They are malignant, vile, deceitful spirits. We need the Spirit's help to enable us to recognize when they work through people and circumstance. We need to recognize Satan's strategems.
[As believers, we need to pray!] (Altar prayer, Google image)
The most numerous of Satan's helpers are the demons. Their chief purpose today seems to be to help Satan deceive and destroy humankind and thus to strike back at God because God loves man so infinitely and has provided redemption for man.
Wherever people are found, the demons seem to be present. We can assume that they follow all sinners around constantly—in their home, at their work, as they travel—trying to entice to sin or trying to influence wrong decisions.
We know also they are often where Christians are, watching for an opportunity to accuse falsely or to discourage, divide, tempt, or hinder. Since Satan is only one and can be at only one place at one time, he must depend on the multitude of demons to do his work.
Charles Wesley wrote:
Angels our march oppose and still in strength excel,
Our secret sworn eternal foes, countless, invisible;
From thrones of glory driven, by flaming vengeance hurled,
They throng the air and darken heaven, and rule this lower world.
Until the day when Christ finally binds Satan and his followers and casts them all into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10; 21:8), these are the forces that oppose us.
Since Christ is no longer on earth, Satan directs his venom against mankind in general, and especially against the church. He is unusually incensed at all the evangelism of the church and especially manifests his opposition and power on the mission field.
Paul wants us to recognize that behind the people who seem to oppose, endanger, and hinder us are the unseen evil spirits, who are using and manipulating the people who are their unsuspecting slaves and dupes.
Our spiritual warfare is not against the people we see but against the unseen spirits behind them seeking to manipulate them and work through them. The primary emphasis of Paul is that they are against us (repeated five times in Eph. 6:11-12).
We need to recognize when to bind Satan's forces and who they are that we are binding. They are powerful and knowledgeable (sometimes seeming to know more than we do), but already defeated by Christ.
(2) Recognize the superiority of Christ's hosts. Christ's forces are greater in number than Satan's. Only one-third of the angels fell (Rev. 12:4), so there are twice as many unfallen angels.
Undoubtedly the Lord has His angels well organized. They are unified in mutual love and perfect, loving obedience to Christ. Since they have access to God, they are far wiser, far better informed, and undoubtedly far more interrelate and unified than are Satan's forces.
The angel forces surrounding us are greater in number and power than all who can combine against us, whether visible or invisible
(Kings 6:16; 2 Chron. 32:7-8). They will help us bind Satan.
(3) Take the initiative to bind Satan and his representatives. You do not necessarily ask the Lord to bind Satan or the angels to bind Satan. The binding is done by you—"Whatsoever you bind." You must neutralize your enemy before you can set his prisoners free. First, tie up the strong man, says Jesus (Matt. 12:29). We, the church, must take the initiative against Satan's kingdom.
The strong man (i.e., the demon), says Jesus, is fully armed (Luke 11:21). He tries to guard his territory and his captives against our prayer attack.
His possessions in his captives probably include the love of sin (John 3:19), the love of the world, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:16), the cravings of the sinful nature (Eph. 2:3), and hostility to God (Rom. 8:7).
Satan tries to guard his followers so as to keep them enslaved to these attitudes and desires. Satan is vulnerable to your assault in prayer warfare and your using the authority of Christ and the command and rebuke of faith.
His head was crushed at Calvary (l Gen. 3:15). Now when you take the initiative, heaven endorses and enforces Christ's victory through your praying.
Mighty Prevailing Prayer
#136 Recognize Satan's Activity
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 266- 269) Zondervan
Prayer-
Today's Bible verses-
Ecc. 8:11, 13 (KJV) "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (v.13) But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
Today's quote-
Today's popular post-
Wherever people are found, the demons seem to be present. We can assume that they follow all sinners around constantly—in their home, at their work, as they travel—trying to entice to sin or trying to influence wrong decisions.
We know also they are often where Christians are, watching for an opportunity to accuse falsely or to discourage, divide, tempt, or hinder. Since Satan is only one and can be at only one place at one time, he must depend on the multitude of demons to do his work.
Charles Wesley wrote:
Angels our march oppose and still in strength excel,
Our secret sworn eternal foes, countless, invisible;
From thrones of glory driven, by flaming vengeance hurled,
They throng the air and darken heaven, and rule this lower world.
Until the day when Christ finally binds Satan and his followers and casts them all into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10; 21:8), these are the forces that oppose us.
Since Christ is no longer on earth, Satan directs his venom against mankind in general, and especially against the church. He is unusually incensed at all the evangelism of the church and especially manifests his opposition and power on the mission field.
