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This lesson concludes our study of Satan with a look at the "cosmos" or "world" that Satan is now ruling. This is an important part of our study, as it gives us insight into the world around us—the unseen world. This is the world in which God has placed us to spread the gospel, or "good news", and to minister in until Christ returns (or we’re called home).

The Bible tells us that we are strangers in this land, ambassadors for Christ living in a foreign land (2 Corinthians 5:20), and that our home is in heaven with God. Just as with political ambassadors who are sent out from our country today, we live in a strange land surrounded by foreigners who are strangers to the ways of Christ. And just like ambassadors, we serve in a foreign land representing the King who sent us. As such, that foreign land, or cosmos, is what we will examining in this lesson—the Satanic Cosmos in which we live today. Cosmos refers to an order and regularity, and signifies a complete, orderly and harmonious system, disposition, and arrangement.

With that introduction, let’s take a look at The Satanic Cosmos.

1. Read John 8:23. What is Christ saying about the His place in the world we live in?
   1. ANSWER: He asserts that he is "not of this world".
2. How could the above be true when we know that he was born in Bethlehem?
   1. ANSWER: He can say that because the "world" he is referring to is the "cosmos", the spiritual world around us—the world or universe that Satan has established.
3. What are some notable aspects regarding the present age, or "world". that we find ourselves living in today, as indicated in the verses below?
   1. 2 Timothy 4:10
      1. ANSWER: We need to careful that we do not fall in love with this world.
   2. Romans 12:2
      1. ANSWER: The pattern, or thinking, of this world is opposite to that which ours should be—we are not to conform to it.
   3. 2 Corinthians 4:4
      1. ANSWER: The "god of this age", meaning Satan, blinds those around us to the light of the gospel.
   4. Ephesians 2:2 and Ephesians 6:12
      1. ANSWER: In our old way of living, we also followed the ways of the world and Satan’s leadership. He is behind all of those who are disobedient to God. The love of evil characterizes this "cosmos", this world.
   5. 1 John 2:15-16
      1. ANSWER: We are not to love the world or anything in it.
4. Peter mentions three worlds, or cosmoses, in 2 Peter Chapter 3. What are they?
   1. 2 Peter 3:1-6
      1. ANSWER: The world before the flood.
   2. 2 Peter 3:7-12
      1. ANSWER: The world now, which is the focus of the New Testament.
   3. 2 Peter 3:13-18
      1. ANSWER: The world yet to come.
5. The current cosmos is opposed to God. What do the following verses indicate to use regarding the opposition of the current cosmos to God? John 16:33, John 17:14, John 18:36, James 1:27, 2 Peter 1:4, and James 4:4.
   1. ANSWER: If we are not following Christ, we are his enemy. It naturally follows from this axiom that if we follow Christ, the world will be our enemy as well, and we will be treated just as the world treated Christ: rejected, ridiculed, and hated for the sake of the Gospel.
6. According to 1 John 4:9 and John 3:16, what is God doing about this "world", and the lost living in it?
   1. ANSWER: The cosmos is a vast order, or system, that Satan has promoted which conforms to his ideals, aims, and methods. It is a civilization that functions apart from God, but God has sent His only son into this world to save us from it.
7. Satan’s authority over the cosmos is depicted in Luke 4:1-13. Answer the questions posed below based on the referenced passages.
   1. Luke 4:1-2. How did Christ end up in the wilderness?
      1. ANSWER: He was led there by the Holy Spirit, it was clearly God’s plan to have Jesus spend time in the desert in prayer and fasting in preparation for being tempted by Satan.
   2. Luke 4:5-7. What do these verses tell us about Satan and this world? What did he do and how was he able to do it?
      1. ANSWER: These verses indicate that Satan’s control is over this "world". Note what was Satan was able to do. i.e., show Christ all the kingdoms of the world in one moment of time! Note also that he "led" Christ to a "high place", where he had the power to show Christ all of the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. Incredible.
   3. Luke 4:8. How does Christ respond to Satan’s claim that he could give Christ all of the splendor of these kingdoms? What did Christ tell Satan about this claim?
      1. ANSWER: Christ did not deny nor tell Satan that his claim was an untruth; nor did Christ deny that the kingdoms were Satan’s (or anyone he willed them to). If it were untrue, it would not have been much of a temptation, since Christ would have known this. Satan has terrific power and control over this "world", and he was trying to get Christ to compromise and come over to Satan’s side. This power, and his claims about kingdoms, also point to the reality that one day Satan will rule the world just before Christ’s return.
   4. Now reference Colossians 1:16. What does this passage indicate to us regarding Satan’ hubris?
      1. ANSWER: Christ created everything—including the spirit world. Now, a created being wants Christ to worship him. What arrogant pride Satan has.
   5. What do the following verses indicate regarding Satan’s authority of the world: 1 John 5:19, Ephesians 6:12, 1 John 4:4, and Psalm 2:1-3?
      1. ANSWER: Satan has the whole world under his power, and ultimately, all nations are opposed to God.

In conclusion, as Chafer points out in Systematic Theology , "The root of this evil is the world’s order, its methods, or system, and is based on complete independence from God. It is effort-based and is aimed at demonstrating what created beings, human and angelic, can produce on their own, independent from the creator. Thus charity, good deeds, good morality can be found apart from God in this world, this ‘cosmos’." But scripture is clear: simply being good, being a good moral person isn’t good enough. See Romans 14:23 and Hebrews 11:6. Thinking that you can go to heaven for being a good, moral, human being is another of Satan’s clever lies. In reality, you cannot please God except through faith in Christ.

We will conclude our lesson series with a two-lesson study of demons; who, like their king, are full of lies and deceit and are completely opposed to the Kingdom of God.

Thanks for studying with us,

Wes

[2012]

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