Why doesn't Satan just take us out?

[okiemom79]

I have many friends and family who are Christians (I am a new Christian) and I have heard several of my friends and family say certain things that make me wonder why Satan just doesn't wipe us out, or let himself more known to ppl. See I have heard how God works and how just because we ask him to reveal himself to us in a way only we will know, he may not do it how we 'think' he should. You would think the Devil would want to do the opposite to go against God, actually reveal himself to people. Then again, if he did that then that would pretty much prove Gods existence as well. Hmm, lol a revelation while typing! I was just thinking this last night. So what about just killing us all with some supernatural power or perhaps with the stuff in the past, the wars and bombings and taking out all the human race, why didn't he do it then? I hope this makes sense...


Ok, anyway, what are your thoughts?

 

[Peripatetic]

Satan has certain degrees of freedom, but he is limited with boundaries imposed by God. A good example of this is the book of Job in the Bible. God allowed Satan to test Job's faith by doing all sorts of harm, but he was not permitted to harm Job physically.

9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

God's sovereign will also puts limits on man. For example, He may have prevented full scale nuclear war since it was not His will for the Earth to be destroyed in that way. Sadly, it would seem that we are allowed to do great harm to each other on a smaller scale.

 

[okiemom79]

Satan has certain degrees of freedom, but he is limited with boundaries imposed by God. A good example of this is the book of Job in the Bible. God allowed Satan to test Job's faith by doing all sorts of harm, but he was not permitted to harm Job physically.

Good example.

God's sovereign will also puts limits on man. For example, He may have prevented full scale nuclear war since it was not His will for the Earth to be destroyed in that way. Sadly, it would seem that we are allowed to do great harm to each other on a smaller scale.

And we have control over this, that is what is really sad about it! The things that adults have done to each other and to children, it can be so sickening. What do you think of a person who can murder their own child in a very grotesque manner? Soulless, possessed, chemical imbalance? I would add without conscience but I feel this falls along the lines of soulless.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

Satan destroys from the inside out.

 

[Strider1002]

I think Satan is a lot more successful when he's allowing people to believe that he doesn't exist. If he were to confirm his existence to mankind, people wouldn't be able to deny the truth of the Bible... or at least, fewer people would. A lot of folks want to believe that their sins have no consequences... as long as Satan keeps himself hidden, they can continue to believe that.

 

[okiemom79]

Satan destroys from the inside out.

I can agree with that

 

[Bible2]

okiemom79 said in post #1:

Why doesn't Satan just take us out?

Great answer in post #2.

You would think the Devil would want to do the opposite to go against God, actually reveal himself to people.

God will let the Devil (Satan, Lucifer) do that in the future, during the 2nd half of the future tribulation of Rev. chs. 6-18. For Lucifer & his angels will be cast down out of heaven to the earth after losing a mid-trib war in heaven (Rev. 12:7-9). But instead of coming down as a defeated force, they could descend for all the world to see in gigantic, magnificent golden spaceships onto the "Champ de Mars" (Mars being the same as Marduk, the chief god of ancient Babylon), the large open area in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. And Lucifer, a literal, 7-headed dragon (Rev. 12:3,9) could emerge in great splendor & command his legions of angels to destroy an army of 200,000,000 weird horse-like beings (which the world could see as "aliens", but which the Antichrist could falsely say is YHWH's main army) which will have just killed 1/3 of mankind (Rev. 9:16-19). Lucifer could then say he's come to rescue mankind because the Antichrist (the AC), who he could say is his only-begotten "Son", called upon him (like in an AC counterfeit of Mt. 26:53). Lucifer & the AC could then be received wholeheartedly by the unsaved world as the saviors of mankind. And the unsaved world could be left thinking (mistakenly) that Lucifer & his angels were more powerful than even YHWH's main army.