Paul wants us to recognize that behind the people who seem to oppose, endanger, and hinder us are the unseen evil spirits, who are using and manipulating the people who are their unsuspecting slaves and dupes.
Our spiritual warfare is not against the people we see but against the unseen spirits behind them seeking to manipulate them and work through them. The primary emphasis of Paul is that they are against us (repeated five times in Eph. 6:11-12).
We need to recognize when to bind Satan's forces and who they are that we are binding. They are powerful and knowledgeable (sometimes seeming to know more than we do), but already defeated by Christ.
(2) Recognize the superiority of Christ's hosts. Christ's forces are greater in number than Satan's. Only one-third of the angels fell (Rev. 12:4), so there are twice as many unfallen angels.
Undoubtedly the Lord has His angels well organized. They are unified in mutual love and perfect, loving obedience to Christ. Since they have access to God, they are far wiser, far better informed, and undoubtedly far more interrelate and unified than are Satan's forces.
The angel forces surrounding us are greater in number and power than all who can combine against us, whether visible or invisible
(Kings 6:16; 2 Chron. 32:7-8). They will help us bind Satan.
(3) Take the initiative to bind Satan and his representatives. You do not necessarily ask the Lord to bind Satan or the angels to bind Satan. The binding is done by you—"Whatsoever you bind." You must neutralize your enemy before you can set his prisoners free. First, tie up the strong man, says Jesus (Matt. 12:29). We, the church, must take the initiative against Satan's kingdom.
The strong man (i.e., the demon), says Jesus, is fully armed (Luke 11:21). He tries to guard his territory and his captives against our prayer attack.
His possessions in his captives probably include the love of sin (John 3:19), the love of the world, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:16), the cravings of the sinful nature (Eph. 2:3), and hostility to God (Rom. 8:7).
Satan tries to guard his followers so as to keep them enslaved to these attitudes and desires. Satan is vulnerable to your assault in prayer warfare and your using the authority of Christ and the command and rebuke of faith.
His head was crushed at Calvary (l Gen. 3:15). Now when you take the initiative, heaven endorses and enforces Christ's victory through your praying.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. (Jean's emphasis added).
Mighty Prevailing Prayer
#136 Recognize Satan's Activity
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 266- 269) Zondervan
Prayer-
Father, we are aware of the demons' activities in people the world over, and we see we have a need to come against them where we live too.
It's for sure, they try to deceive and destroy us, to strike back at God because He loves us infinitely, having provided redemption for us.
They are always trying to entice us to sin or to make wrong decisions. Their attacks against us as Christians, are to watch for opportunities to accuse us falsely or to discourage, divide, tempt or hinder our walk with Christ Jesus.
We see our dire need for Your Spirit's help to walk our faith-walk successfully, and ask for it in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
It's for sure, they try to deceive and destroy us, to strike back at God because He loves us infinitely, having provided redemption for us.
They are always trying to entice us to sin or to make wrong decisions. Their attacks against us as Christians, are to watch for opportunities to accuse us falsely or to discourage, divide, tempt or hinder our walk with Christ Jesus.
We see our dire need for Your Spirit's help to walk our faith-walk successfully, and ask for it in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
H. C. Van Wormer: "The sooner we confess that we have lost our agony for souls, the better it will be for the cause of Christ. Let us face the grim, starling fact that we are becoming used to the thud of lost souls as they tramp the road to a Christless eternity. It appears that we have lost the power to weep, to wrestle, to plead, and to agonize over lost souls. The multitude out of Christ have no conviction regarding their lost condition, simply because we lack deep conviction about their iniquitous condition and eternal woe."
[Taken from Herald of His Coming Newspaper, Vol. 76 No. 7/8 (907-908), p. 1, used by permission, Articles From Our Current Issue: The Lost Agony For Souls].
Dutch Sheets shares with us, “Travail, what was it anyway? What did it do?
I knew what I thought it was, but I wasn’t satisfied.
Is it a valid form of prayer? I wondered. Is there really a prayer that births?"
Is it a valid form of prayer? I wondered. Is there really a prayer that births?"
Today's question-
Are you aware that the Word of God is transformative?
The Word of God will make us have pure hearts, clear consciences, and a vibrant faith. We're to walk out our vocation to honor God, and stir the Spirit within us, to make us aware of the changes needed to be more like Jesus.
Upcoming posts-
How Are You?
26th- Saturday's post by Kim Damon
#137 How to Bind Satan, Part 2
29th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
#138 Use Your Mighty Spiritual Weapons
31st- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
If God's Omniscient, Why Does He Ask Questions?
9/2nd- Saturday's post by James H. Cagle
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