They really do exist…whether you believe in them or not. 

 We’ve been talking about demon spirits that work among and even ‘in’ us today. And if you read yesterday’s post…and had forgotten already what we talked about, that would only back up what Jesus taught how the ‘devil comes immediately to steal the word from our hearts lest we believe and are saved’. (Luke 8:12) 

 If you are among those in the ‘camp’ who choose not to believe in these spiritual forces of darkness and evil’, then I would say that is further proof that the ‘god of this age’ has done rather well to ‘blind your mind’ from seeing the light of God’s truth on this subject. (2 Cor. 4:3-4) 

 Now don’t get me wrong…I totally respect your right and freedom to believe whatever you want to believe. But if you think this idea that unseen, demonic spirits simply do not exist, all I would ask you is ‘How can you be so sure?’ And granted, you might in turn ask me the exact same question; to which I would reply: “I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I am merely here to tell you what the bible has to say about their existence…and the rest is up to you as to what you do with that information.” 

 The tone or direction I took in yesterday’s post was to pose the question that if all this talk of demon spirits is more figurative or poetic language, then why would the writers of the NT have so much to say about them, offering advice and counsel and warnings? And if you want to talk about ‘figurative language’, Jesus was clearly using such language when He told the Parable of the Sower’ in Matt. 13 and Luke 8. It was only when He was alone with His disciples later in private, that He revealed the literal meaning of that figurative language. As in how the ‘birds of the air come immediately and eat and devour the seed sown’…was actually, the ‘devil’ who comes to snatch God’s words from our hearts. (John 16:25; Luke 8:12) His words, not mine. 

 If you need a quick refresher on how these demonic angels or spirits ended up here on earth, you might read Revelation 12:7-12. Jesus even made reference to being a witness to this event in Luke 10:18. 

 Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus and reminded them how prior to coming to Christ, they were ‘dead in their sins and trespasses’. (Eph. 2:1). He goes on to explain how when they were living according to their sinful, flesh nature, they were actually being governed or controlled by the ‘prince of the air (demon spirits)’ who freely operate in our sinful nature. That is how the ‘wicked one controls the whole world’. (1 John 5:19) 

 Do you think that might be the reason that before we do much of anything else ‘for God’ when we turn to Him, that His Spirit leads us to ‘put to death all the deeds’ of this sinful nature - because if we don’t truly repent and deal with this nature, we will surely die?” (Rom. 8:13; Gen. 2:17). And Galatians 5:24 is one of those passages that we should all have underlined and take to heart that tells us exactly who the ones that ‘belong to Christ’ are. 

 When we study the ministry of Jesus that spanned a short three-year time period before His death on the cross, there were two things He was noted for: the message He came to preach (the gospel of the kingdom) and the power that was upon him to ‘heal every manner of sickness and disease among the people, along with the removing of or casting out of unclean spirits. (Matt. 8:16; 9:35-36; Acts 10:38) And this was the ministry that He called, anointed, and empowered His church to continue doing after He returned to be with the Father. (John 20:21; 14:12; Acts 1:8). Any chance this aspect of ministry is greatly neglected today? I wonder why? 

 Paul mentions how we are not supposed to be ‘ignorant of Satan’s devices’. That would suggest that the devil does indeed have certain ‘schemes or wiles’ he is known for. (2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 6:11). It would seem many people today are ignorant of such tactics. There was a case at Corinth that is quite insightful. Paul was instructing the believers there to forgive (in his second letter to them) a man…who had been publicly called out and rebuked for some gross sin that the church there had apparently been ignoring. And do you know what Paul’s counsel was in how to deal with this man? Look at 1 Cor. 5:1-6. He wrote that this man was to be handed over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh…with the hopes that his spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.’ (vs. 5) 

 Let’s break this down even further for examination. First of all, if this idea of Satan is just ‘figurative language’, then who or what is Paul really suggesting this man be handed over to? And why….was Paul advising this course of action? We know from scripture that this enemy, a.k.a. the thief, comes to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’. (John 10:10) We are also told in 1 John 5:18 that whoever is born of God does not sin and the wicked one cannot touch him. So here we have a member of this church who is in sin, then called out and rebuked before being “handed over to Satan” as a form of punishment. God does chasten His people, does He not? (Heb.12) 

 Now pay close attention to this next part as I just ‘saw’ this next point for the first time while studying this morning. We are often taught through the doctrines of men, that when a person first comes to the Lord, usually by ‘praying a prayer to accept Christ’, that at this very moment that person’s ‘spirit is saved’. Then, the rest of their earthly life, God is changing them (their flesh) through the work of the Holy Spirit. I know that sounds good and confusing at the same time, but here’s the catch: IF…a person’s ‘spirit’ is ‘saved’ at that very moment (and can never be lost according to some teachings of men) then why does Paul allude to the hopes that this person’s ‘spirit may be saved’ …after the ‘destruction of his flesh’? 

