Satan fleeing

No.

How can you say no to me?

I can. I am.  No.

We'll see.  Time will tell.

Not now.  Not ever.  No.

It's easy to say, but impossible to enforce.

No it's not.  I can choose or refuse you.  Accept or reject you.  I reject you.  Unconditionally.

Whatever.  I'm still here.

It doesn't matter. 

So I don't matter?

My choice matters.

Ok.  Let's look at this another way.

No.

You haven't even heard what I have to say!

I won't. 

Closed minded are we?

I reject you once and for all and forever.  I won't say anything else.

Well then I'll do the talking, how about that?

...

I can talk all night.  All day.  Everyday.

...

You can't go on like this.  Minds snap. Yours will.  All do.  Eventually.

...

I won't be ignored!!

...

Say something!!!

...

How dare you treat me like this!  Like I don't exist!!

...

I won't be disrespected!   I don't deserve it.  I won't take it.  I'm leaving.

...

You'll regret this.  It's your loss.

...

Goodbye...for now.

...

How the devil gets you (and how to stop him)

Be self-controlled, be watchful.  Your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  The Apostle Peter

 

The devil wants to possess you.  He wants to devour you.  He wants to swallow you whole.  The way he does this is by thinking for you, feeling for you, or choosing for you.  In a word:  control.  This is why Peter says be self-controlled.  The devil wants to completely control you.  This is how he gains control over you.

 

This "thought" flashes into your mind: "I hate him!"  You feel intense hatred for your boss.  This is what you think and feel, but you can't trace origin the thought or emotion.  Though your boss sometimes annoys you, the feeling of hatred came on so suddenly and intensely that you can't recall how you came to feel it.  At this moment you have a choice:

 

Accept the thought as your own.
Reject the thought and think for yourself.

 

This is how Satan gets you: 

• He thinks in the first person, as if you are the one actually you thinking his thoughts.
• He imposes his emotion on you, as if it's actually you feeling the emotions of Satan.

The solution is self-controlled awareness, as Peter says.  Determine your own thoughts and focus and be aware of what you are actually thinking and feeling. 


Any thought that you didn't deliberately choose to think about is...not ...yours. 


I'll say it again:


If you didn't actively choose the thought in your mind, and the thought is imposing itself on your mind to the extent that you can't seem to get it out of your mind, that unchosen uncontrolled thought is from the devil or a demon. 


God never imposes His thoughts or feelings on you.  Ever.  If you have a thought in your mind that you blatantly don't want, but can't seem to stop thinking about it, that thought...is from...a demon.


As it is written,
"Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you."

 

 

The Key to Satan's Power in Your Life (Part 1)

The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebub,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”  And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?  “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. “If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! 
Mark 3:22-26 NASB

Satan and the demons all act and agree upon one purpose: 

To destroy your life.  You.  The one reading these words right now. 

This is why they succeed in confusing you, tempting you, and deceiving you:  The demons assigned to you allow nothing and no one to distract, diminish, or destroy their goal to harm you.  Jesus illustrated the unified focus of Satan and demons when he dealt with religious teachers who accused Him of Satanic influence.  With four statements of truth, Jesus gave illustrations of Satan and demon unification against humans.

HOW CAN SATAN CAST OUT SATAN?

Think about Jesus’ question. In His question, we see Satan wants demon possession to happen.  He wants to capture and take captive human minds, emotions, and wills.  When he succeeds in their capture, he dare not negate his own conquest.  When he conquers a human soul, he wants that soul to remain conquered.  So how can Satan defeat Satan?  Why would Satan defeat Himself?  The answer should warn you:  Satan never acts against his own goals, nor does he allow division between his demons.  He knows that division will destroy his kingdom.  Satan knows the truth of Jesus’ next statement.

IF A KINGDOM IS DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF, IT CANNOT STAND.


We, as Americans, are “one nation, under God, indivisible.”  We strive for unity, successfully or unsuccessfully.  But the church of God should never fail in unity. The kingdom of God cannot stand if we are divided.  The family of God cannot enjoy the same household if there's fighting between brothers and sisters.

IF A HOUSE IS DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF, THAT HOUSE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STAND.

Your father and mother created a stable or unstable house based on their connection or disconnection.  You remember this.  The house felt tranquil if dad and mom were in agreement.  The home felt unstable if they fought like bitter enemies.  If they agreed, nothing could stop them.  If dad and mom disagreed, any obstacle defeated them and your family.  If you had only dad, or only mom, the same applies, because the absence of one parent is the expression of the ultimate division.  But even Satan does not and will not allow such a division in his family.

