Why Darkness Reigns

If God is sovereign, why does the devil seem so powerful?

What does Jesus mean when He constantly preached about "the Kingdom of God"?

The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. — Psalms 24:1 (NKJV)

The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.
Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
Bless the LORD, all His works, in all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!

— Psalms 103:19-22 (NKJV)

Therefore David blessed The LORD before all the assembly; and David said:

“Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness: the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

— 1 Chronicles 29:10-12 (NKJV)

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?

And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

— Matthew 10:29-30 (NKJV)

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion

• over the fish of the sea,
• over the birds of the air, and
• over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

— Genesis 1:26 (NKJV)

And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him (Jesus),

“To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.

— Luke 4:5-6 ESV

God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them:

“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.”

— Genesis 9:1-2 (NKJV)

What is man that You are mindful of him? And the son of man that You visit him?

For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen — even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.

— Psalms 8:4-8 (NKJV)

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned — Romans 5:12 (NKJV)

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. — Romans 8:20-22 (ESV)

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. — Colossians 3:5 (NKJV)

Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, ascribing this power to his god. — Habakkuk 1:11 (NKJV)

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? — Matthew 6:24-25 (NKJV)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. — 1 Timothy 6:10 (NKJV)

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." — Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. — Proverbs 3:5-7 (NKJV)

Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

• For your hands are defiled with blood,
• And your fingers with iniquity;
• Your lips have spoken lies,
• Your tongue has muttered perversity.

— Isaiah 59:1-3 (NKJV)

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

— James 4:4 (NKJV)

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who

• eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
• but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil

— Romans 2:5-9 (NKJV)

Satan the adversary stood up against Israel and incited David to count the population of Israel. — 1 Chronicles 21:1 (AMP)

No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies;

They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. They hatch vipers' eggs and weave the spider's web; He who eats of their eggs dies, and from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.

Their webs will not become garments, nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood;

Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; Wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace. Therefore justice is far from us, nor does righteousness overtake us;

We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; We stumble at noonday as at twilight; We are as dead men in desolate places.

We all growl like bears, and moan sadly like doves;

We look for justice, but there is none; For salvation, but it is far from us.

For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them: In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

— Isaiah 59:4-13 (NKJV)

Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin." — John 8:34 (NKJV)

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to

• heal the brokenhearted,
• to proclaim liberty to the captives, and
• the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

— Isaiah 61:1 (NKJV)

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe... — 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NKJV)

And you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once lived:

• in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, as also the rest.

— Eph`siyim / Ephesians 2:1-3 (TS2009)

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. — 1 John 5:18-19 (NKJV)

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. — 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (NKJV)

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron — 1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NKJV)

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

— 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (ESV); Galatians 5:19-21

Jesus said to them,

“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

Why do you not understand what I say?

It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.

• He was a murderer from the beginning, and
• does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
• When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

Which one of you convicts me of sin?
If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

— John 8:42-47 (ESV)

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. — John 10:10 (NKJV)

Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. — John 12:31 (NKJV)

I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. — John 14:30-31 ESV

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. — John 17:15-16 (NKJV)

As You sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. — John 17:18 (NKJV)

When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” — Matthew 9:36-38 ESV

I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ — Acts 26:17 (NKJV)

He (God) removes kings and raises up kings. — Daniel 2:21 (NKJV)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

By this you know the Spirit of God:

By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

— 1 John 4:1-6 (NKJV)

He (God, the Father) has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. — Colossians 1:13-14 (NKJV)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. — Colossians 2:13-15 ESV

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. — 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NKJV)

And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.

When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.”

And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.

— Luke 13:11-13 ESV

And he (Jesus) called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits:

• to cast them out, and
• to heal every disease and every affliction.

The names of the twelve apostles are these:

Proclaim as you go, saying,

‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.

You received without paying; give without pay.

— Matthew 10:7-8 (ESV); Mark 6:7; Luke 10:17

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go

...

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name (authority)!”

— Luke 10:1,17 (ESV)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name (authority), this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name (authority), I will do it. — John 14:12-14 ESV

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain,

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

Therefore:

• submit to God: Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
• Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
• Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
• Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

— James 4:4-10 (NKJV)

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” — Luke 10:20 (NKJV)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren,

• whatever things are true,
• whatever things are noble,
• whatever things are just,
• whatever things are pure,
• whatever things are lovely,
• whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

— Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. — Proverbs 4:23 (AMP)

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. — Colossians 3:1-2 (NKJV)

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. — Matthew 5:28-30 (NKJV)

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law (teachings) of the LORD, and in His law (teachings) he meditates day and night.

— Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding. — Job 28:28 (NKJV)

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

— Ephesians 6:12-13 (NKJV)

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. — Matthew 26:41 (NKJV)

In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name (authority).

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

— Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. — Matthew 6:34 (NKJV)

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." — Matthew 19:23-24 (ESV)

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether

• of sin leading to death, or
• of obedience leading to righteousness?

But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed?

For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

— Romans 6:16-23 (NKJV)

1. Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
2. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;
3. and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

— James 1:14-15 (NKJV)

Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls — Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

— Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NKJV)

When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. — Deuteronomy 8:10 (NKJV)

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. — Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV)

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. — Proverbs 16:32 (NKJV)

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression. — Proverbs 19:11 (NKJV)

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret — it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

— Psalm 37:8-9 (NKJV)

A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin. — Proverbs 21:4 (NKJV)

Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest —

when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; Who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end — then you say in your heart,

“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.

— Deuteronomy 8:11-19 (NKJV)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith (trust in God), knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

— 1 Peter 5:6-11 (ESV)

If you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. — James 2:9 (NKJV)

“If your brother sins against you:

1. go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
2. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
3. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.

And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name (authority), there am I among them.”

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to...”

— Matthew 18:15-23 (ESV)

Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. — Matthew 5:16 (ESV).