Click here for the audio message of – 1 John 4:1-6
We finish up our look at Angels this morning. I hope you have enjoyed this little series for the past couple of months and hopefully you have gotten something out of it. To conclude with today, however, I think we need to look at trying to make sense of it all.
No doubt you have all heard of miraculous stories of healing, of being saved from danger, and so on. Maybe you have even heard about people talking about their experiences with angels or demons or some other type of supernatural situation.
Think about your reaction to their story though. How do you handle what they say? On one hand we have to be open-minded to the possibility of angelic intervention in our lives, but on the other hand we also need to make sure that it is in accord with the Word of God.
For example, I once read of a story about a young girl who was very ill. The doctors didn’t know what was wrong with her nor did they know how to treat her. One day this girl’s mother was praying for God’s help when she heard a scratching sound at her door.
When she opened the door there was a kitten. This kitten had some white fur around its ears. The kitten ran up to the bedroom and jumped on the girl’s bed. Of course, like most little kids, the girl was thrilled to have a little kitty to play with.
A few days later the girl’s symptoms disappeared and the girl was better. The next day the kitten left and never returned. The mother was convinced that the kitten was an angel from God.
Was this an angelic appearance and how would you react if your friend or family member was telling you this story. That’s tough because we need to respond out of love, but also remain biblical in our answer.
I am not sure what I would say. I realize God can do and use anything to help us. On the other hand, I have found no evidence in the bible of angelic possession of people nor animals. We find only demon possession of animals and people for that matter.
Evaluating the experiences of other people is extremely difficult because we often feel so judgmental. But as our Scripture teaches us this morning we need to evaluate biblical things. To simply accept spiritual concepts or stuff without comparing it to scripture is very dangerous to our spiritual health.
John starts out, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Apparently, the people that John is writing to were accepting whatever anybody taught them about God.
So John tells them to “test the spirits.” We are to compare anything we hear with Scripture, much like the Bereans did. John associates the word spirits with false prophets to make it clear that these people speaking these lies and heresies are under the control of Satan.
The major test is the person’s view of Jesus Christ. Who does this person say or think that Jesus is? Is He the Son of God? Was He born to the virgin Mary? Was He crucified dead and buried? Was He raised to life on the third day, and so on.
So one of the questions you could ask someone is simply, “What is your view of Jesus Christ.” If that person’s answer agrees with Scripture then they are from God. If the person denies any part of the biblical account of Christ then you should not accept his teachings.
The next time you are listening to a preacher on TV listen to how many times he uses the term God and compare that with the number of times that they use Jesus’ name. You will probably be surprised.
God is mentioned quite a bit, but Jesus’ name doesn’t come up very often. In fact, if you were to ask many of these TV preachers what their view of Jesus Christ is you would probably get a very vague answer.
Anytime I am asked to pray publicly and I know it is going to be a mixed crowd I try not to end the prayer with a simple AMEN. I try to end it using Jesus’ name so the people listening know that I am a follower of Christ, not just a person who talks about God. That is very important to me.
We as believers need to be aware of false teachers out there, in fact, the next series we will be launching into is 1st and 2nd Peter which deals with false teachers as well as some other issues. We need to be aware of false teachers, but not afraid of false teachers.
See we have the Holy Spirit living in each of us. He guides us and leads us into sound doctrine. As we listen to these teachers we need to compare not only what they think about Jesus, but also compare what they say with Scripture.
The Old Testament and the New Testament are the standards by which all teaching is to be tested. For example, if someone starts preaching that we should stop eating animals because they are part of God’s creation and we should love His creation. What are you going to say or think?
I know this is a ridicules example, but are you going to repent of you sin of eating meat and become a vegetarian? Or are you simply going to ignore that person and think they belong in the loony bin?
Most likely you will ignore them. In reality though you should evaluate their claim with Scripture before committing them to the loony bin. In this example, there is enough evidence in Scripture to support the eating of animals, but there is also evidence in Scripture that says people don’t have to eat animals if they don’t want too. Being a meat eater or a vegetarian doesn’t affect your ability to get into Heaven. It is not a salvation issue.
The idea is to think about what that person is saying rather than blindly accepting their teaching as gospel. Ask yourself some questions and search the Scriptures for answers. Does the person’s lifestyle conform to biblical standards? Obviously no one is perfect, but do they have a Christ like attitude.
