spiritual warfare articles
by Diane Hawkins
Spiritual Housecleaning
June 2000
Although it is only February,
Spring is already tantalizing us with its imminent arrival and propelling our
thoughts toward the many clean-up chores needing to be done in our yards and
homes. What an excellent reminder this can be to give attention to spiritual
housecleaning as well!
Demons can enter our homes via
contaminated individuals and/or objects, or they can be deliberately sent on a
specific mission. Whether we rent our homes or own them, we possess the legal
authority to dedicate and claim our domain for the true Holy Creator God and the
purposes of His kingdom. On that authority we can demand in the name of Jesus
Christ that anything unholy depart immediately. If demons are legally attached
to an individual currently in our home, we cannot force them to leave, but we
can demand in the name of Jesus Christ that their powers be completely bound
from any expression within the boundaries of our property. If you possess
anything which was originally made to serve a role in some form of pagan
worship, you might want to consider disposing of it. Even if it can be
spiritually cleansed, it certainly would not glorify our God, who is a jealous
God (Ex. 34:13-14; Acts 19:18-19).
Inviting someone who has the
gift of discerning spirits to go with you through your home room by room can be
very helpful, enabling you to identify particular items which need attention.
You might be surprised at the subtle, or not so subtle, changes occurring in
your home after doing these things. Many have reported a sense of decreased
tension or conflict or children being less bothered by nightmares, etc.
To sanitize a physically
contaminated area of our home, we quickly run for the bleach, ammonia, or Lysol.
Sometimes we fail to realize that we have resources available for the spiritual
sanitization of our homes as well. While the offending culprits are as invisible
to the human eye as bacteria and viruses, we can develop a sensitivity to
discerning their presence and learn how to dispel them.
Even if you are not gifted in
discerning the presence of demons, you can create an environment in your home
which makes it extremely uncomfortable for them. While we usually think of
demons being the ones who torment people, they are also subject to torment
themselves, especially in the presence of God. This was clearly the case when
Jesus confronted the demonized man of the Gadarenes (Mark 5:7).
While the presence of God is
obviously the most powerful deterrent to demonic activity, the power of His Word
and His name are also undeniably effective for halting their agenda (Matthew
4:1-11; Acts 16:16-18). Therefore, by playing tapes of Scripture being read or
music verbally praising God, you can cause great torment to any forces of
darkness which are present, giving them tremendous motivation to leave. This is
useful and effective at any time but is highly recommended before, after, and
perhaps to a limited extent during, times of direct spiritual warfare.
One must also keep in mind,
however, that when demons have legal grounds for attachment to human beings,
they cannot automatically leave to escape the torment caused by these things,
and in such cases the person may also feel the demon’s torment. This has
variously been described as feeling like “your skin is crawling” or “electricity
is coursing through your bloodstream.” We therefore urge sensitivity, as well as
compassion, in the use of verbal praise music and the reading of Scripture in
the presence of individuals who are known to be demonized or who may show an
adverse response to such things. Sometimes verbally commanding the demon(s)
involved (in the name of Jesus) not to pass on the torment to the individual or
to be temporarily separated from the human being may help in these incidents. It
is a fine line to walk in defying the demons while treating the individual with
love and respect.
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Preparation for Spiritual Warfare
June 2000
No soldier ever enters a
battlefield without adequate preparation, no matter how confident he feels. In
like manner we must never take our participation in spiritual warfare lightly.
Although our enemy is unseen, his power and intelligence far surpass our own.
Because our success depends totally on the power of God working through us, we
must be sure that our lives are a clear channel through which He can work and
fully avail ourselves of the spiritual resources He offers us. Therefore,
prayerfully:
EXAMINE AND CLEANSE YOURSELF FROM ALL SIN.
·
Ask God to reveal any sin in your life which
would hinder His Spirit flowing through you.
·
Confess it.
·
Claim the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins (1 John
1:7).
·
Repudiate all personal arrogance or self-reliance in the spiritual
battle.
CHECK YOUR SPIRITUAL ARMOR (Ephesians 6:10-18).
