Who Is Our Enemy Lucifer?

One of the most important aspects of playing football, is an intense study of the opposing team. To win is to know the  details  of game techniques of the adversary. Seems  to  me there  should be much more emphasis on understanding  our  adversary, since God describes the devil in Scripture "as  a  roaring lion, [who] walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1  Peter 5:8).

Lucifer is another name for Satan. He was only called Lucifer  once in the Bible and the Bible re-interpreters of  the  New International  Version, have left Lucifer out altogether, making the  verse vague to new Bible readers: "How you have fallen  from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast  down to  the earth, you who once laid low the nations!" (Isaiah  14:12 NIV)  when  it should read: "How art thou fallen from heaven,  O Lucifer,  son  of  the morning! [how] art thou cut  down  to  the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" (Isaiah 14:12 KJV)

After this  article was written, I accidentally came on  the  following verse  in Revelation 22:16 and found vagueness was not  the  case after  all.  "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify  unto  you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring  of David, and the bright and morning star."

Back to Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12 notice the NIV used "morming star" to describe Lucifer when the KJV in Revelation 22:16 has Jesus describing Himself to be the morning star, which points to major problems in the Christian publishing field.

Knowledge is critical according to the Apostle Peter. "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge." (2 Peter 1:5) Many  teachers of the Bible on radio and television  discuss the  concept  of: `once saved always saved' and  callers  have  a problem with that statement. They don't feel saved when they  are
back in sin and no change takes place. They have come forward  in church and have accepted the offer of salvation made by teachers, repented and after a short period of bliss fall back into the old rut soon discouraged admitting something is wrong. This cannot be it,  God  is not working. Teachers still insist  on:  once  saved always  saved but maybe the candidate for salvation was not  born again when he thought he was.

"For the  Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded:  therefore
have  I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not  be ashamed.  [He is] near that justifieth me; who will contend  with me? let us stand together: who [is] mine adversary? let him  come near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who [is] he [that] shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a  garment;  the moth shall eat them up. Who [is] among you that feareth the LORD, that  obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh [in]  darkness,  and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the  LORD, and stay upon his God. (Isaiah 50:7-10)

Jesus was already referred to in Exodus, the second book  in the  Old  Testament. Still a tradition among  Aaronic  priesthood practicing Jews is the blood on the door frames, three big  spots representing  the  trinity. They kiss one side as they  enter  in through  the door in gratitude of the protection. "For  the  LORD will  pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth  the blood  upon the lintel [upper part of the frame], and on the  two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite [you]. And  ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever." (Exodus 12:23,24) That there is action involved in our part to protect ourselves from the destroyer, is obvious.

How just a bite of an apple could have had such  devastating effect on all of humanity is not easily understood. The deception confronts  us on all fronts: food {mental and physical }, housing, workplace and social activities. For a Christian his and her  church activities, are social activities. We are approached with satanic deception in the most natural areas of our lives, especially where we have expectations  to be satisfied. In seemingly innocent activities sits Satan in his craftiness and tries to destroy  our faith.

The word `beguiled' is Nasha in Hebrew; mentally led astray,  seduced  was Eve when the serpent  said,  she would become wise and become a god.  Eve  believed the serpent, reasoning that God was her father. Why shouldn't  she  have an opportunity to become like  him.  Satan implied that God had lied to her, because the  tree  was
part of their landscape and not a threat in any way, she probably questioned how could eating an apple cause death?

"Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,  and save  me from bloody men. For, lo, they lie in wait for my  soul: the  mighty are gathered against me; not [for] my  transgression,
nor [for] my sin, O LORD. They run and prepare themselves without [my] fault: awake to help me, and behold. Thou therefore, O  LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the  heathen: be  not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about  the city."  