IF SATAN HAS RISEN UP AGAINST HIMSELF AND IS DIVIDED, HE CANNOT STAND BUT HE IS FINISHED.

Does it seem like Satan is finished in this world to you?  Does all the evil in this world seem weak and defeated?  It doesn’t to me.  Evil not only seems rampant, but flourishing.  This means the evil one is in perfect union with his demons.  When evil triumphs in your life or mine, keep these things  in mind:

Satan and his demons are in perfect union.

Satan and his demons all agree that you should fail in accomplishing God’s will in your life. 

(Click HERE for part 2)

Satan: The Christian's First Mission (Part 2)

The Spirit filled Jesus.
He then led Jesus into the wilderness.
The Spirit led Jesus to encounter, resist, and defeat Satan.
As Christians, we must imitate Christ.

BE SPIRIT LED
When the Spirit permeated Jesus' life, the very first thing He led Jesus to do was to encounter Satan.  How did Jesus know the Spirit was leading Him to the enemy, and how can we?  Look at what happened with Jesus at His baptism:

1.  The Father Himself affirmed Jesus as His beloved Son.
2.  The Spirit descended upon Jesus in a tangible way.
3.  John the Baptist not only saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus, but identified Jesus by the Spirit.

The same must be true of me and you. 



 



When God affirms you as His child, and when the Spirit is filling you in a way that is tangible, undeniable, irresistible, and irrefutable, the next person, key word person, you will encounter is Satan.  He is always in opposition to God and His children.  From the garden of Eden until now, you can know that where God speaks, so will Satan in contradiction:

• God said to Adam (and Eve), "From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.  The day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will surely die."
• Satan said to Eve (and Adam who was with her), "You will not surely die, for God knows the day you eat of the tree of knowledge you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

• God said to Jesus, "This is my beloved Son, with Him I am well pleased."
• Satan said to Jesus, "IF you are the Son of God, turn these stones to bread.   IF you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from the temple."

What is God saying to you right now?  Whatever it is, expect Satan to respond in contradiction.  More than this, expect the Spirit TO LEAD YOU TO SATAN to resist and defeat him.  Having resisted and defeated the devil, you can begin your mission, just as Christ began His mission.

You will be as sure of the Spirit driving you as Jesus was sure of the Spirit driving Him.  And how will you know the difference between the Spirit influencing you and the devil influencing you?  Easy.  The Spirit will lead you TO RESIST THE DEVIL.  In other words, the very distinction you fear is the very way you will know the distinction between God and Satan.  God always leads you to resist Satan, and Satan always leads you to resist God.  Again, easy!  As it is written,

"Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you."

If you agree, please pray with me:

"God I submit to Your Spirit and resist the devil and every demonic spirit.  Please fill me and lead by your Spirit to resist the devil.  In Jesus' name, amen."

May God bless you always by the Spirit filling you and leading you as the Spirit led Jesus Christ.

Satan: The Christian's First Mission

"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil."  Luke, a companion of the Apostle Paul.

According to the Apostle John, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.  His people were under Satan's oppression, not the oppression of the Romans.  In the same way, our war isn't against democrats, republicans, men, or women.  We resist Satan.  It is the Christian's first mission because it was Christ's first mission.  Before he preached the kingdom of God, taught kingdom principles, healed those who were sick, or cast out any demons, He resisted and defeated Satan.  This was the first thing the Spirit filled Him, led Him, and empowered Him to do. 

For about 30 years, Jesus lived as the son of a carpenter, with Mary His mother, and his sisters and brothers.  When the time came, He, along with others in Israel who believed the time had come, was  baptized by John the baptizer.  God the Father spoke to Jesus from heaven, and the Spirit of God descended from heaven in the likeness of a dove.  The Spirit came upon Jesus, preparing Him for Satan in two ways, the same two ways He prepares us for Satan.

 



BE SPIRIT FILLED

The Spirit permeated Jesus' life from that moment on, permeating Jesus' life with Spirit presence and power.  Jesus was born of the Spirit like we are born of the Spirit.  He was born of the Spirit by His mother Mary's faith, and we are born of the Spirit by our faith.  But being Spirit born and Spirit filled are not the same.  The Spirit indwells all who believe in Christ, but only permeates the lives of those who want Him to.  This comes from simply asking and yielding, as Jesus said:

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

If you believe in Jesus, you are a child of God.  Therefore, ask God to fill you with His Spirit, and He will, right now, as you read.  You can do it now.  Pray these words out loud:

"My father in heaven, as one of your children through faith in Jesus Christ, I ask that you fill me with the Holy Spirit.  Thank you for filling me with your Spirit.  Amen."

That's it!  You are now filled with the Spirit.  How do you know?  Well, how do you know that you are a child of God?  By faith in Jesus, by believing what the scriptures say through Paul the apostle,

"You are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus."  Galatians 3:26, NLT.

If you have faith in Christ Jesus, you are a child of God. 

You know you are filled with the Spirit in the same way:  by believing what Jesus said.  Do you believe Jesus ever lied?  Of course not. Jesus said that our Heavenly Father gives the Spirit to His children who ask Him.  If you are His child, which you are if you have faith in Jesus, and you have asked Him to fill you with the Spirit, which you just did by praying with me, then you are right now, at this moment, filled with the Spirit, permeated by His presence and power.  But some of you still may want more proof, something tangible or experiential.  Here it is:

Use your spiritual power for the purpose for which God gave it, to do what God has given you to do today.

Power is for a purpose, it is the energy and ability to act.  So whatever your job or duty is today, you now have new spiritual power to do your job or duty for God's glory.  That is how you will know and experience being filled with the Spirit. 

Yet I dare say, the first thing you very may well have to do is defeat Satan....(to be continued in part 2)

(Image from bryandavenport.me)

The Evil One in Your Life

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  First Peter 5:8


If you believe in Jesus, you have a very real and personal enemy, one who opposes your faith in Christ and does everything in his power to destroy it.  You need not fear him, but you must be aware of him to effectively resist him.  You can't resist an enemy you give no thought to. 


Some say foolish things like, "Don't look for a demon behind every rock."  They assume a passive role in our warfare, as if we can act without knowledge of the invisible forces against us.  But we don't do this in the natural realms of our lives.  We don't do this when we go to the airport security lines.  The reason we don't is because of what we learned on September 11, 2001.


Our country was on high alert on that day, and the days after.  We realized we had invisible enemies.  We didn't know where they were or where they would strike.  So we were on high alert.  No one said, "Don't look for a terrorist behind every wall."  We did look, because we were at war.


In the same way, believer, you are at war. A war that has been won, but a war that still exists.  Jesus, our Lord and Savior, conquered Satan and sin and death once and for all and forever.  But Peter still warned Christians to be self controlled and watchful because of our adversary.  Peter saw Jesus risen and ascended, and yet he still knew that we must resist our enemy, being aware of our enemy's intent to devour us.  Our enemy prowls like a lion looking for us as his prey.


How do we remain aware of him?
How do we resist him?
(click HERE for to find out.)

The Essence and Power of Sin (Part 5)

Do you realize that if Adam and Eve had resisted the devil, not eaten the forbidden fruit, and eaten from the tree of life, they would be confirmed in eternal sinless perfection, and so would their children, because of their final decision against sin?  Imagine it.  If they said no to the serpent, they would only need to say it once.  Having said and meant no, what else can the serpent say?  What words would convince Adam and Eve to sin?  The serpent is only a serpent, a creature, with no evidence that God is a liar and he a truth teller.  Will God become a liar?  Saying and meaning no one time to the devil is all it would have took for victory. The same is true for you.

 

• You are no different from the angels who chose God and refused Lucifer.
• You are no different Adam and Eve.  You know God.  You know the devil.
• You are no different from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  You know Jesus is the only King of Kings, and no human king should be bowed to or worshiped.
• You are no different from Christ Himself.  You know when someone like Peter is in your life acting like Satan, focused only on human concerns.

 

Say and mean no, once and for all, to the devil, knowing that the devil is any adversary to God's will in your life. Simply knowing that satan is satan is enough.  To know your enemy is to resist him eternally.  Your enemy is any creature usurping the Creator.  This is spiritual, for as the scriptures say, we "wrestle not against flesh and blood."  Jesus knew Satan, and he knew the difference between Peter and Satan.  But Jesus called Peter Satan because He knew that anyone who acts as an adversary of God's will is indeed acting on Satan's behalf.  If you see things as clearly as Jesus did, you will resist Satan in every situation as easily as Jesus Himself.  (click here for part 6)

 

The Essence and Power of Sin (Part 4)

(Click HERE to read Parts 1-3)

You have the same choice before you that the angels had in Lucifer's rebellion:

Worship the Creator,

or

Worship a creature.