·
Affirm your salvation from Satan’s kingdom and possession
of Christ’s righteousness.
·
Express your commitment to truth and righteousness
in every area of your life.
·
Claim the peace of God over all fear and anxiety.
·
Declare your reliance on the Word of God which He will give
you at the moment of need.
CLAIM YOUR SPIRITUAL RESOURCES.
·
Your position of authority with Christ at the right hand of the
Father (Ephesians 1:19-23; 2:6)
·
The
fullness of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)
o
His guidance (John 16:13)
o
The Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17)
o
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding (Isaiah 11:2)
o
The Spirit of counsel and power (Isaiah 11:2)
o
The Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2)
·
The protection of the blood of Jesus over yourself and all those
involved.
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Addressing Demons
in the
Process of Deliverance
January 2001
While Scripture teaches us
about the reality and nature of demons and gives numerous examples of both Jesus
and others taking spiritual authority over them and demanding their obedience,
it does not necessarily include a complete primer on the subject of deliverance.
As those who are gifted to work in this field gain experience and discernment,
they learn some of the tactics these cunning beings sometimes use to evade
expulsion. The following list of suggested commands to demons when commencing a
deliverance session come out of the experience of Shamain Ministries in
Westminster, SC. Our limited experience in using these instructions indicates
that they may need to be modified somewhat in cases of highly complex DID/SRA.
They should not be considered absolute in nature but can be helpful in “covering
your bases,” especially in cases of deeply entrenched bondage when Satan is
highly invested in retaining his stronghold in an individual.
“Because of my position of
union with the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenlies, I issue the following
commands to all demons that may be in (name), or in this room, or demons
anywhere in the universe connected with (name).
1.
We command the binding of the strong man in (name)’s
life . . .
2.
We
cancel all previous commands from Satan or his external hierarchy to any demons
that may indwell (name).
3.
We command that there must be no further exchange of
Satanic communication in either direction, inward or outward. No external power
of evil may supply information or power to any internal demon. No indwelling
demon may transmit information or appeal for help to any external powers of
evil. . . .
4.
We forbid indwelling demons to share strength or
connive with each other.
5.
We command that all absent demons who normally make
their home within (name) be back in him (her) right now to be discovered and
dispatched. This command includes a. Any who have fled to escape this session;
b. Any shared with another person; c. All parts of divided demons; d. Absent
communicators.
6.
From this point onward we forbid any entry of new
demonic spirits into (name). . . .
7.
No demon is permitted to hide. When you are called
to attention, you must come to attention promptly and remain there until we
release you. . . .
8.
We forbid demons to engage in renaming or
regrouping. . . .
9.
No departing demon may linger or make a stopover
with any human being.
10.vWe
forbid any demon to block for another demon.
11.
No demon is permitted to split. . . .
12.
When we command demons to leave, we require that all
place-takers must automatically to [sic] be joined to the demon or group of
demons being expelled. None may remain behind.
13.
When demons depart, we forbid them to manifest any
violent activity, undue physical manifestations, or noise.
14.
We permit no demon to bring any pain, harm, or
violence upon (name) or any other person.
15.
There must be no distraction or harm to anyone here or to our families. . .
All these commands I make and
enforce in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
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Conversing with Demons
April 2001
On some occasions
demons may speak through the person with whom they are associated. Sometimes a
limited conversation with this voice is necessary in order to ascertain that it
is actually a demon speaking rather than the individual. In these instances
speaking with the demon is beneficial in revealing or confirming its presence.
When a demon speaks through the person in the course
of a deliverance attempt, however, it is usually best to command the demon’s
silence except to answer specific questions directed to it. These questions
should be limited to those essential to the deliverance process. Using the demon
to gain other supernatural knowledge is both unwise and dangerous.
First of all, it is succumbing to the exact
seduction which Satan used to ensnare Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Secondly, doing so ascribes value to the demon and in a sense ingratiates you to
him. Thirdly, demons are masters of deception and cannot be trusted to speak
truth (unless you specifically bind them to doing this).
