The Heavenly
Competition
Part 2
As we delve into our
new study of the various kinds of activities and character traits
that can potentially provide a point of access, or “legal ground,”
for Satan’s work in our lives, I’d first like to sharpen our focus
on the nature of the battle we are caught in between God and Satan.
In our last issue I stated that I believe that God created Lucifer
to be an alternative object of devotion for mankind. He wanted us to
have a choice between Himself and another alluring, supernatural
being. So God and Satan, as he is now called, are constantly vying
with each other for our love and devotion.
They are very
different in their motives and what they have to offer, however. God
sincerely loves us and desires us to enter an everlasting love
relationship with Him that will fulfill every longing of our
God-created hearts as well as fulfill His own divine love nature.
Satan, on the other hand, is incapable of love. He is a master of
deception, however, and can offer thrilling and tantalizing
experiences as a means of luring man away from God and into his own
camp. His purposes are (1) to hinder man’s entrance into the Kingdom
of God (Mat. 13:19), (2) to destroy his usefulness in God’s Kingdom
should he enter it (2 Peter 1:5-9; Rev. 12:17), and (3) ultimately
to use him for his own hidden purposes of gaining world domination
(Rev. 19:19). (The latter requires extensive demonization and
connection to high-level cosmic beings.)
When we understand
the nature of this competition, we can more wisely evaluate to whom
the various activities in our lives are paying homage—God or Satan.
The two are intensely jealous for our loyalty (1 Cor. 10:21-22).
When we, as Christians, choose to yield to Satan’s temptations and
engage in thoughts and pursuits that are in line with his mindset,
it strikes a grievous blow to God’s heart, just like infidelity in a
marriage would do (cf. Hosea 4:12).
Occult Activities
Probably one of the
most obvious ways we can “flirt” with Satan is to be involved in any
of the many occult activities occurring in the world today. The
focus of many of these is on gaining hidden knowledge or
experiencing supernatural abilities. This is precisely the nature of
the allurement that Satan used on Eve in the Garden of Eden, telling
her that if she listened to him, she would have greater knowledge
and be more like God Himself (Gen. 3:5).
God makes Himself
very clear in stating that anyone who participates in such
activities is “detestable” to Him (Deut. 18:10-12). This blatant
entering of Satan’s camp instantly attracts the attention of his
demonic henchmen. They will claim any evidence of interest in these
activities as legal grounds for “hanging around” the person in an
effort to draw him deeper and deeper. As a foothold is established
in the person’s life, the effects will begin permeating his thought
life, inner character, and behavior. The deeper he involves himself
in occult activities, the more apt he is to establish a stronghold
that connects him to increasingly higher forces of darkness.
A partial list of
such activities includes:
Idolatry
Part 3
In our last issue we
looked at the role that occult activities play in giving evil spirits
access to our lives. In this issue we will look at the closely related
area of idolatry. Certainly giving abeyance to any other “god” than
Jehovah is another way of committing spiritual “adultery” (Ezek. 23:37).
It is intensely offensive to God but greatly pleases Satan, again
opening the door for his evil spirits to work in our lives.
Usually when we think of
idolatry, we think of pagan idols of wood, stone, and metal, which no
Christian would think of worshipping. This horrible practice was what
motivated God to send severe judgment against the nation of Israel. Even
in the Old Testament, however, Ezekiel taught that idolatry can be a
matter of the heart and be just as offensive to God. In fact, God says
He will set His face against anyone practicing idolatry in his heart,
canceling blessings and not responding to his prayers (Ezek. 14:2-8).
Idolatry of the heart
can take many forms, some of which may be difficult to recognize and
thus all the more dangerous to our spiritual health. Even such high
priority issues as family, job, ministry, or health can become idols if
we are not willing to sacrifice or put them in jeopardy to be obedient
to God.
Other issues that can
creep into idol status include behavioral compulsions that evidence
themselves in an undue emphasis on appearance, cleanliness, orderliness,
performance, or control. Usually these reflect psychological baggage
acquired from childhood and may be difficult to turn from without
knowledgeable and supportive inner healing directed at the root issues
driving these behaviors.
Addictions are another
psychological issue that can arise out of deep, unresolved pain from the
past and take on idol status. Drugs, alcohol, nicotine, gambling, sex,
and pornography are more obvious types of such addictions, but food and
work, or constant busyness, can also be addictive behaviors used to
drown out pain. In reality, they are taking the place of God, who is
able to bring true healing to our deep emotional wounds (Isa. 61:1-3).
This does not mean that prayer and faith alone are always sufficient to
overcome an addiction, however. Often knowledgeable and compassionate
help is again needed to ascertain the deep, inner roots of pain the
person is endeavoring to escape and then to identify the false beliefs
imbedded in them so that God can transform them through the application
of truth. This is the truth that will set the person free (John 8:32).
The most frequent and
grievous idols of the heart are those that arise out of the interaction
of our inherent sin nature, or flesh, and the world system in which we
are engulfed, both of which are prime avenues through which Satan works
(Rom. 8:6-8; Gal. 5:17). A potential idol of this nature that Scripture
particularly warns us about concerns our attitude towards money and
material gain. Money is a powerful and alluring commodity, capable of
providing security, prestige, and entertainment. The world system is so
totally built around the attainment of these things that even Christians
are apt to forget that God is infinitely more capable of supplying these
for us and has promised to do so if we simply make Him and His
righteousness the highest priority in our lives (Mat. 6:33; Phil. 4:19).
If we choose to trust in money, rather than God, to supply our needs and
give us security for the future, we are engaged in the idolatry of
mammon. We have put money in the place of God. Scripture clearly states
that we cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24) and equates a quest
for material possessions (greed and covetousness) with idolatry (Col.
3:5-6).