Does the person demonstrate a genuine love for fellow believers? Are they faithfully serving God? Do they proclaim the Gospel to others? Do they try to bring sinners to Christ? And so on.
We are to test what other people say, not based upon our own judgments or ideas, but based upon the Word of God. We are to hold fast to the truth. We are to confront false teaching and the false teachers. Especially today, we are indeed in a spiritual battle for the truth.
We must recognize however, that just because someone’s beliefs are different than ours doesn’t make them wrong. They are only wrong when it is different that what the bible states. If the bible does not speak to the issue then we are to give them the freedom to hold to their beliefs.
We don’t have to be persuaded into their beliefs. Rather we are to continue to love them and maintain that relationship with them. For those people that have the wrong beliefs, meaning they don’t believe or understand Scripture, we are to minister and witness to them. That is our mission. That is our battle.
Again the main idea is to evaluate the things you see and hear with what Scripture tells you. If Scripture is silent on the issue, then ask for God’s guidance in the situation.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time in your word. We thank you for this interesting study of your angelic beings. We ask that you would give us the discernment to be able to separate truth from error.
Help us to be your faithful servants, so that your name will be exalted above all. Through your Son Jesus Christ we pray and give thanks
AMEN.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Battle Against Us
Click here for the audio message of – Ephesians 6:10-20
Our Scripture this morning is no doubt a familiar one to most of you. It describes the whole armor of God. In the first five chapters of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he is describing a true believer. What they are like and how they live a spirit filled life.
Now, he closes his letter by giving a warning to his readers about the spiritual warfare that is occurring and will continue to occur throughout their lives. Which, by the way, still continues with us today. Thankfully, Paul not only describes the warfare, but gives instructions on how to win the war.
God provides us with the things that we need, Paul refers to it as armor. As we know, ultimately Satan’s power over Christians is already broken. The war is won through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He conquered the power of sin and death.
However, as we live in this fallen world we will continue to faces the battles of evil, of sin, of temptation on a daily basis. This is what Paul is preparing us for. We need the Lord’s power. We need the strength of His spirit. We need His Word to strengthen us for victory.
So often today, we find ourselves getting upset, irritated, or maybe disappointed with other people. We must remember that Jesus told us to love our neighbor. So Paul tells us that our war is not against flesh and blood. Our war is not against other people, even though that is who it seems like we are battling against.
Our war is actually against the rulers, the powers, the world forces of darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness. These four classifications are different rankings of evil spirits in this world.
The rulers or the principalities are the demons who have oversight of the nations. The powers are the demons that want to possess people and make them do their bidding, we talked about them last week. The forces of darkness are the demons that are in charge of overseeing Satan’s plan. The spiritual forces of wickedness are the demons that are in charge of the religious institutions.
The reason Paul lists these four categories of evil is to let us know that Satan has a plan and he has his demons well organized to carry out that plan as effectively and efficiently as possible. This battle does not just last a day, but it lasts a lifetime for the believer. We are to stand firm, to stand our ground.
We are to put on the full armor of God. We need to use all of the things that God has provided for us to be victorious in our battle. If we were to leave something behind, then that would leave us open for attack. The idea is to wear the full armor of God each and everyday of our lives.
Usually, Satan’s assault on us in not direct or obvious. Remember, Satan is a pretty crafty and clever character. Satan is the prince of the power of the air and the god of this world. He opposes God’s work and he hinders our work for the gospel.
Often times Satan gets to us through our work. When we become disappointed or discouraged and want to give up or maybe we do give up on things, that is Satan’s hand. Or when there are some issues in the church that creates conflict and division, there is Satan at work again enjoying our separation from each other and from God.
Make no mistake about it though, it is indeed a struggle for all believers. You cannot excuse yourself from the battle or think that you are not part of it. In fact, if you don’t feel yourself being attacked then you better check to see which side you are on.
There are certain things we need in our battle that Paul mentions as he closes out his letter to the Ephesian believers.
First, the belt. We all know what a physical belt does, it holds are pants up so we can keep our shirts tucked in, right? The belt of truth is simply knowing and keeping the truth of God’s word with us. We are to live believing the Word of God.
The breastplate of righteousness. A breastplate protects the vital organs, the heart, the lungs, etc. As believers live in obedience to the Word of God and are in communion with Jesus Christ, then the righteousness inside of us grows. This isn’t a self-righteousness, but a God given holy righteousness.
