Recently Billie and I had the opportunity to spend several weeks in Italy with friends. We visited the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s famous work of art and Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in Rome. The artwork displayed in these places of worship, as well as in the numerous other churches we visited during our stay, portrayed events principally found in the bible. To say they were awe inspiring would be an understatement. We enjoyed studying the colorful scenes and relating them back to events recorded in the scriptures.
As spectacularly beautiful as these artworks are it’s not surprising that the more practical purpose for their creation is often overlooked. The paintings, murals, frescos and sculptures adorning the ceilings and walls of these places of worship were far more than purely decorative. In the age when these pieces of art were created most of europe’s population remained shrouded in the darkness of illiteracy. Not being able to read meant that these masterpieces were an effective way to teach the masses. In essence, you could say they were the poor man’s bible.
In our travels we saw several scenes where Satan was portrayed as a dragon and his angels as demonic characters. In each instance Satan and his followers were shown waging a war against God’s angels and men.
The New Testament gives this account,
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought his angels,
And prevailed not; neither was their place found in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Satan was only cast out and not destroyed. He still fights on and wants you to be as miserable as he is.
Let me repeat, The war in heaven is not over! It has only changed battlefields.
Have you ever wondered, "cast out, but not destroyed." Why not destroyed? Wouldn’t we all be better off if he and his followers could no longer oppose us? If you are like me you may have also pondered, why was there a war in heaven in the first place?
Ever spend a few minutes with a toddler who has learned to ask why? The conversation goes something like this,
“Don’t go into the street.”
“Why?”
“Because you could get hit by a car.”
“Why?”
“Because cars drive on streets?
“Why?”
“Because streets were made for cars.”
“Why?”
“So both cars and people can be safe.”
“Why?”
I’m sure you can see how even this simple dialogue might go on indefinitely. It illustrates this valuable principle, often the best way to find the answer to a perplexing question is to ask more questions.
Let's apply this principle to my two previous questions; Why was there a war in heaven? And why was Satan cast out, but not destroyed?
The war in heaven was fought over the principle of personal agency (free agency) and the battles which continue to rage here on earth are still fought over agency. For some this view may seem overly simplified, but I believe if you ask the right questions and bore down to the root of the issues of our day you will find agency, it's use, misuse and control are central.
Globally conflicts, strife and wars are started by persons, leaders, factions and nations whose desire for power and control are paramount. The power they seek, can only come through the taking of another’s free agency, through intimidation, bondage (including excessive debt), or death.
On a personal level the principle is the same, but often far more subtle. Becoming a slave to substances is but one example of the captivity which has the power to bind us down and deliver us to Satan and his allies. Through the use of addictive substances and destructive lifestyles (personal debt, gambling, gaming - anything that can be habit forming) persons unwittingly and perhaps even ignorantly surrender their agency.
Why is agency so important to Heavenly Father’s plan and our ultimate happiness? Without agency there could be no righteousness. For us to be able to exercise agency, we must have choices. In 2 Nephi 2:11 we read, “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.”
Why does there need to be opposition in all things? For the answer to this question, let’s read a little further in the same verse: “If not so, . . . righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness, nor misery, neither good nor bad.”
Personal righteousness increases when we are faced with a choice between good and evil and we choose good. On the other hand, personal wickedness results when we are faced with a choice between good and evil and we choose evil. Pretty simple concepts, right? Without the opposing choices and the freedom to exercise our agency, we could neither increase in righteousness through good choices nor increase in wickedness through bad choices. Without choice we would be unable to grow spiritually toward our full potential—to be like our Heavenly Parents.
To provide opposition and opportunities for us to use our agency is one possible reason why Satan and his followers were cast out, but not destroyed. They provide some, but not all of the opposition we face in life. In addition there are countless other sources from which opposition can arise. It can be the result of our own poor use of agency or the result of bad choices made by those around us. Opposition, sometimes referred to as trials and tribulations can also be the natural consequence of broken spiritual or physical laws.
In our pre-earthly life we all had free agency and we all made choices. You and I chose to accept our Heavenly Father’s plan and we developed faith in Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer. Others, who were also spirit children, were there with us as well. They also exercised their agency, but they chose not to keep their first estate and chose instead to follow Lucifer (Satan); as a result they were cast out. In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith we read:
“For he [Satan] rebelled against me [God], saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency.
And they were thrust down, and thus came the devil and his angels”
The thing we call free agency, was hardly free. As you can see a third part of the hosts of heaven chose evil and rebelled against God. They were thrust down with Satan. Another consequence of their wickedness was losing the privilege to come to earth to gain a physical body. In short having no family, no posterity, and no chance to return to live with God and Jesus for all eternity. Blessings that will be our reward, if in this mortal life we exercise our agency and choose wisely.
It is my general observation that choosing evil takes us down a path which will leave us with fewer and fewer choices, ultimately being bound down, carried away captive, and thereby becoming indentured servants to Satan.
In contrast, choosing righteousness will lead us on a straight course, a narrow path in which we will be afforded additional opportunities to grow through expanded exercise of our agency, until ultimately we will become heirs to all God has with the freedom to create in the eternities.
Another very important result of our victory against Lucifer in the pre-earthly war was this; neither Satan, nor his followers has the power to take this gift, your free agency and the ability to choose away from you. However it is important to remember that while we are all free to choose our actions, we can not choose the consequences of those actions.
One important consequence of making poor choices is the compromise or loss of agency. As I already mentioned, Satan can have no power to take our agency away from us, but through the improper exercise of our agency, and the consequences that follow, we can surrender our free agency.
We all make mistakes that jeopardize our free agency, but with application of the Savior's atonement (through the process of repentance), and by his grace we can retain the full measure of our free agency and continue in the fight against Satan.
In closing let me share with you a quote from one of our family's favorite movies, Galaxy Guest. I believe it applies perfectly to the importance of protecting and preserving our free agency.
“Never give up. Never surrender!”
Continued in my post "Know Your Enemy"