Satain defeated totally?

In the old testament, God enforced the law (i.e. punished transgressors) in national Israel, and even then not always. Today, He chasens Christians when they need it.

In biblical times, gentile sin was largely unaddressed as far as we know from scripture. There are some notable exceptions, but not very many. That is, these were unaddressed in this world, not the world to come.:thumbs:

I don't see any indication that God has backed away from the planet. He still watches over His people and intercedes in human events to work out His divine will.
:godisgood:

 

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)

God has not changed--He still punishes sin and He still judges. God is holy and immutable/unchangeable. We are living in the age of grace--Jesus Christ paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world--He offers the gift of salvation to whosoever will put their trust in Him. Anybody who has not trusted in the shed blood of Jesus Christ as the payment for their sin, is UNDER GOD'S WRATH.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)

 

In responce to the Uncharted spirit:
It is fulfillings God plan. God allows men to be able to go astray as says the scripture, but back in ancient times there was still a moral code, and types of ethics, and the Religions set these standards (even pagans had a concept of morals - somewhat) was prevelt everywhere.

Today however, people as a whole want less and less for ANYTHING to tell them what they can or should do and religion that set those standards has taken a back seat (if not actually thrown out of the car) in present times and so almost no where. Now let me clarify that statement since there are religions everywhere. People are not truly even following their other religions but only the parts they like.

God is allowing man (and has been) to live without God if that be their desire. And thus you will find scriptures that talk about "in the last days" (there are other phrases that are similar) which actaully began at the resurrection but is more so identified as a time where good becomes evil and evil becomes good. We see where this phrase is located it will always describe the kind of people accociated with it.

Look at II Timothy 3 (entire chapter)

As you can see it pretty much decribes the day and age we live in since no age before us has been this vile and religious at the same time on a global scale.
Scripture states in other places than just here that in those days it will get worse and worse.

It is interesting to note that one the "in the last days" phrases it describes our day just as vividly as above but also specifically, that they will deny the coming of the Lord, the flood and will deny that God created the world.

SO you see God has not left but He is patiently waiting, He has not left us but we have left Him. And when that time comes He will abide it no more, it will be a terrible time indeed!

 

Ecclessiastes 1:9-10 says

" The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us."

Nothing is more out of control than it was ever before. Sin has always been present, and grace was before sin.

All of God's people have been brought back into the sheepfold of God in Christ, and all who are not God's people will face the coming wrath.

As for your question on the seemingly more prevalence of evil bear in mind that the reason we hear and see of more evil than written down in the Bible is because technology is able to report better and faster than Old Testament times of the goings on around us.

When my country was under Martial Law, we thought that peace and order were better, and the country was headed towards economic and social progress, but that was because the media was pretty much muzzled, controlled, and directed by the Martial Law establishment.

When the Dictatorship was toppled, media went stampeding like a wild horse because of the new found freedoms, and dwelt on sensationalism and anything they could report on, and the Filipino people thought the same thing: why is there more crime, graft and corruption than there was under Martial Law ? Actually, crime, graft and corruption was the same under Martial Law, except there was no vehicle free enough to report them.

 

Nothing new under the sun, does not mean that all things are as they always were.

It is simply stating there is nothing new. I will agree though that we see more tragidy and sin than before due to media, BUT God did not write it in the bible because there was no news media to report about it. It was there, but we see scripture also state in the later time, last day ect.. these things WILL become worse and worse.

But you are right about the media, if love, joy, and peace sold like sex, drugs, and death we would see a different media, movie, and TV today than we have.

 

I assume that Satan hates it more now than he did in the Old Testament. Satan's goal is to destroy and condemn man. If evil was punnished quicker in the Old Testament, Satan could do what he can to persuade people to break the law so that they could die before they had a chance to repent.
Now, in the period of grace, Satan must deal with a generally longer period in men's lives where God gives them a longer chance to repent. Just an idea.

 

The battle isn't over yet, silly! Be still. :1_grouphug: