children do not keep on sinning. God´s own Son protects them, and the devil cannot harm them”. (1º John 5:18)

We can be sure and self-confident that the Lord has perfect control over all things created. Should you follow Him step by step, day after day during all your life, you will always be within His good will. You will enjoy yourself with His endless peace, joy and love towards you. Thus, the enemy will not be able to harm you. But you must be on the alert, by praying continuously to God, your Lord.

God will be in control forever! (1º Peter 5:11)

AMEN!!!