As strange as it may seem to some of our ears, we need to understand that God and Satan are not, have never been, and never will be in a battle. Yes, they do have differing agendas, and it could be said that they are in opposition. But when two parties are in opposition to one another, and one is immensely more powerful than the other, their conflicts are not considered battles. Could an earthworm fight with an elephant? Satan, like an earthworm, made a feeble attempt to oppose One who was immensely more powerful. His opposition was quickly dealt with, and he was expelled from heaven “like lightning.” There was no battle—there was only an expulsion.
If God is all-powerful, then Satan doesn’t have a ghost of a chance at even slightly hindering God from doing what He wants to do. And if God does permit Satan to do anything, ultimately it is only to accomplish His own divine will. This truth will become abundantly clear as we continue to examine the scriptures on this subject.
Interestingly, God’s supreme authority over Satan was not only demonstrated in eternity past, but will also be demonstrated in the future. We read in Revelation that one solitary angel will bind Satan and incarcerate him for a thousand years (see Rev. 20:1-3). That future incident could not be considered a battle between God and Satan any more than Satan’s original expulsion from heaven could be considered a battle. Note also that Satan will not have the power to break out of his prison and will only be released when it suits God’s purposes (see Rev. 20:7-9).