The occasional times when
asking legitimate questions is appropriate include:
A.
Requesting a demon’s name
In Scripture the only question
Jesus ever asked of a demon was “What is your name?” and he only did this once
(Mark 5:9). Therefore, even this is not always necessary. However, it seems that
just knowing the name of a person or an entity may in some instances constitute
a step of authority over them. Names were extremely important in Scripture as
evidenced by the number of times God specifically changed a person’s name to
more accurately reflect some characteristic in their life. Also, when Jacob
wrestled with the Angel of the Lord, he would not give his name to Jacob (Gen.
32:22-30). Knowing the demon’s name sometimes also reveals the function or
nature of the demon so you can be alert to specific characteristics in the
individual which might indicate that it has returned for whatever reason.
B.
Requesting the legal grounds for their attachment
Just as the physical world
usually operates under certain inviolable laws of nature, so also does the
spiritual realm follow a strict legal code. If an individual has done something
that has given a demon legal grounds to be attached to him or her, it will
usually not leave until those rights for attachment are removed through
renunciation or confession. Therefore, when a demon does not leave immediately
when commanded to do so in the power and authority of Jesus’ name, it is
sometimes helpful to ask what gives it the right to be attached to the
individual. Be sure, however, to bind it first in the name of Jesus to tell only
the truth. Sometimes this is not necessary because the individual already knows
what permitted the demon to gain its right of attachment. At other times God can
provide the necessary insight regarding the demon’s legal right to be there.
C.
Requesting information concerning their rank and hierarchy
In difficult or resistant
cases it may occasionally be helpful to know the rank of the demon and whether
he is under authority to a higher level spiritual being, in which case the
spiritual warfare must be directed against the higher ranked being. Jesus taught
that one must first bind the strongman before he can successfully plunder his
house (Mat. 12:29). Jude 8-9 also indicates that man should not attempt to come
against the highest ranked demons (celestial beings) but instead ask the Lord to
rebuke them.
In case there are also demons ranked below the one
you are addressing, it is wise to command that he take all other demons under
him along as he exits, including those shared by different parts of a
dissociated individual. Sometimes it will be necessary, however, for the various
alter-identities involved to each break the legal ground providing its
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The Spiritual Infrastructure
behind
World Events
November 2001
In this
issue of Prayer Matters I feel led to focus on the dynamics occurring in the
spiritual realm in conjunction with the events that have so dramatically
awakened our country and many others from a false sense of national security and
led us into a new kind of war. As we face the uncertainty of what this may
develop into, we cannot say how near or far we may be to the “end of the age,”
but we know that the current strife fits somewhere along the continuum leading
in that direction.
In order to
pray most effectively concerning this “new war,” Christians must realize that
all that is happening in the physical realm is accompanied by or, perhaps more
accurately, directed by the forces of darkness in the spiritual realm. 1 John
5:19 says that “the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” This was
one of the concessions God gave to Satan when He established Satan’s role as an
alternative object of devotion for mankind. In order for man to have a choice
regarding the object of his love and worship in the spiritual realm, God
actually created a powerfully alluring supernatural being to be His competitor.
Satan is
not really seeking a love relationship with man as God is, but he desires to win
man’s allegiance so he can use man to accomplish his ultimate goal of world
domination. Ephesians 2:2 says that Satan is actively working in “those who are
disobedient.” Therefore those plotting to disrupt the current power structure of
the world are essentially pawns in Satan’s hand. Being by very nature a sly and
crafty being who was created “full of wisdom” (Ezek. 28:12), the schemes he
devises are extremely shrewd as we have certainly seen in recent weeks. His
demonic forces also encircle the globe, giving him a worldwide grasp of the
affairs of the nations. He seemingly establishes some sort of parallel,
international infrastructure in the spiritual realm with his own hierarchy of
spiritual authorities assigned to each country (Dan. 10:13, 20; Eph. 6:12).
This spiritual domain over which Satan is the reigning “prince” is known as the
“kingdom of the air” (Eph. 2:2) and is generally believed to be the second
heaven (2 Cor. 12:2).
