"The Counsel of His Will"

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” (Ephesians 1:11 ESV)

Who interrupts our lives and causes our interpersonal and personal troubles, Satan or God? Are these troubles always an act of spiritual warfare? There is no act in our life that is not under God’s hand. If something happens, whether initiated by Satan or not, it is under God’s control, all the while Satan may be the immediate actor.

As we read Ephesians 1:11, Paul tells us that all things occur according to the sovereign will of God. But we know that God cannot be evil. The psalmist wrote, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.” (Psalm 5:4) So, God cannot be evil, but He does ordain evil for His purposes. This means that God allows evil to exist and uses it to accomplish His greater plan, but He is not the source of evil.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:18, Paul writes, “because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.” Satan does hinder us consistently. But we must remember that Satan is subordinate to God. God put forth the laws and commandments for us to follow. However, Satan does not follow them, nor is he required to follow them. For example, Satan is a liar, and as Jesus said, “the father of lies.” He breaks the ninth command without end. God may allow Satan to act, but God already knows the outcome of that act and will use it so that His will may be done. God never says, "Well, I did not see that coming."

The best example of this is Judas Iscariot. Jesus did not stop Satan from entering Judas. To the contrary, Jesus said to Judas, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” (John 13:27). This was allowed so that the scriptures would be fulfilled and God’s will would be done in the form of the Passion of the Christ so that God's plan of redemption would be completed. Luke wrote in Acts that Peter said, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”(2:23). It was the acts of Satan and the lawless men under his control who through their evil, completed the greatest act of love ever to occur, that will never be met or surpassed.

Is it spiritual warfare that detracts from our lives? Yes, but through these other outside actors, God already knows and allows these things to help mold us into the image of Christ. So, what do we do? We must renounce the sinful acts in our lives. No matter what evil detracts from our lives, we must turn away, renouncing it and Satan.

When we reach that fork in the road and the interference of Satan can have implications on our life and decisions, we must rely on God, our understanding of His will, and the revelations contained in scripture. We must understand our strengths and weaknesses in our righteousness. We should consider those things that are sin triggers for us. We should also consider the possible outcomes of sin or fruits at the end of each road in the fork. Most of all, we should rely on God through prayer and the counsel of trusted brothers and sisters when making our decisions.

When we do all these things, I truly believe God will instruct us on whether to embrace this hindrance or interference in our lives, or to overcome it. God already knows the answer; we have to ask Him for it. This process of seeking God's guidance and relying on His wisdom is a crucial part of our personal faith and reliance on God, and it is through this faith that we can overcome the challenges in our lives.

How is your relationship with God? Do you know Christ as your Savior? If not, you are finding yourself standing alone in the darkness without the light of God to guide you. Seek Christ now and receive salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of the cross. God has the answers for your life, but unless you know Him and He has saved you, those answers may never come. Remember, salvation is the first step towards a deep and meaningful relationship with God.

Grace and Peace!