Shoes. Shoes give us a consistent foundation to stand on and provide us with traction. Our spiritual shoes or foundation again is the gospel. We are at peace with Christ and know that He is on our side. We can stand firm knowing that God is there with us.
The shield of faith. A shield protected the entire body from the enemy. Our trust in God’s Word and His promises is our shield. It protects us from all temptations and sin. When we reject God’s blessings and when we are disobedient to Him, then we allow room for Satan’s lies and deceptions into our life.
The helmet of salvation. Of course, we know a helmet protects the head. Professional athletics wear them, soldiers wear them, even little kids wear them while riding their bikes. The idea here again is to protect your head, to protect your thoughts spiritually. Don’t let Satan get in to your head. Don’t let him try to convince you that God does not, can not, and will not love and save you.
That is not true. That is the type of mind games that Satan plays with us. We must not get discouraged. God is here with us and He is in control. He will not abandon us and He will save all those who come to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
So far all of these items listed are defensive weapons. Now Paul gives us an offensive weapon to use. That of course is the Word of God, the sword of the spirit. Christ is the Word of God. That is what we all need. We need the word of God flowing from us each and everyday. That is how we “attack” people. That is our offensive weapon.
The other offensive weapon we have is prayer. And we have talked about this a few weeks ago.
This is still our battle today and we have the same armor and weaponry that the Ephesians had. When you head home this afternoon, think about your battles. Think about your armor and your weaponry.
Are there pieces that you are missing or things that you need to work on or practice.
The Christian life is indeed a battle, but we must not get discouraged. We must not become fearful or always defensive. We are also told that the believer’s life is a walk, a race, a challenge, and an adventure.
But we must not forget it is a battle and we need to be prepared for whatever comes our way. We must stand firm on the truth of God’s word and pray for the boldness and the faithfulness to continue to live and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for providing us what we need for this battle. Help us to put on your full armor. Give us the strength to honor you during our battle with the evil of this world. Help us to remember that you have already won the war.
When we fail and lose a battle, pick us up and put us back on the path to righteousness. Through you Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you now and forever, we pray and give thanks.
AMEN.
Our Scripture this morning is no doubt a familiar one to most of you. It describes the whole armor of God. In the first five chapters of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he is describing a true believer. What they are like and how they live a spirit filled life.
Now, he closes his letter by giving a warning to his readers about the spiritual warfare that is occurring and will continue to occur throughout their lives. Which, by the way, still continues with us today. Thankfully, Paul not only describes the warfare, but gives instructions on how to win the war.
God provides us with the things that we need, Paul refers to it as armor. As we know, ultimately Satan’s power over Christians is already broken. The war is won through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He conquered the power of sin and death.
However, as we live in this fallen world we will continue to faces the battles of evil, of sin, of temptation on a daily basis. This is what Paul is preparing us for. We need the Lord’s power. We need the strength of His spirit. We need His Word to strengthen us for victory.
So often today, we find ourselves getting upset, irritated, or maybe disappointed with other people. We must remember that Jesus told us to love our neighbor. So Paul tells us that our war is not against flesh and blood. Our war is not against other people, even though that is who it seems like we are battling against.
Our war is actually against the rulers, the powers, the world forces of darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness. These four classifications are different rankings of evil spirits in this world.
The rulers or the principalities are the demons who have oversight of the nations. The powers are the demons that want to possess people and make them do their bidding, we talked about them last week. The forces of darkness are the demons that are in charge of overseeing Satan’s plan. The spiritual forces of wickedness are the demons that are in charge of the religious institutions.
The reason Paul lists these four categories of evil is to let us know that Satan has a plan and he has his demons well organized to carry out that plan as effectively and efficiently as possible. This battle does not just last a day, but it lasts a lifetime for the believer. We are to stand firm, to stand our ground.
We are to put on the full armor of God. We need to use all of the things that God has provided for us to be victorious in our battle. If we were to leave something behind, then that would leave us open for attack. The idea is to wear the full armor of God each and everyday of our lives.
Usually, Satan’s assault on us in not direct or obvious. Remember, Satan is a pretty crafty and clever character. Satan is the prince of the power of the air and the god of this world. He opposes God’s work and he hinders our work for the gospel.
Often times Satan gets to us through our work. When we become disappointed or discouraged and want to give up or maybe we do give up on things, that is Satan’s hand. Or when there are some issues in the church that creates conflict and division, there is Satan at work again enjoying our separation from each other and from God.
