Chapter 1: Freedom of Choice

The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan

Seventh-day Adventists believe that behind the scenes of earthly affairs, invisible, supernatural forces of good and evil are engaged in cosmic warfare for the control of every human being (Eph 6:12).1 We believe in the existence of a literal, personal devil, now named Satan, who once was a perfect (and heaven’s highest) angel (Eze 28:15; [Isaiah 14:12-15]).2 Scripture further declares that Satan [endowed with freedom of choice, in self-exaltation] experienced a moral fall, took one-third of all the holy angels with him (Rev 12:4), and at the conclusion of that first war in heaven he was literally, physically, ejected, eventually coming down to planet earth (v. 7-9). Here he continues yet today, diligently waging warfare against the kingdom of God and all that is good and worthwhile in the universe. We believe that today under Satan’s immediate, direct control there are multitudes of evil spirits, fallen angels, demons, allied with him in this "great controversy between Christ and Satan."

We believe, further, that we are today living in the closing days of this earth’s history, and that this warfare will intensify to an unprecedented degree as this ages-long conflict draws to its close (v.12). Because these supernatural forces of good and evil operate largely outside the range of human knowledge and control, their nature and modes of operation are not always clear and understandable; yet we believe that these forces are real and personal.3

God is not the author of evil and of the devil. Lucifer was perfect from the day he was created. God created a perfect angel, but He gave to that angel, as He gave to every angel, the power of choice. And with that power of choice Lucifer made a devil out of himself.

But why did God not destroy Lucifer as soon as he sinned, before rebellion could get a start? God could not destroy Lucifer at that point— though eventually He will destroy him— without being misunderstood. Sin had never before existed— anywhere. There was no example to which God could point and say, "This is what sin does." He could easily have destroyed Lucifer instantly. But when asked to explain His action, what could He say? "Because he sinned." But no being had ever sinned. Would the angels have not from that time on, served God at least partly from fear, rather than all from love? The universe would never have understood.

So it was necessary to let Satan reveal his true motives and demonstrate what sort of improvements in government he had in mind. The plant of sin, so mysterious and subtle, came into existence in a flawless environment, for no apparent reason, must be allowed to develop until all could see its deadly fruit.

  Even though our first parents sold out to Satan the dominion of this world, God has assured that every human being has the inalienable right to a free moral choice.

(Josh 24:14-15 NIV) "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

  This right to a free moral choice was one of the tasks Jesus came to accomplish:

(Luke 4:18-19 NIV) "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."

Through yielding to sin, man placed his will under the control of Satan. He became a helpless captive in the tempter’s power. God sent His Son into our world to break the power of Satan, and to emancipate the will of man. He sent Him to proclaim liberty to the captives, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free. By pouring the whole treasury of heaven into this world, by giving us in Christ all heaven, God has purchased the will, the affections, the mind, the soul, of every human being.4

  Salvation is offered to all and pivots on our free moral choice. We must personally choose to respond to God’s love in order to be saved. And so God appeals to the sinner to opt for salvation:  

(Titus 2:11 NIV) For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

(2 Pet 3:9 NIV) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

(John 3:16 NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Everyone has the right to exercise their will—their power of choice— even those possessed/controlled5 by demons:

The means by which we can overcome the wicked one is that by which Christ overcame,—the power of the word. God does not control our minds without our consent; but if we desire to know and to do His will, His promises are ours: "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." "If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching." John 8:32; 7:17, R. V. Through faith in these promises, every man may be delivered from the snares of error and the control of sin.

Every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him. None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they can find deliverance in Christ. The demoniac, in place of prayer, could utter only the words of Satan; yet the heart’s unspoken appeal was heard. No cry from a soul in need, though it fail of utterance in words, will be unheeded. Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature. They are invited by the Savior, "Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me." Isa. 27:5. The spirits of darkness will battle for the soul once under their dominion, but angels of God will contend for that soul with prevailing power. The Lord says, "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? . . . Thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children." Isa. 49:24, 25.6

The weakest and demon-possessed are not beyond the reach of God. How reassuring it is to know that we who seek a relationship with God are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of our own nature.

