How Satan gains access

to work in our lives

by Diane Hawkins


Introduction

Part 1

Having completed our study of what the devil can and cannot do in our lives at various levels of bondage, I would like to look at some of the avenues through which Satan’s forces are given legal ground to affect our lives. Many Christians erroneously believe that because a believer cannot be “demon-possessed,” they don’t have to worry about any kind of satanic involvement in their lives. If this were so, we would not be given so many admonitions in Scripture to resist the devil and not give him a foothold (Eph. 4:26-27; 1 Peter 5:8-9); nor would we have been given instructions to put on the spiritual armor in order to stand successfully against our adversary (Eph. 6:11-17). The truth is that while the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, we are responsible to rid ourselves of those behaviors and thought patterns that make us vulnerable to attack and influence by evil spiritual beings (2 Cor. 10:5). This is part of the sanctification process for which God thoroughly equips us (2 Peter 1:3).   

Instead of asking “Can a believer be 'demon-possessed'?” Chris Hayward, President of Cleansing Streams Ministries, believes the question should more appropriately be asked: “Is it possible for a Christian to be tempted, to be tormented and harassed by the enemy, to open themselves up to addictions and uncontrollable habits, to have a worldly mind-set and to be taken advantage of by the enemy, to be subject to divisions and strife within the church, to give way to pride, to suffer with fear, rejection, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, shame, guilt and condemnation?” [1] All of these

symptoms, which are clearly possible in the believer’s life, indicate that the enemy has gotten his foot in the door and is hindering the work that God wants to do within that person to give him a fruitful and abundant life and bring glory to Himself (John 10:10; Rom. 3:23).         

Adam and Eve were the only people (apart from Jesus) who ever came into life with a clean spiritual slate. Along with all that God created, they were pronounced “good” in every sense of the word (Gen. 1:31). Because God wanted them to have a choice in regard to the supernatural being they would love, honor, and depend upon to meet their needs, however, He created Lucifer as an alternative object of devotion for them and allowed him to have access to them in the Garden of Eden.  

When they chose to believe and act on his words instead of those of God, man’s life and relationship to the spiritual realm changed drastically. Satan (as he was then called) gained dominion over them (Rom. 6:16). This not only affected their eternal destiny but also allowed Satan to establish an internal “rule” over the part of man’s soul that became known as the “flesh,” thus gaining access to man’s innermost drives. The flesh is so devoted to evil and self-seeking pleasures that Scripture says it absolutely cannot please God (Rom. 8:5-8). Even when a person is born again and transferred from the dominion of Satan into the Kingdom of God, the flesh remains as an internal dynamo thirsting for evil. While the flesh no longer has absolute authority over man’s soul and must fight against the Holy Spirit’s presence to get its way, it is generally the source of the evil connections established in a believer’s life (Rom. 7:21-25; Gal. 5:16-17; Col. 1:13). 

In recent years we have come to differentiate more clearly three distinct types of such connections. “Demonic footholds” are established through ungodly character traits and ongoing patterns of sinful indulgence. They allow lower-level evil spirits, or demons, to work in and through a person’s life on a consistent basis. What we are now calling “cosmic strongholds” involve connections to higher-level, evil beings that are established when a person’s ungodly behavior patterns become more deeply embedded or when deliberate dedications to these entities have been made. The effect on the person in these cases is much more powerful and enduring. “Generational inheritances” are cosmic connections that are established through specific curses uttered against an individual and his family line or when deep patterns of unrepentant sin continue through successive generations. We will look at each of these types of bondage in this extended study.  

_______________________

[1]  Chris Hayward, “Deliver Us from Deliverance Ministry,” Cleansing Streams Ministries Newsletter (Feb. 2007), p.1.


 

 

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:

  • Astral projection

  • Astrology

  • Black/White magic

  • Casting hexes or spells

  • Clairvoyance

  • Conjuration

  • Crystal ball

  • Divination

  • ESP

  • Use of evil eye or third eye

  • Fortune telling

  • Horoscopes

  • Levitation

  • Mediumship

  • Mental telepathy

  • Necromancy

  • Ouija board

  • Palm reading

  • Pendulum reading

  • Psychic reading

  • Reading tea leaves

  • Seances

  • Spirit guides

  • Table tipping

  • Tarot cards

  • Voodoo

  • Werewolves & vampires

  • Water witching

  • Wicca

  • Witchcraft


 

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). 

Print Friendly download in pdf format of

"How Satan Gains Access to Work in Our Lives"

Return to Top