Well, fair enough, but while I wouldn't use the phrase "has you fooled terribly" with regard to you, I would say you are just as mistaken as you think I am, Davy. I will say... right back atcha, in that respect. <smile>
I'm not conceited with Biblical matters when I'm shown I've missed something or am proven wrong. That's not the time to play, 'you win this time, I'll win next time.' This isn't a game of politics. In this matter we are discussing, I am concerned for your soul, and that's it. I'm not looking for any other thing, not to pump myself up, not to try and be a know it all, etc.
Well, the Lord Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and as such, He is. Now, it may not seem to us that His is (reigning), and/or it may not look like we want it to look or even think it should, but... well, our perspective is very limited and finite. <smile> In the words of God Himself ~ through the prophet Isaiah, of course:
"...My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways... For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:8-11).
If there exists only one verse that counters that idea that Jesus is now reigning from the right hand of The Father's throne in Heaven, then it means you have missed something in God's written Word...
Heb 10:12-13
12 But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
KJV
If that term "
expecting" hadn't been there in that verse, one could agree more with your perspective on Christ's reign. But the presence of that word shows Christ's reign must include over ALL nations, and not just the Christian nations. No one can even claim that He is now ruling over the 'unbelieving' Jews! and that's a big dent in the theory of men you are following.
Rev 19:14-16
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
KJV
In Revelation 2, Jesus promised His elect they would reign with Him over the nations with that
"rod of iron". Like the question
@Davidpt brought up, are we as Christians now reigning over nations like North Korea; or over Red China, Communist Russia, Cuba, Iran, Syria, etc.? The answer of course is a big fat NO. So the
"rod of iron" prophecy is a huge tell-tell sign, unless you think that
"rod of iron" is meant for Christians, which would be way in outer-space speculation, and an idea not written in God's Word at all.
If one does not think God orders ~ 'orders' in the sense of "working all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28) ~ ....
That's trying to use a blanket idea of God's Righteousness over specific Bible prophecies that He has given us to be watching, so we won't be deceived. Lord Jesus' main warning to us about the end of this world is to not let any man deceive us, and He gave other Signs of the end too marking events for the end with that. But some denominations reject those prophecies and Signs about the end He gave His Church, and the whole reason He gave us that was so we would not be deceived at the end of this world leading up to His future return. I speak of Christ's Olivet discourse. They happen to also be the Signs of the Seals of Revelation 6. So we should just trust God, and let Him protect us from deception?
Recall the story about the guy on his roof top in a flood who was offered rescue two times, but just told them, "God is in control, I believe in Him, He will save me." When the flood overflows his roof the guy drowns, and in heaven he asks God why He didn't save him? And God says, "well I sent you a boat, and a helicopter."
Sure, but Satan cannot do one thing without God's permission. And Satan is absolutely bound in the sense that he can do absolutely nothing to prevent the spread of the Gospel to all nations, as he once could ~ before the coming of Jesus; ....
You should wake up to the Biblical fact that God is allowing... these events for the end by Satan to happen. God Himself has ordained it to happen. Why?, is what you should be asking yourself. Even with the symbolic locust army of the Book of Joel which attacks God's people at the end of this world per Revelation 9, God calls them, "
My great army I sent among you."
Joel 2:23-25
23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, My great army which I sent among you.
KJV
But back to the immediate point, again, if by Peter's statement that "Satan is still free today 'walking about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour' " one understands God to be not over all things at all times, even Satan ....
Uh oh, trying to apply that absolutist approach with questioning what our Heavenly Father is doing IF... He is still allowing Satan to work evil on the earth today, is in the realm of tempting our Heavenly Father as being unrighteous. That can never be. That's your flesh thinking by you saying that.
You apparently have not yet come to an understanding of God's overall Plan of Salvation with how it also involves a negative side, which is where He uses Satan and his host. Do you recall Paul in Romans 9 where he said God hardened the heart of Pharaoh against the children of Israel in Egypt so God could show His Glory? Did you miss the Old Testament Scripture where God allowed evil spirits to go tempt Abimelech and king Saul...
Judg 9:22-23
22 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
KJV
1 Sam 16:14
14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
KJV
1 Kings 22:20-23
20 And the LORD said, "Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?" And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
22 And the LORD said unto him, "Wherewith?" And he said, "I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets." And He said, "Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so."
23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
KJV
There's many more OT Scripture evidence of how God uses... evil for His Own Purpose of His Plan for this present world. He can do that, simply because Satan is who originally rebelled against Him in wanting to be God. So when Satan fell, God ended that time of old, and brought this present 2nd world earth age to allow Satan to work the negative side, like allowing The Son of God Jesus Christ to be crucified, in order to offer those born in the flesh concluded under sin His Salvation through His Son. Thus God uses evil for this present world, and allows Satan and his host to do so also, all in working towards His ultimate Plan of Salvation. And God is not evil by doing so. Satan is who started the concept of evil, not God. In the Ezekiel 28 parable about Satan using the
"king of Tyrus" as a type for Satan, God showed that He originally created Satan perfect in his ways, and that Satan originally followed and worshiped God in the beginning before he rebelled.