Not that my personal experiences count for anything or mean much to anyone else, but I have shared in the past how the very first, impressionable lesson that God made real to me, within 12 hours after I ‘prayed to give my life over to Him’...was ‘opening my eyes’ to the reality that I lived in a ‘spiritual world’ with a ‘spiritual enemy’ who was every much an active agent out to destroy... and that I would do good to sit up and take notice. (If you care to know more, message me and I’ll send you the link to that story).

In my message yesterday, I pointed out how God made us as a 3-part being. We were created as a ‘spirit’, made in His image, since God is ‘Spirit’ (John 4:24; Gen. 1:26-27). We have a ‘soul’ that basically makes up our will, mind, emotions, personality, intellect, etc. And God even created us to be ‘housed in a physical body’. (If you are not fond of the ‘house’ He gave you...you can take that up with Him at a later time ;-) ). Hence, Paul’s prayer that we be ‘sanctified completely in our whole...spirit... soul...and body’ (1 Thess. 5:23)

Now I hesitate to suggest we were all born ‘defective’, but I will remind any and all that apart from Christ, given we all had ‘sinned’...scripture teaches that we were ‘dead in sins and trespasses’ (Eph. 2:1; Rom. 5:12). Obviously, before anyone comes to Christ to be ‘made alive’, they still functioned as ‘living’ human beings; but there was just one problem: A third of our being (spiritual component) was not functioning, because it was ‘dead’, due to sin.

So it stands to reason that if one is spiritually dead, they would have a difficult time relating to a ‘spiritual world’, let alone relating to God who is Spirit. That is one of the fallouts of sin... it separates us from Him. (Isa. 59:2). That would also explain why God’s word really does not make much sense to those who are separated from Him and are spiritually dead – His words are ‘spirit’ and can only be spiritually discerned’. (John 6:63). And if you have any hope of ever being able to grasp the mysteries of His word (and kingdom), you have to come to Him with your whole heart so that He can begin to ‘unlock’ those mysteries and teach, or ‘reveal’ them to you. Otherwise, you will remain on the outside...trying to look in, but never able to really ‘see’. (Matt. 13:10-15; 2 Tim. 3:7; John 5:39-40). And it is only a work of the Holy Spirit that ‘opens our understanding and eyes’ to the truths found in God’s word. (Luke 24:32,45; Eph. 1:17-18)

So consider this information woven into Eph. 2:1-3 telling us how we were influenced, and basically ‘governed’ by... when we were still ‘dead in sins and trespasses’. Who do you think the ‘prince of the power of the air’ is/was that we are told works ‘IN’ us? It was the same ‘god of this age who blinds the minds of those who don’t believe and are perishing...from seeing the light of the gospel...” (2 Cor. 4:3-4). And this is where it gets interesting...

As an optometrist might say...”Try these lenses on to see how the world looks to you now...” and let’s turn to 1 John 5:19.

“We know...that we are of God and the whole world lies under the influence of the wicked one.”

Stop. Right. There.

Please do not be too quick to just ‘assume’ that when John writes...’we know we are of God’... that you are automatically included there. If that makes you recoil a bit, may I encourage you to read the verse just before that one (18). That happens a lot when we read through scripture...we jump to conclusions too quickly thinking those verses apply to us. Take the one in Romans 6:14, for example. Have you always just figured you too were ‘not under the law...but under grace’? Most likely...since that is what most of us were taught.

But look at Galatians 5:18. Who does Paul say are the ones who are ‘not under the law’? “Those who are led by...the Spirit”, yes? And if a person is ‘walking in the Spirit’, what are they NOT doing, according to Gal.5:16? Do you know why that is? Because IF...they belong to Christ...what have they done according to Galatians 5:24? Is that not what we are told those who are ‘led by the Spirit’ will do, according to Romans 8:13-14?

You might take a moment with that one because it is quite significant, not to say ‘eye-opening’ and even potentially...life changing.

I realize this might not all line up with the ‘gospel’ you have always been taught to believe in, which should not surprise any of us given Paul’s warning in 2 Cor. 11:3-4, and the warning Jesus gave in Matt. 24:4-5. Yet...here we are...scratching our ‘spiritual noggins’ feeling a tad conflicted and torn while trying to make sense of it all.

How could you have ‘not seen’ all this before? Trust me...I wish I had a dollar for every time I have asked that question over the past several years. Which then leads me back to the scripture I left you with yesterday to spend some time reading over- 1 John 5:19. That was the passage that said ‘we know....the whole world lies under the influence or power of the wicked one’. And we know that he can come as an ‘angel of light’ (2 Cor. 11:14-15), not only to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’ (John 10:10), but care to read what else he is in the business of doing? Take a look at Revelation 12:9.

How does Satan do this; just how does he influence and deceive the whole world? Well, we are not ‘ignorant of his schemes’ (2 Cor. 2:11). We know he blinds the minds of those who are perishing...from seeing the light(truth) of the gospel’...with a ‘veil’ (2 Cor. 4:3-4). And when we ‘turn to the Lord...the veil is removed’ (2 Cor. 3:16). And some of you may find this encouraging...but there is not a demon in hell who can prevent you from turning...and running to Jesus with your whole heart. Go refresh your memory with the story in Mark 5:1-15.

Guess why God sent Paul to preach the gospel to us Gentiles? So that...well, just go read it for yourself in Acts 26:18. And...once you ‘hear the word’, you better not let your guard down given what Jesus taught us in Luke 8:11-12. See you tomorrow?