How Mighty Is the Devil?
A brief message from Mrs. Mary Summerton.
Greetings!
This week, I would like to share a brief tract about the supposed victory of Satan, or, the Devil, over God—the Creator of the universe. Even though the vast majority of orthodox Christians would never concede that Satan is more powerful than God, their own belief seems to suggest otherwise.
According to mainline Christendom, Satan is sure to drag most of humanity away from God, thus, resulting in their eternal damnation in the lake of fire. If this is so, how, then, can the Creator of the universe really be all-powerful if He is unsuccessful in winning over ALL of his creation?
The following was written by Mrs. Mary Summerton. Though I never met Mrs. Summerton, she was evidently part of Grace and Truth Chapel, located in Baldwin, Michigan. The tract was given to me, along with thousands of others, by a former member/affiliate of Grace and Truth Chapel, which, as I understand it, has since shuttered its doors.
So, without further ado, let us take a look at what Mrs. Summerton has to say.
If “orthodox” theology is correct, the devil is a great deal mightier than God! Orthodoxy says, “When time is no more and eternity has begun, approximately 98 percent of all created intellectual beings will have been consigned to endless torment.”
Fire! Literal fire, burning, burning, never ceasing to burn, is their portion—those for whose salvation and redemption Christ gave His life, even though the Scriptures declare that He came to destroy the works of the devil, and not that his [Satan’s] works should be perpetuated throughout all eternity.
What a horrible lie some well-meaning people have been declaring down through the years! It is time that those who know the truth and to whom God has revealed His perfect plan for all His creation at the consummation of the ages, rise up and “cry aloud, spare not, and show my people their transgression” (Isaiah 58:1).
Yes, God’s name has been maligned, stigmatized, blackened, defamed, and as a result tens of thousands have turned away in disgust and hatred from such a god—a god who brought myriads upon myriads of human beings into existence, knowing that endless torment would be their fate.
Now, if orthodoxy is correct, God is either unable or unwilling to deliver them from Satan’s power, and this vast majority are left to writhe in the lake of fire forever. Because of this teaching, multitudes have turned infidels. Little wonder! How can such a god be loved or worshipped?
But, praise God, this teaching is not the truth! It is very clearly stated even in the very faulty translation of the King James Version of the Bible that “God will have all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:3,4). Also, that “God is the Saviour of all men, specially [not exclusively] of those that believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).
Another outstanding statement, uttered by Christ Himself, is: “‘And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ This He said, signifying what death He should die” (John 12:32,33).
Besides these, there are many other outstanding Scriptures that prove that all mankind shall be saved through the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary; yet, in spite of all the Scriptures affirming this truth, orthodox theology teaches practically the very opposite!
How blind are the eyes even of many who have had a deep Christian experience!
Little do the preachers and evangelists who proclaim endless torment realize that they are glorifying the devil and setting him on a pinnacle, and declaring to the world that he, Satan, is the Victorious One, instead of Christ.
He, by their statements, has an inconceivably greater amount of power than God, for he has overruled the will of man and of God, and man eventually spends eternity in unquenchable fire. What a tragedy and near-failure Calvary was—if this be true! What a horrible nightmare life has been to billions who have lived and died without hearing of Christ, and more horrible still will be their endless existence in the regions of hell-fire and brimstone.
Praise God, this is not true! Jesus “shall see the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11).
Would He be satisfied with two percent of His creation after paying the price for 100 percent of it? If a man bought and paid the price for 100 acres of land and then found that he was to receive the deed for only two acres—would he be satisfied?
Satan was a defeated foe at Calvary. Christ is victorious! And when judgment and punishment for sin have been endured and God’s purpose of the ages has been completed, all mankind shall have accepted Him Who paid the price for their redemption! Then “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10,11).
Then we shall be with our loved ones and never part again. Hallelujah! What a glorious day! All creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption and brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:21), and God shall be All in All—everything in everyone (1 Corinthians 15:28).
If you desire to study the Scriptures and find out for yourself whether these things be true, use Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible; look up three mistranslated words—namely, “eternal,” “everlasting,” and “forever”; study carefully and you will find that the correct meaning of these words is, “belonging to an age or ages”—that is, limited periods of time, not eternity.
If you are of an open mind and desire to know the truth, your viewpoint regarding endless torment will soon change, your whole being will be thrilled, your heart will overflow with joy and thanksgiving to God as you continue to study this glorious subject, and you will have a wonderful, new conception of our loving God and Father and of His precious Word.
Before you go…
The Scriptural truth that God will—beyond a shadow of a doubt—bring all humanity into a realization of the truth, in the fulness of times, is nothing new.
Whether you’re a believer or skeptic, the topic of God’s plans for the ages is extremely important to understand. If you are looking for additional study in this area, consider the Simple Story of the Universe, The Eons, and All in All.
With Grace,
Concordant Student