Contributor:
Chad Roberts
In 2007, I was staying with a friend in Egypt at the Red Sea. My friend and I have traveled throughout the entire Middle East preaching the Gospel together. He helps me by translating English to Arabic.
We were set to visit Dubai, United Arab Emirates for our second trip share the gospel and visit with believers. My friend and I had traveled to Dubai & Abu Dubai the year before and we were eager to follow up. Because Christians are such a minority and because there are so few churches that exists, it is important to me to offer encouragement to the believers there. I was never interested in trying to do crusades or large scale meetings. I would rather meet with 10-15 Christ followers or pastors who are persecuted for their faith to listen to their stories and encourage them that we are standing with them in prayer and love.
My friend’s father is a well-known Christian leader throughout the Middle East. When the UAE customs recognized my friend’s last name and connected him to his father, they denied him the visa and would not allow us to enter the country.
Feeling frustrated and defeated, it caused me to ponder deeply Paul’s staggering words, “…but Satan hindered us” and ask the question, “Why does God allow Satan to hinder world missions?” If God is Sovereign, then how can Satan hinder the work of God?
Understand that I am not asking why Satan hinders missions. We know that he will always oppose the work of God as well as those doing God’s work. Instead, my question is why does GOD allow Satan to hinder missions?
Ask any missionary and they will be able to tell you the struggles and frustrations of Satan’s opposition in their work. The respect and admiration I have for missionaries is enormous. When I travel for missions, it’s for only a few weeks. It is nothing like those who choose to live in foreign lands, leaving friends and family, forsaking the “American Dream” and willingly giving their lives so that people can taste and see the joy of salvation through Christ. It is a high and holy calling that is marked with sacrifice and hardships.
Paul shares his frustration of Satan hostility to God’s work in 1 Thessalonians 2:18, “Because we wanted to come to you – I, Paul, again and again – but Satan hindered us.” Those are strong words by the Apostle Paul. It intrigues me that he says, “…but Satan hindered us.” Those are the words that I pondered deeply sitting by the Red Sea. Why would God allow Satan to hinder our trip to the UAE? Here are the answers the Lord gave me…
1. God will get His glory in every situation…even in hindrances
Matthew 16:18 assures us, “…I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” What comforting words those are to any missionary…any church planter…any believer that prays for the advancement of the Church! It isn’t my task to build the church. Christ assures us that He will build His own Church! My task is to be faithful to the Lord, even in the midst of setbacks, difficulties and frustrations. I can rest in knowing that God will be glorified because ultimately His plans will prevail.
2. In my weakness, God shows His strength
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Can I take on this Christ-exalting attitude? If I do, then I must take off my prideful, affluent American attitude that believes I deserve the best of everything. I must remove that self-centered arrogance that believes life is all about me and my wants and my pleasures. For Christ’s sake, am I able to drink of the cup of affliction, the cup of insults, the cup of hardships so that Christ may be glorified in me?
3. To glory in God’s plans, not Satan’s power
Colossians 2:15 is very clear that Satan was defeated and humiliated by Christ on the cross. “He disarmed” meaning he stripped them, robbed them of power. “…the rulers and authorities”, those fallen angels, now demonic forces. “…and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them…” The imagery here is of a Roman General parading his captives through the streets of Rome!
Satan works mightily to hinder God’s work, but in the end, it is all a part of God’s Sovereign plan. Didn’t Job tell the Lord in Job 42:2, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” I anchor my soul in that! I trust in God’s Sovereignty…not Satan’s limited (very limited) power.
4. Even when Satan seems to win, God still gets the glory
Imagine the celebration among the kingdom of darkness the moment Christ breathed His last breath saying, “It is finished.” Satan did it! All the forces of darkness did it! They murdered the Son of God. He was the only hope for humanity and it seemed as though Satan had thwarted God’s plans. He killed Christ, and worst of all, Satan used one of Jesus’ very own, Judas Iscariot, who sold Jesus for some silver, the same price of a slave.
But the real story is found in a prayer from the early Church to the Lord in Acts 4:27-28. Read it carefully, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with all the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.”
Can you see the enormity of this Scripture? When Satan thought He had the game finished, it was ultimately the Sovereign hand of God orchestrating the events of Calvary. Now if you’re like me, you may be thinking, “but how would Satan not have understood the significance of Christ’s death? How could he not have known the resurrection was coming or that Christ would build His Church? How does Satan not know he is defeated? How can he not understand that he is fighting a losing battle?”
There is a Biblical answer to those questions. Satan didn’t know the significance of the cross. He couldn’t see the resurrection coming. He had no idea that Christ was going to redeem a people call us “The Church!”
Ponder Ephesians 5:32, “The mystery is profound, and I am saying that is refers to Christ and His Church.” Paul calls the work of redemption and the establishing of the Church a “mystery.”
Satan never saw this coming! If the minds of carnal, unbelieving people are darkened, certainly the mind of Satan cannot see and understand the truth of God as well. Satan never saw the Resurrection…he never grasped the advancement of the Church. He never saw power of the gospel coming! In this, Christ, “disarmed the rulers and authorities, putting them to open shame by triumphing over them” Col. 2:15.
It is my prayer that God will give you the confidence to trust in His plans for your life. An understanding that can trust in His timing and in His Sovereignty. So if it seems that Satan is getting the upper hand in your life at the moment, and if it is as though God has forgotten you, may you think upon this Scripture and look to God’s greatness…
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
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