In our “Connecting the Dots” series, we’re diving into the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. We began with Creation, establishing God as the sovereign maker of all things, followed by Providence, affirming His ongoing control over His creation. In this article, we explore the doctrine of the spiritual realm, focusing on what the Bible reveals about angels, demons, and Satan. This unseen world is real, active, and central to our daily Christian walk, shaping how we engage in the spiritual battle around us.

Ephesians 6:12 declares, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Paul doesn’t merely suggest spiritual warfare; he states it as fact. Every day, we’re in a battle not primarily against people—false teachers, cultural pressures, or governments—but against spiritual forces influencing them. These enemies, described as rulers and authorities, unite to oppose God’s work in the world and His people. The spiritual realm is real, and we must prepare ourselves for this spiritual battle.

Avoiding Extremes

Again, there are some pitfalls I want to make sure we avoid. First, obsessing over angels and demons, speculating about their influence in every event, leads to a flawed understanding. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have a guardian angel, and loved ones don’t become angels after death. Not every decision is a cosmic tug-of-war between an angel and a demon. On the other hand, ignoring the spiritual realm, focusing only on the material world, blinds us to biblical reality. Most Christians lean toward this pitfall, but Scripture calls us to a balanced awareness: the spiritual world exists, but we shouldn’t fixate on it beyond what God reveals.

Angels: God’s Faithful Servants

Angels are immaterial, morally good created beings who serve God’s purposes. Powerful and intelligent, they are not all-powerful or all-knowing like God. Scripture describes four types of angels:

• Angels: General messengers and ministers.
• Archangels: Leaders like Michael (Jude 9).
• Cherubim: Guardians of God’s holiness, depicted with four faces and wings in Ezekiel 1 and 10, adorning the tabernacle and temple.
• Seraphim: Worshippers with six wings, crying “Holy, holy, holy” around God’s throne (Isaiah 6; Revelation 4).

Angels fulfill four primary roles:

• Messengers: Delivering God’s revelation, like Gabriel announcing Jesus’ birth to Mary (Luke 1) or angels informing Abraham of Sarah’s pregnancy (Genesis 18).
• Ministers: Meeting needs, such as providing water for Hagar (Genesis 21) or comforting Jesus after His temptation (Matthew 4:11). Hebrews 1:14 calls them “ministering spirits” for believers.
• Protectors: Rescuing God’s people, like delivering Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the furnace (Daniel 3) or freeing Peter from prison (Acts 12).
• Worshippers: Praising God, as seen with the heavenly host at Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:13-14) and the Seraphim’s eternal worship.

Angels glorify God through faithful service, pointing us to His power and care.

Demons: Fallen Rebels

Demons are fallen angels who rebelled with Lucifer, opposing God and disrupting His work. Originally created good, they now serve Satan. James 2:19 notes, “Even the demons believe—and shudder,” showing they know God’s truth but reject it. Demons engage in three main activities:

• Deceive: Promoting false doctrine, as 1 Timothy 4:1 warns of “deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” False religions and heresies stem from demonic influence.
• Tempt: Enticing disobedience, as seen in Satan’s temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4) or Job’s trials (Job 1-2). Demons exploit weaknesses like greed, lust, or pride to lead us astray.
• Attack: Afflicting people, as with the demon-possessed man in Mark 5 or the mute man in Matthew 9. However, Christians, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, cannot be possessed (1 John 4:4). Demons may influence but cannot control believers.

Demons actively seek to undermine God’s purposes, but their power is limited by His sovereignty.

Satan: The Chief Adversary

Satan, or Lucifer, is the archangel who led the rebellion against God before humanity’s fall (Genesis 3). A created being, he lacks God’s attributes and operates only within God’s permitted boundaries. Scripture calls him “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31), “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). His name, meaning “adversary,” reflects his opposition to God and His people. Other titles include Devil, ancient serpent, slanderer, destroyer, tempter, deceiver, and accuser.

1 Peter 5:8 warns, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Satan disguises himself as an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), offering false promises of joy that lead to harm. He drives people to despair, accuses them of sin without hope, and distracts or discourages believers from living for God. Though powerful and crafty, Satan is not God’s equal; his influence is temporary and subject to divine control.