 Keep in mind here, this man guilty of sin was a member of the church. So according to modern day thinking, he was ‘already saved’ because of his profession of faith, was he not? I mean, ‘nobody is perfect, just forgiven’, correct? He was ‘just a saint who sins’ if you buy into such jargon we hear all the time. Saved, but just not living the abundant life Jesus came to offer, some would tell you. But that is not what Paul seems to indicate here. And if you read further in the chapter, vs. 9-13, Paul makes it clear that it is not our job to ‘judge’ those in the world who live like this as God will take care of them. So why is there hopes for this church member expressed that ‘his spirit might yet be saved…in the day of the Lord Jesus’…IF…IF…IF…it/he was already “saved”? (You really need to pause and think on this a moment) 

 So Paul says this man’s sin has opened the door for some serious suffering. I mean, the ‘destruction of his flesh/body’ sounds serious, does it not? I think it’s safe to say this could have included a wide range of physical suffering with the hopes…it might bring this man to repentance (which it did indeed). This would also line up with the narrative that Jesus laid out when he told that man who had been physically suffering for 38 years, and then healed by Jesus, to ‘go and sin no more or something worse might come upon him’. (John 5:14) Oh, and for the record, we see in other places where Paul did or advised similar action as well, this ‘handing over to Satan’ talk. (1 Tim. 1:20) 

 As stated, this man apparently learned his lesson and was brought to repentance as we read in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. So Paul wants the body there to accept him back into the fold and to forgive him. If they don’t forgive, then they are opening the door for Satan to come and take advantage of them as well, given unforgiveness is a ‘device’ Satan uses to gain access in to our lives. (2 Cor. 2:6-11). Do you see this? 

 And if you are still not sure about all this, then may I redirect you back to Matt. 18 where Jesus told the story of the unmerciful servant. You can read vs. 21-35 for context but it focuses on what happened to a man who had been forgiven of his sin by the king, but then in turn refused to forgive someone who had sinned against him. And Jesus does not hide the fact as to how God deals with such people. You’ll notice in vs. 32-35 that the king/master called this man a ‘wicked servant’. Yes, not forgiving others when God has forgiven you puts you and I in the same category of being called ‘wicked’. And what did this king command to be done to this ‘wicked servant’? He was to be turned over to the tormentors or torturers …where physical suffering and pain would be inflicted upon them. Would you like to take a guess who ‘they’ really are? Who comes to ‘destroy flesh’? 

 Now please do not rush through this next part where Jesus, the one telling this story, drives home this point: “So will my heavenly Father do to you If each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother.” There is no room for mistaking what Jesus is plainly telling us here: You want to hold on to bitterness or resentment and harbor ill will by refusing to forgive others who have wronged you…yet expect and desire for God to forgive you? Then you have a problem with God and He…will…hand…you…over…to the ones who inflict physical suffering. But…He does this with the hopes you too…will come to your senses and repent and forgive your offender. (2 Pet. 3:9)

 Can I just tell you here and now…that there very well could be some people reading this today, that have been suffering for some time…be it physically or emotionally or mentally. You have been in torment and have been unable to find relief. Meds just don’t do it for you. It is quite possible, that if you profess to be a believer, and yet you have refused to forgive someone who has wronged you, that your suffering is directly tied to this fact. And you don’t need some big named evangelist or faith healer to pray over you for relief and healing. 

 Take a look at Ps. 107:20 where God ‘sent His word and healed them’. Consider this message today to be ‘His word’ and you could find relief the moment…you ‘forgive this person from your heart’. As in verbally confess your sin of bitterness and resentment and release this person from that debt. I don’t care what they did to you…God will deal with them in His time…step back and make room for God and just pray for that person like Jesus taught us to. (Matt. 5:44-45; Rom. 12:17-21; Luke 23:34). At that very moment you do this with a broken and contrite heart, demonstrating ‘godly sorrow’…it is then that the blood of Jesus brings cleansing to your soul/spirit. And it is at that very moment, the door in which you opened for an unclean spirit to come in to ‘destroy’, is shut…and that spirit MUST go. I have no reason to believe that in this very moment, you will see a turn in your condition of suffering. Go ahead…I dare you…try it. And I can’t wait to hear from you when it happens. :- )