REDEMPTION

THE SUFFERING OF THE SONS

THE UNCEASING ENEMY

Satan is that evil being ceaselessly at work, and the prime mover behind the scenes throughout the history of human wickedness.  He is the adversary and the author of all temptation; the one who has, to the utmost of his power, always opposed and hindered the activities and purposes of God.  Whatever God has been doing, Satan has always been resisting and fighting against, both in the world and amongst the people of God.  He and his activities are the main cause of the pain and suffering in the creation.  Christ was manifested in order to destroy his works (1 John 3:5). Persecution and suffering is a significant and evident fact and part of the story of God’s people both in the Old Testament and in the history of the church and show the devil's ancient hatred and opposition against God and was so often manifested through human beings who themselves were contrary to God.  This hatred was obvious and was manifested in the highest degree against our Lord Jesus Christ, whom the rulers of this earth crucified.  It continues to be manifested against everything that is born of God.  Jesus, knowing first hand this hatred, warned His disciples of the pending sorrows that awaited them in the world, "If the world hates you, know that they hated me first"(John 15:18).  In the Book of Revelation the woman who sits upon the red beast, was drunk with the blood of the saints and of the martyrs of Jesus (Revelation17: 6).  She who sits upon the beast in this particular vision is a graphic picture of the alliance of worldly power and apostate church, which under the incitement of the devil persecutes God’s people and the church of Christ.