Who controls the Earth?
Who Controls The Earth?
I wonder if you ever ask that question? There are a large percentage of people, whom when asked about God, usually say, “If there is a God, why is there so much evil in the World?” The majority do want to know the answer but others just ask sarcastically but don’t want to listen to a reply.
In one way, it is a good question to ask but in other ways its not, depending on what you think “control” means.
You see the question presupposes that someone does control the earth. As Christians we may like to think that God controls the earth but then the question above becomes impossible to answer. Why is there so much evil in the world? If God is in control then why is that? Shouldn’t we have heaven on earth? After all God is all powerful. To hear a fuller answer to this see the article “God is Sovereign” but we should not digress too much now and just say that with God its not so much about control but rather authority. We think in terms of control. God could control everybody and everything then no one would have free will and no one could sin but we would be robots without a will of our own. Pure Love does not do that. Even the angels have free will as is evidenced in revelation when Satan (the Devil) deceived one third of them to follow him into rebellion. So as far as the earth is concerned the bible teaches its about authority and when we look at the question as one of authority we begin to see the truth. God set all the laws in motion that govern the earth. It’s atoms and the laws of physics and chemistry and biology and art and music. Its all His handiwork and so are we but when we sinned, starting from Adam and His laws were broken things went horribly wrong on the Earth. Now the one who sets laws also sets the consequences for breaking those laws. Truly God is in authority but that does not mean everyone obeys His laws and so as the bible says “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23
It was not that way in the beginning as God created everything good. There was no death or pain and there was harmony with God and his creation. This changed when the Devil deceived Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge and then she gave the fruit to Adam. They then realised that what they did was wrong (Genesis 3:1-19 gives the whole story) and tried to hide from God who pronounced the consequences on to Adam and whole human race and the Devil (he appeared as the snake to Eve and deceived her with flattery and words). At the same time, God also hinted of his plan that Jesus would save us (Genesis 3:14-15) and bring us together again with God.
There are Christians who wrongly say that the Devil has no control (or should we say influence) over what happens on the Earth and that God has him on a lead and only lets him off to punish people. This is a lie and you will see later on that Jesus has told us that the Devil is the ruler of this World (John 14:30), however God is in complete authority over his creation and will make sure His plans come to fruition at the appointed time. Also the devils rule is restrained. There are many factors restraining the devils control, one of which is our prayers and he can’t override our free will. Also the Holy Spirit is restraining him ( 2 Thessalonians 2:7). For more information see the article on Two kingdoms one earth.
Some Christians will say that the Devil has to ask God’s permission to do anything as they read in Job 1:6-22 and Job 2:1-10 but its our sins that give him influence over us. (Genesis 4:7). Let me correct the wrong reasoning here and why God has allowed us to see what is going on behind the scenes of Job. We are told in the beginning of Job what kind of man he was, a righteous man, and how God loved and protected him due to his faith and his lifestyle but we also see Satan making trouble, looking to accuse people before God of all they do wrong. God shows Satan what a good person Job is and holds him up as a great example of how we should all be. Job is hedged about and protected because of his righteousness. The devil can gain no influence over him so has to ask God’s permission.
Satan’s argument is that firstly, Job is faithful to God as he has been good to him and protected him (ignoring Job’s commitment to God and how he was doing all that was good to God) and said, “But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” (New Living Translation [NLT] version). When Job does not blame God for his troubles, we see again in Heaven a second time of what God is saying to Satan. God says Job is still faithful to him even though he did not deserve the catalogue of bad things that have happened to him without provocation. The Accuser instead says that God has still protected him and if he takes away his health, then Job will curse God, so God knowing that Job is very faithful to him, agrees but says, “But spare his life”.
Despite all that goes on, we see Job is rewarded for his faith and God does not tell Job why things have happened to him but he blessed his life more than he had before (Job 42:7-16). Jesus also tells us that if we follow Him, our lives will be blessed a lot more but (Mark 10:29-30) it will get harder too but if we are faithful to Jesus, he will be faithful to us (Deuteronomy 7:9). This shows one instance of what is going on in Heaven and shows us what God and the Devil are like but this alone can’t be used as an example of God controlling the Devil as it ignores what is also in the Bible and Jesus own words. Let us look at a small amount of examples why the Devil rules this world now.
In Mark 1:12-13 we are told of Jesus being tempted by Satan in the desert for 40 days and is tempted in every way as we are and then it comes to the pinnacle of the testing and we read from Luke 4:8 where the Devil says “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please…(NLT). Notice that Jesus does not say, you do not rule the world or you think you rule the world.. In fact reading from Matthew’s version Jesus replies, “Get out of here Satan”, “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord Your God and serve only him.” (NLT) and in said version he tells us that the Devil flees from Jesus while Angels came to aid him.
We are also told that in Matthew 12:29 and Mark 3.27, that Jesus is the Strong Man who can tie up Satan and take what ever he likes by tying up the Devil first (this will happen at the start of the 1000 year reign of Jesus in the end times).
If you are in any doubt, then here is another of Jesus words that should tell you the Evil One (Satan, also known as the Devil) rules the Earth when he says, in John 12:31, “The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out”. Jesus was going to be put on trial and then put on a cross and everyone would then be drawn to Jesus. The Devil entered the mind of Judas Iscariot (Luke 22:3 & John 13:27) to betray Jesus and thus put his life to an end. Satan did not know that Jesus would rise from death and thought he would be in control of the Earth forever but God knew his plan and that is why Jesus resurrection is so important to us all. All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Jesus (Matthew 28:18) so Jesus has the final say on our lives and the Devil, can no longer harm those who belong to Jesus after death. The final victory has been won and not even death can hold us back from God’s love. Satan can only influence the earthly kingdoms but he does not have the authority to make laws and God has given the human race free will to do whatever they want and some listen to God and others listen to the Devil but what we do and say, is recorded by God and at the end of time, God will bring His judgement on both the good or bad( In Revelation 20:12) books were opened -The book of life and the recorded works (good or bad)), but Jesus is the Judge of the World as it has been given to him by God.
Satan knows where he is going and will try to trick people, lie to them and do what he can to turn people away from God. What better way to do this than to lie and say that God is in control and nothing happens without his permission, so blame everything on God. It denies Satan has power over the world, it denies Satan is interfering in the world, it denies that bad things happen without God’s permission or that Man can create disasters.
God’s only plan for you or me is to believe in Jesus and that he is the Messiah, The Anointed One, The Chosen One, The Christ, Immanuel. God will help and be with you but the Devil will attack you, discourage you, harm you or do what he can so that you will turn away from God and not be saved.
Ask God to show you the truth when the Devil lies so you can tell the difference and not be deceived and reject those who do not truly speak in the name of God (Proverbs 30:6, Revelation 21:8, Jeremiah 14:14, Ezekiel 13:1-16, 1 Kings 22:19-23, Jeremiah 29:21).
There is far more you could read in the Bible and this is just a little of what is said. Notice that Jesus’ own words said that Satan rules this world for now but it will taken from him. Anyone who says that the Devil can only attack someone with God’s permission is deceived.