Questions: Doctrine - Satan, Demons, Angels

I have a bunch of questions from the last message I preached on Satan, Demons, and Angels...imagine that. Here are the questions I was not able to get to on Sunday. I hope it helps.

"If Satan rules the earth, how can God's plan be fulfilled?"

It's not always easy to understand, but the truth is Satan only does what God allows him to do.

"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." ~ Revelation 20:10

If you read through Revelation you see that while Satan is a very real threat that needs to be guarded against, ultimately it's God that holds his chain. So always remember that God is sovereign and His Kingdom will come and His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This is my opinion but I think that Satan's freedom here on earth has more to do with us then it does God. Our faithfulness and dependence upon God can grow and be enhanced when we choose God even in the face of temptation and opposition. That is why the apostle Paul is so clear in Ephesians 6 regarding the defensive and offensive tools available for us to stand our ground (and even advance) against the kingdom of Satan.

"Does Satan have any capacity for good what with his being a former angel and having that part of himself manifested?"

Good question, and actually the first question my son Alex had for me when he found out that I was preaching on Satan. The truth that we have to remember about God is that part of his nature is that He is omniscient. He knows everything and is not limited by time or space. He knows how it is all going to end and He knows the decisions and choices of all of His creation--including Satan. So He knew from the beginning that Satan would not repent and come back to Him. Here is an interesting example of this.

Jesus in coming to his home country and preaching and teaching about the Kingdom of God is rejected. Listen to his response to that rejection.

"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." ~ Matthew 11:21

So in other words, Jesus being God, knew what these communities would have chosen as well as what Korazin and Bethsaida would chose in the future. Remember, God knows.

That is all the time I have for now. I will answer more later.