Chapter 2: The Compensation for the Suffering Man

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9)

The title the Devil is given to the lawbreaker, who was expelled from Heaven. However, his stay in the universe was given full legal recognition. The Devil has the legal right to tempt and oppress people. God imprisoned the illegal Satan and then created mankind there so that Satan’s attention would turn to them. So Satan became the Devil as his focus became fixated on man. Because of the Devil, man’s flesh was plunged into unfortunate sufferings. From then on, the Devil had the authority to arbitrarily harm, oppress, curse, and destroy man’s flesh.

The Devil’s domination over man is his legal right. So no matter what resources or methods man uses to escape out of the Devil’s grip, his endeavors would actually be illegal. Man does not have the legal right to escape from the Devil. In order for man to be liberated from the Devil, he must use the proper legal process.

The phrase redeemed us by the blood of Jesus means that Jesus paid the ransom for us with His blood. Jesus did not forcefully seize us from the Devil, but He legally paid the price for us to be free from the Devil. Our physical healing does not come from fighting the Devil either. The reason so many Christians fail in their spiritual lives is they erroneously think that there is a war with the Devil. We are not engaged in a fight against the Devil. No one in this world can fight and defeat the Devil because he is the ruler of the world.

You are of your father the Devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

The Devil was a murderer from the beginning. He is the source and cause of murder. For him, murder is a legal right. The Devil is the father of lies. The word father means a creator. The Devil devised lies from the beginning. He is the source of lies and the originator of temptations. The Devil’s deception of Eve proves that he fabricated lies and temptations. With such schemes, he deceived the world to forget the truth and forsake their faith in God.

He who sins is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the Devil. (1 John 3:8)

Not only is he the father of lies and murderer from the beginning, he is also the sinner from the beginning. Long before the creation of the universe, the Devil betrayed God by his own will and became the father of sin.

The first four commandments found in The Ten Commandments are those commands that pertain to the relationship between God and man. The person who disobeys these four commands is a sinner, just as the Bible clearly defines. Commandments five to ten deal with the relationships between people. Those who disobey these six commandments are called wicked. In other words, the disobedient is called a sinner before God and wicked before people. The Devil, who was the sinner from the beginning, caused man to sin before God and to be wicked against others.

The Devil is the first murderer, the first tempter, the first seducer, and the first sinner. The word first has the same meaning as the word origin. The Devil is the origin of murder, temptation, seduction, and sin. Nothing good can ever come from the Devil. Man can never benefit anything from him.

When the Devil tempted Eve, he implanted a hope in her that she could be like God by eating the forbidden fruit. But this image of a temporary glory displayed by the Devil cast mankind into the depth of damnation. The temporary courage that the Devil implanted in Eve eventually brought death to mankind. By telling Eve that even God knows that she could be like Him by eating the fruit, the Devil cultivated a heart in her to challenge God. However, Eve’s aspiration to rise to the top resulted in the horrific fall of mankind.

On the surface, the Devil pretended to do something beneficial for mankind. For example, some people call mediums or paranormal experts to conduct rituals or séance when they think that the house is haunted by a demon. Performing these ceremonies is not a pleasant experience, but as long as the demon is taken care of or soothed, people erroneously think that the demon would be cooperative. Simply put, the shamanistic rituals just temporarily appease the demons. But by yielding to the demons, the family plunges into perils of destruction.

In a way, Eve felt encouraged and comforted from her conversation with the Devil. From her point of view, the Devil was a considerate friend who opened her eyes to an important knowledge previously hidden from her. He encouraged her that she could be like God, and gave her the assurance that she would not die even though she eats from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, the result of Eve giving heed to the Devil was utterly miserable.

No matter how sweet the words of the Devil may sound, the only thing that he could provide at the end is devastation. Because he was the angel that glorified God with his beauty, the Devil can still disguise himself as an angel of light. Imagine how beautiful an angel of light would be! Nevertheless, though he might radiate magnificence, the Devil cannot offer man what is good and perfect to man.

The Devil is the first murderer, liar, and sinner. He has the legal right to kill, maim, oppress, tempt, and deceive people. For this reason, there is no worldly knowledge, power, or resource that can legally release man from the Devil’s oppression. No religions or disciplines in the world can liberate mankind from the Devil. The Devil is the prince of the power of the air. This authority does not just have a locational influence, but it is valid throughout the whole universe. Therefore, no method in this universe is able to liberate man from the Devil’s authority.

Only the truth can liberate man from the Devil’s authority. Jesus said that the believers will know the truth and that the truth will set them free (John 8:32). The truth is a type of a law. (The law here is not referring to the Decalogue or a commandment but a principle that cannot be altered.) It is a new law that never before existed within the universe. Jesus said that He is the truth (John 14:6). He is the only legal way by which we can break out from the Devil’s rule.

