There are times in our lives when all the odds seem in the enemy's favour and in fact the enemy creates such destruction and damage that he either appears as though he will win in the future, or that he already has won in whatever he is attempting to do. In these times, the work of the enemy is seen particularly clearly and it is obvious that he is 'going for the spiritual jugular' and even appears as though he is attempting to destroy us practically and physically. In these times it seems as though the presence and power of God is small (i.e the baby Jesus), or mostly ineffective and inconsequential (2 Cor 4v8, Luke 22v53, Matt 11v12).
When Jesus was born, the enemy put forth all his anger, malice and power in his attempt to destroy Him and frustrate the plans of God in this fashion, and from an earthly viewpoint it seems as though he nearly did. An evil king Herod is in power when Jesus is born, and his strategy was a clever one; send three wise men under the cover of a welcome, to in fact find out where the Saviour was being born in order to be able to murder Him (the Saviour's rule in our lives is always a threat to the temporary rule that the enemy has been given (Matt 4v9) over the earth and the one he is attempting to gain over the lives of Christians (he even tried to gain it over Jesus Himself! Matt 4v9). Upon this strategy failing, the enemy uses Herod to destroy all the firstborn in the land, in order to destroy Jesus and the main work of God itself. It takes a few dreams, a couple of angels and a whole lot of moving around and even waiting for Joseph and Mary in order for God to keep them safe, and even then, the results of the enemy's wrath are clearly seen and are extremely destructive; many people die and incredible sorrow ensues. From a worldly standpoint it would have seemed as if the Kingdom of God, God Himself and His people were weak and their lives and calling, useless.
In this world, Jesus said, 'Ye shall have tribulation.' It is a fact that we will encounter times where the enemy seems to win in the world and in our lives, just as it must've seemed to the Mary and Joseph when it seemed as though all their lives had been reduced to was fleeing, waiting and fearing the worst (after all, how scary it must've seemed to them to be two against Herod and all the power at his command!). Similarly, how must it have been for the disciples when they thought that their Saviour, and thus their hope, had been killed and therefore taken from them forever? They must've felt forsaken, lonely and desperate; where and what now for their lives? What would guide and be guided by in their lives? What would be the point of their existence now? The enemy had killed the joy and meaning of their lives and the one they loved the most; they had been robbed it seemed, and their almighty God had seemed completely inefficient and ineffective to defend Himself and fulfil the call that they assumed He had come for (setting up the Kingdom on the earth). There are times when the plans of God seem to fail, and His sovereignty appears less powerful and less impressive than it once did, or less than the moral perfection we once thought it to be (according to our reasoning) precisely because of the work and power of the enemy. While the enemy seems to win his own victories when the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence Matt 11v…12, and when we see the effects of what He does on those in the world itself, the most important victory and the one upon which our very spiritual life hinges, will always remain intact; even if only in seed, or baby form (i.e the baby Jesus). God has deemed that in this life, His greatest strength and His mightiest power will be seen in that which appears and may be, of itself, the weakest and most unimpressive thing. We are sinners and we are clay and we, His people, often quite unimpressive to the world (and often even to ourselves), but God has made this so, so that His power and glory will be revealed in the best way, both now, and most perfectly in the time to come.
The enemy is allowed to win to a point, but only within the parameters of the sovereignty of the Lord, according to His own wisdom and character. God will not allow the single most important design of His will to be changed in any way. God planned that His Son die for the sins of the world, to provide an everlasting salvation, and it was so. Similarly, with us, God has planned for our lives to fulfil a specific purpose, and by His grace, that purpose will be fulfilled. The enemy may try all he wants, but that single purpose of God's, the most important one, the one upon which all other purposes that He has for our lives hinge, will be fulfilled: Phil 1v 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
-Psalm 138v8
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