Living in Light of the Spiritual Realm

How should Christians respond to this reality? Two truths guide us:

1. Fearless Victory in Christ

Hebrews 2:14-15 proclaims that Jesus, through His death, destroyed “the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,” freeing us from fear. Satan’s attempts to deceive, attack, or accuse cannot crush believers. 1 Corinthians 15:55-56 celebrates, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Jesus’ resurrection secures our triumph, and Satan’s ultimate defeat is certain, destined for the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). We face the enemy without fear, trusting Christ’s victory.

2. Engaging in Spiritual Warfare

To stand against Satan’s schemes, we must engage in spiritual warfare through Scripture and prayer. Knowing God’s Word equips us to counter lies with truth. Romans 8:1 assures, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” silencing accusations. John 10:28 promises, “No one will snatch them out of my hand,” securing our salvation. 1 John 1:9 offers forgiveness for confessed sins, and the Prodigal Son’s story (Luke 15) reveals God’s readiness to restore. Like Jesus in the wilderness, we wield Scripture to resist temptation.

Ephesians 6:10-18 exhorts us to put on the “armor of God” daily—not physical armor but spiritual disciplines: truth, righteousness, gospel readiness, faith, salvation, God’s Word, and prayer. By equipping our hearts and minds, we stand firm against the enemy, confident that “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Standing Firm in the Battle

The spiritual realm is real, with angels serving God and demons, led by Satan, opposing Him. Yet, we face this reality with courage, rooted in Christ’s victory and armed with Scripture. So let’s all live aware of this unseen battle, trusting God’s power and engaging in spiritual warfare with unwavering faith. The enemy may prowl, but our Savior reigns, and His triumph is our hope.

In this series “Connecting the Dots,” we’re exploring the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith through systematic theology. In the last post, we began with the doctrine of Creation, establishing that the truth of Genesis 1:1—that God created all things—underpins the entire Christian worldview. In this article, we turn to the doctrine of Providence, a truth that reveals God’s ongoing involvement in His creation and offers profound comfort and assurance to believers.

The doctrine of Providence can be defined as God’s continual involvement in His creation, including the sustaining of all things, collaboration with His creation, and directing it toward its divinely appointed end. Just as we depend on God for our origin in creation, we rely on Him moment by moment for our continual existence and the fulfillment of His purposes in our lives. In a culture where belief in divine providence is rare, Scripture proclaims it on every page, assuring us that God is sovereign over all things.

The Reality of God’s Providence

Consider your own life. Perhaps you’ve seen God’s providence in how you ended up in a specific place, or in a moment of redemption when God called you out of darkness. Maybe it’s a story of protection from harmful decisions or relationships. Reflecting on my own journey, I see God’s hand in protecting me from destructive choices, leading friends to faith who encouraged my own, and even using a moment of stupidity to bring me to salvation. From meeting my wife to opportunities like serving at a church or owning a business, God’s providence is evident. Each of us can reflect on stories of His sovereign guidance.

Isaiah 46:8-11 captures this truth vividly: “Remember this and stand firm… for I am God, and there is no other… declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” God doesn’t merely foresee the future; He declares and ordains it. His plans cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2). When God speaks, His purposes are as good as done, from Genesis to Revelation.

Understanding Providence: Guardrails for Our Minds

Before diving deeper, we must hold two truths in tension, like parallel rails of a railroad track: God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. Scripture teaches that God is fully sovereign, determining all that comes to pass, yet humans are fully responsible for their actions. This mystery is beyond full comprehension, but both truths are biblical.

Overemphasizing one at the expense of the other leads to error. First, overemphasizing God’s sovereignty to dismiss human effort leads to passivity, ignoring that God ordains the means—prayer, evangelism, proclamation of the gospel, obedience—as well as the ends. Second, overemphasizing human responsibility suggests God’s success depends on us, undermining His sovereignty. Both are ditches to avoid.

Three Aspects of Providence

Theologians typically describe providence in three aspects: preservation, concurrence, and government.

