Mark 4:13-15 (ESV)
And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
Satan does not want people to “hear” the Gospel message. His only purpose in existence is to make sure as many people as possible follow him straight to hell. He wants utter destruction and death of mankind by seeing that they are separated from God for eternity. That is the point of the above passage. Satan never stops at his mission. He is relentless. He wants to blind the eyes of the unbeliever so that glory of the Gospel does not break through:
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (ESV)
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is the glory of God bursting forth in our hearts. Satan is bent on making sure that does not happen. Our role and responsibility is to proclaim the Gospel so that that glory of Christ is seen and believed. That is the purpose of the church and the purpose of every believer in the church. Satan has a mission and has rallied his troops to complete it. We have the power of the Spirit of God to enable us and to equip us to proclaim the Gospel. Notice how Satan interfered with the Apostle Paul’s ministry. We are to be on our knees and using God’s Word, through the Holy Spirit, as he did, to fight this demonic interference in the spread of the Gospel message:
Mark 4:13-15 (ESV)
And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
Satan does not want people to “hear” the Gospel message. His only purpose in existence is to make sure as many people as possible follow him straight to hell. He wants utter destruction and death of mankind by seeing that they are separated from God for eternity. That is the point of the above passage. Satan never stops at his mission. He is relentless. He wants to blind the eyes of the unbeliever so that glory of the Gospel does not break through:
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (ESV)
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is the glory of God bursting forth in our hearts. Satan is bent on making sure that does not happen. Our role and responsibility is to proclaim the Gospel so that that glory of Christ is seen and believed. That is the purpose of the church and the purpose of every believer in the church. Satan has a mission and has rallied his troops to complete it. We have the power of the Spirit of God to enable us and to equip us to proclaim the Gospel. Notice how Satan interfered with the Apostle Paul’s ministry. We are to be on our knees and using God’s Word, through the Holy Spirit, as he did, to fight this demonic interference in the spread of the Gospel message:
1 Thessalonians 2:17-18 (ESV)
Paul's Longing to See Them Again
But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.
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