Because idols of the
heart can be so insidious, we would all do well to examine our lives and
take stock of what is most important to us. If any of these identified
priorities could not be laid aside to do God’s will, it needs to be
recognized as an idol of the heart. If it is an issue that is serving as
a psychological “crutch” for us, we need to seek out the right kind of
help to explore its root. If it is any other issue, the godly response
is to confess our sin to God (1 John 1:9), submit to His will and
priorities for us (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 5:15; Eph. 2:10), and ask Him to
break off any connections to the evil spiritual realm that were
established in our lives because of this unrecognized “idol.” Not only
is He faithful to do this, but He will also open the door to greater
blessings coming into our lives because of our uncompromised devotion to
Him (Rom. 8:28-39).
Religious Matters
Part 4
Continuing on in our
study of the avenues through which Satan and his forces gain access to
our lives, we will look next at the area of religious matters and the
various ways Satan can trip us up in the guise of true spirituality.
While we can readily recognize the many overtly false religions
of the world that place another supposedly divine being in the place of
the true Creator God, Satan’s clever deceptions can take place even
amidst mainstream Christianity in our own country. Because Satan can
never measure up to all that God has to offer as he competes with Him
for man’s devotion, he must use clever means of deception to allure man
to himself.
For this reason we must
be very careful about following any seemingly aberrant teachings
of the Word. While our hearts and minds must certainly be open to
growing in new understandings of Scripture, whenever a particular
teaching seems contrary to the traditional views of the recognized
Church, we must carefully discern whether it is truly coming from the
Holy Spirit. While at times false teachings may be purely a matter of
ignorance, at other times they arise from a person’s own fleshly desire
for acclaim or from an ungodly spirit as an effort of Satan to pull us
away from Christ. Following either leads us directly or indirectly under
the influence of Satan’s forces and can establish a foothold for their
further deceptive work in our lives (Mat. 7:15; Rom. 16:17-20; 1 Tim.
4:1; 1 John 4:1; Jude).
The way to evaluate
whether a seemingly new or varied interpretation of Scripture is truly
coming from God is to look at the fruit in the life of the person
teaching it and the effect that it has on the Church body. Wisdom that
comes from God will be delivered in a spirit of humility, gentleness,
and mercy. It will harmonize with other teachings of the Word and
resonate with the inner spirit of other godly individuals who are
well-versed in the Word. In contrast, a spirit of jealousy,
belligerence, self-exaltation, hypocrisy, and strife mark the one whose
wisdom is not from God, but earthly—or even demonic (Mat. 7:15-20; James
3:13-18).
Rationalism,
or allowing human reasoning to supersede the Word of God in establishing
truth, is one type of false teaching that Satan uses to infiltrate and
weaken the “Christian Church.” Scripture clearly states that the depths
of wisdom and knowledge revealed in God’s Word are beyond human
comprehension and that the reasonings of even the wisest men are
“useless” and “foolish” in comparison (Rom. 11:33-36; 1 Cor. 3:19-20).
Yet some individuals, upon encountering parts of the Bible they believe
cannot possibly be taken literally or truly mean what they say, feel
they are doing the Christian community a service by using human wisdom,
or reasoning, to come up with an alternative explanation that “makes
more sense” to them. In reality, this questioning and redefining of
“what God says” exactly replicates the pattern of Satan in the Garden of
Eden (Gen. 3:1), and falling for it can put man into the same Satanic
snare that it did for Adam and Eve (Rom. 6:16). Faith in God’s Word is
the defining characteristic of a true Christian. It is what binds us to
God Himself (Eph. 2:8; Heb. 11:1-6; 1 Peter 1:6-7). Whenever we doubt
what God says or operate outside of faith, we fall into dangerous
territory, and our defense against the evil one is greatly weakened
(Rom. 14:23; Eph. 6:16; 1 John 5:4).
Legalism
is another doctrinal deviation that masquerades as true spirituality
within many churches yet denies a key feature of the Gospel message.
Christ came to set us free from the binding restrictions of the Law,
which were never intended to make man righteous but only to lead him to
the Cross where justification is made possible through faith alone.
Through His sacrificial death Christ has attributed His own
righteousness to every believer, accomplishing what the Law was
incapable of doing (Rom. 4:13-24; 8:2-4; Gal. 3:19-25; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb.
10:1). He also imparted His Holy Spirit to indwell and guide us in holy
living (Rom. 8:9-11; Gal. 5:16, 18, 22-23). To follow the Law or any
man-made, external system of rules as a means to attain godliness not
only denigrates the work of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, but
also places oneself under a curse and in bondage to Satan (Gal. 3:1-5,
10-14).
Many divisions
within the Church also have Satanically-inspired roots, and
participation in them is seen by the spiritual realm of darkness as a
step in their direction, which can open the door to further solicitation
on their part in one’s life. While some divisions are necessary to
maintain doctrinal purity and to make God’s true servants evident (Luke
12:51-53; 1 Cor. 11:19), those based on foolish speculations, petty
differences, or social status are unpleasing to God (2 Tim. 2:23; Titus
3:9-11). God desires His Church to be united in one faith with one mind
and one purpose (1 Cor. 1:10-13; 3:3-11; 12:18-27), not divided over
cultural differences or minor discrepancies of Scriptural
interpretation.
Rebellion
Part 5
As we continue our study
of the avenues that provide open doors for Satan in our lives, I remind
you again of the great competition occurring in the heavenlies between
God and Satan for the devotion of mankind. This is the context within
which we must understand and weigh both our actions and the inner
contemplations of our hearts. No neutral territory exists in the
God/Satan rivalry. A step away from one is always a step towards the
other. God created us to be His perfect counterparts in love. He paid
the supreme “bride price” to redeem us from Satan’s hand after the Fall
and has showered us with innumerable, great, and awesome spiritual
blessings (John 10:10; Eph. 1:3; 2 Peter 1:4). As a jealous lover, He
desires absolute loyalty to Him in every aspect of our lives (Ex.
20:4-5; Jer. 11:3-4; Mat. 28:19-20) and is deeply grieved when we
respond to Satan’s flirtations and take steps in his direction (Isa.
