By Billy Graham • March 27, 2009 • Topics: Heaven, Satan
Yes, heaven will be similar to the Garden of Eden, because in heaven we will walk with God and be free of sin and death and hell – just as Adam and Eve were, before Satan tempted them and they turned their backs on God.
But in heaven we don’t need to fear Satan, or wonder if he is going to tempt us and cause us to fall away from God the way Adam and Eve did. The reason is because at the end of time Satan will be imprisoned by God forever, and never allowed to do his evil work again. The Bible says, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur … for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
Never forget: God alone is sovereign, and some day Satan will be defeated – totally and absolutely. In fact, he is already a defeated foe, for by His death and resurrection Jesus Christ defeated the devil. The Bible says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). This is why Christians don’t need to fear death, for – as we observed once again this Easter – Christ has triumphed over death and hell and Satan.
In the meantime, however, Satan is real, and his goal is still to defeat God’s work. Don’t give him a foothold, but commit your life to Christ and learn to walk with Him every day.