God will one day vanquish Satan, sin and death forever!
Lesson 15 from The HOPE Study Guide

Introduction

Our adversary, Satan, seeks to usurp God’s power and thwart God’s purposes in our lives. But the Bible is clear, Satan will not win his war against God. The last word belongs to God, and God alone. The HOPE says it like this:

Satan cannot defeat God, for God is all–powerful. And the day will come when Satan and all the demons will be thrown into the place of eternal torment God has prepared for them, a place called the lake of fire. But until then, Satan will do all he can to hurt God by attempting to destroy that which God loves.

– The HOPE, Chapter 2

Observe & Consider

The final book of the Bible tells us of a day when Satan will be cast into a lake of fire forever.1 In that same book we learn that after Satan is vanquished, God will “wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

What a day that will be! Do you long for it? Does a world without suffering, sorrow or death even seem possible to you? According to God, not only is it possible, it is certain. From your current vantage point, particularly if the place you’re in is filled with pain, it may be hard to even imagine such a day. But God sees what we cannot see. He has a different vantage point.

Consider this illustration. Tapestry is a form of textile art, where many threads are interlaced or woven on a loom. If you look at a finished tapestry from front side, it may depict a beautiful design or scene. But if you turn the canvas over to the backside, the yarns will often look completely chaotic. It may appear to have no resemblance at all to the image on the front side. The backside can be ugly.

The world we live in can at times resemble the backside of a tapestry, appearing to make no sense at all. And when pain and suffering dominate our view, the world can even seem ugly. But God is weaving a beautiful tapestry. And if you could see the finished image on the other side of God’s design, you would realize that He has a plan, and that the result is something perfect and beautiful. God’s eternal plan is not hidden. He has given us His plan in the Bible. It is a good and perfect plan – one we can be certain of.

Click on image to view larger.
Image used by permission. Design by Kathy Spoering

Ask & Reflect

Throughout the Bible, God reminds us that He not only has a plan for the world, He has a plan for every person in it, as well. Are there situations in your life that look like the backside of a tapestry? Regardless of how things may appear from the “backside” view, God has a plan for your life, and that plan looks entirely different from His vantage point. And God’s vantage point is what we see when we read the Bible.

The Bible promises that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). God has a plan for you,2 and not even Satan has the power to alter God’s plan.3 Opposition will almost surely come, but for those who follow God, the Bible says “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Decide & Do

Are you looking at life from the “backside of the tapestry?” Get into God’s Word, the Bible, and begin to discover the beautiful picture that God wants to create with your life.

From Romans 8:28 we saw that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” If you love Him, then this verse is for you. How’s your love relationship with God? Ask God to show you anything that might be hindering your relationship with Him. If He reveals something that has come between you, ask Him to help you remove it.

Footnotes

¹Revelation 19:20
²Ephesians 2:10
3Romans 8:38-39

Life is but a Weaving (the Tapestry Poem)
― Corrie ten Boom

“My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.”