Paradise was on the earth at one time but was removed because we yielded to the will of Satan. In order for Paradise to be restored and maintained there must be those who join with God in the battle against sin. Of course, the battle begins in our own personality and is conducted by the Spirit of God.

It has been my experience that fear of the devil is one of the main hindrances that prevent believers from launching out in the life of victory. They tend to huddle in the supposed safety of their familiar state and surroundings. At least this is true in America.

We fear the devil too much and Christ not enough!

We need to look up to God! We need to consider the greatness of His power and the faithfulness of His promises. There is no way in which Satan can harm us when we are abiding in Christ. The angel of the Lord is stationed around those who fear the Lord. Satan does not have enough authority or power to penetrate the wall erected by the angel of the Lord.

We are absolutely safe provided we are dwelling in Christ. We are not absolutely safe just on the basis of having made a profession of Christ. We are protected only when we are meeting the Bible requirements, that is, when we are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High.

So let the fear of Satan be banished from your mind and heart. There is nothing Satan can do when we are living in Jesus.

The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. (Deuteronomy 7:22—NIV)

As the Israelites were conquering one city the Canaanites were maintaining the farms and safety of the cities yet unconquered. They did not realize this but they actually were holding the properties in trust until such time as the Israelites arrived and took possession of them.

Each day, if we are pressing forward in the Lord, we have a bit more of Christ formed in us. But much if not most of our personality is still the old unchanged adamic nature. If the Lord were to remove all of our adamic nature before Christ had been fully formed in us, Satan would gain an advantage over us. The spirits that had been driven from us would return, find the house decorated but empty, and enter their former positions in us.

It is well that we move along at God's pace. Our change from the adamic soul to a life-giving spirit cannot be hurried by our spiritual zeal. Each day Adam should decrease and each day Christ should increase. The transformation will occur if we faithfully press forward in Christ at all times. It is this change of personality that itself is the Christian salvation. The new creation is not pointed toward residence in Heaven so much as toward the establishing of the Kingdom of God on the earth.

To be continued.