Preservation: God Sustains All Things

God didn’t create the world and step back; He actively sustains it. Gravity holds us to the earth because God wills it. Animals function as designed because God preserves their nature. Our every breath is a gift from Him. Nehemiah 9:6 declares, “You are the Lord, you alone… you preserve all of them.” Hebrews 1:3 adds that Jesus “upholds the universe by the word of his power,” and Colossians 1:17 states, “In him all things hold together.” Our existence depends on God’s sustaining hand.

Concurrence: God Collaborates with Creation

God works with His creation in every action and development. He enables plants and animals to flourish, empowers angels, permits demonic deception, and cooperates with humans to accomplish His will. Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Even human sin passes through God’s sovereign hand, though He is not its author. This mystery is evident in these “five J’s of providence”:

• Joseph: Sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph later declared, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). God ordained their evil actions to preserve life.
• Jonah: Disobeying God’s call, Jonah faced a divinely sent storm, was spared by a fish, and saw Nineveh repent—all under God’s providence (Jonah 1-3).
• Job: God permitted Satan to afflict Job, using suffering to deepen his faith, yet Job declared, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).
• Judas: His betrayal fulfilled Scripture, ordained by God, yet he remained responsible (John 13:18-19; 17:12).
• Jesus’ Death: The crucifixion, the worst act in history, was “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23), yet those who crucified Him were accountable.

God’s sovereignty and human responsibility coexist, with our freedom operating under His ultimate will.

Government: God Directs Creation to Its End

God directs all creation toward His intended purpose. He controls nature (Psalm 104:14), guides animals (Matthew 10:29), sets up and removes kings (Daniel 2:21), and even governs what seems random, like casting lots (Proverbs 16:33). From history to individual lives, God’s government ensures His plans prevail.

Implications of Providence:

The doctrine of Providence transforms our perspective, offering two key implications:

1. Comfort in Suffering

In a world of pain, tragedy, and evil, God’s sovereignty provides unshakable comfort. Nothing happens outside His will, giving purpose to our suffering. Romans 8:28 assures us, “For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” This truth guards against despair, fostering peace that surpasses understanding, as suffering produces endurance, character, and hope.

2. Assurance in Salvation

Ephesians 1:3-10 reveals that God chose believers before the world’s foundation, predestining us for adoption and redemption through Christ’s blood. Our salvation rests not on our works but on His purpose, ensuring no one can snatch us from His hand (John 10:28). We are His workmanship, created for good works He prepared beforehand (Ephesians 2:10). God keeps those whom He calls. This assurance fuels confidence in our eternal security.

Conclusion: Living in Light of Providence

The doctrine of Providence invites us to trust God’s sovereign hand in every detail of life. From the galaxies to our daily steps, He sustains, collaborates, and directs all things for His glory and our good. As we navigate this broken world, we rest in His control, participate in His mission, and await the day when all things are united in Christ. Let this truth fill you with comfort, assurance, and zeal to live for the God who declares the end from the beginning.

I’m excited to kick off a new blog series called “Connecting the Dots,” diving deep into the core beliefs of the Christian faith through systematic theology. If that term sounds a bit fancy, don’t worry—it’s just a way of taking a single topic from the Bible, like the Godhead or baptism, and exploring all of Scripture to determine what we believe about it. We’re starting with the doctrine of Creation and wrapping up later with the New Heavens and New Earth. So, let’s get started!

Now, you might’ve heard some Christians say, “I don’t need theology; I just want to love Jesus and worship Him.” I get it—loving Jesus is the heart of our faith. But here’s the thing: doctrine isn’t just stuffy head knowledge. It’s what helps us know who we’re worshiping and how to live for Him. If we don’t understand God accurately, our worship and our lives might miss the mark. So, yeah, getting our doctrine right is huge!

The Mind-Blowing Universe We Call Home

Let’s pause for a second and think about the universe. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has over 100 billion stars. That’s billion with a “b”! The sun, our closest star, is 93 million miles away, and the next closest star? It’s 4.2 light-years away—meaning light, zooming at a speed that could circle the Earth seven times in a second, takes over four years to reach us. The Milky Way itself stretches 100,000 light-years across, and it’s just one of maybe a trillion galaxies out there.