"[For]  the sin of their mouth [and] the words  of  their lips  let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing  and lying [which] they speak." "But I will sing of thy power; yea,  I will  sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast  been my  defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O  my strength, will I sing: for God [is] my defense, [and] the God  of my  mercy." (Psalms 59:2-6,12,16,17)

David here reveals another side of the devil. He  attacks the innocent who are trying to walk in  obedience  to God and David's only defense was not in taking the offensive.  He
reveals  in the Old Testament what Jesus taught: "For we  through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.(Galatians 5:5)  "And  not only [they], but ourselves also, which  have  the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan  within  ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body.  For  we are saved by hope: but hope that is  seen  is  not hope:  for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if  we hope  for  that we see not, [then] do we with patience  wait  for [it]." (Romans 8:23-25)

Hope that is seen in a physical  manifestation, ceases to be hope. King David refers to people who  try  to divert  our  attention to this  spiritual,  physical,  electrical wonder  as: "The  wicked are estranged from the  womb:  they  go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison  [is] like  the  poison of a serpent: [they are] like  the  deaf adder [that]  stoppeth her ear; Which will not hearken to the voice  of charmers, charming  never so wisely." (Psalms 58:3-5)  

God  teaches  in  Isaiah, that man can create his own fire parallel to the Holy Spirit. In the second chapter of Acts, the Holy Spirit is described: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one  place. And  suddenly  there  came a sound from heaven as  of  a  rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,  and it  sat upon each of them." (Acts 2:1-3)

In the book of Isaiah a warning of a counterfeit is described: "Behold,  all  ye that kindle a fire, that  compass  [yourselves] about  with  sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and  in the sparks  [that] ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine  hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow." (Isaiah 50:11) "And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our  members, that  it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the  course
of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." (James 3:6)

Although King David was one of God's seed, Satan worked hard to  break that relationship. Like Eve, Satan persuaded  David  to disobey  God. In 1 Chronicles 21:1 "And Satan  stood  up  against Israel, and provoked  David  to  number Israel."  "And God was displeased with this thing;  therefore  he smote Israel." (1 Chronicles 21:7) In the Old Testament the whole nation  suffered for their leader's decision. David brought a lot of harm to his nation.

The word Satan  in Hebrew is the same and comes from the verb: to attack; to accuse; to  be an adversary; to resist, a lier in wait (like a  serpent).The  noun Satan  `the arch-enemy of all good',  an  opponent  or adversary. The devil is a seducer of men and then accuses them in court  like a prosecuting attorney in the courtroom of God  (Job 1:7;  2:2ff.; Zech. 3:1,2) Satan's sin was pride. He is not  allpowerful  and could be defeated.  God could be glorified in every circumstance.

Other words for Satan are Greek words diabolos and  Satanas. One  of  the  most painful and evil concepts taught  in  New  Age philosophy is oneness with the universe and good is returned with good.  The concept of love is used to open all doors.  The Bible teaches the opposite. Christ's followers are to separate from the world and stick to fellow Christians because of this truth: "They also  that render evil for good are mine adversaries;  because  I follow  [the  thing that] good [is]." (Psalms  38:20) Practicing Christians  find themselves wounded here more often  than anywhere else.


Job  is another excellent example which applies to us. Job was walking in  abundance  of God's blessings. God considered him to be  perfect  and upright  and rewarded him for it. Satan wanted to show  God  that Job was obedient only because he was blessed by God, which should teach  us that we can loose it if we worship God for increase  of
our  substance or rewards, which is the basis of seed  faith  and word  faith.
 
"Now there was a  day  when the  sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD,  and Satan came also among them {Sons of God is referring to Angels. The noun Angels is interchangable with spirits). And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro  in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD  said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there  is] none  like  him in the earth, a perfect and an upright  man,  one that  feareth  God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan  answered  the
LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou  made an  hedge about him, and about his house, and about all  that  he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands,  and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine  hand
now,  and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee  to  thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in  thy  power; only upon himself put not forth thine  hand.  So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD." (Job 1:6-12)

A note in the Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible pp. 670 adds  the following  comment: "There is a controversy over this passage  as to  whether or not Satan was allowed to come before God's  throne in heaven. It is clear in these verses Satan came along with the "sons  of God" to present himself before God. If these  "sons  of God"  are in fact angelic beings, it is plausible to  state  that Satan appeared in heaven. The fact that Satan is not  omnipresent is proven by the fact that he was said to have been "going to and
fro in the earth." Another interesting truth that may be  gleaned from this passage is that Satan is not free to act in the affairs of mankind. In verses ten through twelve Satan had to ask God  to remove  the protective "hedge" from around Job.