Lucifer & the AC (the individual-man aspect of the beast), along with the AC's miracle-working False Prophet (FP), will then deceive the world into actually worshipping Lucifer & the AC & a speaking image of the AC (Rev. 13:4-16, 19:20, 2 Thes. 2:4, Dan. 11:36). And everyone will be made to receive a mark of the AC either on their right hand or forehead, consisting of either the AC's name or some representation of the gematrial number of his name (666) (Rev. 13:16-18). After Lucifer & the AC have ruled the world for 3.5 years (Rev. 13:4-18), YHWH will send 7 vials (or bowls) of wrath against the unsaved world (Rev. 16). Near the end of these, unclean spirits like frogs will come out of the mouths of Lucifer, the AC, & the FP (Rev. 16:13), & these unclean spirits like frogs will go forth & perform amazing miracles to convince the armies of the world to gather together at Armageddon (Har Megiddo: Mount Megiddo in northern Israel) (Rev. 16:16) in an attempt to fight & defeat YHWH himself (Rev. 16:14, 19:19). After gathering together at Armageddon, the armies will then travel south & pillage Jerusalem, right before Jesus (who is YHWH: Jn. 10:30) returns from heaven & defeats them completely (Rev. 19:11-20:6, Zech. 14:2-21).

When Jesus returns, immediately after the trib of Rev. chs. 6-18/Mt. 24 (Mt. 24:29-31, Rev. 19:7-21), he'll descend bodily from heaven on a white horse (Rev. 19:7-21, 1 Thes. 4:16, Zech. 14:3-4, Acts 1:11-12) with all the holy angels (Mt. 25:31, 2 Thes. 1:7) for all the world to see (Mt. 24:27,30, Rev. 1:7). Then the church will be bodily resurrected (if dead) or changed (if alive) (1 Cor. 15:21-23,51-53, 1 Thes. 4:16, Rev. 20:4-6) & caught up together/gathered together (raptured) (Mt. 24:31, 2 Thes. 2:1) as high as the clouds of the sky to hold a meeting in the air with Jesus (1 Thes. 4:17). At that meeting, he'll judge the church (Ps. 50:3-6, cf. Mk. 13:27, 2 Cor. 5:10, Lk. 12:45-48) & marry its obedient part (Rev. 19:7-8, Mt. 25:1-12) in the clouds, before it mounts white horses & descends back down from sky (the 1st heaven) with Jesus (Rev. 19:14) as he defeats the world's armies (Rev. 19:19,21), & the AC & FP (Rev. 19:20), & has Lucifer bound in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1-3).

 

[Bible2]

okiemom79 said in post #1:

So what about just killing us all with some supernatural power or perhaps with the stuff in the past, the wars and bombings and taking out all the human race, why didn't he do it then?

God could let Lucifer take out (almost) the entire human race with human-employed nukes during the final event of the future trib of Rev. chs. 6-18. For Rev's "Babylon" (Rev. chs. 17-18) represents all of mankind's corrupt political (Rev. 17:18), economic (Rev. 18:11), & religious (Rev. 18:24) systems throughout the earth (Rev. 18:3) & throughout history (Rev. 17:9-10). And the 10 kings of the Antichrist's (the AC's) empire will destroy with fire all that "Babylon" represents (Rev. 17:16-17) when they destroy the cities of the earth (Rev. 16:19), possibly with nukes (& possibly with Fission-Fusion-Fission, "FFF", or "666", nukes, "F" representing the number 6 in English gematria), at the time of the 7th vial (Rev. 16:17,19), which will be the final event (Rev. 16:17) of the future trib of Rev. chs. 6-18, right before Jesus' 2nd coming (Rev. 19:2-20:6, Mt. 24:29-31). And they could do this under the direction of Lucifer (Isa. 14:17,12), who could want to leave only a literal "scorched earth" for Jesus to return to.

Near the very end of the future trib, Lucifer (employing the ancient lies of Gnosticism) could say to the AC & his 10 kings something like: "Our great battle against the evil god YHWH is about to begin [Rev. 16:14, 19:19], a battle which we'll win, and so we'll be able to escape YHWH's prison house, this material universe, & return to the wholly-spiritual Pleroma. So let us now completely destroy this awful prison cell, this foul planet, & let us, as it were, completely burn up all the gewgaws which we've hung upon our cell walls. Let us burn up all our great cities, all our magnificent systems. Let us break every chain of attachment to this vile material realm, that we might more freely ascend back into our rightful place in the blessed Pleroma".

