Know Your True Enemy

IS THE DEVIL REAL?

I have met many people who tell me they don’t believe in the devil, or a Satan! They believe that whatever is going to happen, is going to happen, and we must endure and do our best! There is no cosmic controversy going on, according to them.

Here is what the Bible teaches are the demonic forces.

The devil can shows up as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11: 14 NIV)

“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” There nothing further from the truth than the representations of the devil as a monster with horns, and a horrific look! If he would actually look and act like that, we would run away from him. The devil can show up as an angel of light to deceive. Seduction and deception are his strategies. The better an offer looks, the happier you are with your life, the better He likes it! If the devil offers you money, prestige, power, sensuality, comfort and you buy into as “the good life” he not only leaves you alone, but makes sure you ignore God’s calls of attention, and even helps you prosper. He will make sure you can go to a church or seminar where you can learn the strategies for a successful life… As long as you don’t surrender totally to God, he will leave you alone and enjoying your “good life.” If Satan can deceive you and seduce you to believe error, in a church or a religion, he is the happiest! What better way to distract from the true God, than by inviting you to worship a false god!

The devil is the source of all lies and deception. He blocks your understanding of the true character of God and His truth for your life. John 8: 44-47 Jesus words…

“Why can’t you understand one word I say? HERE’S WHY: YOU CAN’T HANDLE IT. YOU’RE FROM YOUR FATHER, THE DEVIL, AND ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS TO PLEASE HIM. He was a killer from the very start. He couldn’t stand the truth because there wasn’t a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies. I arrive on the scene, tell you the plain truth, and you refuse to have a thing to do with me. Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act? But if I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone on God’s side listens to God’s words. This is why you’re not listening—because you’re not on God’s side.”

Demonic forces take over in your mind and emotions if you allow it, keeping you in confusion, conflict, darkness… You say you don’t get it? You say, you don’t understand? You say, why so much talk about surrender? You don’t see the pride in your heart? Jesus had the answer! It is tough truth!

Your relational struggles, your marriage conflict, family conflict, spousal cheating, conflicts with your boss at work, authority figures, bullying, betrayal, wounds inflicted by gossip and defaming comments, judgments and prejudice… it all comes from the same source, the devil! God discourages you from fighting with human beings! (Ephesians 6:12)

“For our struggle is NOT against flesh and blood, [Human beings, people] but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL in the heavenly realms.”

The devil is the source of ALL human pain. He started the whole mess in the universe by rebelling against God. He seduced Adam and Eve, introduced SIN in this world by lying, and from then on, SIN has been transmitted through our DNA. All you have to do to be a sinner is to be born. There is no hope for humans, except by the Grace of God! Every single ounce of pain and suffering in this world is from the devil. John 10:10 (NIV) Jesus said this, The thief [The intruder, your enemy the devil] comes ONLY to steal, and kill, and destroy.

Do you understand the words of Jesus,Friend? There is nothing good about the devil. It is all bad! His only purpose is to seduce you and destroy you! He knows He is sentenced to die forever, and is on a mission to take as many people down with him as possible! You cannot make a truce with the devil. He is and will always be, 24 hours a day, “your enemy the devil” (1 Peter 5:8).

The devil is set on destroying those who follow Jesus now! He will leave you alone if you are not following Jesus with your heart and reaching people for the Kingdom of God. The moment you set your mind in being obedient to Him, follow Him, and reach people for God, He will attack you! Revelation 12: 17 (NIV)

Then the dragon [The devil] was enraged at the woman [The church of Jesus Christ on earth. Those who follow the Bible and God, not just in religion and word, but in passion and commitment to His cause in this world] and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—[Her offspring is God’s people today. Those who follow God with their hearts, minds and will, all over the world] those who 1) keep God’s commands and 2) hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

If you are a passionate follower of Jesus, and you are involved in reaching people for the Kingdom of God, the devil has it against you! The stronger you get in God, the more the devil will attack you!

Followers of God don’t need to be afraid of the devil. God is way bigger, stronger and powerful that the demonic forces. The devil and his demons are a defeated foe! They are destined to die. God has the power to protect from all demonic forces all the time. (Psalm 121:7, 8)

"[God] will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

[God] will watch over your coming and going

both NOW and FOREVERMORE."

And whatever God allows in your life, He can also transform for His honor and glory. He has the power to turn your SCARS into STARS (Romans 8:28) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a ROARING LION looking for someone to devour. RESIST HIM, STANDING FIRM IN THE FAITH, [Resist Him in the power of Jesus]… And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, WILL HIMSELF RESTORE YOU AND MAKE YOU STRONG, FIRM AND STEADFAST.”