In spite of
his ruling position in this realm and the other advantages that God has given
him, Satan cannot automatically accomplish his will on earth. He can do so only
with man’s cooperation. Even though the warring entities in the spiritual realm
ultimately serve either God or Satan, the battle they are engaged in is focused
on gaining supremacy over the earthly realm. Therefore, man seems to play a
critical role in this battle. In fact, it appears that the effectiveness of the
two sides of the battle may be directly related to the strength of the followers
of God and the followers of Satan (in his many counterfeit “religions”) on
earth. Rather than just being a numbers game, however, certain godly actions,
such as repentance, righteousness, prayer, fasting, and spiritual warfare (2
Chron. 7:14; Dan. 10:1-2; 2 Cor. 6:7; 10:3-5) seem to be key factors in
strengthening God’s side of the battle. Presumably certain acts of loyalty,
sacrifice, and worship do the same for Satan’s side.
Therefore,
as our armed forces fight for the cause of freedom and justice on earth, God’s
children must actively engage themselves in those activities which strengthen
the angelic hosts of heaven warring against the forces of darkness in the
spiritual realm (Dan. 10; Eph. 6:12). This is not a time for Christian soldiers
to take an “R & R.” We must be fully armed, on high alert, and actively engaged
in battle.
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How to be a Good Christian Soldier
January 2002
In our last issue of Prayer
Matters I focused on the dynamics occurring in the spiritual realm in
connection with the current evil and terror being perpetrated in our physical
world. I pointed out that Satan has temporarily been given a measure of
authority over the countries of the world (Luke 4:5-6; 1 John 5:19). Since he
lost his challenge of God’s supremacy in the heavens, his goal is now set on
gaining supremacy in the earthly realm. Towards this end he has seemingly
established a parallel, international infrastructure in the spiritual realm with
his own hierarchy of spiritual beings assigned to each country (Dan. 10:13, 20;
Eph. 6:12; Rev. 20:1-3).
Satan can only accomplish his
goal, however, with the cooperation of man. Because of man’s free will, nothing
is set in concrete concerning the extent of Satan’s success or the timing of it.
However, the burgeoning numbers of ritual abuse survivors surfacing around the
globe who are groomed and programmed to carry out Satan’s agenda give evidence
of Satan’s forward momentum. Of course, we know that God will eventually
interrupt Satan’s plans, no matter how far they get, and bring in His own
eternal kingdom while dooming Satan to everlasting punishment (Rev.
19:17—20:10).
In the
meantime, however, the strength of Satan’s forces and the extent of his success
in the world depends on the number of human recruits he can deceive into
supporting his oftentimes camouflaged agenda and their acts of devotion to him
as well as the degree of opposition he encounters from the angelic hosts of
God’s army. By the same token the strength of God’s side in this battle seems to
depend on the number and spiritual attributes and activities of those committed
to His kingdom. For this reason we must not stand idly by but learn to become
active Christian soldiers on behalf of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
As any good
soldier, we must understand the weapons with which we are to fight in this
battle. Because the real confrontation takes place in the spiritual world, we
must have weapons that are effective in that realm (2 Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:12).
Ephesians 6:14-17 describes the spiritual armor God’s soldiers must wear. While
the Helmet of Salvation is given to us as a gift from God (Rom. 6:23; Eph.
2:8-9), the rest of our protective armor consists of character traits we must
develop and manifest in our daily lives. These include truth, righteousness,
peace, and faith.
The primary
offensive weapons which God’s people can wield are the Sword of the Spirit and
prayer (Eph. 17-18). The Sword of the Spirit refers to the internally spoken
Word of God delivered by the Holy Spirit at the moment of need when confronting
evil. This is something that we must learn to rely upon and boldly articulate
when it is given.
Prayer, on
the other hand, is initiated by us, and the prayers of righteous men and women
in God’s kingdom are powerfully effective (James 5:16). Too often, however,
Christians focus their prayers on their personal needs and the material realm.