Of course this will be a total lie. For at his 2nd coming, Jesus (who is YHWH: Jn. 10:30, Zech. 14:3-4) will completely defeat the armies of the world, arrayed against YHWH (Rev. 16:14, 19:19-21). And Jesus will have Lucifer bound in the bottomless pit during the subsequent millennium (Rev. 20:1-6). And Jesus will restore ruined parts of the earth & make them like the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 36:35, Isa. 51:3). And after the millennium & subsequent events are over (Rev. 20:7-15), God will create a new heaven (a new 1st heaven, a new sky/atmosphere for the earth) & a new earth (a new surface for the earth) (Rev. 21:1). And then God will descend from the 3rd heaven in the literal city of New Jerusalem to live with saved humanity on the new earth (Rev. 21:2-4).

---

Mk. 13:20 can mean that if the Lord hadn't already shortened (as in "he hath shortened": Mk. 13:20) the number of days, hadn't already determined (from the beginning of Creation, cf. Isa. 46:10) that he would return on the 1,335th day after the abomination of desolation is set up (Dan. 12:11-12, Rev. 16:15) -- which 1,335th day would be immediately after the future trib of Rev. chs. 6-18/Mt 24 (Mt. 24:29-31), immediately after the future trib's final event, the worldwide destruction of the 7th vial (or bowl) (Rev. 16:19, 19:2-20:6) -- but instead had determined to just let the world suffer through the aftermath of the 7th vial, then all flesh on the earth would die in the aftermath, which could involve a nuclear winter scenario (which the Lord will miraculously prevent at his 2nd coming) brought on by the 10 kings of the AC's empire nuking the cities of the earth at the 7th vial (Rev. 17:16-17a, 16:19).

 

[razeontherock]

I have many friends and family who are Christians (I am a new Christian) and I have heard several of my friends and family say certain things that make me wonder why Satan just doesn't wipe us out, or let himself more known to ppl. See I have heard how God works and how just because we ask him to reveal himself to us in a way only we will know, he may not do it how we 'think' he should. You would think the Devil would want to do the opposite to go against God, actually reveal himself to people. Then again, if he did that then that would pretty much prove Gods existence as well. Hmm, lol a revelation while typing! I was just thinking this last night. So what about just killing us all with some supernatural power or perhaps with the stuff in the past, the wars and bombings and taking out all the human race, why didn't he do it then? I hope this makes sense...


Ok, anyway, what are your thoughts?

(Job 1:8) "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job?" ... v 10 "Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him?"

You don't need to read that while book right now to get this much of the gist of it, which is a HUGE component of the entire book. In fact, i would caution you against tackling this incredible work right now; but that is your answer. I give it to you straight from the Word of God, so you can have your confidence rest in that, and not in me.

Once you are thoroughly versed in the entire NT, and led by the Spirit to tackle the whole OT, you will come to this ancient book. And I pray that experience will open up your relationship to Him even further, but one step at a time ...

 

[chilehed]

I have many friends and family who are Christians (I am a new Christian) and I have heard several of my friends and family say certain things that make me wonder why Satan just doesn't wipe us out, or let himself more known to ppl.....

There's an insanity involved with that much hatred. After all, reason is an attribute of God, whom Satan utterly rejects. And he might wipe us out were God to allow it, except that since we're made in God's image he'd just as soon have us to slash at forever since he can't harm God.

But for sure one of his most potent weapons is the belief that he doesn't exist, because he knows that if we were to encounter him as he really is then we'd run straight to God. So the last thing he wants to do is reveal himself to us.

 

[Bible2]

Satan can reveal himself to people in a deceptive way that makes them think he's the good guy (2 Cor. 11:14) & YHWH's the liar (Gen. 3:4).