63:10; Ezek. 6:9).
In this issue we will
look at the sin of rebellion, which represents a willful
disobedience or turning away from God (Isa. 59:12-13; Jer. 5:22-24; Neh.
9:26) or a failure to believe Him or His promises or to treat Him with
reverence (Deut. 9:23; 1 Sam. 12:14). It is most overtly evident when
one turns from serving God to another false deity, such as the ancient
Israelites did over and over again both before and after they entered
the Promised Land (e.g., Ex. 32:1-4; Josh. 22:16; Judges 2:11-13).
Perhaps more subtle is the rebellion of the person who places his own
will above God’s will (Isa. 65:2), as Moses did when he struck the rock
in the wilderness (Num 20:9-12), or gives greater homage to a human
role-model than to God, as the Corinthian believers did (1 Cor.
1:12-13). Any of these actions represents a yielding to the flesh (Rom.
8:7), demonically-inspired lies (James 3:15), or other forms of
temptation coming from within Satan’s world system (John 14:30) and puts
out a “welcome mat” to his family of evil beings.
God sees rebellion as
such a serious betrayal of one’s loyalty and commitment to Him that He
equates it with the sins of divination and idolatry (1 Samuel 15:23),
which definitely involve collusion with the evil spiritual realm. Since
rebellion is putting one’s own self, another person, or a spiritual
being in the place that God wants to occupy, the connection to idolatry
is certainly clear.
When God instructs us,
above anything else, to love Him with all our heart and with all our
soul and with all our might (Deut. 6:4-5), He truly means all of
us all of the time. One momentary lapse in Moses’ life caused him
to forfeit being able to enter the Promised Land (Num. 20:12). David
also suffered severe losses in his life because of his brief period of
rebellion and giving in to the lusts of his flesh (2 Sam 12:9-14).
In the case of the nation
of Israel, Scripture clearly speaks of the many curses they brought upon
themselves because of their great and repeated rebellion against God
(Deut. 28:15ff; Jer. 11:3-4; Dan. 9:9-11). These curses were probably
carried out by evil beings assigned by God Himself to afflict both the
nation and the individuals in it (cf., 1 Kings 22:19-23). We have no
reason to believe that God responds to rebellion any differently today
(Heb. 13:8).
As serious an offense as
rebellion is, it does not supersede God’s compassion and willingness to
forgive when repentance is made, however. While some of the judgments,
losses, or consequences incurred may remain, God eagerly welcomes the
repentant rebel back into a place of fellowship with Himself and even to
a place of blessing and prosperity (Deut. 30:1-5; Ps. 107:10-15; Luke
15:11-24). Regardless of how many times the Israelites repeated their
cycles of rebellion, God always extended His compassion to them when
they turned their hearts back to Him (Neh. 9:26-31). David was restored
to a place of great honor, blessing, and service in His kingdom (Ps.
32:5; 2 Sam. 7:8-16) and is remembered as Israel’s greatest king. Truly,
God is our model of perfect love and supreme example of a forgiving
heart.
Deception
Part 6
As we examine the
subject of deception as a potential avenue of Satan’s entrance into our
lives, we come face to face with the very nature of Satan. Just as love
defines the essence of God’s nature (1 John 4:8), so deception defines
Satan’s. When we walk in love, God lives in us (1 John 4:12); when we
walk in deception, we manifest the works of Satan, who is the father of
all lies (John 8:44). Deception marked his work in the Garden of Eden
and has been his defining mantra ever since (Gen. 3:13; 2 Cor. 11:3;
Rev. 12:9). It also marks the spiritual beings in his service (1 Tim.
4:1; 1 John 4:6) and those through whom they work (1 John 2:26; 2 Pet.
2:13; 2 John 7).
Because Satan gained
dominion over man in the Garden of Eden (Rom. 6:16; Col. 1:13), he has
been able to corrupt our inner being with his own nature (Jer. 17:9).
(Usually we consider this to be the “flesh.”) Lies and deception are
therefore a natural outpouring of the unregenerate or unsanctified heart
(Mat. 15:19; Rom. 1:28-29; 3:13; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9). Unfortunately,
when we indulge in this behavior, we are submitting to Satan’s influence
and opening a door through which he can establish a foothold. Should we
become entrenched in such activity, a true stronghold of darkness can
take hold of our lives.
Deception can take many
forms: lying, bearing false witness, perjury, libel, slander; fraud,
double-crossing, cheating, infidelity, false representations, false
measurements, concealing of truth, exaggeration or distortion of truth,
half-truths, duplicity. Matthew 5:37 says, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and
your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one” (NIV;
italics mine). That should leave little doubt that entering the realm of
deception opens the door to Satan.
Believers lie to God
when they don’t acknowledge their sin (1 John 1:8) or when they say they
know God but do not obey Him (1 John 2:4) or claim to have fellowship
with Him and yet do the things that please Satan (1 John 1:6). Ananias
and Sapphira lied to God about the nature of a gift they brought to Him.
In this case Scripture explicitly states that Satan filled their
hearts to lie against the Holy Spirit, again confirming the origin of
such lies. For them, the consequences were very severe—instant death
(Acts 5:1-10).
Any time we sin against
God’s commandments to abstain from falsehood and deception (Ex. 20:16;
Lev. 19:11; Eph. 4:25), we reap consequences (Prov. 19:5; Jer. 9:5-9;
Hos. 10:13; Micah 6:10-15). While this may not be instant death, God has
repeatedly said that He will shorten the lives of those who are
deceitful (Ps. 34:12-13; 52:2-5; 55:23; Prov. 21:28). He abhors all
forms of deceit (Micah 6:10-13ff; Ps. 5:6; Prov. 6:16-19; 12:22), and
His response to it is usually severe. The one who lied to God in the Old
Testament sacrificial system was put under a curse (Mal. 1:14). God also
put Israel under a curse because of the deception that occurred at Ai.
