Predestination - Freewill:

Truth and Error:  
There’s a lot of misconceptions that get people to the point of blaming God for all the evil that happens in the world. First of all, I John 1:5 says that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. When God’s Word says” no darkness” that should be enough but to emphasis the point “at all” is added. People getting killed is darkness; murder is darkness. Hebrews 2:14 says the devil has the power of death. So, why does God always get the blame.
 Well, people say, “If God is all powerful and all knowing how can He allow this to happen.” True, God is all powerful and all knowing. But, when God gave other beings freedom of will He limited His interaction with man. When he gave free will, the potential to make wrong decisions and do the wrong thing becomes available. Why freewill? Because, God wanted fellowship. God is love. His desire is not only to love but to have that love to experience and share with others. You can’t program someone to love. Love can only be had when an individual by his freedom of will decides to love. So, in order for Him to have fellowship with others, who could love Him in return, He had to give us freedom of will. Consequently, God has no hands with which to show His love but our hands.
 Also, people don’t realize that the devil is the god of this world. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. Adam originally had God-given dominion of the world. But, in Luke 4:5 & 6 it says the devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and said, “All this power will I give you, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.” Well, who delivered it to him It wasn’t God. God gave it to Adam. Adam delivered it to him. That’s how cataclysmic Adam’s sin was. Now, the devil has control of the powers that be in this world. Except for those who are saved - because it says we were bought back with a price. Bought back from who? The power of Satan and all his devil spirits. Jesus Christ paid the price and the devil has no more dominion over us.
 Another point, because of freedom of will God can do nothing unless His Word is believed. When an individual sees a promise in God’s Word and believes, God has to bring it to pass. He has to keep His Word. God will never deny His Word. But, without believing His hands are tied because of freedom of will. He can’t control you or possess you. You have to believe. Isaiah 55:17 says, “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper.” Believe that and God will bring it to pass. Romans 8:31 says, “If God be for us who can be against us.” That’s where our believing has to be.
 God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. God wants the very best for us. The devil has the power of death and has dominion of the world. So, let’s take that dominion away by believing God’s Word and enabling God’s power to be evident in our lives.
 Never blame God! God is light and in Him is NO darkness AT ALL. None. Job lost all his children and his business in one day. After that, he had boils from head to toe for approximately 6 months. Yet, he never charged God foolishly. God is all good and the devil is all bad.  
God gets the blame when people die. They say God took them. Hebrews 2:14 says the devil has the power of death.  
When bad happens to a person. They say God is testing them. James 1:13 says God cannot be tempted neither does He tempt any man. To test someone is to tempt them to do evil. If He were testing people that would be darkness.  
People get sick and they say it's God's will. III John 2 says God wishes above all things that we be in health and prosper. Why did Jesus go around healing every one. I haven't seen one record where he made someone sick. If it was God's will to get sick then we ought to do God's will and do our best to get sick. Get's silly when you think about it logically.  
When people start thinking God is doing these things many times they turn away from God. Romans 2:4 says the goodness of God leads men to repentance. It's the devil that does these things and he's tricked people into blaming God for it. Stop letting the devil win and start seeing how good, loving and merciful our God really is. When you do this you will be like Job and never charge God foolishly. Your love for God will flourish!!!
 The decisions we make determine our successes and our failures. If we fail, it is our fault, not Gods.
 If the god of this world can get us to just accept defeat because we think it was meant to be, then he wins and we lose.
 Here is the Word of God! Take it or leave it, yet please choose wisely:  
Believing UNTO salvation! 
  Romans 10:9,10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved [sōzō]. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  
Confessing with our mouths and believing in our hearts are decisions we make. Without believing and confessing as stipulated in Romans 10:9, we would not receive the gift of holy spirit, we would not be clothed with power from on high. 