If God  does  not remove  His protection from His people, Satan can have no  influence  on  them or their lives. Consequently, Satan  cannot  cause affliction  nor can he cause a person to commit sin.  Satan  must submit  himself to whatever God chooses to do." On pp.  671  "... There are times, however, that God sees fit to test the  believer as in the case of Job for the purpose of strengthening and  purifying his faith."

After  loosing everything he owned, including his  children, " .. Job arose, and rent his mantle and shaved his head and  fell down  upon the ground and worshiped, and said, "Naked came I  out of  my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the  Lord
gave,  and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name  of  the Lord.  In  all this Job sinned not, nor charged  God  foolishly." (Job 2:20-22)

God again challenged Satan to try Job and go a step further causing boils over Job's body and put evil thoughts  into his wife's heart: "Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou  still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou  speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What?  shall we  receive  good at the hand of God, and shall  we  not  receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips." (Job 2:9,10)
Job  did begin to wonder what God's motive was and told  God that  he longed to die.

"For the thing which I greatly feared  is come  upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.  I was  not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet;  yet trouble came." (Job 3:25,26) Although Job felt victimized because he  was  innocent, his faith in God never wavered.  He  knew  and respected God's rights to do whatever, because He is the creator, the potter  of his vessels.

This example teaches us that instead of  competing, we need to submit to Jesus Christ. Christians often  attempt to attach their problems to some great sin in their lives.  They
often  misapply scriptural principles, because they do not  fully understand  the situation. Job's friends were convinced  that  he was  guilty of sins and made God looked like He seemed to be  pitiless.  Another aspect of this example is the fact that God  gives us the grace to stand firm under any circumstances, we can depend on God's power holding us up in the fire. God also had an  opportunity to show us what Satan does with us if he had total  dominion over our lives. It proves God's protection is on our lives or we would be in the same situation Job was in.

God's rules are not the same as ours, that is why Jesus  was in  constant trouble with the pharisees and sadducees. Jesus  was not  under  their law and because of that they were on  His  case until they had Him on the cross. God's law is the very reason God
does not accuse us, but Satan does. The law that we live under on earth is to protect us from Satan. It incapacitates the devil  to some  extent.  Originally man was born to be free.  Disobedience brought  the law just as new laws are placed almost daily  today.
The  thousands  of rules we live under are to keep  society  controlled.

Job  had little time to prepare or protect himself,  it  all happened  so fast. He did not expect the attacks because Job  was under  the impression that he had God's favor. We are  warned  in the  New Testament, a new dispensation: "Be sober,  be  vigilant;
because  your  adversary the devil, as a  roaring  lion,  walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) When accept theSon of God as our Savior, God tells us that suffering is  to be  expected. We will feel the lashes Christ Jesus  suffered  at times  because  we  are His body and He was not  wanted  on  this planet.

A physical effect of a spirit passing by is described in Job 4:15: "Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my  flesh stood  up."

To counteract this lecture a bit, the Scripture reassures us that we have God's promise in 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5, in the rapture: "But the Lord is faithful,  who  shall establish  you, and keep [you] from evil. And we have  confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the  things which  we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts  into  the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ."

Satan has another name: "the destroyer" that comes up in Job 15:20,21,  31-35.  They are verses that show  attributes  of  the devil.  "The wicked man travaileth with pain all [his] days,  and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. A dreadful  sound [is]  in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall  come  upon him."

"Let not him that is  deceived  trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his  recompence.  It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall  not be  green. He shall shake off his unripe grape as the  vine,  and shall  cast off his flower as the olive. For the congregation  of hypocrites [shall be] desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. They conceive mischief, and bring forth  vanity,  and their belly prepareth deceit." (Job 15:31-35)

In  Hebrew the `destroyer' is called: shadad (7703) meaning: to be powerful, to ravage, to use violence or oppression, to rob. Babylon was the destroyer of Jerusalem chosen by God to fulfill His purpose.  The Hebrew word for `vanity' is: shaw (7723) that means nothingness, emptiness,  anything which disappoints the hope which rests  upon it, or is insubstantial. The destroyer is also mentioned in Psalms 17:1-15: An  innocent  man's prayer. He is in this case is Peris in  Hebrew  that means  violent,  wild, ravenous. As a noun: a tyrant,  a  robber.