Now, flip to the tiny stuff. The DNA in one of your cells, if stretched out, would be six feet long, yet it fits in a space smaller than a grain of sand. Your brain has more neurons than stars in the Milky Way. Your skin? It replaces itself every 27 days, shedding 30,000 dead cells every minute. And your heart generates enough electrical energy to drive a truck 20 miles. Mind. Blown.

This world is so vast and complex, it’s hard to wrap our heads around it. But here’s what some folks want you to believe: all of it—trillions of galaxies, Earth’s perfect conditions for life, the intricacies of your body—just happened by chance. Nothing exploded into everything with no cause or design. As Frank Turek puts it, “I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.”

But Genesis 1:1 tells a different story: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” That one verse sets Christianity apart, declaring that one eternal God made everything—physical and spiritual—for His glory.

What Creation Tells Us About God

Theologian Gregg Allison sums it up well: “Creation is God’s mighty act of bringing the universe, this world, and us into existence, all for His glory.” Unlike other beliefs, Christianity says God didn’t create because He was lonely or needed us. He’s eternal, existing forever in perfect relationship as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He made everything out of His own good pleasure, and that means He gets to define who we are and why we’re here.

Think about it like this: I have a clothing brand, Victory Apparel. I created it, so I own it and I decide its purpose. The clothes don’t get to say, “Nah, I’m gonna be something else.” In the same way, we’re God’s creation, so He sets our purpose. A lot of people today think they can decide their own meaning, but that’s like the clothes running the brand. The doctrine of Creation reminds us that God’s in charge, and that’s a good thing.

Key Truths About Creation

Christians sometimes debate things like young earth versus old earth. Those are worth discussing, but let’s not miss the forest for the trees. Here are the big truths we need to hold onto about Creation:

1. The Triune God Made Everything from Nothing

Genesis 1:1 says God created “the heavens and the earth,” a phrase that means everything. The Hebrew word for “created,” bara, means He made it all ex nihilo—out of nothing. No pre-existing materials, just God’s powerful word. Hebrews 11:3 backs this up: “The universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

And guess what? Creation wasn’t a solo job. The Father spoke it (1 Corinthians 8:6), the Son was the agent (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16), and the Spirit sustained it (Genesis 1:2; Job 33:4). Even Genesis 1:26 hints at this teamwork: “Let us make man in our image.” This Trinitarian reality shuts down false teachings like Mormonism or Jehovah’s Witnesses.

2. God Created for His Glory, Not Need

Some folks think God created because He was in need or lonely. That’s not the case! As Trinity, God is perfectly complete, loving and glorifying Himself forever. He created to show His glory, not to get it. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Everything exists to reflect His awesomeness, and He made it all because He wanted to.

3. Creation Makes Christianity Unique

If Genesis 1:1 isn’t true, the rest of the Bible falls apart. A random universe means no purpose—just cells that exist today and vanish tomorrow. But if God created with intention, everything changes. He sets what’s right and wrong, brings order to chaos, and gives us purpose. In addition, unlike “gods” of other religions, our Creator is both beyond us and knowable, revealing Himself through Jesus (John 1:18).

4. We’re Accountable to Our Creator

Because God made us, we must answer to Him. The gospel starts here: created by God, for God, accountable to God. Romans 3:23 says we’ve all fallen short of His standard, and Romans 3:19 shows we’re accountable. The law reveals our sin, but Jesus lived perfectly, died for our transgressions, and reconciles us to God. Without Creation, the gospel doesn’t make sense.

5. God’s Good Creation Will Be Restored

Genesis 1 calls Creation “very good.” Sin messed it up—think earthquakes, diseases, wars, death. But God’s not finished with His creation. Romans 8:18-25 says Creation groans for redemption, and one day, God will make all things new. Believers will receive new glorified bodies, and we’ll live forever with Him in the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21:3). That’s our hope!

Living in Light of Creation

The doctrine of Creation isn’t just a minor doctrine—it’s life-changing. A loving Creator made us with purpose, revealed Himself through Jesus, and promises to fix what’s broken. So, let’s live for Him and share this hope with others. As we “connect the dots” in this series, I pray we’ll grow to love and share this truth more every day.