 

This decision was and is a final decision.  Eternal.  How can it not be?  The Creator is eternally the Creator, and the creature will eternally be a creature.  The angels knew God and that Lucifer was not, is not, and never will be God. There nothing more to know for them. Their choice is very informed, and it is a once and for all choice.  The faithful angels are eternally faithful to God.  The demons are eternally loyal to Satan, and Satan eternally loyal to himself.  After 1000 years of imprisonment in the book of Revelation, Satan comes out to lead another human rebellion.  Humans face the same decision as the angels and demons.  It was the same with the first man and woman. 

 

Adam and Eve knew God their Creator.  They knew the serpent as a fellow creature.  The serpent was not, is not, and never will be God.  He didn't make them or the fruit they were to eat or not eat.  Why should Eve believe the serpent and not God?  What "evidence" could the serpent give that caused Eve to believe?  Had the serpent seen a creature make God a liar, a creature who ate from the tree of knowledge and didn't surely die?  The choice was a simple and eternal one for the first man and woman: Creator or Creation?  Whom will we worship?  God or Satan?

 

This is always the decision.  Always.  The word "satan" means adversary.  Opponent.  The opponent of God.  Whenever a creature seeks to usurp the Creator in your life, he is acting like satan, an agent of satan.  An adversary of God's will in your life.  Whether a man or woman or an actual demon, you are dealing with a creature trying to act like your Creator.  Imagine that. 

 

Imagine God Himself coming to you, Jesus Christ the Lord revealing Himself and His will to you.  Not a figment of your imagination.  The real Jesus Christ, who died rose and ascended for you.

Now imagine the real Satan, the same Satan that came to Jesus in the desert to test him, now coming to test you.

 

No matter what Satan says, good or bad, HE'S SATAN. Just knowing the identity of your enemy causes you to resist him simply because it's him.

 

I'm telling you that this is always the situation, whether a man or woman or demon.  You are always choosing to worship and serve God the Creator or an adversary creature:  a satan.  It's always an eternal decision, just as final as it was for the angels and the demons.  How can it not be?  Will a creature ever be the Creator? Will the Creator cease to be your master?  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego understood this when Nebuchadnezzar, a creature, wanted the worship of the Creator.

 

These three Hebrew men of God understood that whether the God of Israel delivered them or not, He alone was still the only true God. Deliverance or not, Nebuchadnezzar was not, is not, and never will be God. Never should be worshipped or bowed down to, no matter now hot the flames burn.  Notice that Nebuchadnezzar wanted the same thing from people that Satan wanted from Jesus Himself and from all people:  to be worshipped.  A man, a foolish and prideful king, became a Satan.  So did a follower of Jesus named Peter, as it is written,

 

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”  Matthew 16:23

 

Peter became an adversary to the Savior, a satan, focusing on human or creature concerns, and not on the concerns of God the Creator.

 

Any time a creature usurps the concerns of the Creator in your life, he or she or it is a satan.  Plain and simple.  If God and Satan were standing there and you had to choose between the two, it would literally be no different. Isn't the choice plain?  Eternal?  Simple? (click here for part 5)

 



The Essence and Power of Sin (Part 6)

I used to think God had an unfair advantage over us as far as sinlessness goes, that He has it "easier" because of His inherently sinless nature.  But that we had to almost pick ourselves up by our spiritual bootstraps and become what He is naturally. Or that He had to make us like Him in some distant heavenly future while we stumble around in sin, and the consequences of sin, on earth.  This used to bother me.  It seemed like the angels who resisted Lucifer had an unfair advantage because their one time decision confirmed them eternally in a state of sinlessness, whereas we have to make this decision day by day, moment by moment. But of course, I was wrong, and God is right.

We only have one decision to make, and it's the same eternal decision the angels made:
Who will we worship--God or Satan?

Once you make this decision, you will never have to make it again, because there will never be a time when God is not God or Satan is not Satan.  This puts you in the same position as God Himself, as far as the sinless nature of God goes.  I'll show you how.

According to scripture, sin is "the transgression of the law."  In other words, disobedience.  But God has no one above Him to obey.  His will is the highest will.  He submits only to Himself, and therefore will not and cannot sin.  But as creatures, we are subject to the will of the Creator.  And when we submit our wills to His will alone, our wills are one with His, and we in the same position to Him as He is to Himself.  In other words, when we decide, once and for all, that we will only submit to the will of God, we have made the same decision, if you will, that God has made about His own will.  It is just as easy for us as it is for God to submit to His will.  Why is this?  Because no matter what happens, no matter the temptation of Satan, Satan is not God. Period.  It's simply reality for all eternity.

