As stated elsewhere, Satan by having succeeded in getting the Jews and
Gentiles to reject the Prince of Life and the Lord of Glory, became
what he has not been in previous ages, "the god of this age" (2 Cor.
iv:4).[3] And so the conflict continues. Satan can no longer attempt
to prevent the coming of the promised seed or attack His Person, for He
is in glory as the glorified Man. He knows, however, that He has a
seed on this earth, a seed which has the promise given that he, Satan,
"is to be bruised completely" under their feet. This seed is the
church. The enmity and conflict during this present age is therefore
between the seed of the serpent and the seed of Christ, those who are
in Him and in whom Christ dwelleth.
All students of Prophecy know that the seven church messages in the
book of Revelation (chapters ii and iii) contain a prophetic forecast
of the history of the church on earth, from the apostolic age to the
time when the true church is taken to glory and the apostate church
disowned by the Lord.[4] In these prophetic messages Satan's work in
opposition to the church is made known. In the Apostolic age he acted
in introducing error; he sowed the tares. After the Apostles had
passed away a time of great persecution set in which is indicated in
the message to Smyrna. The Roman emperors were the serpent's seed.
They claimed divine honors and worship. As Satan's instruments they
persecuted the church, and thousands upon thousands of believers died
the martyrs' death. The cruel tortures and horrible forms of death
were Satan's work by which he attempted to exterminate the church.
When he found that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church,
and that the church increased in spite of these persecutions, then he
began to corrupt the church. The professing church settled down where
Satan's throne is, that is, she gave up the place of separation and
became a world institution. Gradually the Gospel and the doctrine of
Christ became perverted, heathenish customs were introduced and finally
the culmination was reached in the Romish apostasy. These developments
are described in the messages to Pergamos and Thyatira. When the
Reformation set in the fires of persecution were kindled again; once
more Satan, as the murderer, tries to prevent the victory of the truth
of Christ and the Gospel. Satan's work can thus be traced in the
history of the church down to our own times. The destructive criticism
of our own times, the so-called "new theology," the different systems,
which deny the Deity of our Lord and which reject His atoning death,
like "Christian Science," belong to the seed of the serpent. And so
does Spiritism, Theosophy, Mormonism and other cults. In these systems
and cults he appears as an angel of light, blinding the eyes of them
that believe not. "And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light, therefore it is no great thing if his ministers
also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall
be according to their works" (2 Cor. xi:14-15).