God sends His angels to hold in check the forces of evil to allow everyone a chance at receiving the light of the gospel:

I saw evil angels contending for souls, and angels of God resisting them. The conflict was severe. Evil angels were crowding about them, corrupting the atmosphere with their poisonous influence, and stupefying their sensibilities. Holy angels were anxiously watching these souls, and were waiting to drive back Satan’s host. But it is not the work of good angels to control minds against the will of the individuals. If they yield to the enemy, and make no effort to resist him, then the angels of God can do but little more than hold in check the host of Satan, that they should not destroy, until further light is given to those in peril, to move them to arouse and look to Heaven for help. Jesus will not commission holy angels to extricate those who make no effort to help themselves.7

  The Bible from Genesis to Revelation repeatedly emphasizes individual responsibility for sin, even those sins that are directly related to the working of Satan, such as snatching away the truth, inserting lies, blinding minds, holding people in bondage.8 In these and all other sins, including sexual sins and the sins of the occult such as witchcraft and idolatry (called sins of the flesh in Gal 5:19-21) the Scriptures stress individual responsibility and the need to repent and seek God’s forgiveness and power to overcome, or else death will ensue.

In the Bible there are three sources of temptations: the "flesh" (sinful nature) (James 1:14), the "world" (in opposition to the values and beliefs of the true God) (James 1:27; 1 John 2:15-17), and evil spirits. Though it is true that ultimately all evil is traceable to Satan, the originator of sin, nevertheless, evil spirits are not always the immediate cause of every human sin.9

"The Bible often talks about our responsibility without mentioning the devil, but the Bible never talks about the devil without mentioning our responsibility. The Bible does not portray moral evil [our sinning]— however heinous or devilish— as a demonization [inhabiting spirits] to be cast out"10 rebuked and bound. In no case is the problem of sinning "defined as inhabiting spirits needing to be cast out."11

By the term "possession" I wish to designate control of human neurology and physiology— the control of an individual’s higher centers, central nervous system, individual organs of the body, etc.12

Moral evil or sin is the evil that people believe and do.

Situational evil is the suffering, death, and hardships that are a result of living in a sinful world.

"While possession and special sinfulness may go hand-in-hand (Mary Magdalene may be a good case in point), in terms of the data of the New Testament itself (the demoniac in the Synagogue Mk 1:23 par. Lk 4:33-36; the Gerasene demoniac Mk 5:1-20 par Mt 8:28-34 par. Lk 8:26-39; the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman Mk 7:24-30 par. Mt 15:21-28; the epileptic lad Mk 9:14-29 par. Mt 17:14-21 par Lk 9:37-43; the dumb demoniac Mt 9:32-34; the blind and dumb demoniac Mt 12:22 par Lk 11:15; the woman with the spirit of infirmity Lk 13:10-17)13, possession appears to be related to physical and mental illness, rather than to be linked with doing sinful deeds."14 Though the Gospels carefully differentiate between sickness and demon possession,15 healing the sick and casting out demons are repeatedly placed in the same category to the extent that Scripture frequently says that Jesus heals people of demons (Mt 4:23-24; 12:22). It is possible that "the indwelling unclean spirits, like other forms of suffering, perhaps created conditions of temptation to moral evil for the victims."16 Nevertheless, "unclean spirits are never implicated as holding people in bondage to unbelief and sin. They are never portrayed as inhabiting and enslaving sinful parts of the human personality."17

Jesus "never cast out demons of sin from people, but instead exposed and reproved sin, inviting people to the God of grace."18

It is important to stress that there was a difference in Jesus’ work of casting out demons and of regeneration. The latter is always an appeal to the individual’s responsibility and choice. The correcting of evil in one’s nature is personal and is accomplished only in connection with Christ. It is never accomplished by a mystical casting out the demon of that sin:

Why was the work of Christ productive of such meager results, during his personal ministry upon earth? Miracles of goodness and mercy marked his life; but while he healed the afflicted, and cast out the demons that persecuted men, he left to themselves the work of correcting the evils of their natures. He instructed them how to unite their human efforts with his divine power, and triumph through his strength over the sins that beset them.

This experience was necessary in order to give moral power to the Christian character and fit it for the courts of Heaven. Jesus employed no miraculous agency to compel men to believe in him. They were left to choose or reject him, of their own free will. No direct power was to force them into obedience, and destroy the free moral agency that God has given to man. The parable of the sower plainly sets forth the tendencies of the human heart, and the different classes with which Christ had to deal, and also explains the reasons that his ministry was not more successful in its immediate effects.19

In all the afflictions of humanity He was afflicted. He saw the work of Satan revealed in all their woe, and He made every case of need and sorrow His own. With a power that never quailed, He cast out the evil spirits that possessed both mind and body. The power of love was in all His healing, and of the suffering multitudes that were brought to Him, it was said, "He healed them all."