Satan's theology is to contradict God's Word with something which sounds better to humans, in order to deceive them into rejecting God's will (Gen. 3:1-6, Mt. 16:21-23, 1 Tim. 4:1, 2 Tim. 4:3-4).

 

[mjolnir81]

I was always fond of the sayint
The greatest trick the devil ever played was making humans belive he didn't exist.
My personal view is that Satan is a prankster not dissimilar to the norse god of mischief loki, he can't directly intervene in the life's of mortals because of the restriction that thelord imposed upon him but he makes his point by subtlety influencing the minds of the week to do evil.

 

[Godchaser_70]

bible says no weapon formed against us shall proper. he cant do any harm to us, not even kill us. he is only allowed to do what god permits him to. and god would never put
us in any danger.

he sent his son to die on the cross, so that we would be saved and also so
we would be healed.

 

[Godchaser_70]

Satan can reveal himself to people in a deceptive way that makes them think he's the good guy (2 Cor. 11:14) & YHWH's the liar (Gen. 3:4).

Satan's theology is to contradict God's Word with something which sounds better to humans, in order to deceive them into rejecting God's will (Gen. 3:1-6, Mt. 16:21-23, 1 Tim. 4:1, 2 Tim. 4:3-4).

I love that sweety
thumbs up to you

 

[TheGuide]

1. The reason he cannot take us out is because he has to follow the rules. He is in competition with God, and to go against the rules nullifies his power over mankind.

2. The reason he doesn't reveal himself for who and what he is is because Satan operates covertly. If people were aware of him they would take more care not to get snared in his web. This is a numbers game. Souls. Also, he operates on the spiritual level and on that level the Lord fights all our battles. Our job is to resist devil's whims.

 

[Bible2]

The devil can hurt & even kill obedient believers physically (Rev. 2:10, 13:7-10, 20:4, Mt. 24:9). Obedient believers overcome the devil spiritually even when they're physically killed by him (Rev. 12:11). They're more than conquerors spiritually even when they're physically led like sheep to the slaughter (Rom. 8:36-37). For death is a gain for obedient believers, as it brings their souls into heaven to be with Jesus (Philip. 1:21,23, 2 Cor. 5:8). So obedient believers need have no fear of death (Heb. 2:15).

And at Jesus' 2nd coming, he'll bring with him from heaven all the souls of all the obedient believers who've ever died (1 Thes. 4:14-15) & they'll be resurrected into immortal physical bodies at that time (1 Thes. 4:16, 1 Cor. 15:21-23,52-53). They'll all then reign on the earth with Jesus for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:4-6, 5:10, 2:26-29). So no matter what evil forces have done to obedient believers physically in the past, or are doing to obedient believers physically now, or will do to obedient believers physically in the future, such as during the coming trib (Rev. 13:7-10, 14:12-13, 20:4, Mt. 24:9), all obedient believers of all times will ultimately have the victory (1 Cor. 15:57, 1 Jn. 5:4, Rev. 15:2).

--

All obedient people in the church will be spiritually protected during the future trib of Rev. chs. 6-18/Mt. 24, no matter what happens to them physically (Rom. 8:35-37). The 144,000 male-virgins part of the church (Rev. 14:4), along with some others, will be physically protected so they'll survive the trib's 1st stage (Rev. 6), while others will die & their souls will enter into heaven (Rev. 7:9,14). Near the end of this 1st stage, the 144,000 will be sealed (Rev. 7:3-4) for physical protection before the unsealing of seal 7 (Rev. 8:1), out of which will come the trib's 7 trumpets (Rev. 8:1-2). The 1st 6 trumpets' events, up to Rev. 9:19, will be the trib's 2nd stage. The seal the 144,000 will receive (which will be different from & in addition to the seal of the Holy Spirit himself which they & all others in the church receive: Eph. 1:13b) will physically protect them during this 2nd stage (Rev. 9:4).