They neglect to pray against the spiritual elements affecting their country and
the overall advancement of the Kingdom of God in the world, or their prayers are
weakened by the lack of appropriate character traits being demonstrated in their
lives. Prayers uttered by those who merely give lip service to God’s kingdom
have little effect in the spiritual realm. Only those who are so committed to
Him that they allow their lives to be truly transformed by the Holy Spirit can
function as true Christian soldiers in God’s army, joining ranks with all those
who earnestly pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mat.
6:10).
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How to Be a Good Christian
Soldier
Part 2:
Character Traits as Spiritual Weapons
April 2002
In our last
few issues of Prayer Matters we have been looking at how to be active
Christian soldiers who are able to affect the direction of the spiritual battle
going on in the heavenlies in relationship to the political struggles for power
occurring in our physical world. We have seen that the spiritual armor, which
God has instructed us to wear if we are to participate in this battle, includes
developing the character traits of truth, righteousness, faith, and peace so
that they are consistently manifested in our daily lives (Eph. 10-18).
In Romans 13:12-14 (NIV), Paul
also writes about “putting on the armor of light” (NIV). This armor is
contrasted with practicing “deeds of darkness” and gratifying “the desires of
the sinful flesh.” It is accompanied by the commands to “behave decently” and to
be clothed “with the Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, to be properly suited
up in the “armor of light,” we are to allow the Lord Jesus to live His life
through us and act like He would. So again we see righteous character traits
portrayed as protective armor in the spiritual battle.
Other passages indicate that
godly character traits serve not only in a protective manner but also can play
an offensive role in the spiritual battle. In 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 Paul speaks
of having “weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left” (vs. 7,
NIV). In the context we see how thoroughly committed he was to having genuine
righteousness characterize his life, no matter what the circumstances. This
included the traits of purity, patience, kindness, endurance, sacrifice, sincere
love, and truthful speech. Through this means Paul was able to maintain his
credibility and fend off his attackers.
Later in chapter 10 he speaks
again of the “weapons” we fight with in the spiritual battle, stating that they
have “divine power” to demolish demonic strongholds as well as every argument
and phony substitute set in place to usurp the true knowledge of God (vss. 4-5;
NIV). It is very probable that he is referring back to the “weapons of
righteousness” that he mentioned in chapter 6. He also points out that these
weapons are not only effective in battling the strongholds we encounter in the
lives of others but also in sanctifying the thoughts of our own minds.
Christian soldiers must exercise
consistent, daily discipline in keeping their “weapons of righteousness” in good
operating condition just as soldiers fighting in the physical realm do. They
must also maintain their strength by drawing daily sustenance from the Word of
God and keep the lines of communication with their “Commander in Chief” open.
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How to
Be a Good Christian Soldier
Part 3: The Relationship of Humility, Fasting, and Spiritual Warfare
July 2002
In the last
issue of Prayer Matters we continued to look at how godly character
traits serve as both offensive and defensive “weapons” in spiritual warfare.
This is seen most clearly in the “spiritual armor” in Ephesians 6:10-18 but is
evident in other passages as well (e.g., 2 Cor. 6:7; 10:3-5). In this issue I
would like to focus our attention on the particular trait of humility along with
the godly discipline of fasting.
Jesus was our ultimate example
of humility, relinquishing His exalted position in the Godhead to become a
servant, even to the extent of laying down His life for the benefit of all
mankind. This is the attitude that we too are admonished to have, always
regarding others as more important than ourselves (Phil. 3:3-8). In 2
Corinthians 2:7 we see that arrogance is so unbefitting and detrimental to a
Christian soldier that God allowed Satan to afflict the Apostle Paul in some
permanent way—just to keep him humble.
Second
Chronicles 7:14 reveals that when the people of a given country demonstrate
humility, coupled with genuine repentance, God will grant forgiveness on a
national level and turn away the curses of evil brought on that country for
their disobedience. Humility is therefore crucial in the life of a Christian
soldier fighting for God’s victory over evil and His blessing on a particular
country.
In Daniel
10 we see this faithful prophet of God single-handedly humbling himself and
fasting as he prayed earnestly to God about the state of his nation, Israel.
