Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering-1 Peter 5:8
A Deadly Lion is On the Loose
Picture yourself on a jungle Safari. You and the group of people who are with you on the journey, are following the footsteps of a seasoned tour guide. This guide has been leading others through the pits, snares, and dangers of the jungle, for as long as you have been alive. He knows what he is doing. More importantly, he knows how to keep you safe you as you move through this “Jungle Safari Expedition-Level 1.”
The class is Level-1, because neither you nor any of the other jungle explorers with you, have ever set foot in a jungle. But there are no worries! Your tour guide is a seasoned expert in jungle negotiation and exploration. He knows the dangers of the jungle, how to avoid them, and how to make you feel safe as you enjoy the safari!
The expertise of this man, enables him to stand in the face of lions and tigers and bears, without panic. He has been there before, and he has come out on top. He has gained the mastery over the predators and the perils that may lie before you fand he knows how to keep you safe. You must, however, be ever aware that you will only be safe if you follow his pathways, and his directions. If you veer off on your own, you will put surely put yourself at risk great bodily harm, or even death. If you allow your arrogance to lead you to an attempt to take off on your own, then you will surely decrease your chances of coming out of the jungle in one, living, breathing piece.
You may balk at the above advice. I am sure you are very bright. You may have even been in the Special Forces in the Military. You may have been awarded medals and commendations for your achievements, from the Commanding General himself. However, unless you’re training and experience in the Special Forces was conducted in a jungle full of lions and tigers and bears, then, oh my, you are certainly not ready to take on the Lions that call the jungle their home. At best you are an intruder, an invader, and an interloper. At worst, it does not matter what you are, if it is supper time. Then to the lion, you look like a decent piece of meat.
The lion will be traveling at an extremely fast clip as he catches the scent of tonight’s supper, i.e., YOU. The moment when you see the swift movement of the lion, you get hit with a double dose of reality. Suddenly, you have become aware of the reality that there is absolutely no way that you will be able to outrun this massive creature. In fact, the lion can run approximately 50.3 miles per hour. A man that runs in an “Olympic Type” Foot Race, runs around 27 miles per hour.
Whether you know those statistics or not, when you see this Lion on the prowl, it quickly becomes crystal clear to you, that unless you run into an open cave that that you can squeeze into, and one that the lion cannot make it through, at this point, outside of a direct intervention from God, there is no chance that you will out-run the lion and make it safely home for dinner. It is more probable, that this stealth and cunning lion, will certainly catch up with you and take you down in one bite. I know that sounds awful. At best it gives others who might be watching what is happening to you, a class on, “How and Why to Respect the Territory of a Lion.”
Beware: Satan Goes About Like a Lion Seeking Your Demise
As you ponder the above depiction of the dangers of the ruthless and heartless lion, let me ask you to turn your thoughts to the most heinous, ruthless predator that has ever existed on the earth and in the atmosphere that looms over this planet. Yes, I am talking about that old serpent that we call the devil.
There are surely no words that would adequately describe this cunning, yet ruthless and manipulative creature. As we have learned in Sunday School, and/or through multiple messages, released by godly men and women teachers and preachers, that as good as God is good, Satan is as evil as evil could ever be. Despite the evident evil that Satan now displays, this evil was not an inherent force that his Creator, God had installed int Lucifer when he was a created!
In the beginning of the Heavenly Days, when Lucifer and other angelic creatures were created, Lucifer was the most beautiful and magnificent God created being in Heaven. His name meant “Giver of Light.” He was also a musician, with instruments built into his body. There was not another creature like him in Heaven. Unfortunately, it was not enough for Satan to be the most stunning creature ever created. He would settle for nothing less that adoration and worship from his fellow Heavenly Beings. Lucifer was particularly disturbed by the God Created Humans, that would be positioned on the earth and would carry the likeness of the image of God, Himself!
God gave the devil the name Lucifer, which means “Star of the Morning.” Lucifer can also mean “Bringer of Light.” So given just that tiny bit of “Devil Insight,” we can now see that, in the beginning, Satan, i.e., Lucifer, was a glorious creature with a definite purpose.
In fact, it is no secret that Lucifer was the pinnacle of exquisite beauty. He also carried wisdom that was unmatched by other members of the Heavenly Kingdom. There is little doubt that the wisdom that he carried, allowed Lucifer to hold a high-ranking position among the Hosts of Angelic Beings.
Lucifer was known as the “Guardian Cherub.” Given the above accolades that were bestowed upon him, it is evident that our Almighty Creator God, held Lucifer in high esteem. The Creator and Ruler of the Entirety of the Universe, and all that it contained, God Himself had given Lucifer unquestionable authority among the Hosts of Angels that inhabited Heavenly Realm.
From Ezekiel 28:13 we can perceive that, “… every precious stone was your (Lucifer’s) covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald, and the gold, the workmanship of your settings (timbrels) and sockets (flutes), were in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared.”
Has any other angelic being, ever been given such a writeup of beauty, greatness, skill, and ability? As far as I know, in the early days of his creation, Lucifer was truly the most splendid and magnificent created being in Heaven. So what happened? The answer to that question is not complicated; in fact, it is simplistic. As we have always been warned, “Pride Goes Before the Fall.” As Lucifer remained in the Heavenly realm and received the adoration of other heavenly creatures for his God-Given Beauty, he soon became eaten up with pride from the inside out. This once magnificent creature, turned from the light that surrounded him, to the darkness that sprung up from a deep bitter root of pride that now consumes him.
