The Rulers of the Darkness of This Age

Sorrows multiply when the ungodly come to power. Wherever Satan gains a firm foothold in the flesh, he takes control and rules over people. Eventually, they find this intolerable.

One single political party in a large country can be so possessed by Satan, and can govern in such a cruel way, that God has to send armies against it to stop the very injustice that its own citizens should have fought against.

The rulers of the darkness of this age are now reigning. Throughout the ages, the people of God have had to battle against such reigns of terror, arrogance, and self-exaltation. It is staggering how much wickedness such rulers of this world can carry out when they are in control. Even all the residents of every insane asylum since the beginning of time could not have wreaked as much havoc as the rulers of this world have caused in the course of three to four years. God sent His armies against Jerusalem once the ungodliness of the people had fully developed. He does the same thing today. If the king and the government are ungodly, they drag the entire nation down the same path. Therefore, God has to chasten the entire nation until they are forced to depose the ruling tyrants.

When a government is possessed by Satan, his nature will be expressed through its actions. Acts of violence, murder, and lies will be sanctioned, even through official channels. Law and order are trampled mercilessly underfoot when they threaten to hinder the rulers’ hidden agendas; justice is only maintained when it serves their own purposes.

God uses human measures to chasten individuals and nations. He uses armies to force princes and rulers into obedience. He punishes pride and makes the enemies of Christ into His footstool. We should not only focus on the gruesome side of war, but also see it in the context of eternity. Then we would understand more easily why God does what He does, He who governs according to the things of eternal value. Imagine if pride were to triumph; imagine if Satan in the flesh gained power. How would that end up? We can thank God that He sends His armies against these rulers of the world, against those who seek to crush the lowly and exalt themselves. After all, we are now living in the world and not in a heavenly kingdom—even though we are seated there, according to the Spirit. Consequently, we can’t expect anything other than what this world has to offer.

I recently heard a preacher in Bergen arrogantly state: “Norway will soon be at war, and then all Norwegians will have to fight. And then we will be glad that we are not Norwegian, but rather citizens of heaven,” etc.

I am afraid that if people do not do their duty as Norwegians, neither will they do it as heavenly citizens; because if we are not faithful in what is another man’s, who will then give us what is our own? And if we are not faithful with the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust us with the true riches? People can impress others for a time with cunningly devised fables, but in the long run, they will be repulsed by it and will yearn for something genuine. True wisdom endures, but cunningly devised fables rarely last more than a week or so.

May God save His people from folly and drive out laborers who are able to preach the word of God to people with uprightness and seriousness. All God-fearing people down through the ages—those who have left their mark—have exhorted each and every one to faithfulness within their area and calling. They have understood the seriousness of life, that life is short. They have used their time here to exercise themselves in godliness and have exhorted others to do the same.

On the other hand, there have always been deceitful workers who have crept in. Some of them were spots in the love feasts of the saints, feeding only themselves. Jude 12. Such people are full of religious jesting and mockery. Verse 18. If you give them the word of the cross, they will mock you to your face, in an attempt to gain approval from their listeners. We need to wake up to the fact that such things have nothing to do with true Christianity.

The law proceeds from Zion. From this we understand that even though the truth offends people initially, in time it will be received and proclaimed.

A great many Christians in Norway have been living for years in a so-called liberty, which has gradually developed into brazen irreverence. But thank God, He has begun to bring such madness to its knees and to make a public spectacle of it, so that many are now asking for the tried and true word of the cross, which is the power to salvation for us who believe.

We are now in Vardø, and false liberty has not been preached very much here, probably because it is too far north—too cold and too unpleasant for the flesh.

Praise God that some friends here are also beginning to see the light in God’s light. They love one another in the Spirit, and they are gathered by the doctrine, prayer, and the breaking of bread.

If the world is to have peace, then those who rule must humble themselves, because God gives grace to the humble. If they are not willing to humble themselves, God knows how to humble them in His own way. Yet many lives could be spared if they were to clothe themselves in sackcloth and ashes.