What can Satan, as Satan, say or do to you to convince you to reject God and accept him?  If Satan came to you as Satan, would there be anything he could say to turn you from God?

"But Satan is not going to come to me as Satan.  Nor will his temptations be that obvious," someone may say.  "Further more, because we have a 'sinful nature,' it will never be as easy for us to resist sin as it was for Jesus"

I used to think this, and thus think Jesus had an "unfair advantage."  But the angels didn't have a "sinful nature," nor did Adam and Eve, and they still sinned.  Cain had a "sinful nature," and God told Cain that he must master the sin that sought to master him. So having or not having a sinful nature was not and is not the issue.  The choice is the issue.  The choice of masters:  creature or Creator, as it is written,

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.  Romans 1:25

• Jesus said we cannot have two masters, that we would love one and hate the other. 
• Joshua told Israel to choose whom they would serve, and that he and his house chose to serve the LORD.
• Elijah said the same to Israel:  Choose God or choose Baal, but no longer waiver between the two.

It is always the same:  a choice.

And the choice is eternal, once and for all, for time and eternity. 

The Creator is always the Creator.
The creature is always the creature.
Which will be your master?  Which will you worship?
Which ever you choose, you choose eternally.

You are the Devil's Enemy

The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.  1 John 3:8


Everything you do should build God's work and destroy the devil's work simultaneously.  To submit to God is to resist the devil, and cause him to flee from you, not you to flee from him.  You are his enemy, undoing whatever he does.  You join the Son of God in His reason for appearing:  To destroy the devil's work.  Sin is the work of Satan.  When you appear, you do so to destroy sin.


A man is the image and glory of God.  Sin is to fall short of God's glory. So real men, Christ like men, destroy the work of the devil.  The devil's work is to dishonor God's image.  Real men bring honor to God's image.


A woman is the glory of God's glory.  She destroys the devil's work by reflecting the glory of God in man, her husband, her brother, her father.


The devil is a liar, the father of lies, speaking lies effortlessly. When we speak the truth only, we honor God who is truth, and dishonor the devil, who is the liar.


God hates divorce, therefore the devil loves separating couples.  Husbands and wives who are faithful are destroying the works of the devil.


God considers children a reward, which means Satan considers them a punishment, and seeks their death.  Bearing children destroys the works of the devil, who is a murderer, the first murderer.  Loving children dishonors Satan and glorifies Jesus, who loved little children.


The list goes on, and you have a part in the list, individually and specifically.  There is a specific work of God you alone can build, and a specific work of Satan you were saved to destroy. What is it?


It's who you are right now and whatever you are doing right now. Remember, Jesus appeared to do this.  He wasn't passive, but came to break down whatever Satan does.


Don't be afraid, if you are.  Jesus in you is greater than Satan outside of you.  Jesus Himself, by His Spirit, protects you from the evil one.  In Jesus name, undo whatever Satan is doing around you.  This is what you were born again to do.

Christians, Satan, and Demons

Do Christians have authority over Satan and demons? 
Authority to cast them out or "bind them?"
Authority over them AT ALL?

To answer these questions, we must answer two questions:

1. Who has and is the source of all authority?
2. Does he share this authority with anybody?

The scriptures answer both of these questions, as it is written:

1. Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth."  Matthew 28:18 NLT
2. Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.   Romans 13:1

The Lord Jesus has, and is the source of, ALL AUTHORITY.
The Lord shares His authority, establishing those who are in authority on earth.

Now does this authority apply to Christians over Satan and demons?

Take two more truths into consideration, and let the scriptures answer this question:

• The throne of God
• The right hand of God

In scripture, the throne of God and the right hand of God are expressions of God's sovereign authority.  Jesus is seated (on a throne) at the right hand of God! 

But who is seated with the Lord Jesus, at the right and of God? 

And what realms are under the authority of The Lord, and those seated with Him?

 

It is written:

 

• That power is the same as the mighty strength  he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,  far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,  which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.  Ephesians 1:19-23 (Emphasis mine)
• And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  Ephesians 2:6-7

Christians are one with Christ, and seated with Christ at the right hand of God!

 

The throne of God and right hand of God are expressions of the Lord's authority.

 

The Lord has ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth, and over every name and power category!

 

Because Christians are one with Christ, they are one with Him in His authority.

 

In other words, Christ shares His authority with the body, and this authority is over our enemy, the "principalities, dominions, powers, and rulers" mentioned in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, in relation to Christ and to Christians!