Make no mistake about it though, it is indeed a struggle for all believers. You cannot excuse yourself from the battle or think that you are not part of it. In fact, if you don’t feel yourself being attacked then you better check to see which side you are on.
There are certain things we need in our battle that Paul mentions as he closes out his letter to the Ephesian believers.
First, the belt. We all know what a physical belt does, it holds are pants up so we can keep our shirts tucked in, right? The belt of truth is simply knowing and keeping the truth of God’s word with us. We are to live believing the Word of God.
The breastplate of righteousness. A breastplate protects the vital organs, the heart, the lungs, etc. As believers live in obedience to the Word of God and are in communion with Jesus Christ, then the righteousness inside of us grows. This isn’t a self-righteousness, but a God given holy righteousness.
Shoes. Shoes give us a consistent foundation to stand on and provide us with traction. Our spiritual shoes or foundation again is the gospel. We are at peace with Christ and know that He is on our side. We can stand firm knowing that God is there with us.
The shield of faith. A shield protected the entire body from the enemy. Our trust in God’s Word and His promises is our shield. It protects us from all temptations and sin. When we reject God’s blessings and when we are disobedient to Him, then we allow room for Satan’s lies and deceptions into our life.
The helmet of salvation. Of course, we know a helmet protects the head. Professional athletics wear them, soldiers wear them, even little kids wear them while riding their bikes. The idea here again is to protect your head, to protect your thoughts spiritually. Don’t let Satan get in to your head. Don’t let him try to convince you that God does not, can not, and will not love and save you.
That is not true. That is the type of mind games that Satan plays with us. We must not get discouraged. God is here with us and He is in control. He will not abandon us and He will save all those who come to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
So far all of these items listed are defensive weapons. Now Paul gives us an offensive weapon to use. That of course is the Word of God, the sword of the spirit. Christ is the Word of God. That is what we all need. We need the word of God flowing from us each and everyday. That is how we “attack” people. That is our offensive weapon.
The other offensive weapon we have is prayer. And we have talked about this a few weeks ago.
This is still our battle today and we have the same armor and weaponry that the Ephesians had. When you head home this afternoon, think about your battles. Think about your armor and your weaponry.
Are there pieces that you are missing or things that you need to work on or practice.
The Christian life is indeed a battle, but we must not get discouraged. We must not become fearful or always defensive. We are also told that the believer’s life is a walk, a race, a challenge, and an adventure.
But we must not forget it is a battle and we need to be prepared for whatever comes our way. We must stand firm on the truth of God’s word and pray for the boldness and the faithfulness to continue to live and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for providing us what we need for this battle. Help us to put on your full armor. Give us the strength to honor you during our battle with the evil of this world. Help us to remember that you have already won the war.
When we fail and lose a battle, pick us up and put us back on the path to righteousness. Through you Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you now and forever, we pray and give thanks.
AMEN.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Dealing with Demons
Click here for the audio message of – Mark 5:6-13
For the past few weeks we have been looking at one of God’s most unique creatures. That is angels. We have seen that they worship God like we do. They can appear to us like normal people even though they are not people and people are not angels.
They also have special supernatural abilities like power, strength, and speed. We also compared the angels to Jesus and have proved that Jesus is not an angel, but better than the angels. He is the Son of God, the Sovereign Lord of all.
This morning though, we are going to look at yet another aspect of the angelic realm. See not all angels help us out. Not all are on God’s side. When Satan fell from heaven, he took some angels with him. And those angels, what we call demons are now working for Satan. Their goal is to try and stop us from being close to God.
No doubt many of you have heard the excuse, the devil made me do it. People use this excuse to justify why they did bad things. Many psychologists and other people have completely dismissed the idea of demons and demon possession and other supernatural things.
However, it is real. Demons are real. Have I ever seen it? No, not that I am aware of. So, how do I know its real? Because it is in the bible. That is where our scripture picks up this morning.
Jesus arrives at the country of the Gadarenes. As soon as He got out of the boat there was a man that approached Him. This is the first thing that we need to make a note of in our passage. This was a person, just like any of us.
This guy is in bad shape. He lived in the tombs where there would be dead people. It was not only a ceremonially unclean place, but it would have been a physically unclean probably smelly place.
