The Power of Life and Death (Part 2)

(Part 2 of 2) …

Who has the power of life and death? (Continued)

Job 12:10 …"In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all
mankind." (Amp.)

Our life, our breath, (which is our spirit man, the breath of life) is in God's hand, not Satan's. God is the one who gives and takes away; and He does that by many ways; but all are by His design, will and permission.

Ecclesiastes 8:8 …"There is no man who has power over the spirit to retain the breath of life, neither has he power over the day of death …" (Amp.)

Luke 12:4-5 …"And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."

Do not fear men, who "after" they have killed the body, "have no more that they can do." This is all that men are capable of doing, even by divine permission, when allowed through war or violence to kill and take life. This is the most they can do, in and of their own efforts; which Satan can put in their own wicked hearts to perform for him, by working through the power of man's hands.

From these verses, as well as others, we know that God's "fallen creation"… man, as well as all other living creatures, now have the ability to take life at will. It's called the survival of the fittest, how high you are up the food chain. Yes, sin may have caused death; but wasn't it really God, through His judgment of sin, the one who first took life when He pronounced "death" as the sentence for sin? Wasn't He the one who killed the first lamb to cover the naked bodies of Adam and Eve?

Romans 5:12 …"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned …"

Death has entered into the world by sin, by the first sin of the first man; not only physical death, but a spiritual and moral death also; so man, in a legal sense is "spiritually" dead. There was neither sin nor death before the sin of Adam; after that there were both. Adam’s transgression was the cause of both. The sentence of death was passed on to Adam as soon as he sinned and upon all men after that.

The "one man" is Adam the first man, and parent of all mankind; and the sin which came by him through a single sin, brought with it many unwanted consequences. So we may say that the "origin" of moral evil among men, comes not from God, but man; it entered into men by the temptation of Satan.

As stated before, moral evil is different than natural evils … which are brought upon man by God as a consequence of sin. Natural evil is evidently the effect of moral evil; if man had never sinned, he would have never had to suffer.

So, the truth is … not only does God have the power of life and death in His hands, but because of sin in the world, all of nature, including man also has the ability to take life.

Continuing with this same thought … if man can take life … through war, violence, hate, murder, accidents, etc., then doesn't it sound logical to think that Satan also would have the power of life and death in his hands? If God does, then Satan, also a spirit being who operates in the spirit realm as God does, might also have this power.

Except there is one thing that now makes this new dispensation of God's grace different then it used to be under the former covenant of Law.

Hebrews 2:14-15 …"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

The devil is said to have the power of death, not because he can kill and destroy men at his will; but because his successful temptation of Adam brought death through sin into the world. I understand this as meaning that the devil was the cause of death in this world. He was the means of its introduction. This does not affirm anything of his power of inflicting death with or without or by divine permission, (whatever may be true on that point) but that death was part of his dominion, in that he introduced it.

So today, the writer of the Book of Hebrews is saying to us that whatever power Satan may or may not have had concerning the power of death; Jesus through His death and resurrection has destroyed him, (not as to his being) but Satan's power; by bringing him to "nought," which means … "to make of no effect, to make void, to render useless."

As I understand the true meaning here … we are no longer under the same bondage "through fear of death" that the writer of Hebrews is speaking about. Jesus came to … "destroy him or to bring to nought and make of no effect him who had the power of death"… the devil or Satan. I believe the wording …"power of death" means "the power over the compartment of death" or Hades in the Greek, the underworld, the place of the dead.

Not only sinners but even the righteous went to the underworld at death, (Luke 16) waiting for Jesus to "remove, to take away the sin," that up to now was just covered by the blood of an animal sacrifice; sin that kept them from entering Heaven until the true Lamb of God (Jesus) shed His blood that took away all sin. So therefore, death brought fear to them, knowing that they were not going to be with God, which is how the false teaching of "soul sleep" started. Today death does not bring fear to us because we know …"to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."

If Satan in the past did have the power of death, (which I still question) I see the word "had" is used in this verse. Now I'm not an expert in English, but as I understand the meaning of "had" as it is used here … speaks of past tense, something that used to be, that no longer is? If Satan "had" the power of death, doesn't that mean since Jesus died, Satan no longer has that power? Isn't that what this one small but important word is telling us? "Had"… he no longer has.

Yes, I know that the word "had" just refers to something in the past and doesn't address the reality of the present time; (such as, I had a headache in the past, but I can still have a headache today.) But since Jesus came and defeated Satan, I believe we are in a different dispensation; we have a different covenant; and with this new contract with God, (I want to believe) that there are some new rules that Satan has to play with.

Let's say … if Satan today could still operate with impunity … the power of life and death in his hand, under his control; considering the fact that he never turns down the opportunity to inflict pain or suffering on God's children, and in fact enjoys doing so as often as he can or is allowed to do so; would he not then kill or take the life of every man, woman, and child that he hates, (the main reason for that hate being) that they are made in God's image and likeness?

So … I must conclude therefore that Satan does not have the power or authority to take life at his discretion … or he would.

I believe the truth on this subject is contained in the following statement …

"Satan is one who delights in the opportunity and in the permission to inflict tortures on man, and who goes as far in producing misery as he is allowed … restrained from destroying man only by the express command of God."

It is to be observed, that Satan is subject to the government of God, and dependent on His commands. But Satan, although incensed against the race of mortals, and desirous of injuring, is yet described as bound with a chain, and never dares to touch man unless God relaxes the reins. Satan, in walking around the earth, (as in Job 1:7) could certainly attentively consider Job, but to injure him he could not, unless permission had been given to him.

"Such as is common to man" … I'm still on the same thought … about God holding on to the reins to keep Satan, (a spiritual being) who if allowed to … can and would … operate in a different realm than man is in. But he is kept in check by God and not allowed to use spiritual weapons or devices against us that we would not have any way to defend against. Satan can only use things that are common to man, in other words, things in our realm … things belonging to the human experience.

1st Corinthians 10:13 …"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

The phrase … common to man … does not mean that men are tempted or tested all in the same way. It has to do only with spiritual beings vs. human beings.

The Amplified reads …"For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure …"

In this verse, Paul rightly may be talking about temptation to sin, and perhaps even physical tests and trials, but I think the thought can carry over to all things … like the battle of life and death, things known or unknown, that goes on around us in … the spirit world.

John Wesley says of the spirit world …"That world lies dark to us, but we lie open to it."

The Power of Life and Death. Does God alone possess the power of life and death? Do I dare answer that question for you?

What I have settled in my heart is this … the breath of life … that which makes me a living soul comes from God.

"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away." I'm His and His only; all of me, including my breath and my spirit.

Only He can recall it.