The Devil is like a suicidal mass killer. The devil wants to divide to win!

The devil uses religion and false spirituality to keep you away from understanding the TRUE character of God! Churches are filled with people who feel guilty and have not experienced the refreshing, cleansing GRACE, the unbelievable forgiving passion, of God. The devil is the master of LUKEWARM religious people!

The devil wants you to fail in your personal life and relationships. The devil wants to destroy your marriage, your kids and create problems in your family.

The devil wants you to become negative and depressed about your circumstances. He doesn’t want you to read Romans 8: 31-39.

The devil fills your mind with images of materialism, pleasure, comfort, worldly success, and seductive love, so when you get those things you “feel good,” and when you don’t, you slowly begin to feel like “crap.” Like you have no value! Like, “Why do others have it so good and I don’t!” The devil loves to plants those doubts in your head.

The devil seduces you to sin, like an angel of light… he shows you something and makes it attractive, you give in… you enjoy it for a moment, then SUFFERING follows… He hits you with embarrassment, shame, guilt, negativity, poor self-esteem… All that is demonic in nature! The Bible calls the devil THE ACCUSER OF GOD’S PEOPLE.

He knows he is condemned to die forever! He knows his battle against the Kingdom of God is LOST! He is terminally defeated! Forever! But he wants to take down as many people as possible with him. The two strategies he uses now are: “SEDUCTION” and “SUFFERING.”

The devil uses religion and false spirituality to keep you away from understanding the TRUE character of God! Churches are filled with people who feel guilty and have not experienced the refreshing, cleansing GRACE, the unbelievable forgiving passion, of God. The devil is the master of LUKEWARM religious people!

The devil wants you to fail in your personal life and relationships. The devil wants to destroy your marriage, your kids and create problems in your family.

The devil wants you to become negative and depressed about your circumstances. He doesn’t want you to read Romans 8: 31-39 (Today’s message).

YOU NEED GOD to protect you from the evil attacks of your enemy.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

This is the one thing the devil wants you to forget and ignore. Once you have stared the devil straight in the eye, on the face of SEDUCTION or SUFFERING you will never be the same again. The first step into spiritual victory is to understand the nature of the TRUE ENEMY, the real cause of the human conflict. The Bible is clear. It is not people we must look at as our REAL enemies. It is the DEVIL who drives people and self to do what they do!

Seduction comes in the form of comfort, materialism, predictability, tangibility, idolatry (what you can touch, feel, smell, see and depend on-Political and social systems), false-empty pleasure, painless pleasure, the syndrome of the “greener grass” (delusion-illusions), competitiveness, efficiency, religion (creeds, beliefs, theological certainty, behavioral modification, morality), reward (Rich Young Ruler-Luke 18: 18-23), and a cause and result system; in other words, no room for the “Jobs,” and “The prodigal Sons” of the world!

Suffering comes in the form of troubles, RELATIONAL BREAKDOWN, betrayal, vengeance, vicious attacks from “human enemies,” accusations, judgment, PERSECUTION for the sake of God (people making fun of you, your popularity suffering because you stand for God-Even religion “persecutes” authentic followers of God), financial, physical, emotional and spiritual suffering.

If you are faced with any of the issues mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21 you are definitely dealing with demonic forces!

“It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time [SELFISHNESS-SELF ABSORBED]: repetitive, LOVELESS, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show RELIGION; paranoid LONELINESS; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an IMPOTENCE TO LOVE OR BE LOVED; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.”

People are imperfect. People make mistakes. That’s human. We need to learn to forgive and love. (Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37)

Demonic driven behavior, however, must be acknowledged for what it is! If you don’t discern it as such, most likely your life will be intoxicated by negative feelings projected on to people or self as the cause of your misery!

Here is my last point. To forgive people driven by demons is our duty as followers of God. (Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37).

Yet, spiritual discernment regarding the root of the behavior is very liberating. In fact, it creates a deeper understanding of how important it is to surrender our struggles to God. Jesus said on the cross, “Forgive them, for they DO NOT KNOW what they do! (Luke 23:34) Demonic driven people DO NOT KNOW what they do! That’s the basic truth regarding demonic possession. They are blinded by demonic forces. Do not get into an argument, or attempt to reason with a demonic possessed individual! As in the case of Jesus’ encounters with demons mentioned in the Gospels, a person may be possessed by demons multiple times; on and off; on and off during a whole life that has not been totally surrendered to God. Demonic driven behavior requires GOD’S INTERVENTION. Drugs, alcohol, religion, obsessions, illusions, and negative thoughts, are venues the Devil uses to posses a person.

