In September, 1972, American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer defeated Russia’s Boris Spassky in the World Chess Championship in Iceland.  Fischer began playing professionally at the age of 8 and won the U. S. Open Chess Championship at the age of 14 and at the age 0f 15 and became an international grandmaster at age 15.  Fischer’s skills and age, and his demanding, arrogant attitude, made him a phenomenon in pop culture, and he became the subject of books and movies, and he even inspired a song called “The Ballad of Bobby Fischer”.

       “Words in the Bible” tell us that life is a constant struggle and battle between the forces of evil and the forces of good.  It originated with an angel named Lucifer seeking to take over the throne of the God of the Universe.  Ezekiel 28:17 tells us, his heart was lifted up because of his beauty, he corrupted his wisdom by reason of his brightness, and that he would be cast to the ground and lay in the sight of kings. He defiled his sanctuaries by his multitude of sins, and therefore a fire from his midst would consume him and bring him to ashes in the sight of all who see him.  His arrogant attitude caused his downfall.

       In the beginning of the Bible we read about Satan deceiving Eve in the Garden of Eden and also bringing sin and disobedience into the world.  But the story does not end there, because in the end of the Bible we read about Satan’s final defeat.  Revelation 20 tells us that he will thrown into a lake of fire for one thousand years, and then he will be released for a period of time to deceive the nations once more.  He will gather together an army of evil to go to battle against God’s army.  In the end, God will send down fire from heaven and totally destroy Satan.

       In the meantime, followers of God are continuously attacked by the devil.  I Peter 5:8 tells us that he walks about as a roaring lion seeking to devour his prey, which are the souls of mankind.  He seeks to steal them from the Lord, destroy them in any way he can, and kill them if possible.  II Corinthians 4 tells us that he blinds people’s minds so that they don’t believe the truth of the Word of God.  He knows that the Word of God has the power to convince people to turn their lives over to God, and that’s the very last thing he wants people to do.  One day, Satan will be defeated forever and ever, and it will be his final CHECKMATE. 

Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  For information, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.