The receiving of the gift of holy spirit is entirely conditional on us carrying out the instruction given in Romans 10:9. When we confess with our mouths Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we are saved (Greek sōzō), made whole, referring to once again being complete, being whole, with body, soul and spirit. Does God force us to believe? No. God never forces anyone to do anything. He gave us freedom of will and it is up to us whether we choose to believe God and his word or not.  
There are a number of important keys to the word's interpretation, and one of them is that a scripture must be in harmony with all the other scriptures relating to the same subject. If we have many clear verses on a subject and one apparently contradictory verse, do we ignore the many clear verses and focus solely on the unclear verse? Not if we are interested in an honest handling of the word of God, we don't. Here are a few scriptures that clearly teach that God is no respecter of persons.  
Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.  
Ephesians 6:9 ...neither is there respect of persons with him.  
1 Timothy 2:3,4 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,  
Without labouring the point, God isn't fussy about whom he chooses.  
In short, predestination as it is understood today destroys people. It gives people excuses for their failures. Instead of taking responsibility for their failed marriages, businesses, families, health, and everything else in their lives, they come up with all sorts of excuses and blame it all on God. It was predestined and they had nothing to do with it. Folks are taught they have no control, that everything is meant to be. So they blame their failed marriages on God, they blame their failed businesses on God, they blame their failed health on God, because it was all meant to be. Put your noses into this dogshit of predestination and take a good sniff. It is a stinking lie. 
Sure, God will light our path so we can see where we are going, but we have control of our own lives and over which paths we walk. The decisions we make determine our successes and our failures. If we fail, it is our fault, not Gods. God never made a failure. When the devil attacks, he likes nothing more than to watch people lie down and die. That is why he weakens us with such lies. He doesn't like it when people stand up and fight back, it defeats his purposes. If he can get us to just accept defeat because we think it was meant to be, then he wins and we lose.  
This lie has the power to destroy entire races and civilisations. Your life is yours to live so be careful with what you think was meant to be. We all grow up in the devil's world and grow up exposed to his filthy language, but that's no excuse for your thoughts to be contrary to God's word. Put your televisions and newspapers and religious mythology aside, open your bibles again and put your hearts into the word.  
Romans 10:17 So then faith [believing] cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  
Be watchful, because predestination is the language of extinction.  
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Aside from the new birth; freewill is the greatest thing that God has ever given! The adversary's ministry is to blind, first and foremost; then it is all downhill from there. That opens one up to many lies; the counterfeit, unto many sorrows and regrets. This is how the adversary cleverly tricked Adam and Eve. It all started with doubt after they ignorantly engage with the damned bird! By the way folk; spiritually dead, yet NOT brain dead, hopefully now!! Take it or leave it, yet please choose wisely: Ephesians 1:13 in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Predestination: 
 God knows ahead of time who is going to believe His Word. Therefore, God calls them according to His eternal purpose (to have a family). God knew ahead of time (foreknowledge) that you and I would believe. Consequently, God predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son. Predestination is a very misunderstood concept. God does not pre-arrange what you and I are going to do!!! God pre-arranged or predestinated that which HE was going to do as a result of our believing. God decided (according to HIS purpose) that HE WOULD GIVE US holy spirit making us His children. Predestination in the Word of God is God deciding ahead of time what He is going to do - not what we are going to do. Again, God does not pre-arrange what you and I are going to do!!!
 In the beginning, as we have stated, God decided to "allow" or "permit" the possibility of evil in order to make possible an unforced response of genuine goodness and love. If something contrary to His will happens, it is because God cannot at that moment stop it without going against His own nature. How could that be? We believe there are three very good reasons. First, because although He is the most powerful One in the war, His righteous nature requires Him to act justly toward His formidable foe, the Devil. Second, He cannot usurp anyone's personal freedom of will. Third, His justice requires Him to allow people to experience the consequences of disobedience.
 Lucifer has NO rights to God's word, hence he is trespassing in promoting his junk of counterfeit lies, using the script of God, to administer the darkness, masquerading as if to be light. We need to tell him to get your own fucking word, and promote, your own fucking word, therefore. Again, NO trespassing, sure!

