Podcast 106, 1st Peter, “Pt 4, Ch 4”

Becoming a follower of Christ has a great price. We naturally assume that all good comes from God and all evil comes from Satan. That is true. For agency to exist we must be enticed by one or the other. It is the law of opposition. That is the only reason that Satan is permitted to live on the earth. Agency is primary to progression. It is one of the greatest gifts of God. It is why earth was created. It is why we came to the earth from the world of spirits living in immortality with God and were given a physical body. That too increased our agency for the flesh suffers temptations that the spirit does not.

1st Peter 4:1

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

During the war in heaven the choice was very simple. Those who accepted Christ followed Michael, the archangel. Those who rejected Christ followed Lucifer and his angels. The battle was massive for a third part of the hosts of heaven sided with Lucifer. Lucifer’s goal was very simple. He wanted to overthrow Christ and become God.

Isaiah 14:12-14

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

The war in heaven was also seen in vision by John the Revelator.

Revelation 12:3-4

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Satan is on earth now and his primary target is to destroy those who follow Christ and take away their agency. That was his primary target in heaven.

Revelation 12:7-9

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

That same battle continues on earth today. As in heaven so on earth we are given two choices, to follow Christ or to follow Satan. Satan is very cunning. One can divide the tactics of Satan into three classes. The first tactic is the same as he used in heaven. It is cunning. Satan is known as the father of lies, and it was through lies that he persuaded a third part of the hosts of heaven to follow him. They lost the war in heaven, and they were all cast down to the earth with him. He continues those lies today.

On earth, however, one thing changed dramatically. In heaven we were only spirits. We did not have a body of flesh and bones; therefore, we were not tempted by things of the flesh. Satan and his angels have never had a body and never will have a body. That is why they want to possess our bodies. Some even went into the bodies of swine. Satan kept his cunning. He is still the father of lies, but he increased his tactics. In addition to his cunning, his lies, and his deceit, he now appeals to the natural man, the lusts of the flesh. He wants us to think that the flesh is everything and we should all eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. It is perhaps his most effective tool, but he has a third tactic. It is a repetition of the one he used in heaven. In heaven Lucifer recruited the other spirits to follow him. And they became his disciples. A third part of heaven followed him and became sons of perdition like himself. On earth, however, he recruits the spirits of those who refused to follow him in heaven. He recruits fallen man. Many in the flesh who fought with Michael against Lucifer in heaven have become soldiers in the army of Satan on earth.

Therefore, we have a third enemy. Enemy one is the Cunning of Satan. Enemy two is the Natural Man. Enemy Three is the Craftiness of Man, or, in other words, the craftiness of those who came to earth and gained a body. In heaven they followed Michael. That is why they earned the right to come to earth and gain a body. However, on earth, they follow Satan, most unknowingly. The subtlety is that in heaven those spirits who followed Lucifer knew who their master was. They rejected Christ and worshiped Lucifer. Those in the flesh who follow Satan do not always recognize their masters. Often they follow Satan thinking they are serving God. It is devious. It is subtle. It is deadly. Peter tells us.

1st Peter 5: 8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Following Satan thinking we are following God is perhaps the most cunning of all his tricks. Peter teaches us to overcome the natural man.

1st Peter 4:2-4

That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

It was Peter who introduced another concept that perhaps many Christians have overlooked. God is in heaven. He is omniscient. He sees all, both the living and the dead. He is concerned for all, both the living and the dead. For example, we learn from 1st Peter Chapter Three that those who drowned in the flood were taught by Christ after death in the spirit world during the time between his death and the resurrection.

1st Peter 3:18-20

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

In Chapter Four Peter again addresses the issue of the dead.

1st Peter 4:5-6

Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

In the above Peter tells us why Christ taught the spirits of those who were dead: “that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” That tells us that everyone who comes to this earth will be taught of Christ whether in this life or the next. Christ is the savior and redeemer of the entire world from Adam to the last man and woman on earth. He is the Christ. Those who are not taught the gospel of Christ on earth will be taught the gospel of Christ in the spirit world so that the judgment will be fair. Christ does not hold people accountable for laws they were never taught on earth. The mercy and grace of Christ covers everything. God is both just and merciful. Nevertheless, everyone of Adam and Eve’s posterity, before they meet Christ at the judgment bar, will have heard of Christ whether on earth or in the world of the spirits of the dead. That is part of the law of agency. We must all choose for ourselves whom we will follow, Christ or Satan.

After teaching that gospel principle, Peter turns his attention to the living.

1st Peter 4:7-10

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Christ expects those who know the gospel to preach the gospel to others. We are all, who know Christ, stewards of the manifold grace of God. Notice the faith God has in the members of his church.

1st Peter 4:11

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

It was Peter who said that the trials of our faith were as gold. He continues that theme.

1 Peter 4:12-14

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.