After that stage is over, the 144,000 will be caught up in their mortal bodies as the "man child" to God's throne in heaven (Rev. 12:5, 14:4-5, TR), like how Enoch & Elijah had been caught up in their mortal bodies into heaven (Heb. 11:5, 2 Kin. 2:1). Right after the 144,000 are caught up, the trib's 3rd stage, the literal 3.5-year worldwide reign of the Antichrist (the AC) (the individual-man aspect of the beast) will begin (Rev. 12:5-6). This time period is shown from 4 different angles in Rev. chs. 11-14 (Rev. 11:2b-3, 12:6,14, 13:5-18, 14:9-13). The 144,000 will remain up in heaven before God's throne (Rev. 14:5, TR) during this time (Rev. 14:9-13, 13:5-18), while 2 other parts of the church will still be on the earth: the figurative "woman" who represents those in the church who'll flee into prepared wilderness places & be physically protected (Rev. 12:6,14), & the remnant of her seed (Rev. 12:17), those in the church who'll remain in the cities & not be physically protected, but persecuted in every nation, imprisoned, & beheaded by the AC (Rev. 13:7-10, 14:12-13, 20:4-6, Mt. 24:9-13).

After the AC's reign is declared legally over at the sounding of trumpet 7 (Rev. 11:15), the 7 plagues of the 7 vials of God's wrath will come out of trumpet 7's heavenly temple opening (Rev. 11:19, 15:5-16:1). These vials will be the trib's 4th & final stage (Rev 16). Because the church isn't appointed to God's wrath (1 Thes. 5:9), none of these vials will be directed at those in the church still alive on the earth at that time, still waiting for Jesus' coming as a thief (Rev. 16:15). Instead, they'll go into protective chambers which they'll have built for themselves on the earth (Isa. 26:20), just as Noah & his family went into the protective ark which they'd built for themselves on the earth (Gen. 7:7). So some in the church will survive the entire trib on the earth. They're those who'll still be "alive and remain" at Jesus' 2nd coming to be raptured (1 Thes. 4:15-17) immediately after the trib (Mt. 24:29-31, 2 Thes. 2:1-8). These survivors will have experienced God's miraculous physical protection (Ps. 91) without having to have been part of the 144,000.

 

[EchoRain]

Mostly because God won't allow it to be that way.

Sometimes I don't like to think about how God controls the larger scale things like this but still allows us to go through what He does... its hard to comprehend. Basically though I just try to stick to the passage that says "lean not on your own understanding" about such things.

 

[bibledoctrine]

Satan has a plan of evil. It is unfortunate that much ignorance among Christians about Satan, especially when it comes to defining just what it is that he is trying to do in his overall purpose. Equally so there is often confusion and uncertainty in defining just what it is that Satan is doing today, and what his "wiles" are that Christians are up against. In truth, a lot of what he is blamed for he is not necessarily the author of, and a lot of what he is engaged in doing goes unrealized by Christians because they fail to understand his objectives and tactics.

In II Corinthians 2:11 the apostle Paul says something to the saints at Corinth that makes it evident that he taught them much about Satan and his activities. As part of his exhortation to them to respond properly to a repenting brother, Paul says,...

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: FOR WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF HIS DEVICES." (II Corinthians 2:11)

The Corinthian saints weren't ignorant of Satan's "devices." Paul had taught them much of what they needed to know. But the same can not be said of many Christians today. It is not so much that there is ignorance about Satan himself, but there is ignorance about his "devices."

This topic is supremely spelled out for our understanding and warning in Keith Blades book: Satan and His Plan of Evil. It explains nearly all points that were brought up inside this thread.

 

[Leggomyegolas]

Brief summary of the book of Job:

The devil asks God for permission to afflict Job, in order to try to get him to doubt God. God allows this to a point, but tells Satan that he cannot harm Job's body. Satan then proceeds to attack Job in every other way imaginable, other than harming his body.
Satan then goes back to God, and asks for permission to harm Job's body, saying that he will surely reject you if his body is harmed as well. God says ok, but you can't kill him. Satan afflicts Job with disease, boils and sores on his skin, and basically tortures him, coming just short of killing him. Through it all, Job cries out to God and questions why God is allowing this to happen, but he never loses his trust in God.

