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Not Empowering the Enemy
Many times
once people learn about the authority they have over the demons of
Satan they are in a hurry to go out and cast them out everywhere
they see them. They may often “jump ahead of God” and end up getting
in over their head. They become as the seventy in Luke 10:17 “And
the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils
are subject unto us through thy name.”
Often people who
have gotten too eager will encounter someone who is possessed and
might want free of it or perhaps a parent of a child who is
possessed. They come to the Christian and ask to be delivered from
this demon because they know that Christian has the power and
authority to do so. Without consulting God about this situation, the
Christian says sure they would be happy to. So they pray and prepare
to cast out this demon. In Matthew 12:43-45 we can see what happens.
“When
the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry
places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return
into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he
findeth [it] empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh
with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they
enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse
than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked
generation.”
What has
happened here is the person was delivered of the evil spirit but
because the person was not ready to accept the Lord as his personal
savior and for the Holy Spirit to dwell inside him then it left the
soul empty. So when they evil spirit returns and finds its temple
empty not only does the spirit return but also brings seven others
with it. So now instead of having one demon in the person, the
person has eight. Would it have been better to leave the one demon
alone than cast it out? Was it God’s will for the person to cast out
the demon? This is one tactic Satan will use to trap a new soldier
on the spiritual battlefield and take them out of the spiritual war.
How would
such a tactic as this be effective? Well if such a situation as this
developed and then a few months later the person is worse off than
in the beginning, Satan often can and will start in attacking the
person who did the casting out saying things like “you really didn’t
cast out that demon”, “if you really had the power of God he
wouldn’t be acting like that”, or any of many other similar
statements. This is designed to bring down the Christian and unless
a soldier is aware of this it can often be successful.
What led to
the person casting out this demon? Has it been considered it was a
trick of Satan? Satan can and does tell people to do good things.
Remember Satan is the great deceiver. He will do whatever is
necessary to trick people into turning away and that may include
leading people to do many good things. What happens is often people
believe Satan would not tell a Christian to do things that might be
beneficial. If someone has this belief and has learned that this
voice is the one he has come to associate with the voice that tells
him to do good, he will start to believe this is the voice of God.
Then when it leads him to do something not quite right he blindly
follows along.
For example
in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 it reads, “Now the
Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of
devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared
with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from
meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of
them which believe and know the truth.” By these scriptures
we can see that people shall “depart from the faith”. What has
caused people to depart from the faith? People have failed to be
unable to clearly identify the voice that is leading them and fall
into listening to seducing spirits. This may cause you to ask “what
is a seducing spirit?”. What does seduction mean? Seduction means to
lure so a seducing spirit is one that will lure. People are lured by
something that seems good but isn’t. One needs to make sure that
they understand this is people who were not just “good people” but
were Christians who had been following God.
What happens to these people
who have fallen to this? They have become so accustomed to
“listening to this voice” they have become convinced this is the
voice of God and refuse to believe that any other voice could
possibly be the right one. As a result after repeated efforts by God
to reach them their conscience becomes seared and has no feeling any
more. They no longer can hear God at all.
By allowing
any of these things to happen the enemy has gained power and the
edge in a battle. This is something we have to be careful of every
time you enter into spiritual warfare. You never want to do anything
or say anything to allow Satan to have an edge or to give him any
more power than he has. Be careful that you don’t unintentionally
empower the enemy to give him an edge in any battle you may be
involved in.
God bless
Apostle Charlie