This man was possessed with unclean spirits. Demons we would call them. We are told that this man possesses superhuman strength. The people could not bind him. He would break the chains. He was a wild man and he lived a miserable life. He suffered physically because of these demons. He suffered emotionally and mentally because of these demons.
But when this man saw Jesus. He ran up to him and bowed down and worshipped him. Here is this man, tormented by demons, yet while in the presence of Jesus has the strength to run up to Him and worship Him. That right there shows you the power of God over Satan.
Right after this, the demons regain control of the man and finish the conversation with Jesus. Today, a professional would probably say this man was a schizophrenic or something. He would seem to have split personalities. That is what the demons would do to him.
The many demons inside this man knew who Jesus was and they knew of His power over them. So they request that they not be sent out of this land, rather they request to be sent into a herd of pigs nearby.
Jesus grants their request. Why? I don’t know. Maybe just to give the man and the other people around the area a graphic depiction of His power over Satan. The demons leave the man and enter the pigs. The pigs then all run off the cliff and drown in the water below.
The herdsmen are mad and afraid so they run off and tell the townspeople. The townspeople come out and tell Jesus to leave, they don’t want Him around. Before He leaves though He tells the man who was demon possessed and is now demon free to go home to his people and tell them how God had mercy upon him.
What an interesting situation we have here. Imagine if you were one of those townspeople and had to live near this demon possessed man. It probably wouldn’t be a real safe thing. You wouldn’t want your kids out playing too far from home. Anytime someone died and needed buried in the tombs you could be risking your life going near this man.
Yet, when Jesus comes and removes the demons from this man. The townspeople become afraid and ask Him to leave the area. They don’t care who He is. They know how bad and powerful those demons were, so if this guy Jesus is stronger than those demons, then they don’t want Him around either.
Not only that, but He destroyed their livelihood when all the pigs ran off the cliff into the sea. What would you do? What do you do when you see the power of God triumph over the power of evil?
Scripture doesn’t tell us how this man became possessed by demons. Some people today worship Satan and try to become possessed with evil spirits. They think it will give them power and freedom to do what they want.
But notice in our text that these demons knew who Jesus was. Demons believe in God, but they do not have the saving faith in Him. They knew He had power over them. They knew they were going to be judged for the things they did to this man, so they pleaded with Jesus. They begged Jesus for mercy and Jesus showed them mercy.
In our society today, we probably would not expect to see people possessed by demons acting like this. We are too “advanced” so to speak to believe in or see that type of thing. We would give this type of demon possession a medical term or something.
But we still do have people that are controlled by demons today. Satan is definitely using the people here in America carry out his plan. It is much more subtle and sophisticated today than it was in our Scripture reading this morning. Satan uses the highly educated people to propagate his lies.
You know why we don’t have prayer in school today? Not because somebody complained and they passed a law and the courts have upheld that law, but because Satan used those people to further his plan.
So we see this morning, that bad angels, called demons, exist as well. For some reason these demons have the power to possess people. I have found no evidence in Scripture of good angels possessing people. Only the Holy Spirit will indwell a believer.
There are a lot of demons out there and they are under the control of Satan. They are working for Satan to accomplish his goal. Thankful, as our Scripture demonstrates this morning, Jesus has power over Satan and his demons.
That is a great lesson for us to remember. We do not need to be afraid of Satan or his demons. Sure, we may allow evil to encroach on our life sometimes when we give into certain temptations, but we know we have the power of God on our side.
When we feel evil encroaching in our life or we see someone else being controlled by evil, remember to ask God for deliverance. Talk to that person and explain to them the power, the love, and the mercy of God.
Closing Prayer
Thank you Lord for defeating Satan for us. Thank you for your protection over the forces of evil in this world. Deliver us from the evil one and enable us to carry out your will.
AMEN.
For the past few weeks we have been looking at one of God’s most unique creatures. That is angels. We have seen that they worship God like we do. They can appear to us like normal people even though they are not people and people are not angels.
They also have special supernatural abilities like power, strength, and speed. We also compared the angels to Jesus and have proved that Jesus is not an angel, but better than the angels. He is the Son of God, the Sovereign Lord of all.
This morning though, we are going to look at yet another aspect of the angelic realm. See not all angels help us out. Not all are on God’s side. When Satan fell from heaven, he took some angels with him. And those angels, what we call demons are now working for Satan. Their goal is to try and stop us from being close to God.