The entire backdrop to the original story of sin and how humanity needed a savior is a preemption of a higher authority in the spiritual realm that is dark, evil, and damaging to the heart and psyche of humans. Between the Creator who is God and humanity who was born in God’s image there are many unseen entities created by God as angelic hosts. These, too, had the option of free will and the capacity to rebel against God. Those that did so, the angelic beings that rebelled and remain in rebellion against God, are called “fallen angels”, “demonic spirits”, or “demons”. The highest power among the fallen angels is Lucifer, or Satan. He was one of the greatest angelic beings in heaven, but in thinking himself higher than he ought, he rebelled and was cast out of Heaven. Unlike humanity and the rest of physical life on Earth, God imposed no veil over the eyes of angelic beings—they have direct visibility to see God’s self-expression and the rest of the spiritual realm—but at the same time God gave them no plan of salvation. Instead, He gave rebellious angels limited freedom for a limited time to rule over the world, so that they may put humanity to the test. (Job 1:6-12).

It was a demonic angelic being, or Lucifer himself, that deceived humans from the beginning, as they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The Bible uses the metaphorical reference to “the serpent” in describing Satan.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:1-5)

So the world we live in consists of physical beings that are seen with physical eyes and also spiritual beings that are unseen, and all of the spiritual beings serve God in one way or another, directly or indirectly. The angelic beings that remain true to God’s throne thrive in God’s presence, and serve Him in different ways, including by protecting, guiding, or comforting human beings. The angelic beings that are in rebellion are out only for themselves and their hierarchical order, and human beings make ideal hosts and outlets for their rebellion. They aim to steal the attention of people away from God’s plan and cause humans to deviate or to also rebel. They are constantly scouring the Earth looking for vulnerable, weak people to ensnare with lies, deception, physical injury and sickness, and destructive habits and behaviors. In many cases they possess human beings. In fact, weak humans make ideal hosts for demonic beings, in part because humans are so engaged with the created world, but also because demonic entities love exacerbating the rebellion of creation against the Creator.

But angelic beings are not equal to God, they are not above God, they are sons of God. This is to be taken quite literally; angels do not multiply, they have no mothers who bear them through pregnancy, they are or were created on a whim through the creative power of God’s own self-expression. Jesus, who is the self-expression and personality of God come in the flesh, cast out many demons from people while he walked on Earth in the flesh. Indeed, he instructed his disciples that he had given his disciples power over demonic forces.

And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. (Luke 9:1) Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. (Luke 10:19)

Some might argue that these words were apportioned for a time, specifically for the one or few outings they had, that month. Actually, the disciples were in training. One does not train for throwaway knowledge. These disciples were learning how to thrive under the jurisdiction and authority of the throne of God, because God was launching a new covenant with mankind. Ultimately, all power over all demonic forces must obey the throne of Jesus.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18)

If nothing else, we can at least glean from this that Jesus can deliver us from anything, because He has authority over everything, and nothing is better than or greater than or more powerful than Himself. Therefore, if we intimately know Jesus and we have a complete and total dependence upon Him and our eyes are fixated upon Him, we should never be vulnerable to suffering successful attacks from demonic entities. Our responsibility in all of this, therefore, as Jesus’ own, is to pay attention to the spiritual realm and to spiritual forces, but to never allow our eyes to fall away from Jesus, and to call upon the authority of Jesus in the presence of evil.

Are You Worshipping the Devil?

I know my question may sound outrageous. But one thing is clear, if you are not worshiping God you are worshiping the devil!

What is worship?

Worship is to declare the worthiness, the meritoriousness, and the recognition God ALONE deserves. Matthew 6:33, does not use the word worship but implies the heart of worship. “Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all the other things shall be added unto you”

We don’t hear much about devil worship, demon possession and idolatry in the world of Christianity, because we fear the implications of the subject.

In Matthew 12:30, Jesus said, “You are either with me or against me.” There is no in-between in God’s kingdom. You are either walking with God as His follower, or you are walking away from Him, even if you are a religious person, do, and follow the “God stuff” in church and your personal life.

Ezekiel was an ancient prophet of God. He was in exile along with his people under the dominating power of the time, Babylon. The people were suffering under the harsh control of the King. God used Ezekiel in the midst of this catastrophe and arduous conditions to speak to His people. They were in captivity because they had become devil worshipers, demon driven, enemies of God! They had given themselves to raw, open idolatry! God spoke to Ezekiel in a series of seven visions during 22 years from 593 to 571 BC, a period which spans to the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586. The worst was still to come for the people of Israel: the final collapse and destruction of their beloved Jerusalem.