What does all of this mean in application?

1. We have the authority to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus against the works of the devil.
2. We have the authority to cast out demons in the Lord Jesus' name when demons oppress or possess people.
3. We have the authority to render Satan and demons silent, inactive, and absent (to "bind" them) in the same way Jesus and the apostles did.  To undo what the devil does, in the name of Jesus, and the power of His Spirit in us.

We have all of this in our union with Christ, being seated with Him at the right hand of God, having "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms."

Some fear presumption against Satan and demons. They don't believe we do actually have authority over the enemy, and that the best we can do is ignore him, in hopes that he will ignore us.

But the word of God makes it very clear that we are at war, and our enemy is actively seeking to tempt us, oppose us, and devour us.  We are to actively resist Satan in submission to God.  We are also to actively expose and destroy his works, as it is written,

"Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them."  Ephesians 5:11

By the name of Jesus and His Spirit in us, we do as Jesus did:
"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work."  1 John 3:8b

If you are in sin, then it is presumption to assume authority over the enemy.  But if your sins are forgiven and forgotten through Jesus' salvation, you can successfully resist Satan, and undo what the devil does.  After all, we are the children of light, light in this dark world.  Light, by definition, undoes darkness.  So it is with us, in the name of Jesus. 

The Key Strategy of The Devil (Part 1)

What made an angel the devil?
We think we know.
Perhaps we do know.
But there is something about him that we sometimes miss.

Imagine this.

You're minding your own business in the library, reading my blog!
Someone you don't know comes behind you and says,
"Do you really think you should be reading THAT blog?"

Or, you're minding your own business in the grocery store.
You're in the produce section when someone says,
"Get oranges instead.  They're in season."

What do both of these situations have in common?
An assumption:  Authority!

This assumption is the devil's key strategy.

Watch this:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  Genesis 3:1

Wait a minute!

Didn't God really say to Adam and Eve, "Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28?

Didn't God give them authority over the serpents?  Then why is this serpent coming up and asking the queen of the earth what God "really said?"  What business is that of his?  Didn't Jesus tell Peter to mind his own business when Peter asked a question about another disciple's business?

(Read Part 2.  Click HERE.)

The Key Strategy of The Devil (Part 2)

Watch again:

The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Matthew 4:3

There he goes again!  He not only questions whether Jesus is God's son, but he gives Jesus a command assuming Jesus must prove who He is?  After all, God already said these words to Jesus, "You are my beloved Son.  With you I am well pleased."

Where did the serpent, the tempter, get the authority to question God's word in both situations?

He didn't have it!

He doesn't have it!

The assumption of Satan is authority that he does not have!

Only One has authority, and there is only One Source of authority, as it is written,

• Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."  Matthew 28:18
• Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. Romans 13:1

As Jesus said, "Those who speak from their own authority seek their own glory."

To assume authority is the devil's key strategy.

Satan speaks from his own authority for his own glory.

So do those who follow him and imitate him in this world.

Resist him and them whenever they question or command you.
Submit to God alone, and to those God established as His authorities.

When GOD and SATAN Have Plans FOR YOU (Part 1)

(Satan said to the LORD about Job,) "But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”  Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.  Job 1:11-12

Why were God and Satan focused on Job?

Satan had roamed the earth, to and fro.  God brought Job to Satan's attention.  Job was the focus of their conversation.  What did God see?  What did Satan see?

God saw a man who feared Him and shunned evil more than any other man in the world.  Satan saw a man who only did so for what he got.  God and Satan focused on Job's true motivation.

Every now and then, they focus on the same with me, AND YOU.

What is your true motivation?
How does it get the attention of God and Satan?

• When you fear God to the extent that you are distinct in your surroundings, God notices.  So does the devil.
• When you shun evil to the extent that you stand out like a candle in the dark, God notices.  So does the devil.

When God and Satan have plans for you, it is because you are faithful.

Stay faithful.

Or it may because your faith is about to fail...(Read Part 2 click HERE)

How to Never Be DECEIVED‏ (Part 1)

Self deception is the supreme deception. Every other lie comes from lying to yourself. You act like something you’re not. We tell ourselves lies hoping others will believe them. “I’m really a good person.” “I would never do that.” “I always have the best intentions at heart.” We lie. You lie. I lie. We lie to ourselves hoping God will believe us. If He does, who won’t? But He never does. Because we know that He knows what we know. Self deception is the supreme deception. Every other lie comes from lying to yourself.