From the point in time that Satan and the demons made their choice to NOT follow God - until the rapture will happen and the Tribulation will begin - Satan is called the "accuser of the brethren." We can see in the book of Job that Satan is able to approach God's throne in heaven in order to TRY TO accuse believers. In order to tempt and TRY TO lead believers astray - Satan requires permission from God.
As seen in the scripture below, there will be a great spiritual battle in the heavens just before the rapture and the start of the Tribulation. Hm, just curious if this is why there will be "peace and safety" on earth just before the rapture - because all the spiritual activity will be happening in heaven??? Just a thought.
Then at the rapture, all believers from all times will be caught up to heaven, leaving no believers behind on earth for Satan to accuse or tempt!
And at the very same time, not only is the influence of the Church removed from the earth, but Satan and his demons are thrown out of heaven and down onto the earth. Satan will no longer need God's permission to deceive the nations during this brief time period. He will only have seven years - AND - he will be very angry! Woe to the people going through the Tribulation!!!...
(Revelation 12:7-12) And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”
During the first half of the Tribulation, Satan will persecute the Israelites, but at the halfway point they will flee into the wilderness where God will protect them. Satan will then put his focus onto those believers who did not flee into the wilderness...
(Tribulation 12:13-17) And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Today's takeaway: as believers, we have to be confident in Christ and know that at the moment we became believers - Jesus forgave us all our sins and we are sealed in the Holy Spirit. We cannot lose our salvation. And we will not be judged for our sins when we get to heaven because God chooses to remember our sins no more.
So when we feel guilty or unworthy about something, first assess the situation. Did I commit a sin that needs to be confessed? Not for salvation's sake, but for the sake of keeping our relationship close with God. And do I need to confess and apologize to anyone else for something I've done? If there isn't anything that needs reconciling, then I have to let that go of those feelings of guilt and unworthiness...
(1 John 1:5-9) This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 3:1-10) See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
(Romans 8:1-4) Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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