People endeavor to achieve freedom through self-discipline. But the Devil has the legal right to rule over everything in the universe. Self-discipline or any other methods are all futile before him. The Devil can use whatever he wants as the ruler of this world to devise anything. What is there that a ruler cannot do? The king has the authority to kill or pardon. Therefore, Hebrews 2:15 describes man as a slave in bondage with the fear of death.

People’s greatest fear is death. Why are wars so fearful? Why are sicknesses so terrible? Why is hunger so awful? Why is the bitter cold weather so dreadful? The answer is death. The origin of man’s fear is death. The Devil rules this world with the power of death.

Some people think that killing is the solution to problems. Even from the smallest thing as swatting flies or exterminating mosquitoes with insecticides, people think that killing is the solution to their problems. Because of this mentality, even some little kids say, “I’ll kill you!” or “Do you want to die?” during arguments.

The fear of death or the desire to kill is prevalent among people because the Devil’s homicidal nature has been embedded in them. Man is under the control of the Devil. Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do” (John 8:44). The Devil’s character definitely manifests through his children. For the aggressive and extroverted people, homicidal thoughts arise. But for the calm and introverted people, suicidal thoughts linger. Whatever the form is, death is engraved as the final solution in the heart of those who are ruled by the Devil.

Self-discipline is actually a different form of despair man has chosen for himself since he cannot overcome death. Regardless of what happens in the world, they have accepted the fact that they came from nothing and will return to nothing. They appear to have transcended beyond the necessities of life such as food or clothing, whether people acknowledge or curse them. On the surface, they seem to be unfazed by death. However in reality, their ascetic life is actually an outward sign of despair and hopelessness. Self-discipline might give a peace of mind, but it can never offer salvation for the soul. From a spiritual point of view, self-discipline is the same as despair.

Self-discipline does not liberate a person from the Devil. It is a type of resignation, which is not that much different from a mental disorder. Both despair and abandonment result in mental illness. Mental patients still have the capability to comprehend what is being said around them. Their actions might be extreme and unnatural, but they are aware of what people are saying to them. The problem is that people treat mental patients as if they are completely insane. Since they do not receive any empathy from others, they dissociate from society and fall further into despair. To help mental patients, treating them as crazy people will never help them be healed.

In many cases, most mentally sick people are introverts. When they get stressed, they tend to hold it in rather than releasing the stress as extroverts do. Even if other people gossip about them, they would never open their hearts and express their feelings. Whoever wants to help the mentally ill has to remember not to treat them as if they were insane, but that they have simply given up all hope in despair.

There is no specific demon that causes a mental disorder. People who suffer with chronic sickness such as athlete’s foot or ulcers, which demons cause, can become mentally ill when they let go of their will and get oppressed by those demons. So the mentally ill do not have to be stereotyped. They are no different from an unbeliever who has decided not to believe in Jesus. When I counsel the mentally ill, I approach them as I would unbelievers and first evangelize to them. If the mentally ill do not use their free will to believe, then there is no way that they can receive salvation. The mentally ill, like all other unbelievers, must be saved by actively using the strength of their will, coming to their senses, and accepting the Gospel. There is no way beyond this. If this was not the case – if one did not forcefully use the strength of their own will to believe and save themselves from their own trouble - then why not simply reach out to everyone through coercive methods and force them to be saved? People involved in self-discipline are not much different from the mentally ill. People who live in reclusion to practice self-discipline have already given up on the world. Despair turns normal people into pessimists. Those who know about the next age to come after death would never fall into pessimism. Pessimists forsake the world and practice self-discipline because they think that death is the end of everything.

Salvation does not come through self-discipline, religions, or any other methods of the world. The reason is that the Devil is the ruler of this world. Demons have the legal right in this world to bring curses to people’s lives. The activities of demons are legitimized by the Devil.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Pet. 5:8-9)

This verse serves as a warning to those who are saved from being bitten by the Devil. The words, “the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world,” show that the influence of the Devil is not limited to a certain area but reaches to every corner of the world. The Devil has the legal right to kill, oppress, tempt, corrupt, afflict and rule over man within the universe. In this universe, no one is exempt from the influence of the Devil.

Because the Devil officially rules over this world, there needs to be a legal way to be freed from his rule. For example, an employee must submit a doctor’s note and a sick-leave notice in order to take days off to receive treatment. Likewise, in order to be freed from the Devil’s jurisdiction, a legal way must be utilized.

The Lord said that if we know the truth, then it would set us free (John 8:32). Truth is a type of a law (principle). It did not originate from this world but from the bosom of God, sanctioned from the throne in Heaven. This law did not forcefully release the people from the laws of the world. In fact, the truth paid the price for man by shedding the blood which was demanded by the laws of this world. Therefore, those who know the truth and want to be free from the Devil can obtain true freedom.