Good and Evil, Never Blame God!

The Idiom of Permission

By Phillip Varady Sr.

There is a basic premise that the bible teaches that must be observed: God is good and He is good always. This doctrine may not have been plainly stated in the Old Testament but the abundance of God's love and mercy were never in question.

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

The word 'no' in the above verse is the Greek word oudemia which has the force of 'no, not even one, or, no, not at all'. Used in another place it emphasizes the absoluteness of the exclusion.

Acts 27:22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.

Verse 44 of this chapter confirms that they all were saved. Therefore if we accept this concept as a biblical truth we must also accept that God is not capable of evil nor is He a source of it, nor is it a means that He employs to bring His will to fruition. We must also accept that God will always be thus, that there never was a time nor will there ever be a time that this is not the nature of God.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

The word used in the Greek for variableness is from the root parallassein from which also the English word parallax derives. Parallax is the apparent displacement or change in position of an object when viewed from different points. God says that He will never change no matter how He is observed. The shadow of turning is similar to the practice that aerial photographers use, knowing that if they photograph objects on the ground near midday they will cast the least shadow, thus revealing the fewest details of its size and shape. As the Earth rotates a larger shadow begins to form because the relative position of the object and the sun has changed. God says that He does not change; His position, His love for us, is always the same without even a hint or shadow of difference. Then, as if to disprove this basic premise, the Word of God gives us this verse to ponder:

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

E.W. Bullinger in his Companion Bible states that the conjugation used for the verb create 'requires the rendering "bring about"'. Even so, there is an apparent contradiction which some resolve using the following:

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The argument is often made that we mere mortals cannot comprehend the ways of God and that when tragedy occurs in our lives there is probably some good reason that God brought it about although at the moment we remain ignorant of the future blessing. If this is so then the evil that we think we are experiencing is actually a blessing; we need only to wait to see how God makes lemonade out of lemons. This teaching contradicts the Word of God and anything that may be experientially known of God. It is a blatant lie promoted by the Devil because the underlying premise is that 'It's God's will that we suffer.' It must be remembered that, referring back to Isaiah 45:7, darkness is the absence of light and evil is the absence of good.

2 Corinthians 6:18 And (I) will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Would any sane parent inflict pain and sickness on their children? Would they kill them because of disobedience? There is no opportunity for a future blessing if the tragedy is death; and death itself cannot be the blessing because God calls it an enemy:

1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

When language is twisted to make it mean its opposite, the bible uses the word 'froward' which is little used today but has the connotation of being an habitual type of disobedience through opposition. God declares that He does not use this type of language.

Proverbs 8:8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

A warning is given which addresses this subject directly. There is no foundation on which one may base the argument that evil may somehow be a means to good after all has been said and done.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

The apostle Peter writing of his fellow apostle Paul's epistles says this:

2 Peter 3:16-17 in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [twist, distort], as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. ¹⁷ Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

If we thus eliminate the solution to the contradiction that evil is really good, we are left with two choices: God either lied when He said that He is good always or there is a misunderstanding on our part of the true meaning of the language used. The answer is that God uses figures of speech to heighten the meaning of certain scripture to catch our eye and to make a deeper impression of the lesson that He would have us learn from it. One such figure is an idiom, which is defined by Merriam-Webster's Tenth Edition of the Collegiate Dictionary: 'an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself grammatically, or in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements.' In this case it is called the 'idiom of permission.' In the work that has become a standard for biblical students "Figures of Speech Used in the Bible" by E. W. Bullinger, this explanation is given: 'Active verbs were used by the Hebrews to express, not the doing of the thing, but the permission of the thing which the agent is said to do.' He offers a very good example:

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not (i.e., suffer us not to be led) into temptation . . .

Another example which is not included in this work occurs in the book of Deuteronomy. It is extraordinary for its severity.

Deuteronomy 28:14-15 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. ¹⁵ But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

What follows for the next forty-three verses is every ill that ever befell mankind, and God claims to be the cause of every one of them. Verse 61 is especially direct.

Deuteronomy 28:61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

The application of the idiom in verse 61 above would have it read thus: '…them will the LORD allow your adversary, the Devil to bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed by him.' This result would of course be dependant on the condition given, namely, 'if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God,' The lesson that God is instilling in His people is this: obey and prosper or disobey and suffer.

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Another way of showing the source of evil can be seen in the historical books of the Old Testament. The four books of Kings (I & II Samuel and I & II Kings) were written from man's point of view. The books I & II Chronicles were written from God's point of view. When an event appears in both, a true picture may be drawn from the use of this idiom.

2 Samuel 24:1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

1 Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

Several reasons may be given to explain why God claims to be the author of both good and evil. If He had revealed the true source of evil He would have had to mention the Devil in hundreds if not thousands of verses. The pagan concept of appeasing gods from whom they feared destruction was known in Israel because they were surrounded by such practices. Israel had an appalling reputation for 'whoring after' the gods and customs of their neighbors and would have sought to placate the Devil to avoid the evil that he brought. In effect this would have raised the status of the Devil and given him grandeur that was undeserved. His name would have been often mentioned in spite of God's command to the contrary.

Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

Without a full explanation of the Devil and his methods the knowledge of his existence would not have been a blessing to Israel. Without the knowledge of how to deal with and defeat him, Israel would have become fearful, thus playing into the Devil's hand. It was not until Jesus Christ that this information was fully revealed.

Luke 10:21-24 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. ²² All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. ²³ And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: ²⁴ For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

How exciting and wondrous it must have been for the twelve to hear Jesus Christ tell them what was now revealed.

Luke 9:1-2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. ² And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

There are very few examples of the use of the idiom of permission in the gospels or the epistles because the truth was being revealed as to the true nature of the Devil and the unfathomable goodness of God. In all of his teachings Jesus Christ never attributed evil, death or sickness to God the Father yet to this day many people, including Christians, still want to cling to the doctrine that whatever happens is because God wills it. They continue to put a spin on tragedy in an attempt to make it a blessing and they still believe that God is making them a better Christian, person, husband or wife, father or mother, ad nauseam. There is no ambiguity in the following verses; the Word is plain.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Hebrews 2:14-15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

God had long ago declared that we had to make a choice. If we turn away from God we remove ourselves from His blessings and in the absence of blessing is the curse of death in all its degrees.

Deuteronomy 30:15-19 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; ¹⁶ In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. ¹⁷ But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; ¹⁸ I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. ¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

It was never God's intention or desire to bring harm to us but as the above verses show the choice is ours. God cannot violate our choice, our free will.

Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: ² But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Years ago when the home that we lived in was heated by a wood stove, I taught a lesson to every one of my grandchildren before they were old enough to be allowed to roam around the house unattended. I would open the cast iron doors and show them the pretty flames. Then I would close the stove and, holding the child securely, bring one of their hands closer and closer to the stove until it became uncomfortable. When the child drew back its hand I would warn it saying 'Hot!' and 'Don't touch!'. Only once in fifteen years did any one of them ever touch the stove. That child came to me for help and even at that tender age had enough sense not to blame me for the pain that it was experiencing. When I reminded the child that I had warned about touching the stove, the reply was 'I know Grandpa, I forgot. I'm sorry.' I did my best to ease the pain and to comfort the child. God is a better father than I am. Verse 20 below is another example of the idiom of permission.

Isaiah 30:18-21 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. ¹⁹ For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. ²⁰ And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: ²¹ And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

The bible teaches that there are consequences when we act contrary to God's will but it is obvious once we understand the idiom of permission that it is unscriptural and improper to assign the pain and suffering to our loving heavenly Father.

Further insight:
 Spiritual Integrity (copy link to your search bar to view)
 https://walkingbythespirit.com/walkingbythespirit/life03.html

Our Gathering Together unto Christ is Our ONLY Hope of Glory - NOT Death!

 The Father of Lies

Among other things, Jesus Christ came to expose Satan’s methods. Chief among these is the Devil’s consistent contradiction of God’s Word.

John 8:44 (KJV)
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

In John 10:10a (KJV), Jesus clearly revealed Satan’s intentions: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy….” Satan’s ultimate goal is to promote death and destruction, as the Bible makes clear.

Hebrews 2:14
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.

The Devil holds the power of death, and one of his most effective aids in exercising this power is the lie that death is in reality the gateway to everlasting life and ultimate wisdom. He first told this lie early in Genesis.
Perhaps you recall that Satan’s first recorded utterance in Scripture was a challenge to the veracity of God’s Word. Satan said, “…Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1 – NIV). This deceptive misquote of God’s revealed Word led to his second utterance, “…Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4 – KJV), which was just the opposite of what God had said to Adam.

Genesis 2:16 and 17 (KJV)
(16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
(17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God said, “thou shalt surely die.” Satan said, “…Ye shall not surely die.” Scripture makes clear who was telling the truth.

Romans 5:12 (KJV)
Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Death, both spiritual and physical, was the result of man’s believing Satan’s lie. The idea that there is really no such thing as death is still being promoted today, even within the Christian Church. Satan’s purpose has remained the same: to promote the idea that humans do not actually die, but go on living after their death whether they believe God’s Word or not. In this way, he obscures the light of the good news of Christ and his resurrection, one’s only hope of deliverance from death unto everlasting life.

