I have vanquished the enemy who now sits as a defeated foe, one who has lost all of his power like a displaced monarch, no longer holding any real property, having been cast out of his seat of authority. For his attempts to rule over mankind failed along with his plots of ascension. He sought to be the one who could boast of his supremacy by overthrowing My throne and seizing My Lordship, but he mistook My love as a weakness, and thought My affections for mankind set Me up with a disadvantage, like some other who could be easily bested. For his own vanity got in the way and clouded his judgment so that he could not see his own demise before it was too late.
But because I used his own scheme against him (the plot he had created to destroy My Son I took and turned it over on its head), his fate is sealed so that “defeated” is now his permanent title. When My Son accepted His role as Savior, the enemy miscalculated the effects His death would have on this world. For the enemy stripped himself of his own power like a spider caught in her own web. Because he believed he could outsmart Me, and thought he had figured out the perfect way to stop My plan, his overreaching desires caused him to fall right into My hands (though he never posed any real threat to My position as Lord over everything, for this has been My title and will remain My office for all of eternity).
There is no one that can leverage Me from this seat of Highest Honor!
However, many have wondered about this idea of what it would take to knock Me from My throne. But these are only small minded thoughts drummed up by those who don’t know Me at all. So they devise colorful plot lines to describe My character by using the feeble attributes of man, making it seem an easy task to neutralize the power I carry. Yet, there is no being that exists on My level, so who could ever calculate what unseating Me would take?
Since everything in the universe was designed by My hand, all that is within its boundaries can only move within the limits I established at the time of its inception. Because of these set lines, not a single entity can cross over the borders I have defined. Even though some in this world have had thoughts of total domination, none have been able to achieve this grandiose position. For when their own pride took over, thoughts of coming up against My perfect will were dismissed out of hand.
So just like the enemy, these were given enough room to hang themselves on a rope of their own making, unable to see their own end until it drew near, where even then they were surprised by the outcome. For it did not line up with the predictions of their own ambitions: those arrogant thoughts of ruling over and above everything living. Yet without fail, in each generation, there are those who see themselves in this manner: those who have partnered with the enemy’s pride-filled lies of entitlement, believing they merit an exalted position among other men.
Unfortunately, these have not learned from history by using fallen tyrants of the past as a warning that I will not tolerate haughty conduct for long. So, over and over again the same narrative plays out, where a similar scene is enacted with the enemy duping the foolish into a partnership that agrees with his deplorable schemes, enticing the vain in heart to join him in an effort to subdue mankind so that the whole earth will bow to him. Yet, the only way the enemy can accomplish this feat is through the use of fear and intimidation, for how many would voluntarily surrender to him unless they were coerced? Yet once a person gets to know the real enemy, the evil he exudes leaves them with a bad taste in their mouths. This is due to the knowledge of right from wrong I instilled within each person, giving them the ability to decide which they would choose, where even a young child can comprehend a simple lesson and make the correct decision.
But because of free will, man is not forced to be moral, and so can live his life in the manner he wishes. Though many have set a certain course of conduct, a standard which places them in the “good” person category, they have adopted a more passive stance, choosing to look the other way when heartless deeds are being perpetrated upon their fellow man. When they see deplorable behavior all around them by those who use exploitative tactics for their own gain, those who, in their mind consider themselves upright, do even willfully align with some inhumane practices, refusing to lift a finger to stop the heinous actions of the “violent” who use brutal force to subdue their neighbor.
Though I am not promoting an extreme response as the way to handle bullies, there are times when I will enlist the skills of those who are charged with keeping order to take down some who try to rise up in power. However, My children need to remember, the weapons they fight with are not carnal, so they should engage this life from the context of My authority, and therefore have no reason to shy away from any situation, even if it means they themselves suffer a few blows, or are thrown in jail for sharing their beliefs. My children never need to worry about what can happen to the mortal body, for their soul is always securely kept, which should relieve any fear they might have of man. Though flesh and blood can be destroyed, it is the imperishable part of each person that matters: the part of his being that continues on into eternity. The condition of his inner man is of real importance, and is the most valuable part of his makeup.
Since man can only see the here and now, his focus too often rests on the present: those things he is experiencing at the moment, with little time spent thinking about the afterlife and what will happen to him once he reaches eternity. This is the main reason the enemy has caused so many to stumble, because he knows that man can be extremely short-sighted, rarely looking beyond his own lifetime. This is why the enemy appeals to a person’s vanity by bolstering their pride with thoughts of self-importance, and of having the greatest life possible, even if it means, for some, wandering past the edges of civility: those places deemed off limits for most of society.
But there are some who, after suffering from a deficiency of self-worth, have sought to bring vengeance upon their fellow citizenry by taking on the conduct of a bully. Once someone has decided to embrace the enemy’s lie that being in charge is worth doing whatever it takes to assume control, then he has no problem using force to abscond with property, position, or anything else he feels should belong to him.
Yet, even in those who are the most deplorable, there lies the hope for change. Even in some who have done the unspeakable, justifying in their own mind bringing harm to another, there still exists the ability to repent, with room for salvation to enter their life. Though many would say these are too far gone, none are out of the reach of My love. For they can cry out to Me with their dying breath and I will still accept them. Consider the other who hung on the cross next to My Son: the criminal who was being put to death because of the crimes he had committed. This soul was spared from the pit because he called out to My Son for mercy, and now this one who was guilty is standing with Me in paradise without any of his sins counted against him.
So then, My own children must not hold a judgmental attitude even towards the vilest offenders who commit offensive acts against the most innocent in their communities, even if it has been sanctioned as lawful. For didn’t My son Paul stand in agreement with the stoning of Steven? Then, because of his religious zeal, he went out and justified harming others simply for having a different belief. Yet, look at how his life changed through a single encounter with the Savior.
Therefore, My dear ones must approach each individual without judgment. For who’s to say which one will choose Me, and which damaged heart will recognize their greater need and turn My direction?
For it is important to note that I do not measure sinful behavior in the same way as does man: as if evaluating wrongdoing on a scale from 1-10 (where a value placement is assigned to corrupt actions by using degrees to define depravity in order to deliver the proper punishment). For man’s transgressions are all the same to Me. All exist in the negative position of unredeemed until the choice is made to accept My Son as Savior; which means that even those who have not broken the laws of man are still accountable, for it is the heart of each human being that I study. Unless they hold the mark of His sacrifice, not a single person is safely bound for My Kingdom.
So then prayers should be uttered for everyone living, regardless of his standing in society. Each person, whether alive or dead, is guilty of violating My statutes and deserves a fitting end. Yet, to each one, I have offered mercy by extending the bounty of My grace, so even those who find themselves behind bars can know the sweet relief of redemption.
Therefore, no one should ever be dismissed as too far gone. For even in a crowd of murderers and thieves, there exists a heart of repentance in an individual who only needs to be shown real compassion as the stepping stone to the true forgiveness of salvation.