Twenty-one days later an angel appeared to him, assuring him that he had been
dispatched immediately when Daniel first humbled himself before God and sought
insight from Him. So Daniel’s humility (perhaps combined with his other godly
character traits) brought an immediate answer from God, but for twenty-one days
that answer was delayed because of spiritual warfare occurring between the angel
and spiritual forces of evil associated with other specific countries.
Therefore, it seems that the fasting that Daniel was also doing through this
period was influential in the angel prevailing over his opponents in the
spiritual realm.
When the
angel arrived, he also told Daniel that no one supported him in this spiritual
battle except for Michael, Daniel’s “prince.” This is a very interesting
statement from which we can draw a number of possible inferences. First of all,
how encouraging it is to learn that Daniel had a particular “prince,” or angel,
specifically assigned to him! While Daniel was a specially appointed prophet of
God, this is a significant supporting passage (along with Heb. 1:14) to the idea
that every child of God has a “guardian” angel.
We might
also assume from the passage that the angel sent with the message to Daniel was
not supported because no one else was actively involved in prayer and fasting on
behalf of the nation of Israel at that time besides Daniel. This is sad and
certainly emphasizes the value of an entire army of Christian soldiers involved
in warfare for a country rather than a “lone ranger.” On the other hand, it
reveals the powerful influence of even one individual willing to prevail in
prayer and fasting.
It also seems that Daniel was
not overtly waging spiritual warfare, but his prayer and fasting were serving
that purpose in the spiritual realm. Ephesians 6:18, which immediately follows
the description of the spiritual armor, also seems to indicate that the dynamic
of persistent prayer, coupled with the godly character traits represented by the
armor, translates into effective spiritual warfare on behalf of the saints
without the individual overtly engaging in it. Second Chronicles 7:14 would seem
to bear this out as well.
The example
in Daniel 10 illustrates that the dynamic of fasting further enhances spiritual
warfare and the effectiveness of prayer. This, too, is supported by numerous
other passages, which we will continue to examine in our next issue.
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What the Devil Cannot Do
After
concluding our study of “The Devil Made Me Do It,” in which we looked at many of
the ways that Satan is able to affect man, I thought it might be helpful to list
some of the things that Satan cannot do. While given great freedom to
work amongst the world of mankind during this phase of history
(Eph. 2:2; John 12:31; 14:30),
his capabilities are not infinite; nor may he operate outside the bounds of
God’s sovereignty. Satan always has, and always will, report to the One who
created him for His own purposes (Job 1:6;
2:1; 1 Kings 22:19).
1. He cannot snatch the
redeemed away from God.
When a person puts his faith
in Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross for the forgiveness of his sins, he enters
into a covenant relationship with God that is anchored in the shed blood of
Jesus and sealed with God’s oath (Heb.
6:17-20; 8:6; 9:15). No other being has
the spiritual authority to supersede these divine acts and cancel this covenant.
No matter how greatly Satan may affect a believer or how far he may lead a
believer astray, he cannot nullify his salvation
(John 3:16; 10:27-29; 1 John 4:4; 5:13).
2. He cannot touch the “new
self” begotten by God.
When we are saved, we are
spiritually born anew as children of a holy God. From that point on we carry
within ourselves not only the human seed of our earthly parents but also God’s
imperishable, holy seed (1 Peter 1:23). This seed gives rise to our “new self,” which is replicated in the
righteousness and holiness of our heavenly Father (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:24).
His holy seed can only create holy life, and just as Satan cannot touch our holy
God, he cannot touch our “new self.” While theologians debate the fact, many
believe that this part of us cannot sin (1 John 3:9).
The only part of a Christian
that Satan can affect is the flesh, that part of the soul over which he gained
dominion due to Adam and Eve’s sin (Rom. 6:16; Col. 1:13)
and on which he stamped his own rebellious and deceitful nature (Jer.
17:9; John 8:44). The flesh continues to be active even in the believer, leaving the
mind with the ever-present choice of determining which part of him will lead his
thoughts and actions: the flesh, which has been imprinted by Satan, or the “new
self,” which has been begotten by God (Rom. 7: 14—8:14: Gal. 5:16-17;
Eph. 4:17-24).
