Our Best Friend Is in the Spirit Realm
THE Bible gives us a clear picture of those who live in the spirit realm. Jehovah God is supreme in heaven. Jesus Christ is next to Jehovah in power and authority. Angels faithful to God serve as ministers to both God and his people on earth. Satan and his demons oppose God and mislead humans. The dead are asleep in death until God resurrects them.
The Demons Want Our Worship
Since the dead are lifeless, there is nothing to be gained by worshiping them. Making sacrifices to the dead only promotes the lies of Satan and the demons.
Do God’s angels desire our worship? By no means! Faithful angels give glory to God and encourage humans to do the same. Twice, the apostle John tried to worship angels, but they rebuked him, saying: “Be careful! Do not do that! . . . Worship God.”—Revelation 19:10; 22:8, 9.
Satan and his demons, in contrast with faithful angels, want to be both worshiped and glorified. This was evident when Satan tempted Jesus when Jesus was a man on earth. The Bible relates: “The Devil took [Jesus] along to an unusually high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him: ‘All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.’”—Matthew 4:8, 9.
Jesus replied: “Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’” (Matthew 4:10) Jesus knew Jehovah’s Law, and he refused to violate it.—Deuteronomy 6:13.
Though Satan was not able to make Jesus worship him, he has succeeded with others. Of course, few people worship Satan deliberately. Nevertheless, by means of trickery, deceit, lies, and fear, Satan and the demons have turned so many people away from the pure worship of Jehovah that the apostle John wrote: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) Those who worship in ways contrary to God’s Word honor Satan, not Jehovah. The Bible warns: “The things which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God.”—1 Corinthians 10:20.
Worship Belongs to Jehovah
Our worship should be directed to God alone. Jehovah told Moses: “You must not have any other gods against my face. You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them nor be induced to serve them, because I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion.”—Exodus 20:3-5.
Although Jehovah is awesome in majesty, he is approachable. The disciple James wrote: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.” (James 4:8) The apostle Paul said: “[God] is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27) And the apostle John wrote: “This is the confidence that we have toward [Jehovah], that, no matter what it is that we ask according to his will, he hears us. Further, if we know he hears us respecting whatever we are asking, we know we are to have the things asked since we have asked them of him.”—1 John 5:14, 15.
Notice that John wrote that Jehovah will grant our requests if we ask “according to his will.” To know what God’s will is, we must learn what the Bible teaches. Jehovah’s Witnesses will be happy to help you understand the Bible.
As you learn more about Jehovah, you will gain more knowledge about those who live in the spirit realm. This knowledge brings freedom from superstitions, beliefs, and traditions that Satan uses to hold people in fear and bondage. Through accurate knowledge of God, you will learn to trust in him to help you avoid or overcome everyday problems of life. You can become a friend of God. And God will prove to be for you “a refuge and strength, a help that is readily to be found during distresses.”—Psalm 46:1.
Wicked Forces to Be Done Away With
Never doubt that the spirit forces of good will triumph over the spirit forces of evil. A war has already been fought in the spirit realm that has cleansed the heavens of Satan and his evil companions. The book of Revelation states: “War broke out in heaven: Michael [the resurrected Jesus Christ] and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.”—Revelation 12:7-9.
What was the result of that war? The report continues: “On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” (Revelation 12:12) Those in heaven could rejoice, since Satan and his demons were no longer there to cause trouble. His being cast from heaven, however, has brought much woe, great trouble, to those on earth. We are living in that time of woe now.—2 Timothy 3:1-5.
A Future Without Evil
Yet, the Bible also offers hope. It assures us that the Devil has “a short period of time” before he is put out of action. When that happens, Jehovah will bring wonderful blessings to all on earth who seek his friendship. Consider a few of his promises for the future:
“There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.”—Psalm 72:16.
“The work of their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full. They will not toil for nothing.”—Isaiah 65:22, 23.
“No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’”—Isaiah 33:24.
“At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness.”—Isaiah 35:5, 6.
“And [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:4.
“The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29.
Only Jehovah, the true God, can fulfill such grand promises. Nothing will stop him from accomplishing his purpose. “With God no declaration will be an impossibility.”—Luke 1:37.
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Once you are God’s friend, he will help you deal with the problems of life