 False Hope

The false doctrine that the dead are alive and already in heaven or hell is so well entrenched in the average Christian’s mind that he has probably never considered its harmful ramifications. Understanding that Satan is the “father” of this lie explains why the consequences of believing it are so serious. The first, and perhaps most serious, consequence of believing this doctrine is that it changes the Christian’s focus from the appearing of the Prince of Life, Jesus Christ, to the coming of one’s own death.

How sad it is to teach God’s people that the hope of a Christian is his own death, and how opposed to God’s perspective that death is an “enemy,” as 1 Corinthians 15:26 (KJV) clearly states: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” Biblically, death is a thief not a benefactor. Death takes away life; it does not give a greater life.
In attempting to preserve the traditions of historic, orthodox Christianity, such teaching that the “dead” are “alive” blatantly contradicts God’s Word and further entrenches the Christian Church in this error. Those who have mistakenly propounded this doctrine have apparently overlooked the many verses plainly stating that the focal point of a Christian’s hope is not his own death, but the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. For example:

John 14:2 and 3 (KJV)
(2) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
(3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 (KJV)
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17 (KJV)
(16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
(17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Titus 2:13 (KJV)
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

It is the occasion of Christ’s appearing from heaven that Christians should anticipate as the way of deliverance from the bondage and corruption of death. Jesus Christ is the only gateway to everlasting life and the only means by which believers will have access to God’s presence in Paradise. When Jesus Christ comes again, he will fashion new, glorious bodies for us (Phil. 3:21). Apart from having these new bodies, there is no hope of entrance into the presence of God. Near the end of his life, the Apostle Paul wrote the following about this occasion:

2 Timothy 4:8 (KJV)
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Shifting the event that triggers our entrance into the presence of God from Christ’s appearing to our own death is nothing short of satanic subterfuge. In the minds of many, Satan has subtly changed the gateway to eternal life from Jesus Christ to death itself. Considering the past actions of God’s archenemy, this clever trick is totally consistent with his methods. The Christian’s hope is not death, but the appearing of Jesus Christ. When he appears, each Christian who is still alive will exchange his mortal body for a glorious immortal body, and each believer who has died will be raised to glorious and everlasting life.

 Who Needs Resurrection?
A second consequence of believing the doctrine that the dead are alive is one that has drastic implications for biblical integrity and harmony. Believing that all the dead are conscious in heaven or hell reduces the great truth of resurrection to virtual insignificance. Death must be true death if resurrection is to be meaningful. If death involves only the body, with the soul and / or consciousness living on, then resurrection has lost at least half its significance.
If all believers have gone into the presence of God at their deaths, the monumental importance of Jesus Christ’s resurrection is negated. If Abraham, David, Job, and others were already in heaven as disembodied souls or spirits, enjoying the presence of God in “eternity,” then our enemy, death, had already been vanquished before Christ’s resurrection and eternal life was available without Christ. In fact, if it were true, as many teach, that Enoch, Elijah, and Moses went to heaven bodily, then Jesus is not even the only human in heaven with a body. Such teaching contradicts the Word of God, confuses sincere Christians, and dilutes their joy of hope.

If a body is not required for life in the “hereafter,” then God is going to a lot of trouble for no apparent reason by “reuniting” everyone with his body. And the physical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, serving only to allow the disembodied soul or spirit to be united with a body that it obviously can do without, seems to be of little significance.
The teaching that the soul lives on after death destroys the uniqueness of Christian doctrine, that is, that Jesus Christ’s bodily resurrection is prerequisite to anyone being given everlasting life. With so much biblical emphasis on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, any doctrine undermining it is highly suspect.