King  David  gives a clue how we can protect ourselves  from  the destroyer and proves it is a combined effort. God needs our help: "Thou hast proved mine heart (3820 inner immaterial nature); thou hast visited (6485 reviewed me, chastised me) [me] in the  night;
thou hast tried me, [and] shalt find nothing; I am purposed (2161 God  carrying  out His purpose) [that] my  mouth  (6310  external manifestation  of  character) shall not transgress  (5674  cross over,  commit sin). Concerning the works of men, by the  word of thy (God's) lips I have kept [me from] the paths of the  destroyer.  Hold  up my goings in thy paths, [that]  my  footsteps  slip not."  (Psalms  17:3-5) David is sharing even after  he is  just about perfect he needed God to keep him from slipping.

One of the themes Satan has is `knowledge is power' and it is. There  are  many `how to' books that teach  manipulation  of others that get advantages. These books are tests of our integrity  and  expose whom we serve. If we use knowledge  to  gain  the world,  we have submitted to Satan. What is great about  God  is that He is God and not man and allows us to make mistakes, if  we repent and turn from Satan's ways.

Satan  in Greek  language is called Satanas: an adversary. The devil  casts himself or something between two (in example when Jesus was tempted by him and when he tempts us, Satan casts himself between the body of Christ Jesus and God,  in order  to separate us from God). The word Satanas signifies the prince of  fallen  angels and  the word is also used for people who oppose the divine  plan of man's redemption by Christ's suffering and death.

Another  characteristic of the devil and his cohorts  is  in Mathew  9:32,33  portraying that these spirits want to  get  into people and cause most severe problems. "As they went out, behold, they  brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And  when
the  devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes  marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel." (Matthew 9:32,33) Jesus  had total control.

Because evolution has replaced Christianity, these devils have an open door through practice of seances, astrology, tarot cards, transcendental meditation, hypnotism, alcoholism, drugs, pornography, yoga, out of body experiences, necromancy and many other practices.

Demon is a word used for  evil spirits. In some parts of the New Testament daimonia, are  viewed in their morally destructive influence. They appear in the Gospel as  special powers of evil, as spirits in the service of  Satan, influencing the life of persons, both spiritually and physically, so  that  the  person involved is no longer  master  of  him or herself. Demoniacal  possession never seems to occur without some  outward signs of derangement. The spiritual effect, people become instruments of Satan.

"Then  was  brought  unto him one possessed  with  a  devil, blind,  and  dumb: and He {Jesus} healed him, insomuch  that  the blind  and  dumb both spake and saw." (Matthew 12:22)  Blind  and dumb is our spiritual condition without the Holy Spirit.

In the following verses Jesus is talking about teachings  by word  of mouth which are the seed: Jesus is considered to be  the Word  that is planted and produces children of the kingdom.  "He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is  the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the  children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one]; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end  of the world; and the reapers are the angels.  

"As  therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be  in the  end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth  his  angels,  and they shall gather out of his kingdom all  things  that offend,  and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them  into  a furnace  of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing  of  teeth.

"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their  Father.  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.  Again,  the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when  a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth  and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." (Matthew 13:37-44)  The  word `buys' (59) in Greek is Agorazo from  Agora  is  a marketplace,  only  it is an acquisition free of  charge because Jesus has already purchased it for us and given us full right  of possession. He removed our responsibility to pay for it. We can't buy  the field if Jesus owns it, all we can do is possess  it  by becoming part of Him. We can move into His house free of charge.

The door (the Holy Scriptures) is open to all. "And  Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out  of  him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples  to  Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast  him  out? And Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief: for verily  I say  unto you, If ye have faith (faith is belief in  God,  access without  measurement)  as a grain of mustard seed, ye  shall say unto  this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and  it  shall remove;  and nothing shall be impossible unto you.  Howbeit  this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:18-21)

In  Mark,  "when he was come out of  the  ship,  immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,  Who had  [his] dwelling among the tombs; and no man could  bind  him,no,  not with chains: Because that he had been often  bound  with
fetters  and chains, and the chains had been plucked  asunder  by him,  and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could  any  [man] tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in  the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But  when
he  saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped him."  (Mark  5:2-6)

Jesus  said come out of the man thou unclean spirit named  Legion (many) and moved them into swine. They subsequently ran into  the water and the swine drowned. Jesus exercised power and authority with His word  in  Luke 4:36:  

A person had a spirit of an unclean devil in Luke 4:33,  who knew  Jesus and told Jesus that it was not time yet.  Jesus  said for  him  to hold his peace and come out of the  man. The  devil threw  the  man down and came out. In Luke 8:11-15 in  a  parable about the seed {God's Word} sown by the wayside, the devil  takes the word of their hearts {minds, understanding} lest they  should believe.  Devil in this case (1228) diabolos, he falsely  accuses and  divides  people against increase  in  knowledge.

