The majority of people I have talked with do not understand that Satan is in charge of this world today, not Jesus Christ. Many Christians even blame Jesus for the candidates people themselves elect as their governmental leaders. God is not to blame when people elect or allow kings, dictators and presidents to rule over them. God has allowed people to choose their own political leaders today, and they can either follow biblical values and beliefs in electing them, or they can follow the inspiration of Satan in choosing whom they will serve. This freedom of choice also applies to our relationships with other people.

Leadership, meaning an authority hierarchy, exists in every aspect of life, including marriage. God is not to blame for our choice of a marriage partner; people make their own choices. In the world today, the individual themselves usually choose whom they marry, or their parents arrange their marriages, but God is not to blame. It would be much wiser and safer if couples allowed godly parents to help them in the process of choosing their mate, as courtship is God’s safeguard for a Christ-ordained choice.

The Bible tells us that Satan and people are responsible for the sad condition of the world today. Satan and people are responsible for political leaders being put into office or dictators slaughtering their people in genocide such as the President of Sudan and his Muslim government, torturing, enslaving and killing Christians in parts of Sudan today.

A person who believes Jesus is responsible for putting leaders in power is very wrong, to say the least. Jesus did not place in power Adolf Hitler of Germany, Joseph Stalin of Russia, Fidel Castro of Cuba, Kim Jong-il of North Korea, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Idi Amin of Uganda, Charles Taylor of Liberia, and the list could go on and on of other racists, murderers or individuals guilty of genocide or atrocities against humanity.

Let us look at some Scriptures that tell us clearly that Satan, the devil (Lucifer), and people are responsible for putting or keeping leaders in power today.

2 Corinthians 4:4: "In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

John 8:42-45: "42) Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43) Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45) And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not."

John 12:31: "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince [Satan] of this world be cast out."

John 14:30: "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world [Satan] cometh, and hath nothing in me."

John 16:11: "Of judgment, because the prince [Satan] of this world is judged."

Ephesians 2:2: "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."

Hosea 8:4: "They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off."

Throughout the Bible, the scriptural evidence is abundantly clear in every case that Satan is in charge of this world. Men will lead their nations until Jesus Christ returns during the Battle of Armageddon.

After the Battle of Armageddon, when Jesus and his true followers defeat Satan and the armies of the world led by their kings, dictators, and presidents, Jesus Himself will lead the nations. He will cast Satan, the devil, into the bottomless pit for a thousand years and there will finally be peace on earth. After the Battle of Armageddon, a person can blame their leaders on Jesus because Jesus will be responsible for the leadership of the nations, but He is not leading nor is He responsible for the nations now. Satan is leading the nations, with the help of men who the citizens of each nation allow to be in power. Those leaders who call themselves kings, presidents, prime ministers, governor generals, senators, or mayors are responsible for the inhumanity, wars, famines, torture, suffering and death that innocent people are enduring today.

Zechariah 14:2-4: "2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3) Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4) And his feet [Jesus] shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south."

Revelation 16:13-16: "13) And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14) For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15) Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16) And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."

Revelation 20:1-6: "1) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

The Bible warns us that after a thousand years, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit for a short season. People who are born during that thousand years can make their choice to follow the devil or Jesus Christ. After that short time of man rebelling again under the influence of Satan, the devil, his angels and all men from the beginning of time will be judged for the deeds done in the body. Now finally, throughout eternity there will be peace on earth as Jesus Christ rules and reigns.

Revelation 20:7-15: "7) And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8) And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9) And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake."

Revelation 21:1-8: "1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5) And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6) And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

The Bible warns us that Satan inspires men who rule the earth until Jesus returns. Church, do not blame Jesus or say that He puts people in leadership positions today because He does not. Jesus allows kings, dictators and presidents to rule the nations. He will use them to bring correction and punishment to people, just as He allowed Israel to be judged and led into slavery many times by cruel tyrants, dictators, kings and pharaohs, due to Israel's disobedience. Please study my 14-part series on the Science of Judgment and you will understand how all nations have a cup of iniquity. When that cup is full, they automatically reap the curses and penalties for disobeying the will of God. As in the law of gravity, the laws of God kick in whether a nation or its people believe that law or not. When people rebel against their Creator, as they did at the tower of Babel, choosing to serve their own false gods, religions and themselves, they were judged by the one true God, and so they are today. God always allows people to choose their own leadership and false leaders always abuse them.

The Church is responsible for not aggressively being involved in this spiritual battle and commandment to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18-20). When the church allows the world to influence them instead of influencing society, the Christians have only themselves to blame for the condition of their country. To say that Jesus puts into office a person that blatantly ignores the laws and values of Jesus Christ is sheer ignorance. Much of the church today has sold its birthright for a pot of liberal porridge. Jesus would never put into office or elect a person who backs abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage, adultery, fornication, or co-habitation. Jesus would never put into office a person who believes that all religions lead to heaven.

It is ludicrous to believe that we shouldn't be critical of our leaders in a constructive way or voice our concerns when they are violating the scriptures. Kings, dictators and presidents are not your spiritual leaders. They also must come under a higher authority, and that authority is Jesus Christ. We must hold them accountable. That is what Romans 13:1-7 admonishes us to do. It does not matter if the leader testifies that he is a Christian. He must still adhere to, support and obey the laws of Jesus Christ or he should be held accountable as any Christian. The Bible tells us to confront a brother in sin, and if he does not repent, to remove him from the brethren (Matt 18:15-17; 1 Cor 5:1-13; 2 Thes. 3:6; 1 Tim. 5:19-20).

We are to show honor and respect to our governmental leaders, but that does not mean blind obedience. Even in the military, only lawful orders are to be carried out, or the soldier himself can be arrested and court-martialed, as we have read about many times.

President Bush has made some terrible mistakes in leading America. A major error is backing a separate Palestinian state by dividing the land of Israel. The Bible clearly warns that this type of decision will always have serious consequences (Ez. 38:18-20; Gen 12:3; Joel 3:1-2; Zech. 2:8; 12:2-3,9).

© 2009 World Ministries International