He would not be with them in battle until they made things right in His
sight (Josh. 7:11-12). At the very least, the deceitful person misses
out on God’s blessings (Ps. 32:2; 34:12-17; Matt. 6:33), and cannot come
into His holy presence (Ps. 24:3-4; 101:7).
Pride
Part
7
In this issue we will
look at the subject of pride and the opening it gives to Satan in our
lives. Pride was the original sin of Lucifer (Ezek. 28:2, 6, 17) and is
a prime characteristic he endeavors to establish in the hearts of
mankind to draw them away from God. To set the stage for this he has
designed the world system, over which he rules, to flaunt in
ever-increasing ways that which appeals to the “lust of the flesh and
the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16 NASB;
5:19). Internally, he works through the flesh, the part of the human
soul over which he gained dominion at the Fall (Rom. 6:16), urging man
to give in to the world’s alluring appeal.
Man becomes particularly
vulnerable to pride when he begins to achieve a measure of success in
life, whether that is demonstrated in material possessions,
accomplishments, prestige, beauty, etc. (Deut. 8:11-14; Ezek. 28:4-5,
17). Rather than recognizing God as the Source of everything that he is
and has (Mat. 6:30-33; James 1:17), the prideful person is lured by
Satan to take personal credit for these things. With this major slip of
obedience in not giving thanks to God, Satan wins a victory and is able
to establish a foothold for the further work of darkness in the person’s
life (1 Thes. 5:18; Rom. 1:21). Satan’s cause is advanced as he moves
the person into an increasing sense of self-sufficiency with the need
for God in his life being shut out (Hos. 13:6). Eventually, as the proud
person continues to live in disobedience, ignoring the commandments of
God, he brings himself under a curse (Neh. 9:16, 29; Ps. 119:21). In
this state he may go so far as to mock God or even deny His existence
(Ps. 10:4).
While the value system
of the world may offer momentary gratification, it does not last. Like
all the works of Satan, pride is never an asset in a man’s life. It will
inevitably lead to dishonor, failure, and destruction (Prov. 11:2;
16:18; 29:23; Jer. 50:32; Mat. 23:12). Once pride has gained a foothold,
it begins a process of defilement within the heart that can lead to a
state of total depravity (Mark 7:20-23; Rom. 1:28-32). This is an
obvious manifestation of the internal work of Satan in a person’s life.
In the Bible arrogance
is equated with idolatry (1 Sam. 15:23; NIV), and that is what it is. It
is giving glory to self that rightly belongs to God (Zeph. 2:15). The
clay should never exalt itself above the potter (Isa. 29:16), which is
exactly what Lucifer tried to do (Ezek. 28:2, 6, 9). Even Jesus sought
the glory of the Father rather than His own glory while He was on earth
(John 7:17; 8:50; cf. Heb. 1:3).
In God’s sight pride is
an absolute abomination (Prov. 6:16-17; 16:5; 21:4). Even as a
God-fearing believer, if you have pride in your heart about any aspect
of your life or think of yourself as having “arrived” or in any way
doing better than others, God is displeased. This attitude will keep you
from intimacy with Him. He will not allow a proud person to come into
His presence (Ps. 5:5; 138:6). In fact, he will set Himself against that
person (Jer. 50:31; James 4:6) and may use drastic measures to purge the
pride out of his life (Lev. 26:19; Prov. 15:25; Obad. 3-4). Those who
are unrepentant in their prideful ways will reap grave consequences on
the Day of Judgment (Isa. 2:11-12; 13:11; Mal. 4:1)!
Pride has no place
within a healthy Body of believers and is incongruent with both love and
a walk in the Spirit (Rom. 12:16; 1 Cor. 13:4; Gal. 5:25-26). We are
clearly instructed not to be conceited but to associate with the lowly
and always esteem others as more important than ourselves (Rom. 12:16;
Phil. 2:3). The wise man is not to boast in his wisdom nor the mighty
man in his might nor the rich man in his riches but instead to boast in
his knowledge and understanding of God, giving glory to Him and keeping
His commandments (Jer. 9:23-24; 13:15; Deut. 17:20).
Anger and Hate
Part
8
As we continue to examine ways in which
Satan can gain access to our lives, we will now consider the issue of
anger and the potential sins it can engender. Anger in itself is not a
sin; nor does it automatically open the door to Satan (Eph. 4:26-27).
Anger is the natural emotional reaction when one personally suffers a
wrong or sees or hears of another suffering wrong. God often displays
this kind of anger. When the flesh is in control of one’s life, anger
can also erupt out of jealousy, pride, or selfishness (Gen. 4:3-8; 2
Kings 5:10-12; Gal. 5:19-20). This is not a righteous anger.
Even when the root of one’s anger is
righteous, it still puts one on a slippery slope during which time the
temptation to sin becomes much greater. I believe this is why God tells
us not to let the sun go down on our anger (Eph. 4:26-27). It is not
that being angry for more than one day in itself gives Satan a foothold
but that it prolongs our period of intensified vulnerability to a sinful
reaction that would do this. Anger is not a benign force; it is
the arousal of oftentimes powerful internal energy that yearns for
expression. If we give in to it, it is unfortunately much more likely to
lead us to ungodly responses than to godly ones (Prov. 15:18; 29:22;
30:33; Ps. 37:8; James 1:20). This is why we are instructed to resolve
our anger quickly (Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8).
When its source is fleshly, we must
learn to step back and try to view the situation as God would view it.
When it is righteous anger, God’s intention is for us, through the
strength of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to extend forgiveness and love
to our offenders, treating them with goodness rather than evil (Lev.
19:18; Luke 6:27; 1 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 5:22-23; Col. 3:13; 1 Thes. 5:15;)
while we leave with God the responsibility for taking vengeance (Lev.
19:18; Deut. 32:43; Rom. 12:19). This is true spiritual maturity (2 Tim.