Satan’s Unfortunate Self-Inflicted Fall
In the book of Isaiah, versus 14:12-15, the prophet laments of Satan’s great fall. The prophet writes, “How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, Star of the Morning, Son of the Dawn! You have been cut down to the earth. You have weakened the nations! 13 But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to Heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; “I will MAKE MYSELF LIKE THE MOST HIGH”. 15 Nevertheless You Will Be Thrust Down To Sheol, To The Recesses Of The Pit.”
We see in this passage, that Lucifer’s fall sprang from the very heights of Heaven to the depths of the recesses of the deepest pit of hell. From this passage we begin to see that there is one horrific attribute that was evident in Lucifer’s nature. He Carried An Overflowing Dose Of The Wicked Force Of Pride!
When we recognize that the evil root of pride had risen in “Lucifer, the Star of the Morning,” this gives us the answer to Isaiah’s question. The Prophet Isaiah had tuned into the very question that every Bible believing Christian has most likely asked. Isaiah asked Lucifer, “How did YOU, the most glorious of all of God’s creatures, fall from Heaven.” I postulate that one sentence, that sprung from the depths of Lucifer’s inmost being triggered his fall. Lucifer boasted from the depth of his inner being and out through his mouth, “I Will Be Like the Most-High.” It does not get more diabolical than that.
The Depth of Lucifer’s Transgression
We read the depth of Lucifer’s transgression in Romans 9:19-22, “Thou wilt say then unto me, “Why doth He yet find fault? For who hath resisted His will?Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, ‘Why hast thou made me thus?’ Hath not the potter (in Lucifer’s case the Creator) power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?”
Tragically, God’s formation of Lucifer was honorable. How do I know that? God is a God of Goodness; He does not create evil. While you can say, “He created Satan!” Yes, He did! He created a being that was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the Garden of were anointed as the guardian cherub, for so I (GOD) ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day that you were created until wickedness was found in you.
“You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the Garden of God…You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So, I threw you to earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings” (Ezekiel 28:12–17 NIV).
Like a Roaring Lion
I have provided what could be considered a thumbnail sketch of the image, shortcomings, and fall of Lucifer, who is, of course, none other than the Devil Himself! While we know that Lucifer was cast out of Heaven, along with 1/3 of the existing angles that agreed with him, we are also very aware that he and his minions, roam about this earth seeking as many God-Created-Beings that they can devour!
So, let me ask this question: What does it mean to say that Satan wants to devour the saints of God? Does it mean that he wants to “eat them up?” There have probably been some saints, and other unfortunate human beings, that have been “eaten” by cannibals on this earth. No doubt, the consumption of these was “inspired” by Satan, himself. Others might have been consumed because Satan had released “cannibalistic beings” in their area, or on their continent. In other words, it was a demonic assignment/heritage, that had never been broken off the area.
When we see such evil, it is disparaging; the value the life of the victim was great in the eyes of their Creator; yet to the perpetrator (the devil himself working through a human) that life became nothing more than a sacrifice, or even worse, a meal. When we, particularly those of us that live in America, think of Africa or other foreign nations, as the ones that are killing and eating children, as well as adults, such a thought must certainly emanate from a place of deep, dark pride. And yes, as we saw with Satan, himself, pride goes before the fall.
A book penned by Assembly of God ministers and missionaries, Henry Garlock, with significant input from his wife, Ruth Trotter Garlock, carries a somewhat “in your face” kind of shocking title…this title gave a gruesome image of their lives in Africa. The title of the book was, “Before We Kill and Eat You.”. While such a thought is heinous, in the days of the Garlock’s missionary work on the continent of Africa, it was a time then, as it is now, that they/we must open our eyes, and recognize that Africa does not now, nor did then, hold the monopoly on such crimes against humanity.
In America, for at least a decade, unbeknown to most people of this nation, there have been thousands, if not millions, of children trafficked across this land. It is not certain as to how long that this activity has literally been eating the very life out of our nation. Precious lives have been brutally tortured, sexually assaulted, and terrorized by people that we call, “the elites” of this day. In fact, these were, primarily those that held positions of high office in the political realm, as well as many well renowned Screen and Television Stars. These heinous assaults were happening right before our eyes, yet we had no suspicion or idea that such horrific activity was a reality in the Nation of America-the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. In fact, these horrific crimes have, without a doubt, have “infected” the nation that so many earthly inhabitants call “Home.”
The point is, Hell has a clear understanding and a certain vision, of the “Heavenly Blueprints” that these children and youths would have carried out, and firmly established to the future of our nation. I suspect that many of the children that were so brutally murdered, were those that had the plans to bring massive destruction to the minions of Hell. But, thanks to our President, Donald J. Trump, many of these children have been rescued and they have been afforded the interventions that they will need to work through the trauma of their captivity. Maybe not all of them, but I believe that many will emerge as pioneers and leaders in every Mountain of Society.
It is my belief that These Will Rise and Change The World! Thus, I say Let the Overcomers Arise, Fight the Good Fight of Faith, and Release Massive Destruction, upon the Works of Hell and Darkness, in America and Every Other Nation on this Earth!!!
