Pssst- hey...can we talk about ‘them’, again? Yes...I’m talking about those ‘demon/unclean spirits’ that can make some folks quite uncomfortable (or amused) to discuss in our enlightened and ‘educated’ world we live in today. I mean really, that is so ‘mid-evil times’, is it not? People back in the 12th century saw demons and devils being all the source of evil and bad things. Clearly they were ignorant and just needed to be educated, right?

Believe what you want...but I’m picking up where I left off yesterday and want to spell out as clearly as I can, why dealing with this carnal, flesh nature once and for all...is not some ‘holy option for super-saints’. Not only does your life depend on it, but the eternal well-being of your soul is at stake, and I don’t say that lightly at all. We’ll probably take several days here to review many verses that lay there in the pages of your beloved Bible. You might want to grab a pen and paper as well.

Last week, I pointed out how there are two kinds of ‘suffering’ that we tend to endure in this life. (1.8.25) The first type is the kind of suffering we experience as we ‘take up our cross and follow Jesus, putting to death this ‘old man’ so that we can cease from sin and do the will of God’. (1 Pet. 4:1-2; 5:10). The other kind of suffering is most often a result of our not abiding in Jesus. (Hosea 4:6; John 5:14) And Satan...is the one afflicting and inflicting...this ‘needless’ suffering. (1 Cor. 5:5; John 10:10; Matt. 18:34-35; 1 John 518).

Guess what? Jesus came to alleviate and deliver us from the latter. In fact, it is how Peter defined the ministry of Jesus, summarizing clearly how ‘God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about doing good and healing ALL...who were oppressed by the devil”. (Acts 10:38). By the way, can you show me in the Bible where both Jesus...and the devil...have ceased from doing their ‘respective things’ there?

What you may find pretty amazing about this study is how much the Bible has to say about it, and yes...it involves taking multiple verses from all over the ‘Good Book’ and letting them tell their own story as the Holy Spirit would lead. So where to start? How about with an emphatic statement made by John...who begins with “We know...” (1 John 5:19) And please remember...he is writing to true, abiding believers...’who know’.

“We know...the whole word lies under the sway...the control or influence of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19). Now a statement like that might have one pausing to ask- “well then who really is ‘in control’ of the world today?” And that is a great question to which I would respond that God is...with the reminder that this ‘wicked one’ and his minions...do NOTHING... without God’s permission and/or knowledge. That might be hard for some to process and digest, but it is the truth. God could remove him and his demon angels at any time He so desired. In fact, there is a time and day reserved when God will do just that. (Rev. 20:10) Were you aware that the reason ‘hell’ was even created was for Satan and his rebellious angels? (Matt. 25:41).

You might want to read through Rev. 12:7-12 and Luke 10:18 for a review on how Satan ended up here on earth and what his role is these days. Let me close with this: we need not fear or worry about these spiritual entities of darkness...IF...we are truly abiding in Jesus. 1 John 5:18 and Ps. 91 explain why. I’ll see you back here tomorrow, Lord willing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  I can’t walk on water.  I have not yet....tried changing water in to wine. ;-)  And if you ask my wife, I still leave clothes on the bed instead of hanging them up regularly, which she would prefer; and I don’t shave every day, another thing she wishes I would do.   I’ve not swung a golf club in a while but doubt I could shoot a perfect par game if I went out and played this weekend; and I doubt I would beat anyone in a game of H.O.R.S.E. on the basketball court.   But I can tell you that I am walking in more freedom than I ever have walked before. And I only have one person to thank for that and it is Jesus.   I would in no way suggest that He has ‘completed’ His work in me but the more I study, the more I experience, and the more I write and share with you here, the easier it gets for me to declare with no hesitation or apologies...”He whom the Son sets free, is free indeed”. (John 8:36)   We were called to be free. (Gal. 5:13...
Read more
Image
  10.24.21- Every story of redemption has a genesis, a beginning. As does your story. Perhaps it has yet to take place, let alone, be told. All our stories are different yet they share one remarkable trait: They are defining. How can they not be when God is the author?  Not long ago I pictured this scenario in my head of a group of notable figures I had read about in the bible sitting around a table. They were sharing their defining stories as to how their lives were forever changed by an encounter with Jesus, the Messiah. I could hear Paul talking of his journey  to Damascus. Fresh off the heels of overseeing the stoning of Stephen the martyr, he was knocked to the ground and the voice of God spoke to him from a light shining from heaven. (Acts 9) It is a remarkable story of conversion.  Then I could hear, sitting next to Paul, this other man who had been blind from birth begin to share his incredible encounter that began with someone (Jesus) opening his ey...
Read more
Image
  “What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” I would think that’s a fair question asked by some Jews who actually believed what Jesus was telling them. (John 8:31-33) We don’t really know if these where Pharisees or religious leaders since all we are told there was that Jesus was talking to “those Jews who believed Him”. I guess they were tracking pretty well until Jesus got to this part about them ‘knowing truth and the truth would set them free’. (32). That was when they ‘blinked’. “We are descendants of Abraham...we’ve never been in bondage to anyone.” Do you think they might have been dealing with some memory loss here? I mean, really...it is rather well documented how the Jews were in bondage for a long time living as slaves in Egypt and under the control of Pharaoh. Remember the story of Moses whom God sent to deliver them and lead them out of slavery? Exodus 12:40 suggest they were in Egypt for some 430 years. But I’m not judging them for making that claim g...
Read more