2:24; Titus 1:7-8; 1 Peter 2:1; 2 Peter 1:5-9).
Regardless of how righteous its origin,
anger always becomes spiritually dangerous if we allow the flesh to take
over. Under the direction of the flesh, it can easily fester into
hatred, the mental attitude of wishing ill on the offender or desiring
revenge against him (Gal. 5:19-20). This, in turn, can lead to strife
(Prov. 10:12; 15:18; 29:22), violence, murder, and other cruelties (Gen.
27:41; 49:6-7; Mark 6:19). When anger moves in this direction, the door
to Satan is truly opened. In the Old Testament, God decreed a curse on
those who would strike out against their fellowmen, seek revenge, commit
murder, or in any other way violate His commandments (Deut. 11:26-28;
27:24; Lam. 3:60-66).
While acting to harm another person may
more readily be seen as sin (Ex.21:12; Lev. 19:16), God’s ultimate
concern is actually with the state of one’s heart. What comes out of a
man’s heart is what defiles him (Mark 7:20-23), making the attitude of
hatred as evil as the acts to which it may or may not lead (Lev. 19:17;
1 John 3:15), and God’s curse is upon anyone who crosses this threshold
in his heart (Deut. 7:15; 30:7). In the New Testament, John clearly
states that the one who hates his brother walks in darkness (1 John 2:9,
11).
Although our knowledge of how curses
are carried out is somewhat limited, we do know that at times God
Himself directly sends evil spirits to bring punishment or misfortune
into a person’s life (Judges 9:23; 1 Sam. 16:14-15; 18:10; 1 Kings
22:20-23). Perhaps at other times He merely steps aside or removes His
protection or favor from an individual or allows a sign (Gen. 4:15;
Ezek. 9:4; Rev. 7:4), or a “welcome mat,” to be put on the person’s
spirit to attract evil beings. Often these curses can extend over many
generations (Ex. 20:5; Deut. 28:45-46; Luke 11:49-51).
On the Cross, Jesus took onto Himself
all the curses that had and would come against any person (Gal. 3:13).
This does not mean, however, that curses have no effect on us today (1
Cor. 16:22; Rev. 22:3). It means that we have the opportunity to claim
the power of the shed blood of Jesus to nullify any curse we recognize
as having legitimately come into our lives because of either personal
sin, parental sin, or generational sin in our family line. When we do
this with genuine repentance, they will be removed (Num. 21:6-9), but it
is no more automatic than obtaining salvation is automatic since the
Cross.
Bloodguiltiness
Part 9
In this issue we will examine the
subject of bloodguiltiness and how it can provide an avenue of access
for Satan in a person’s life. In the Old Testament, bloodguiltiness came
upon any person who was in any way responsible for the unnatural death
of another person. The rules regarding bloodguiltiness were quite
extensive, indicating, I believe, that some important principles
underlie this concept. Understanding them will help us examine our own
lives and generational lines for any outstanding “blood balances” that
may perhaps leave us vulnerable to the enemy.
In my initial overview of Scripture on
this subject, two verses grabbed my attention. The first establishes the
seriousness of destroying man’s life and is found in Genesis 9:6, which
says that “whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed,
for in the image of God He made man” (NASB). Man’s creation
transcends everything else that God made. As I pointed out earlier in
this study, I believe that God made man in His very own image so that he
could be His intimate love mate throughout eternity. Think about it:
Man is the only part of His creation that can return love to God.
Anyone who destroys God’s ultimate creation, chosen love mate, and
glorious inheritance (Eph. 1:17) bears significant guilt, whether he
does it intentionally or not.
The second reason that may heighten the
magnitude of guilt incurred by the shedding of blood is found in
Leviticus 17:11, which says, “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and
I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls”
(NASB; cf. Heb. 9:22). Blood is perhaps the most unique substance that
God has created in that it carries life itself. (The Hebrew word for
“life” in this verse is the same word used for “soul.”) For this reason
God has designated it as the agent through which our sins can be atoned.
This means that both human life and the blood that provides that life
carry a special sanctity in God’s sight. Violating that sanctity in any
way is a serious sin.
The concept of atonement in Scripture
reflects an important principle of balance that seems to operate in the
spiritual realm, not only in regard to sin in general but also in regard
to the life force of man. The malicious, careless, or irreverent
expenditure of life somehow disrupts a balance that can only be
rectified by the sacrifice of a second life that is sanctified by God’s
command. When this does not occur, the person, family line, or community
bearing responsibility for the death carries a bloodguiltiness, or
indebtedness, that will lead to ongoing adversity in life (Deut. 20:1-9;
Deut. 19:11-13—see NET Bible note 27; 1 Kings 2:31-33; Prov. 28:17),
seemingly as a result of the spiritual foothold left by this unpaid
blood “debt.”
In the case of murder, God clearly
states that the life of the murderer himself is required to pay for the
bloodguiltiness of his crime (Num 35:16-21). Murder is distinguished
from all other forms of manslaughter by its pre-meditated nature and
underlying hatred (Deut. 19:11-12; Num. 35:16-24). Although God, in
mercy, occasionally allowed a murderer to live in Old Testament times,
that person came under a curse for the rest of his life, as seen in the
lives of Cain and David (Gen. 4:11-12; 2 Sam. 12:9-14). Psalm 55:23
indicates that even the undetected murderer will be tormented in his own
mind and live out only half his days. Again, these curses indicate a
major, ongoing foothold of evil existing in these people’s lives when
bloodguiltiness is not properly requited.
Bloodguiltiness extends far beyond
murderers, however. Anyone who participates in an act that leads to the
death of an innocent man becomes bloodguilty whether he was an
accomplice to murder, served as a false witness or a judge against the
person in a court of law, assisted in a suicide, failed to confine a
dangerous animal, or did not build a railing around a balcony of his
house (Deut. 19:10; 22:8; Judges 9:24; Ex. 21:29; 23:7; 2 Sam. 2:2-16).