3. He
cannot make a person sin.
Satan can lead us to water
but he cannot make us drink. He can even “salt the oats” to make us crave that
water, but we are still responsible for any sinful acts in which we choose to
engage. For every temptation that Satan brings into our lives, God faithfully
provides a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). If we
choose, instead, to give in to the temptation, our sin is a product of our own
flesh-driven lusts (James 1:14-15).
4. He
cannot overpower a person’s free will.
Our free will is an
irrevocable gift from God (Rom. 11:29). Unless a
person has willfully chosen to enter a covenant relationship with Satan or
another pagan deity, these evil cosmic beings cannot automatically execute their
will in a person’s life. They can only do so when the person (or in DID, a part
of the person) voluntarily relinquishes control to them. Even though a person
may have legal grounds or generational inheritances that allow the beings to be
connected to them, we believe quite strongly that they cannot act out in the
person’s life without permission being granted by some part of the person.
5. He
seemingly cannot instigate a major, cosmic-level assault against one of God’s
children in whom he has no legal ground to do so without direct permission from
God.
Admittedly, this is a
conclusion drawn from limited information, but it is not without scriptural
support. While every believer can potentially be subjected to demonic whim and
harassment, major offensives coming from Satan or the higher echelons of the
evil spiritual ranks (which we refer to as “cosmic beings”) can seemingly only
be launched with permission from God.
Satan and his cohorts may
prowl around looking for good candidates to “devour” (1 Peter 5:8),
but (at least when believers are involved), they seemingly have to go before God
to gain His permission before they can carry out their plans. This is precisely
the picture that is given in the book of Job, which I believe is meant to
provide a glimpse into the interactions between God and Satan that can
potentially affect our lives. In his “roaming about on the earth,” Satan had
selected Job as a desired target, but he had to seek permission from God before
he could execute his plan, which was to afflict Job with severe hardships to see
how strong his faith in God really was. God granted that permission but set
distinct bounds beyond which Satan could not go. He had to operate under the
sovereignty of God and abide by these restrictions (Job 1:6-12; 2:3-6).
Another example in Scripture
is Satan’s request of God that he be allowed to “sift” Peter like wheat. Again,
permission was granted but with Jesus stepping into the spiritual milieu with
His prayers so that Satan’s assault would not result in Peter’s faith being lost
(Luke 22:31-32).
While we don’t know the
criteria God uses in determining whether He will grant Satan’s requests, it may
have to do with the potential good that God sees He can bring through the
affliction or trial that Satan proposes (Rom. 5:3-5; Heb. 12:10-11; James 1:2-4).
Both Job and Peter reaped major spiritual benefits from the trials of their
faith that came from Satan’s hand. God also allowed Satan to afflict Paul
through his “thorn in flesh” because it served God’s purpose of keeping Paul
from exalting himself after having the awesome privilege of visiting the third
heaven (2 Cor. 12:1-4, 7-9).
6. He cannot create.
God is the author and creator
of all things. The Bible leaves no room for any source of creation other than
the Godhead, strongly specifying that apart from Him nothing else has ever come
into being (John 1:3; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16).
God’s creative work includes both the animate and the inanimate, the visible and
the invisible, absolutely everything that exists in both the earthly realm and
the spiritual realm (Col. 1:16). In
contrast, all that Satan can create are illusions.
7. He can offer no positive
rewards to his followers.
He cannot offer peace or any
hope of a joyful eternity (cf. Ps. 16:11; John 10:9-10; 16:33; Rom. 15:13).
In fact, nothing that Satan has to offer man is truly satisfying. Although he is
superlative in his description of the pleasures to be found on the path he lures
man onto (Gen. 3:1-6; Mat. 4:8-9), those who follow after him will ultimately discover the illusive
nature of his promises and find themselves quickly sliding down a road that
leads to despair and death rather than the glorious life they were promised
(Prov. 14:12; Rom. 6:23).
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