Mark  9:18-20  teaches  about evil spirits  who  taketh  and tearest (4486) rhegnumi in Greek derived from (2608) agnumi;  to break  or  crack apart, being intense and  (2352) shattering  to minute  fragments, lacerate, convulse with spasms) a  young  man: "and  he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and  pineth  away: and  I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out;  and they could not. He {Jesus} answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?  bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and  when he  saw  him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he  {the  man} fell  on  the  ground, and wallowed foaming."

In  Mark 1:26  the expression  `torn him' (4682) sparasso from spairo in Greek  from
(4685) to draw out through the idea of spasmodic contraction,  to mangle,  i.e.  convulse with epilepsy:- tear) In  Luke  9:42  the devil threw the man down and tore him. Jesus rebuked the  unclean spirit and healed the child.

More attributes we need to be aware that give Satan  access. "Neither  let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted,  and were  destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some  of  them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore  let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he  fall." (1  Corinthians 10:9-12) The word `fall' (4098) in  Greek:  pipto
means  ruined  by the destroyer, derived  from  (3645)  olothreno slain, derived from (3639) olethros ruin, i.e. death by injurious force.

Satan aims at our faith in God. He brings experiences that make  God  look like He is failing us and if we  don't  know  the Word, we believe it. The enemy works hardest in churches  because heathens  are no issue. Our guard needs to be up wherever we  are
to  keep  Satan from destroying our belief in God, which  is  not belief  in certain men and women, but belief in God  the  Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said: "Come unto me, all  [ye] that  labour  and  are heavy laden, and I will  give you  rest." (Matthew 11:28) He is our only hope through the present storm. In  some  cases the body has to be destroyed  to  save  the spirit. "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are  gathered  together, and my spirit, with the power of our  Lord  Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction  of the  flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of  the  Lord Jesus."  (1  Corinthians 5:4,5)

There are conversions  to  Christ Jesus  when people contract the HIV virus. They wonder  why  they are  not cured and usually end up with aids after all. God  knows
in homosexual cases that they are in a powerful grip would most likely go back to the old lifestyle. The Holy Spirit cannot live in such an environment.

To  believers  God said to put on faith, love  and  hope  of salvation in 1 Thessalonians 5:3-9. In 2 Thessalonians 1, he said to  stand  fast  and hold traditions which ye  have been  taught whether  by word or epistle (Gospel). Timothy under the  ministry of  Paul warns about foolish, hurtful lusts and temptations  that develop in people who have large incomes.

The  Lord  Jesus  called his own  disciple  Peter:  Satanas, because  he was considered to be opposing God's plan by  applying his  own reasoning to the situation Jesus found Himself  in  when the  politicians  wanted to remove Him from the  public  eye.  He
seemed too competitive for the leaders because people called  Him `King  of the Jews.' Then later at the last supper spoken  of  in John 6:70 "Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one  of you is a devil?" Jesus spoke of Judas Iscariot.  In  this
case  devil  (1228) diabolos in Greek was  used  indicating  that Judas was under the influence of an evil spirit and would be the accuser and betrayer that identified Jesus. His closest  friend was  not beyond betrayal. Jesus knew the truth ahead of time  and did not try to protect himself or get out of what was coming.

Another  facet in devilish behavior is found in  John  7:18: "He  that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he  that seeketh  His  glory that sent him, the same is true, and no  unrighteousness is in Him." Jesus was accused of having a devil  in John  7:20 and told people not to judge by appearance and  speaks on the accusations in John 8:44, 45, 51, 52. The main theme was that the  devil  would not be casting himself out. It  would cause a divided house.