The sailors who threw Jonah overboard in order to save their own lives
knew the potential consequences of their actions and quickly offered a
sacrifice and pleaded with God not to hold them guilty for the blood of
an innocent man (Jonah 1:14-16). Those who killed in battle, even
according to the Lord’s command, were declared unclean for seven days
and then had to purify themselves using water containing the ashes of a
sacrificed heifer (Num. 11; 31:19-24).
Their impurity indicates that they, too, were contaminated through their
acts by that which was not holy and which would continue to leave a
foothold of darkness in their lives if not purified.
If no blood sacrifice is made to atone
for bloodguiltiness, the debt can be passed on to future generations
(Ex. 20:5; 1 Kings 2:33). Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:34-35 seem to imply
that our entering into the same sin is what brings generational guilt,
and its accompanying curses (Dan. 9:11), on us. Even when this occurs,
however, man is not without redemption, as Jesus has paid the debt of
all bloodguiltiness upon the Cross. If the guilty person repents and
requests Jesus’ shed blood to be applied to both his own sins and those
of his past generations, his account will be cleared (Gal. 3:13; Col.
2:13-14; 1 John 1:9). If he does not, he may well carry those curses and
a significant foothold of darkness through the remainder of his life.
Even when not acted
upon, a generational inheritance may spiritually “mark” a person for
enticement by evil beings into a particular sin. This, too, may be
eliminated if the person comes before God and, in their place, humbly
acknowledges and confesses the sins committed by his ancestors (Neh.
9:2; Dan. 9:4-19).
Violence
or Mistreatment
Part 10
In this issue we will examine how the
mistreatment of another person whom God has created provides a foothold
for Satan in the offender’s life. Acts falling under this broad umbrella
of abuse include overt physical violence, such as assault, battery,
destruction, captivity, and theft, as well as hostile mental and verbal
acts, such as slander, cursing, strife, conspiracy, and all forms of
deception, oppression, and injustice (e.g., Ps. 10:7-10; 36:3-4; 64:2-6;
Ezek. 22:29; Micah 6:10-12).
Violence has its origin in Satan (Ezek.
28:16). Therefore, anyone who exhibits violence towards another person
gives evidence that Satan has already gained a foothold in his life
(Mat. 8:28 is an extreme case). The manner in which this foothold is
established is not unique but applicable to a broad range of other
spiritual bondages as well.
Generationally, Satan gained the right
to take dominion over mankind (Rom. 6:16; 7:14; Col. 1:13) at the Fall.
As a result of this victory he was able to establish what has come to be
known as the “flesh” in the very heart of man (Jer. 17:9; Mat. 15:19).
This part of our being carries corrupted desires for self-gratification
that lead us away from God and into Satan’s cleverly laid snares (Rom.
7:5, 18; 8:7-8; Eph. 2:3; James 1:14-15; 1 Peter 2:11). Because Satan
could not take away man’s free will, however, we still have the ability
to choose whether or not to follow the ungodly desires of the
Satan-tuned flesh stirring within us (Gal. 5:16). Scripture reflects the
internal struggles between good and evil that mankind has wrestled with
since our earliest ancestors.
Within the context of what is
ultimately a competitive battle between God and Satan for the hearts of
mankind, God made His will known through the Law, which contained a host
of detailed commandments prohibiting the plotting and executing of
violence against the innocent (Ex. 22:21-22; 23:1-2; Lev. 19:11, 13-14,
16, 33, 35; 25.14; Jer. 22:3; Ezek. 45:9-10ff). He also clearly warned
that those who did not obey His commands would be cursed (Deut.
27:17-19, 24-26; Zech. 5:3-4).
In the New Testament Jesus simplified
the Old Testament legal code with the command to love your neighbor as
yourself (Gal. 5:14). Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor and thereby
fulfills all the Old Testament commandments (Rom. 13:10).
Jesus also took all curses upon Himself
at the Cross (Gal. 3:13), providing the means for them to be removed
from everyone who is willing to apply His shed blood to the specific
sins, generational or personal, that have brought curses into their
lives. Those who do not avail themselves of this opportunity, however,
will continue to live under the curses they have reaped through their
mistreatment of others.
After His resurrection Jesus made
another major change in the dynamics of man’s struggle against evil when
He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell every believer (Rom. 8:9; 2 Cor.
1:22; James 4:5). This divine infusion (1 Cor. 6:17) serves as a
powerful counterbalance to the internal drive of the flesh (Rom. 8:13;
Gal. 5:16-17). Even so, man can still choose to become a friend of the
world and a companion of sinners (Gal. 6:8; James 4:4). Anyone who does
so, however, puts himself on a dangerous path to becoming complicit with
their ways (Ps. 1:1). As soon as he crosses the line to personal
participation in plots or acts that disparage or disregard the rights of
another person, that is when, I believe, God’s curse comes against him.
While most of the curses mentioned in
Scripture come from God rather than Satan (Micah 2:1-5; 6:10-16; etc.),
God may use demons or demonized people to carry out those curses (Judges
9:23). Thus, He seemingly not only allows a spiritual door to be opened
in the person’s life that will allow for demonic attachment, but He
actually sends demons on assignment to enter that door and bring about a
specific result in the person’s life.
When repentance does not occur and the
person continues to involve himself with further acts of violence and
injustice, the foothold that has been established can grow, potentially
developing into a stronghold involving multiple demons and higher-level
cosmic beings as well. Such a situation can only be reversed by God in
accordance with the will of the person (Luke 11:21-22).
Sexual Sins
Part
11
In this issue we
will focus on how sexual sins enable Satan to gain access to one’s life.
