What do we do during this Great Controversy?
So what are we to do while this Great Controversy wages on throughout the earth and within our hearts?
We know we can’t do this on our own, and we know we will make mistakes. But those who hold onto
Christ’s promises will be saved (
Matthew 24:13).
To help us, God offers us many promises and pieces of advice throughout the Bible:
“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (
Matthew 26:41).
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (
James 4:7-8).
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (
Matthew 11:28-30).
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (
Romans 10:9).
“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth…” (
Joshua 24:14).
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (
John 15:5).
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (
John 3:16-17).
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (
1 John 1:9).
Satan employed the same trick he’d used to deceive the angels in Heaven, casting doubt on God’s character, calling Him a liar and claiming that God was just trying to keep all the power for Himself. Satan essentially told Eve that she didn’t need God.
Sadly, Eve was intrigued enough to test this out. She ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam did the same. And with that, humanity took the side of rebellion against God and was dragged into the great controversy between good and evil.
Ever since Adam’s and Eve’s rebellion,
humanity has had a distorted view of God. We struggle with Satan’s lie about God’s character and are now born with a natural tendency toward selfishness. We cannot regain our once-perfect nature on our own. Only through God’s help are we able to choose His way and aid in the war against sin and Satan (
Romans 5:12-21).
We are truly living in a world with both the knowledge of good and evil, and each of us must make daily decisions on whose side we choose. These daily choices are more important than we can imagine. The entire universe has its eyes on Earth, watching the choices we make.
Earth is the only place God created that contains sin, and all God’s creations have their eyes on it, witnessing the devastating effect sin is having on our world (
1 Corinthians 4:9).
This is the reason God allowed Satan to live, why He allows sin to exist and spread across our world.
It would be easy for God to destroy Satan and his angels in an instant. But if God did that, the angels who remained would only follow Him out of fear. God didn’t want His people to follow Him out of fear, but out of choice. They had to see what Satan was like, so they could witness what sin was like and choose for themselves who they were going to serve.
Some things we really do have to truly see to truly believe.
Earth is the place where good and evil are put on full display so each person can judge for themselves who they are going to follow: Satan and his selfishness, or God and His love.