| It's Good to Know A Christian perspective on current issues. By Bob Smith |
| When you think of the devil and demons what comes to mind? Might it be fair to say that most people's perception of the forces of darkness comes from movies like The Exorcist or books like This Present Darkness? But what does the Bible say about Satan and his denizens? Scripture tells us he purposes that mankind would not see the light of the Gospel. He uses, among other things, lies (Jn 8:44), murder (Ps 106:37), and deception (Rev, 12:9), to accomplish his goal. That certainly comes as no surprise to a majority, if not all of us. But we may be surprised at Satan's abilities or lack thereof. In Isaiah 46:9-10 God asserts that no one else is like Him in His ability to predict the future. That includes Satan. In Daniel chapter two, the conjurers, magicians and diviners were unable to declare the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. Their power, derived from evil, was unable to know the thoughts of the king. Only God, not Satan, knows the thoughts of men. The point is, Satan is not a freewheeling bandito operating outside the reach of God. In Job 1:6 Satan is among those who present themselves before God. Then in verses 11 and 12 Satan must have God's permission before he can carry out anything against Job. Satan also cannot make us do anything we would choose not to do. In other words, the devil didn't make me do it. In 1 Cor. 10:13 God promises that we will not be tempted beyond that which we are able to stand. But what about demon possession? For the Christian that is not a possibility. 1 Jn 4:4 testifies, “He that is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” When it comes to playing “King of the Mountain” in a believer's heart, the devil always loses. While the devil cannot possess believers, he can certainly influence us. We all can testify to his skill in that area; but the choice still rests with us. | What about spiritual warfare? Certainly the Bible attests to our struggle against the “powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). Following this is Paul's remedy to this situation: put on the full armor of God. But Paul doesn't speak about rebuking or exorcizing demons. The emphasis is on God's word and our obedience to it. Could it be scriptural ignorance instead of demonic harassment which is at the heart of the trouble a person currently faces? Certainly we are called to resist the devil as in James 4:7, but what does that mean? No mention is made of demonic strongholds or casting out of the spirits of lust, greed, rebellion, etc. All that is mentioned is submitting to God and drawing near to Him. Is it possible that it's God's job to take care of the powers and principalities of this world? Throughout the Bible we see again and again an emphasis on faith evidenced by obedience much more than “spiritual warfare.” To be certain, the Bible does record the rebuking of demons by Christ and Christians. But again when this is weighed with the whole of Scripture, the greater emphasis for the spiritual well-being of the Christian rests mainly on obedience rather than confronting the demonic. As Paul commanded in Galatians 5:16, we are to walk by the Spirit and we will not carry out the desire for the flesh. In conclusion, much is made by some in our society of the demonic influences at work, unseen in our world, and Peter tells us Satan roams around like a hungry lion looking for those he can devour; but the obedient Christian has little to fear. James 4:7 says, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” |
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