As I have examined this issue in God’s Word, He has deeply impressed
upon me that the key to understanding His principles regarding sexual
purity lies in fully comprehending the reality of His union with every
believer. All too many Christians seem to view God as a wonderful, but
distant and separate, entity to whom they can connect through prayer and
worship when they choose to do so rather than truly grasping the union
we have with Him on a moment to moment basis. His Spirit actually
becomes one with our spirits, and our bodies become “temples” of the
Holy Spirit as well as integral parts of Christ, who is one with the
Father (John 14:20; 17:20-23; Rom. 8:9; cf. 12:1; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:15-20).
Many also fail to
understand the uniqueness and sanctity of the union that takes place
between two individuals when they engage in sexual intercourse. God
clearly states that through this act a husband and a wife so completely
share themselves with each other that they move from being two distinct
individuals to becoming “one flesh” (Gen. 2:24; Mat. 19:5-6). This
ultimate experience of human unity is designed to mirror the spiritual
unity between Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:28-32). Just as this
spiritual unity is strictly limited to those truly within God’s family,
so also the act that brings sexual unity is sanctioned only between a
husband and a wife within the context of marriage (Heb. 13:4).
When the true
nature of these unions is grasped, the Christian cannot escape the
reality that engaging in illicit sex brings God Himself into the ungodly
sexual union (1 Cor. 6:15). This is what makes the commitment of acts
such as adultery, incest, rape, homosexuality, or bestiality by
Christians so grievous. God does not tolerate such defilement of His
“temple” (Rom. 12:1) or of the marriage covenant (Heb. 13:4) and has
proclaimed curses in the form of severe punishment upon all who do so.
Sometimes this was death under the Old Testament Law although at other
times grace was and is extended (John 8:3-11) and the curse carried out
in the form of separation from the community of faith; barrenness or
other physical ailments; depleted mental, spiritual, and emotional
health; or lack of favor, justice, prosperity, or blessing (Lev.
18:6-29; 20:12-22; Num. 5:20-27; Deut. 27:20-23; 28:15-45; 1 Cor.
3:16-17; 5:1-6; 1 Thes. 4:3-6; Heb. 13:4; Jude 6-7). The role of Satan
in fulfilling these curses is seen most clearly in the New Testament
when Paul deliberately turned an immoral man over to Satan, seemingly
for some form of bodily destruction (1 Cor. 5:1-5).
God’s sacred
intention for sexual intercourse as a bonding of a man and woman into a
lifelong, one-flesh, marital relationship is inescapable in His Word. In
the Old Testament Law, which revealed His standard of righteousness to
mankind (Rom. 7:7, 13), He directed those who engaged in pre-marital sex
to proceed to marriage (Ex. 22:16; Deut. 22:28-29) and strongly opposed
the separation of those so bound (Mal. 2:13-16; Mat. 19:3-8). In the New
Testament He reiterated His disdain for divorce and stated that even
when divorce occurs, the sexual union established within the marriage is
not to be violated through remarriage while the previous spouse is still
alive. To do so would be committing adultery (Mat. 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12;
Rom. 7:1-3).
With the high
standard that God has set regarding sexual relationships, man is caught
in a struggle between obedience to Him and the allurement of Satan, who
works subtly and yet powerfully through the flesh and the world system
to get even Christians to lower their standards in this area (John
14:30; Rom. 7:14-25; Eph. 6:12; 1 Peter 2:11). Unfortunately, just as
Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden, any time we say yes to
Satan and go against God’s commandments, we bring ourselves under the
bondage of Satan and the curse of God, even in the age of grace in which
we live (Gen. 2:15-17; 3:1-19; Rom. 6:15-16).
Through God’s grace
one can certainly achieve forgiveness, deliverance, restored fellowship
with Him, and the removal of curses when confession and repentance of
these sins occurs
(1
John 1:6-9; Gal. 3:13). Anyone who continues in sin,
however, will not only remain in bondage to Satan but will also deeply
grieve the heart of God (Matt. 6:24; John 14:15; Rom. 6:16; 1 Thes.
4:7-8).
An
Unforgiving Heart
Part 12
In this issue we
will examine how the lack of forgiveness provides a foothold for Satan
in one’s life. The grievousness of this sin must not be underestimated
as it is integrally related to our respect for the very blood of Jesus,
which represents His excruciating, but perfect, payment for every man’s
sin. Though all may not avail themselves of it, He offers it to all,
even the vilest of sinners (Rom. 5:8). When we maintain hate and a
desire for revenge in our hearts towards anyone for whom Christ died, we
are not walking in God’s spirit of grace (Heb. 12:15). How can we who
have been forgiven a lifetime of sin through the precious blood of Jesus
deny forgiveness to another whose particular sin just happens to affect
our lives (Matt. 18:21-35)?
When we do this,
not only do we show grave disrespect for Jesus’ shed blood that paid for
our own sins, but Scripture clearly states that we mar our relationship
with God, stepping out of fellowship with Him and into the darkness,
where we lose the guiding light of the Holy Spirit (Ps. 119:105; Prov.
3:5:6; Mat. 6:15; 1 John 2:9, 11). In this darkened state Satan is able
to take advantage of us, activating our flesh and leading us into
self-seeking acts of hostility, strife, and even murder. Within a local
church this foothold gained through a lack of forgiveness can destroy
the unity of the Spirit within the entire body (2 Cor. 2:10-11; Gal.
5:19-20; 1 John 3:15).
A lack of
forgiveness also keeps us emotionally tied to the offender and the wound
of his offense constantly open. The longer we hold hate and bitterness
in our hearts, the more destructive these poisonous attitudes become,
adversely affecting many aspects of our lives, including our health and
relationships (Heb. 12:15).
God never intended
that we serve as judges and avengers of those who wrong us. This is His
role (Rom 12:19). When we step into it, we bring many negative effects
on ourselves. When we relinquish this position to Him, we not only give
our offenders over to a much higher judicial authority (Gen. 18:25; Col.
3:25; Heb. 10:31) but we are also released from the many ill effects of
an unforgiving heart. This is God’s way for us to experience emotional
health in spite of being grievously wronged. What a gift! This is His
loving intent behind all of His instructions to us to forgive (Mark
11:25; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13). Forgiveness is always intended to work for
our benefit!