The Saviour saw a still greater need than bodily suffering. He saw symptoms of a deeper illness. The sufferings of the body excited His pity, but He was moved to still greater pity by the need of the soul.

With a love that never faltered, Christ spoke to men the words of eternal life.20

 a) Acceptance of the gospel/conversion breaks the bondage of evil angels.

Upon hearing the Gospel, when one turns from darkness to light, one is delivered from the power of Satan:

(Acts 26:18 NIV) to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

(Col 1:13-14 NIV) For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Conversion actually breaks "the bondage of Satan."21 So, when one comes to Christ, one needs to believe that one is free of the control of Satan:

Rest in His love. No tongue can express or finite mind conceive the greatness and richness of His promises for just such weak and trembling souls as you are. Simple faith and trust is your part; the Lord’s part He never fails to fulfill. By faith draw close to the precious Sin-bearer, and then cling to Him by faith. Do not worry; this will not help the matter at all. Believe that Christ Himself rebukes the enemy, and that he can have no more control over you. Believe that Satan has been rebuked. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up for you a standard against him.22

b) The converted, dedicated Christian who maintains a union with Christ, is sustained and protected by God’s shielding power from evil angels. The devil cannot force a Christian to sin, nor can he defile or contaminate the soul.

When Christ reigns in the heart, that person is kept by God’s power:

(1 Pet 1:5 NIV) who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

(1 John 2:14 NIV) I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

(1 John 4:4 NIV) You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Christ will give strength to all who seek it. No man without his own consent can be overcome by Satan. The tempter has no power to control the will or to force the soul to sin. He may distress, but he cannot contaminate. He can cause agony, but not defilement.23

He [Satan] will turn his forces against those who are loyal to God, but though he may cause pain, distress, and human agony, he cannot defile the soul. He may cause affliction to the people of God as he did to Christ, but he cannot cause one of Christ’s little ones to perish.24

The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent, faith must let go its hold upon Christ, before Satan can exercise his power upon us. But every sinful desire we cherish affords him a foothold. Every point in which we fail of meeting the divine standard is an open door by which he can enter to tempt and destroy us. And every failure or defeat on our part gives occasion for him to reproach Christ.25

The tempter has no power to control the will or to force the soul to sin. He may distress, but he cannot contaminate. He can cause agony, but not defilement. Satan cannot read our thoughts, but he can see our actions, hear our words; and from his long knowledge of the human family, he can shape his temptations to take advantage of our weak points of character. And how often do we let him into the secret of how he may obtain the victory over us. Oh, that we might control our words and actions!26

This last statement also affirms that the devil cannot read our thoughts.

The very weakest who have and maintain a union with Christ are stronger than the devil and all his host.27

Angels (good or evil) cannot compel the will of an individual when that will is committed to Christ.28

It is important to differentiate between harassment/oppression/temptation, and possession. External harassment/oppression/temptation of evil angels is the universal experience of all humanity, including believers, and Christ (Isaiah 53:7). Whereas, possession or control by wicked angels is but the experience of a few people, and never the experience of dedicated believers for

It is the inalienable right of every child of God to be free from the control of Satan (though not, of course, from his temptations) through the superior power of Jesus Christ who won a supreme victory over Satan at Calvary. There, by His personal and once-for-all sacrifice, He earned the right to confer upon His followers not only eternal life in the hereafter, but also freedom from the control of Satan in this present temporal existence.30

 

Believers may be afflicted externally with diseases brought upon by evil spirits (Job, Paul), but their minds are never controlled by these spirits, for they are surrendered to the lordship of Christ.

It is true that Satan can control us to a certain extent if we yield (Rom 6:14, 16) to his temptations,31 or to his control,32 or if we give him our minds.33 Bear in mind that the fact that genuine believers sin occasionally does not mean that they are controlled by Satan:

But while the followers of Christ have sinned, they have not given themselves up to be controlled by the satanic agencies. They have repented of their sins and have sought the Lord in humility and contrition, and the divine Advocate pleads in their behalf. He who has been most abused by their ingratitude, who knows their sin and also their penitence, declares: "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. I gave My life for these souls. They are graven upon the palms of My hands. They may have imperfections of character; they may have failed in their endeavors; but they have repented, and I have forgiven and accepted them.34

Even if Christians backslide, if they have not yet grieved the Holy Spirit, they can still choose God and His salvation as demonstrated by the demoniac at Capernaüm.35 So, whatever our understanding of demon possession, it follows that the devil cannot force one to sin or be lost against their will because he cannot prevent one from reaching out to God for help.