No doubt many of you have heard the excuse, the devil made me do it. People use this excuse to justify why they did bad things. Many psychologists and other people have completely dismissed the idea of demons and demon possession and other supernatural things.
However, it is real. Demons are real. Have I ever seen it? No, not that I am aware of. So, how do I know its real? Because it is in the bible. That is where our scripture picks up this morning.
Jesus arrives at the country of the Gadarenes. As soon as He got out of the boat there was a man that approached Him. This is the first thing that we need to make a note of in our passage. This was a person, just like any of us.
This guy is in bad shape. He lived in the tombs where there would be dead people. It was not only a ceremonially unclean place, but it would have been a physically unclean probably smelly place.
This man was possessed with unclean spirits. Demons we would call them. We are told that this man possesses superhuman strength. The people could not bind him. He would break the chains. He was a wild man and he lived a miserable life. He suffered physically because of these demons. He suffered emotionally and mentally because of these demons.
But when this man saw Jesus. He ran up to him and bowed down and worshipped him. Here is this man, tormented by demons, yet while in the presence of Jesus has the strength to run up to Him and worship Him. That right there shows you the power of God over Satan.
Right after this, the demons regain control of the man and finish the conversation with Jesus. Today, a professional would probably say this man was a schizophrenic or something. He would seem to have split personalities. That is what the demons would do to him.
The many demons inside this man knew who Jesus was and they knew of His power over them. So they request that they not be sent out of this land, rather they request to be sent into a herd of pigs nearby.
Jesus grants their request. Why? I don’t know. Maybe just to give the man and the other people around the area a graphic depiction of His power over Satan. The demons leave the man and enter the pigs. The pigs then all run off the cliff and drown in the water below.
The herdsmen are mad and afraid so they run off and tell the townspeople. The townspeople come out and tell Jesus to leave, they don’t want Him around. Before He leaves though He tells the man who was demon possessed and is now demon free to go home to his people and tell them how God had mercy upon him.
What an interesting situation we have here. Imagine if you were one of those townspeople and had to live near this demon possessed man. It probably wouldn’t be a real safe thing. You wouldn’t want your kids out playing too far from home. Anytime someone died and needed buried in the tombs you could be risking your life going near this man.
Yet, when Jesus comes and removes the demons from this man. The townspeople become afraid and ask Him to leave the area. They don’t care who He is. They know how bad and powerful those demons were, so if this guy Jesus is stronger than those demons, then they don’t want Him around either.
Not only that, but He destroyed their livelihood when all the pigs ran off the cliff into the sea. What would you do? What do you do when you see the power of God triumph over the power of evil?
Scripture doesn’t tell us how this man became possessed by demons. Some people today worship Satan and try to become possessed with evil spirits. They think it will give them power and freedom to do what they want.
But notice in our text that these demons knew who Jesus was. Demons believe in God, but they do not have the saving faith in Him. They knew He had power over them. They knew they were going to be judged for the things they did to this man, so they pleaded with Jesus. They begged Jesus for mercy and Jesus showed them mercy.
In our society today, we probably would not expect to see people possessed by demons acting like this. We are too “advanced” so to speak to believe in or see that type of thing. We would give this type of demon possession a medical term or something.
But we still do have people that are controlled by demons today. Satan is definitely using the people here in America carry out his plan. It is much more subtle and sophisticated today than it was in our Scripture reading this morning. Satan uses the highly educated people to propagate his lies.
You know why we don’t have prayer in school today? Not because somebody complained and they passed a law and the courts have upheld that law, but because Satan used those people to further his plan.
So we see this morning, that bad angels, called demons, exist as well. For some reason these demons have the power to possess people. I have found no evidence in Scripture of good angels possessing people. Only the Holy Spirit will indwell a believer.
There are a lot of demons out there and they are under the control of Satan. They are working for Satan to accomplish his goal. Thankful, as our Scripture demonstrates this morning, Jesus has power over Satan and his demons.
That is a great lesson for us to remember. We do not need to be afraid of Satan or his demons. Sure, we may allow evil to encroach on our life sometimes when we give into certain temptations, but we know we have the power of God on our side.
When we feel evil encroaching in our life or we see someone else being controlled by evil, remember to ask God for deliverance. Talk to that person and explain to them the power, the love, and the mercy of God.
Closing Prayer
Thank you Lord for defeating Satan for us. Thank you for your protection over the forces of evil in this world. Deliver us from the evil one and enable us to carry out your will.
AMEN.
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