NEW AGE PREMISE

"The New Age premise that humanity is deity, and its program to encourage such a consciousness, is a window into the soul of modern narcissism and an expression of the root sin of idolatry."
Gabriel Fackre

IDLE MIND

"An idle mind is the devil's workshop."
W. V. Grant

POWER

"Power is the ability to walk away from something you desire . . . . . .
to protect something you love."
Mike Murdock

REAL SPIRITUAL WARFARE

"Real spiritual warfare requires a life of commitment, purity, and consecration."
Rick Renner

THE GROUND OF SATAN'S POWER

     ". . . . . .There was Peter's own self-strength, self-confidence.  'Lord, with you I am ready to go both to prison and to death.'  He later found out how unready, how unprepared, he was for that, but at the time it was a case of self-confidence, and that ground brought his undoing and Satan's power.  The self still alive and dominant instead of dead, put to the Cross, is the ground of Satan's power.  Not until the soul has been denied and laid down is the power of Satan destroyed and spiritual power established in the life of the child and the servant of God.  It is a question of the ground -- whether it is the world or whether it is the self (another word for the flesh) -- that determines how far Satan has power and how far we have spiritual power."

Anonymous
 

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

     "Behind the facade of spiritual life there is a spiritual battle raging.  There seems to be many who are not fully aware of the warfare.  I would add to this that there are many, especially in the Western world, who are not aware that this battle is so personal and immediate.  It is personal in the sense that these spirits are real and actual personal beings, and immediate in the sense that they are imminent and involved in everyday affairs."       

 Michael Harper



GUARDING OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

     Working in a large Evangelical seminary, I'm surrounded by theological and cultural sophistication, a campus culture of "cool."  There is little discussion of Satan or the demonic, because while most professors and students will acknowledge their existence, not many seem to live or at least pray as though they are real.

     The old gospel song below is an unsophisticated expression of an ancient and simple truth, and how by faith in Christ we may live each day in victory over the enemy; but it's a victory that requires alertness, effort, and committment.  We aren't spared the devil just because we believe in Christ.

Adapted from the original text by Charlotte Elliott, 1836.

Christian, do not seek repose,

Cast your dreams of ease away,

You are in the midst of foes:

Watch and pray.

Wicked forces, evil powers,

Gather in unseen array,

They wait for your unguarded hours:

Watch and pray.

Put your heavenly armor on,

Wear it always night and day;

To defeat the evil one:

Watch and pray.

Hear, above all, hear your Lord,

Love him, serve him, and obey,

Treasure in your heart his word:

Watch and pray.

Watch, as if on that alone

Hung the issue of the day;

Pray, that victory shall be won:

Watch and pray.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/765#ixzz25jXF61q2

GOD IS THE WARRIOR, THE ONLY ONE EQUIPPED TO HANDLE SATAN AND THE DEMONIC

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

By Martin Luther

 

 A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevaling. 
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? 
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us. 
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru him who with us sideth. 
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.

SOURCES OF DEMONIC INTRUSION

     There are three sources of demonic intrusion into our lives.  They are 1) our own sinful nature which conforms to the ways of Satan and the demonic; 2) the world, or the cultures in which we live, which are set up, controlled, and inspired by Satan and the demonic; 3) direct transferrence of thoughts into our minds by demonic spirits.

     Demonic spirits know our individual moral weaknesses, and also where our faith is weak.  By simply "dropping" thoughts or suggestions into our minds that are consistant with the personal weaknesses of our sinful nature and desires, they can lead or inspire us to sin or to keep returning to sinful habits and addictive behavior.

     In short, demonic spirits work by bringing up the nasty stuff that's still deep down within us until our death and resurrection.

     Whatever the source of inspiration to sin, it is essential to resist every temptation.  In doing so the "devil," if present, will flee.   By resisting temptations, one by one, we act out our love and devotion to Christ, proving that our desire for him is greater than our desire for the empty pleasures of sin. 

     Resisting temptation is part of what it means to deny ourselves for the sake of following Jesus.

The Irony of the Demonic

    
     Many people believe that demons are real; many believe they are not and that those who do believe in their reality are simple-minded and superstitious.

      The irony of the demonic (a term I use for evil spirits and their activity in the spirit realm and the physical world) is that those who are most influenced by them are the least aware of them, because they don't believe they exist.  Even mediums who knowingly interact with spirits are unaware that they are dealing with demons, although they do aknowledge that evil spirits exist.

     Also, religious people who believe in the reality of the demonic and talk openly about them can be completely unware of their presence, influence, and intrusion into their minds, relationships, health, and lives in general. 

That, of course, is the way demonic spirits want it. 

Ignorance of their presence is their sadistic bliss.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE -- PART 3

CALLED TO A DAILY STRUGGLE

     By the example of Jesus, Paul and the other apostles, the Christian life is not meant to be one of ease.  It requires that we "stay alert and be persistant in our prayers for all believers everywhere," for they are experiencing the same battles we are. 

     There is a reason that the kingdom of heaven has been described as a place of rest.  It is because the life of a follower of Jesus in this world is filled with spiritual struggle, in fact, warfare.  It is a warfare that is fought by being clothed with Christ and the armor of God.  It is fought by being focused daily on remaining faithful to God's way of love, obedience, self-sacrifice, and righteous living. It is a relentless desire for holiness, not just in moral thought and behavior, but in being seperated from the world in order to live and work fully for God and his kingdom; in order to be fully empowered and used by him for whatever his purpose for us is.

     This is spiritual warfare.  It is a daily part of every believer's life.  It is real, and is one reason Paul called us to live soberly.  As long as Christ Jesus is our focus, the one we actively desire above all others and all things, we will win our daily struggle against the principalities and powers that are working in the spirit realms and physical world against us.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE -- PART 2

THE ARMOR OF GOD

     The armor of God is the armor of God, it's of him.  You could say that the armor we put on each day is God himself.   As Paul said, we are to put off the old nature and put on the new -- to clothe ourselves with Christ.  We clothe ourselves in the armor of God himself: his truth, his righteousness, his peace, his faith he gives to us, his salvation, his Word -- our sword of the Holy Spirit.

     With this armor of God we are able to resist the enemy's attacks,  if we are aware of the enemy's presence and what he is trying to do in us and around us.  If we are oblivious to the activity of the enemy, regardless of what we say to others about his reality, we may be taken for a long, serious, and sometimes deadly ride -- deadly in the sense of losing our faith.  On the way to destroying our faith, demonic spirits want to destroy our inner well being, our relationships, our physical health, and our calling and function within the body of Christ and in society.

     We will be able to resist the enemy if we love Christ more than anyone or anything, and put him before ourselves; if we desire holiness and righteousness more than the pleasures of sin; if we will deny ourselves and carry the cross that Jesus gives us; if we will give up our lives so as to gain our lives.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE -- PART 1

WHAT IT INVOLVES

     Successful spiritual warfare begins with the acknowledgment of the reality of Satan and demons, or demonic spirits as I prefer to say.  From there it involves living one's life according to that reality; seeing the world as Jesus saw it, the spiritual and the physical, the invisible and the visible. Most importantly, it involves living a life of faith in Christ committed to love, holiness, and obedience to God -- living rightly in our minds and bodies through what we think and what we do.  God empowers us all the more through holy and righteous living, and our prayers for others and against the enemy will be more effectual.