This is why, even though Ellen White occasionally speaks of demons of selfishness,36 greed,37 appetite,38 inebriation,39 passion,40 jealousy,41 strife,42 unkindness,43 heresy, etc.,44 she always stresses individual responsibility for those sins. In every instance the therapy for these demon-afflicted persons consists of prayer, fellowship, repentance, self-surrender to God, and conversion.45

The Spirit of prophecy discloses how demons were able to gain possession of their victims through: persistent willful disobedience;46 fascination with sin;47 separation from God;48 a refusal to remain surrendered to Christ as Lord;49 resisting,50 rejecting,51 or neglecting the gospel; curiosity with the occult;52 and those who advocate a critical view53 of the Scriptures which robs the Word of God of its power, leads them no defense against the inroads of the devil.

The power and malice of Satan and his host might justly alarm us were it not that we may find shelter and deliverance in the superior power of our Redeemer. We carefully secure our houses with bolts and locks to protect our property and our lives from evil men; but we seldom think of the evil angels who are constantly seeking access to us, and against whose attacks we have, in our own strength, no method of defense. If permitted, they can distract our minds, disorder and torment our bodies, destroy our possessions and our lives. Their only delight is in misery and destruction. Fearful is the condition of those who resist the divine claims and yield to Satan's temptations, until God gives them up to the control of evil spirits. But those who follow Christ are ever safe under His watchcare. Angels that excel in strength are sent from heaven to protect them. The wicked one cannot break through the guard which God has stationed about His people.54

(Rom 8:31-39 NIV) What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus told a story emphasizing that it is not enough to have evil spirits cast out of the heart but that one needs to surrender and abide in Christ,55 and that it is only then that one is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. Christ in us56 is our only defense. If we neglect to ally ourselves with Christ, we are under the influence of Satan.57 If we persist in rejecting God’s invitation of repentance, this will lead to the unpardonable sin, the sin against the Holy spirit. The following quote, though rather long, brings out all of these points:

Then He added a warning to those who had been impressed by His words, who had heard Him gladly, but who had not surrendered themselves for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is not only by resistance but by neglect that the soul is destroyed. "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man," said Jesus, "he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there."

There were many in Christ’s day, as there are today, over whom the control of Satan for the time seemed broken; through the grace of God they were set free from the evil spirits that had held dominion over the soul. They rejoiced in the love of God; but, like the stony-ground hearers of the parable, they did not abide in His love. They did not surrender themselves to God daily, that Christ might dwell in the heart; and when the evil spirit returned, with "seven other spirits more wicked than himself," they were wholly dominated by the power of evil.

When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not cooperate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end.

"The last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so," said Jesus, "shall it be also unto this wicked generation." There are none so hardened as those who have slighted the invitation of mercy, and done despite to the Spirit of grace. The most common manifestation of the sin against the Holy Spirit is in persistently slighting Heaven’s invitation to repent. Every step in the rejection of Christ is a step toward the rejection of salvation, and toward the sin against the Holy Spirit.

In rejecting Christ the Jewish people committed the unpardonable sin; and by refusing the invitation of mercy, we may commit the same error. We offer insult to the Prince of life, and put Him to shame before the synagogue of Satan and before the heavenly universe when we refuse to listen to His delegated messengers, and instead listen to the agents of Satan, who would draw the soul away from Christ. So long as one does this, he can find no hope or pardon, and he will finally lose all desire to be reconciled to God.58

  Every human being has the inalienable right to a free moral choice, even those possessed and/or controlled by demons. Spiritual evil forces cannot force a Christian to sin, nor can they defile or contaminate one’s soul. There is no evidence or precedent in Scripture to portray moral evil [our sinning] in whole or in part as a demonization of inhabiting spirits that need to be cast out, rebuked and bound. Repeatedly the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy emphasize individual responsibility for sin and the need to repent and seek God’s forgiveness and power to overcome that sin, or else death will ensue.