Psalms 16:2, 8:1, and 31:1-3

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures, still thinking about Jesus’ advice and warning to His churches. The Mind of the Spirit engaged the spirit of my mind on His advice and warning to Pergamos (Revelation 2:14-17):

Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Revelation 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Smyrna received no rebuke or correction, but did receive important warning and advice: “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

Jesus warned them, “the devil shall cast some of you into prison.” How does the Devil accomplish this? He does it through perverse governments, in service to Satan’s agenda to break mankind out from under the “bands and cords” of Christ (Psalm 2:1-4; Acts 4:24-28). One of the surest marks of antichrist government is turning the sword of Romans 13 contrary to its divinely appointed purpose and using it to destroy the Churches of Christ.

So we come to Pergamos, where we learn that Satan had succeeded to reestablish his headquarters in the earth, something Jesus emphasized in His letter to Pergamos (Revelation 2:13 —“I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.”)

Along the still waters, I reflected on Jesus’ declaration that Satan set up headquarters in Pergamos.

Our LORD Christ had appointed the Devil to preside as prince over the principality identified as “this world” (Colossians 1:16-17; see Luke 4:5-6 and Matthew 4:8-9; see John 14:30 and 16:11). However, Jesus declared that “now … the prince of this world … [is] … cast out.” The Devil has been demoted. The Spirit testified through Paul that Satan is now “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:1-2).

Somehow, Satan contrived to reenter the world, but he does so without authority (Matthew 28:18; compare Luke 4:5-6 with Matthew 4:8-9). How did Satan reestablish a place in the earth? The Spirit said Satan is the prince of the power of the air, “the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1-2).

Jesus’ Spirit operates in this world in and through the believer (John 7:38-39; Ephesians 5:18-21). Satan’s spirit operates in this world in and through the unbeliever (2 Timothy 2:26; see 1 Timothy 4:1-4; Revelation 2:10). But he gains access into the world only when believers grieve and/or quench the Spirit of Christ (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19), and thereby give “place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27).

Apparently, Ephesus, the capital city of Asia, second only to Rome, let him in when they “left their first love” (Revelation 2:4), and this certainly explains why this matter was so seriously rebuked by the Lord Jesus (Revelation 2:5). It is, afterall, in the letter to the Ephesians that we read of Christ’s present exaltation in authority and might over all the earth (Ephesians 1:12-21; especially verse 21), and where we are exhorted to “Put on the whole armour of God” because, although we wrestle not against “flesh and blood,” we do wrestle against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12-21).

Pergamos was the spiritual center for Emperor worship, but Rome was the seat of civil authority and might. In this regard, Pergamos was negligible and exercised very limited civil authority. Satan had been “prince of this world,” with all the kingdoms of the world in his power, but on the Cross, Jesus broke the power of darkness (Colossians 2:13-15 -cAD 29), emancipated all mankind, and received all power in Heaven and in Earth (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 2:21; Revelation 1:5).

For a period of about 70 years (from cAD 29 to cAD 100), Satan’s spirit of antichrist worked to get Satan’s “seat” back into the kingdoms of this world. From cAD 29, when he was banished, to John’s first epistle (1 John—written cAD 70-71) was about 40 years; Satan succeeded in organizing his devils to extend the spirit of antichrist into the world as “prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”  (1 John 4:3).

Satan was finally able to reestablish his “seat” in the earth in the closing years of the first century (cAD 98). He did this by seducing spirits working on Christ’s disciples to compromise the hedge created by setting our affections on things above and maintaining doctrinal purity.

In the valley, shadowed by His Cross, where He defeated Satan, and shed the blood by which we may defeat the spirit of the prince of the power of the air (Revelation 12:11), and, by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, overcome the spirit of antichrist (1 John 4:4), I knelt in humble confession of my sins (1 John 1:9), sighed and cried before Him for the abominations of “the people” in our land (Ezekiel 9:4), until I was interrupted by His call: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and mixed His sufficient grace into my cup to sustain me through the evil sufficient in every day. Goodness and mercy accompanied me as I walked with Jesus into His harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

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