In the end, God rewards Job for his faithfulness by restoring his health, and replacing everything Satan had taken away from him several times over.

 

[Bible2]

That's right.

And Job should be looked to by obedient Christians as an example of patient endurance through suffering (Jas. 5:11). Just as God allowed Satan to bring suffering to righteous Job (Job chs. 1-2), so God sometimes allows Satan to bring suffering to obedient Christians (Rev. 2:10). And during the future tribulation of Rev. chs. 6-18/Mt. 24, Satan will be allowed to unleash his wrath against obedient Christians in every nation (Rev. 12:9,17, 13:7-10, 14:12-13, 20:4-6, Mt. 24:9-13). By the power of Satan working against Job (Job 1:12), he 1st suffered the loss of his wealth & his servants from murderous robbers (Job 1:14-15,17) & a natural disaster (Job 1:16), & suffered the death of all his children in a natural disaster (Job 1:18-19). Then, again by the power of Satan working against him (Job 2:6), Job suffered the loss of his health (Job 2:7). But Job remained patient through all his loss & suffering, never cursing God because of it (Job 2:9-10, 1:20-22), but wholly trusting in God through it all (Job 13:15).

Because of this, God greatly rewarded Job after his suffering was completed, giving him twice as much wealth as he had before (Job 42:10,12, 1:3), & giving him the same number of children as he had before (Job 42:13, 1:2), & giving him a very long life (Job 42:16), so that he lived to see his grandchildren, great grandchildren, & great great grandchildren (Job 42:16). While he was still suffering, Job mistakenly thought his suffering was God's wrath against him (Job 19:11), when in fact God had no wrath against Job, for Job was righteous in God's eyes (Job 1:1,8, 2:3). Instead, Job was suffering from the hand of Satan (Job 1:12, 2:7). Similarly, during the future tribulation of Rev. chs. 6-18/Mt. 24, the suffering of those in the church won't be God's wrath against them, but Satan's wrath against them (Rev. 12:9,17, cf. 2:10).

God allowed Satan to bring loss & suffering to Job to prove Job didn't love God just because God had made him wealthy & secure (Job 1:9-12) & healthy (Job 2:4-6), but that Job would continue to love & trust God even if all his wealth, family, & health were stripped away from him. Indeed, Job would have continued to love God even if God had killed him (Job 13:15). This is the kind of love for God that Christians will need to have during the future tribulation. They will need to continue to love God even when God allows Satan (the dragon) & the Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of the beast) to make war against Christians & physically overcome them in every nation (Rev. 12:9,17, 13:7-10, 14:12-13, Mt. 24:9-13), stripping away all their wealth & family & leading them away to be beheaded (Rev. 20:4-6). Christians must so love God & so trust God that they have no fear of suffering or death (Rev. 2:10, Heb. 2:15), knowing that even death will only bring their still-conscious souls into the presence of Jesus in heaven (2 Cor. 5:8, Philip. 1:21,23, Rev. 6:9-10, Lk. 23:43).

Christians mustn't love their mortal lives to where they'll deny Jesus & the Bible in order to keep from getting killed (Mk. 8:35-38, Jn. 12:25, Rev. 12:11), just as Christians mustn't love their families to the point where they'll deny Jesus & the Bible in order to keep their family from starving or getting killed (Mt. 10:37, Lk. 14:26). And Christians mustn't love their wealth to the point where they'll deny Jesus & the Bible in order to keep their wealth from being taken away (Mt. 6:24, 1 Tim. 6:9-10). Jesus requires Christians to forsake everything, even their own lives, for his sake (Lk. 14:33, 9:23, Mt. 10:38-39), just as he forsook everything, even his own life, for their sake (Philip. 2:6-8, 2 Cor. 5:15, 1 Cor. 15:3).

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1 Pet. 4:12-13).