Many  people are affected by oppression (2616) an  effective devilish  tool.  The  Greek word  Kata  Dunasteno:  derived  from (2596)  and  (1413) to exercise dominion against in  a  downward motion.  Acts  13:10 teaches that the devil is full  of  mischief (1388) in Greek: dolos: decoy, trickery (bait), craft and  deceit derived: (1185) deleazo: to entrap, delude: allure and beguile. As  potentially  God's sons and daughters, the old man is corrupt  with deceitful lusts and God wants us to put on the  new man.

The devilish nature is inherent in all human creatures and eventually becomes the beast (nations) that promotes the rise of  the  global Anti Christ. To protect Christians  against this movement  God warns us in Ephesians 6:11-19 to put on  the  whole armour  of God to withstand evil (4190)  poneros:  derived  from (4192) ponos: pain and (3992) penes: toil of daily sustenance  or poverty. "Put  on  the whole armour of God, that ye may  be able  to stand against the wiles of the devil.

"For we wrestle not  against flesh  and  blood, but against  principalities,  against  powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual  wickedness  in high [places]. Wherefore take unto  you  the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having  your loins  girt  about with truth, and having on the breastplate  of righteousness  {Jesus of Nazareth}; and your feet shod  with  the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the  shield of  faith,  wherewith ye shall be able to quench  all  the  fiery darts  of the wicked.

"And take the helmet of salvation, and  the sword  of  the Spirit, which is the word of God:  Praying  always with  all  prayer and supplication in the  Spirit,  and  watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all  saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may  open my  mouth  boldly,  to make known the  mystery  of  the  gospel." (Ephesians 6:11-19)

Continually  exercising moving forward in the Word  and  resisting  the devil, practicing strong, steadfast enduring to  the end. People in ministry are particularly vulnerable because  they get  puffed up and easily fall into condemnation. Fear  of  death causes bondage that only a belief in the resurrection  of  Jesus Christ  can remove, see Hebrew 2:14,15. Submit to God,  place  in orderly  fashion,  under voluntary subordination, Christ  having supreme  rule, being in a dependent position, should be the  mode of  a Christian. Resist the devil, and he will flee from  you  is written in James 4:6-10.

2  Corinthians  11:3 is a most important Scripture:  "But  I fear {Paul speaking}, lest by any means, as the serpent  beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted  from the  simplicity  that  is in Christ." The next  verse  speaks  of another Jesus whom Paul has not preached, that is now a sign  of the  end times. "For if he that cometh preacheth  another  Jesus, whom  we  have not preached, or [if] ye receive another  spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have  not
accepted, ye might well bear with [him]." (2 Corinthians 11:4)

"For such [are] false apostles (5570 pseudapostolos  derived from 5571 pseudes: liar, pretended preachers), deceitful workers, transforming  themselves into the apostles of Christ." (2  Corinthians  11:13) "While they promise them liberty, they  themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  they are again  entangled  therein, and overcome,  the latter end is worse with them than the  beginning. For  it  had been better for them not to have known  the  way  of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them."(2 Peter 2:19-21)

"Be  not  overcome of evil, but overcome  evil  with  good." (Romans  12:21)  God is talking about an inward change  which  is beyond  Satan's power. It takes the Holy Spirit to transform  the heart into a new heart. "... written unto you, young men, because ye  are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and  ye  have overcome  the  wicked one." (1 John 2:14) And now I  pray  Father that  the  Holy Spirit will "... open their eyes, [and] to  turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God,  that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and  inheritance among  them which are sanctified by faith that is in  me."  (Acts 26:18)

"He  that  hath an ear, let him hear what the  Spirit  saith unto  the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat  of the  hidden  manna, and will give him a white stone, and in  the stone  a  new name written, which no man knoweth saving  he  that receiveth  [it]." (Revelation 2:17)

"Because thou hast  kept  the word  of  my  patience, I also will keep thee from  the  hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell  upon  the earth. Behold, I come quickly:  hold  that  fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that  overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go  no more  out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and  the name  of the  city of my God, [which is]  new  Jerusalem,  which cometh  down  out of heaven from my God: and [I will  write  upon him] my new name." (Revelation 3:10-12)

But why is it such a challenge to be and remain a  Christian is on everyone's mind. 1 Peter 5:8-11 has the answer: "Be  sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist  steadfast
in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are  accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,  after that  ye  have  suffered a while,  make  you  perfect,  stablish, strengthen, settle [you]. To him [be] glory and dominion for ever and  ever. Amen."




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