The Devil acquired jurisdiction only after the creation of the universe. But the truth is the principle that perpetuated before the creation of the universe, even from the eternity past. If the truth had originated from the universe, then it would not have had the official capability to set man free from the Devil. No greater law than the Devil’s exist in the world, but the truth is the law that existed before the creation of the universe.

As it was explained in the previous chapter, the universe was created by God to incarcerate Satan. So the universe is useful as long as Satan is imprisoned there. God created man inside the universe, and allowed Satan who endeavored to tempt God to turn his attention towards man. This allowed the lawbreaker and traitor, Satan, to become the legally recognized ruler of the world, known as the Devil. He was given full legal rights to torment man.

God did not create man only to suffer at the hands of the Devil. Even though man was used as a catalyst to turn Satan into the Devil, God decided to compensate man for his portion. This decision was made before He created man.

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. (Eph. 1:4)

The word Him refers to Christ, and Christ means the anointed One, the Messiah. The Messiah is the One sent by the Father as a compensation to man. So when God created man, he was not just an inducement for Satan to become the Devil. Man was created because a Messiah was preordained as the compensation for the pain and suffering man had to go through in this universe. And the most amazing thing is that the One who came as the Messiah is the only begotten Son of God.

It is impossible to legally obtain salvation if people are ignorant of this compensation. We as believers carry within us the compensation of eternal life though we were to die. We have the assurance of healing though we become sick. We have the guarantee of forgiveness even if we were slaves of the Devil. We can receive healing, salvation, and resurrection through the compensation that God offers. We live not in the fear of death but in the hope of resurrection, for the truth is the law that compensates.

Some people ask why God created man. The answer is clear. God created man for Himself. God made mankind in this universe so that Satan’s opposition would turn from Him to them. Satan wanted to tempt God, but God created man as the object of Satan’s attack. In other words, Satan was called as the Devil when God created man. God’s message to man was, “You will suffer at the Devil’s hand. But I will compensate you for your agony.” Man was created with a guarantee from God to be compensated for the agony inflicted by the Devil. The Messiah (the Christ) came as that compensation.

Jesus came to this world and proclaimed, “I am the truth” (John 14:6). This means that only Jesus is the legal compensation. For us, it is only through the truth, Jesus Christ, that we are able to be free from the ruler of this world and receive life.

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12)

Only those who possess the legal compensation have the life from God. The law of the world states that everyone must die, but there is no law about resurrection. However, there is a new law called the truth. The truth is the Messiah, that is, the Christ. Those who possess the truth, the ones who have accepted Christ, are the ones legally compensated.

When we rely on the truth, we can legally be set free from sicknesses and also from demonic oppression. People suffer with sicknesses and curses because they are oblivious of the truth. Because they do not know the truth, they seek anointed pastors to receive prayer for blessings. How frustrating and sad!

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

Man is suffering in this world under the oppression of the Devil. But people who know the truth are released from this oppression. No method or ability of the flesh can offer this freedom from the Devil. If a man lives according to the flesh, then he will surely die. The thoughts of the flesh are in enmity with God, and those who live by the flesh cannot please God. Thus, it is impossible to be free from the Devil’s oppression without the truth.

The truth that the world professes and the truth that has been explained so far are fundamentally different. People believe that the truth is the same as laws of nature or universal facts. However, the truth in the Bible is the only law that can legally overcome and subdue the authority of the Devil. As a result, Jesus Christ is the only truth.

People in the world do not believe that Jesus Christ is the absolute truth. Neither do they acknowledge the validity of the resurrection. They do not acknowledge that people could be freed from demons. Neither do they acknowledge that people could receive forgiveness of their sins from God. Therefore, the truth cannot work in them at all. But we know that all these are legally endowed to us by God.

The Messiah is the truth that God gave us as compensation. Only those who have received this truth are free. People are oppressed by demons because they are oblivious of this truth. Some people have no interest in knowing the truth, but they just go to pastors to receive prayer. What is the use of receiving hundreds of prayers from pastors when one does not even understand the truth? Renters who do have not a lease agreement are afraid that the owner might suddenly demand them to vacate their property. This is because the renters do not have the legal title to the property. They just rent the place, but someone else owns it. Similarly, people who are without legal rights are always insecure. We must know the truth. The truth is what gives us the absolute freedom from the Devil. The Messiah whom God gave us as compensation is the truth, and this truth is salvation. The words Messiah, truth, and salvation are all one. As compensation, He is called the Messiah. In legal terms, He is called the truth. In conclusion, He is salvation.

Before Christ came, mankind was incapable of fleeing from the Devil’s oppression. But after Christ came, the way opened for us to conquer the Devil. The way to receive life has been opened. The way to be freed from sicknesses has been opened. We must know the truth, possess the truth, and fully rely on the truth. We must welcome Jesus Christ into our hearts, the Messiah whom God had sent to us as true compensation.