Here is one of the messages God gave Ezekiel:

“Son of man, these [people] have set up their IDOLS IN THEIR HEARTS, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity.”—Ezekiel 14:3

The message was clear. They had worshiped the devil, they set up idols in their hearts. As a result of it they became BLIND to the reality of God’s sovereign presence and power. They stumble into spiritual darkness and abhorrent behavior in the eyes of God. Iniquity is really a bad condition in the Bible. It means the lowest, the most repudiating, most challenging conduct against God’s will. Jesus used this word to describe people who will be lost forever, while believing that their religious, moral, ethical acts would save them. He called them “doers of iniquity.” (Matthew 7: 23)

I find it interesting that the first two of the Ten Commandments deal with the issue of other “gods.” The first commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3, 4), while the second commandment says, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any LIKENESS of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God”

Idols in your heart can cause God to refuse to listen to your prayers. Did you know that, Friend? An idol is anything (or anyone) that takes the place of God in our lives. It also can be a seemingly good thing. Idolatry takes the place of God, in that it creates human “tangibility.” The need to touch, smell, sense, see, feel, create, be proud of, is so ingrained in the human nature. Faith is exactly the opposite of “tangibility.”

For example:

You can make an idol out of your career, education, or academic achievements. You can teach theology or be a pastor, and idolize your views, position and displace God, while talking about God. There is nothing wrong with a career, but if it is more important than God, then it has become an idol.
You can make an idol out of a relationship or out of a marriage, family, husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Some people marry their idol. They are in love with their idol. They divorce because their “idol” failed and they look for the next “idol.” (Illusions of a better life, more love, no hassles).
You can make an idol out of money or material possessions. There is nothing wrong with money, but if money directs your moves, your connections, your life style, your image, your heart, then money has taken the place of God.
Anything that takes the place of God, is an idol. Once the idol is set in your heart, you will go blind, and you will be an open field for satanic and demonic possession. The idol can be good or bad: it simply needs to take the place of God. Gluttony, lack of self-control, food, alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, addictions, occult practices, admiration of power, wealth, prosperity, sense of security, personal image, prestige, fame, role, religion, selfishness (Me, me, me), watching trashy movies, reading trashy books, empty entertainment, being busy all the time, and driven by the outside world. These are some of the idols that can grow roots deep in your heart. Take a look at Galatians 5 and read there what happens when demonic forces take over.

Here is my point, if you or me are worshiping the devil, growing, nurturing and protecting idols in our hearts, God will not hear our prayers. Does that make God a “bad” God? Listen, Friend! Out of mercy, God will not hear or respond to prayers that will destroy you forever! Like the people of Israel, many times when we are up against the wall of circumstances, pain, and suffering, we open the door to God’s supremacy. Are you with me? He wants you to fall in love with Him, so you not only get what you want, but will find delight in His presence, and receive way more than you would get if God would be your puppet and give you what you want in a state contrary to God’s will!

Psalm 37:4 says, “DELIGHT yourself in [God] and He will give you the DESIRES of your heart.” Phenomenal promise from God to His followers!

Whatever is going on in your life, surrender to God. A bad marriage, a conflict with your children, a conflict with your boss, the grief for the loss of a loved one, a financial challenge, sickness, cancer… Whatever! All undesirable human conditions, tend to drive us to create idols to satisfy our needs. God asks us to go in the opposite direction! There is nothing the devil wants more than to encourage you to satisfy your human needs your way! If he gets you there, there is no limit to his control in your life!

Surrender your idols. Good and bad. Ask Him to free you from demonic drives and forces in your life. Ask God to give you peace and a sense of His presence in the midst of whatever storm you are facing right now. Surrender to God and you will witness wonders and miracles! Worship God and God alone. Ask Him to teach you which situations, relationships and behaviors are idols in your life. Give it all up for Him! You will be blessed beyond your wildest imagination! You will enjoy the most fun with God in your life! He is not a “fun killer.” He is instead the source of the greatest joy and happiness you have ever known!

The throne of Jesus can have immediate impact upon and relief from all manifestations of demonic activity, including perverted thinking, malice, hatred, extreme fear, destructive thrill-seeking, or harmful addictions.

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

Know Your True Enemy

Are You Worshipping the Devil? #

Are You Worshipping the Devil?