While forgiveness
relinquishes all projections of ill will towards our offenders, it does
not necessarily mean reconciling or resuming the relationship as if the
offense never occurred. God extends His forgiveness to the whole world
(John 3:16), but only when man does his part in repenting from his sin
and accepting God’s forgiveness can he be reconciled with God (2 Cor.
5:18-20). Reconciliation requires the proper attitudes and actions of
both parties. Forgiveness, on the other hand, can be granted and its
benefits achieved regardless of the attitude of the offender.
Forgiveness also
does not necessarily preclude confronting the person concerning his
wrong, but this must always be done with care and be free from any
spirit of hate or revenge (Lev. 19:17-18: Gal. 6:1). Taking an
individual before an ungodly court for our benefit alone is not in line
with forgiveness. God would rather that we bear the wrong than do this
(1 Cor. 6:1-8). When our offender is a fellow believer, God lays out a
procedure through which we may progressively confront him: first
privately, then before two or three witnesses, and then before the
church if necessary. If he still does not repent, we are instructed to
treat him as an outsider, unable to partake of the fellowship and
ordinances of the Church (Matt. 18:15-17). If and when genuine grief and
repentance occurs, however, this discipline should be lifted and
replaced with loving comfort (2 Cor. 2:6-8).
Walking in God’s
spirit of grace always requires us to be guided by love, even toward
those who have wronged us. We are to do good to them and respond to
their genuine needs, endeavoring to overcome their evil acts with our
good deeds (Ex. 23:4; Luke 6:27, 35; Rom. 12:20-21). This brings favor
from God (1 Peter 2:20).
Implanted
Thoughts
Part 13
In this issue we
will explore the way that Satan is able to gain access to our lives
through implanted thoughts. While modern man generally thinks of his
mind as being the origin of his thoughts, Scripture puts a much stronger
emphasis on the heart, describing the heart as the seat of motives,
integrity, and conscience (1 Chron. 28:9; 29:17; Heb. 10:22) and the
origin of thoughts and actions (Mat. 15:18-20; Luke 2:35; Acts 5:4),
reflecting our true inner person (Prov. 23:7; 1 Peter 3:4), character,
and commitments.
Satan gained access
to man’s heart at the Fall when he took dominion over God’s highest
creation (Col. 1:13). While God had created man perfectly good (Gen.
1:31), Satan so corrupted man’s heart (Jer. 17:9) that God regretted
having made man, leading to His decision to destroy all but a chosen few
in a worldwide Flood (Gen. 6:5-7). Even after this, God acknowledged
that the inclination of man’s heart is continuously evil (Gen. 8:21).
This is the ongoing state of the unregenerate heart (Eph. 2:3; 4:17-18).
Jesus described it as the source of all that defiles a man (Matt.
15:18-20).
Satan’s access to
this point of origin for man’s thoughts and actions applies to both
believers and non-believers, as is clearly evidenced by the impact he
had on the thoughts, ideas, schemes, and actions of Judas, Peter, and
Ananias (Matt 16:21-23; Luke 22:31-32; Mark 14:66-72; John 13:2; Acts
5:3). Some of his influence may be exerted through evil spirits, which
can also be used for purveying false rumors (2 Kings 19:7; 2 Thes. 2:2)
and instilling their own breed of wisdom that leads to further
self-centered corruption (James 3:14-15).
Satan is also able
to affect mental comprehension, which is seen most drastically when
people have become completely taken over by demons, like the man of the
Gadarenes (Mark 5:1-16). More subtly, Satan can also blind the minds of
unbelievers and influence what they retain in their hearts when they
hear the Gospel (2 Cor. 4:4; Mark 4:15). Doing effective evangelism thus
often involves a spiritual battle to release Satan’s hold on a person’s
mind and to dislodge the lies he has planted in it. Paul describes this
battle in 2 Cor. 10:4-5, stating that it requires the use of powerful
spiritual weapons provided by God, such as the sword of the Spirit (Eph.
6:17). The truth of God’s Word delivered in the power of His Holy Spirit
is the mighty agent that is able to bring every false conception
concerning the Gospel into alignment with the truth of Christ.
The battle for the
sanctity of one’s heart and mind does not end with salvation, however.
Because of Satan’s often unchallenged influence on the mind before this
point, every new believer must make a conscious effort to renew and
sanctify his mind through the washing of the Word, allowing it to
establish truth in his innermost being (Ps. 51:5-7; Rom. 12:2; Eph.
4:22-24; 5:26). Learning to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to walk
consistently in tune with Him is also vitally important. As His fruit is
able to take root and grow in our hearts, it will crowd out the desires
of the flesh (Gal. 5:16-17, 22-23; Eph. 5:18-20). This will be a daily
battle, however. The powerful influence of the flesh will be with us
until we cross over into eternity (Rom. 7:14-25). We will always be
vulnerable to Satan’s clever attempts to draw our minds away from a true
devotion to Christ, as he did in the Garden of Eden with Eve (Gen.
3:1-6; 2 Cor. 11:3).
In order to protect
our hearts and minds from Satan’s efforts to pollute them, we must make
a conscious effort to keep our minds filled with that which we know is
from God. Leaving our minds in an idle, or passive, state would seem to
give Satan a ready opportunity to fill them with his thoughts. This is
why, I believe, God gives us specific directives to focus our minds on
what is honorable, pure, and right and on the things that pertain to the
kingdom of heaven rather than on earthly things (Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:2; 1
Peter 1:13). We should also be thinking about what will stimulate others
to love and good works and the advancement of God’s Kingdom (Heb.
10:24). As we learn to fill our empty moments with worship and prayer,
the peace of God will fill and guard our hearts and minds from the
enemy’s intrusion (Rom. 8:6; Col. 3:15-16; Phil. 4:6-7; 1 Thes. 5:16-18;
Jude 20-21).
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