 That Sounds “Familiar”
A third consequence of believing the doctrine that souls live on after the body dies is that it plays into the hands of those who promote the practice of communicating with the dead. Today, many people, both Christian and non-Christian, attempt to communicate with the spirits of the dead, often in séances or via “channeling.” Such practices are similar to ancestor worship, historically a practice of most non-Christian religions. Pagans believe that the spirits of departed ancestors intervene in their lives, both for good and evil. Thus, as godlike beings, they must be worshiped and entreated. Superstition and fear of the unknown are always hallmarks of such false doctrine.
If there really are “departed souls” or “spirits” that are conscious and have knowledge of eternity or other matters of interest to those of us still earthbound, why not communicate with them? Because they are not there to answer. What will answer are evil spirits (fallen angels currently under Satan’s dominion) impersonating the dead. In the Old Testament, however, God expressly forbade communication with such “familiar spirits.” For example:

Leviticus 19:31 (KJV)
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 20:6 (KJV)
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Deuteronomy 18:10 and 11 (KJV)
(10) There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
(11) Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

2 Kings 23:24 (KJV)
Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.

They are called “familiar spirits” because these evil spirits are familiar with people who have died and can even reproduce their likenesses and personalities as if they were still alive in the realm of the “hereafter.” The judgment of God against Saul, Israel’s first king, which led to his death, was in part caused by his attempt to divine the LORD’s will through a familiar spirit impersonating Samuel (1 Sam. 28:7–9; 1 Chron. 10:13 and 14). It is appalling that the orthodox Christian position cites this record as evidence that the dead can appear and communicate to the living.
Sometimes a familiar spirit will appear to a person who is not actively seeking to contact the dead. Although such experiences are very convincing to those who see what appears to be a dead friend or relative, God’s Word exposes this counterfeit as another satanic attempt to convince people that the dead are actually still alive.
Scripture makes it plain that contacting the dead is a sin forbidden by God. Surely those supposedly living in heaven with God would not sin by initiating or participating in contact with the living.
There is nothing in the New Testament that changes God’s Old Testament prohibition against attempting to communicate with the dead. The reason for this is simple: The dead are unconscious in “gravedom” and cannot communicate with the living. If anything is communicated, it will be from evil spirits attempting to deceive people into accepting that the dead have not “surely died.”

Psalm 116 contains a verse that is often recited at funerals to teach that God is overjoyed because he has killed someone and now has another dead person in heaven with him.

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

If God killed people and it was God's will for people to die, then why did Jesus Christ not go around killing people? Jesus Christ always did God's will, right? So if it was God's will for people to be sick and die, wouldn't Jesus Christ have carried out that will and gone around making people sick so they would die? If God wanted sick people and God wanted dead people, then who did Jesus Christ think he was going around healing them? Jesus Christ always did his Father's will, so healing people must be God's will. The teaching that God kills people and makes them sick is so unscriptural it is astounding that people can be so blind as to believe it. If God kills people and makes them sick, then why bring the devil into it? What is he doing if God does all the nasty things in life? Quite the contrary, it is the devil who kills people and makes them sick.

Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

So how do we explain Psalm 116:15? There is nothing to explain. If something is precious, it is valuable, it is costly. A rare diamond is precious because it is extremely costly. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints, means costly in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. It costs God when his people die. Our deaths cost him dearly.

There is no good side to the god of this world. At one time Lucifer was full of beauty and wisdom, and was perfect in all his ways, but that has all changed. He has no mercy. He has no compassion. Deceiving folks into believing that God is doing all the nasty things to them when it is the devil himself doing them keeps him hidden and happy. One can readily see why God had the book of Job written first so we would know it was the devil doing all the nasty stuff in life. If we do not know this and believe God makes us sick and kills us, our spiritual integrity is at great risk. The lie that the dead are not dead is pivotal to the god of this world's deceptions. Without this lie, his power to steal, kill, and destroy is greatly diminished.

Another scripture misused in this regards is the translation of Enoch.

Hebrews 11:5
By faith [believing] Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Without getting into a lengthy debate, very simply, this verse does not say Enoch did not die, it says he never saw death. Had God meant Enoch did not die, the verse would read: By faith Enoch was translated that he should not die. The word see in the Greek, is eidon, which means to look at with actual perception with one's eyes. Enoch never saw death, he never saw anyone die. However, he himself died. How do I know? The word says so a few verses later.

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith [including Enoch], not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

There are a few other scriptures used to teach that the dead are alive and there is a place called purgatory, such as the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. A parable is a story, a fiction, a make believe fable to illustrate a point, that's all. There never was any dead rich man in real life living in some burning hell begging for some dude called Lazarus to come quench his thirst. They were merely fictional characters in a parable, a story Jesus Christ made up. Does that require any further explanation? Look, just because Captain Kirk visited some alien world and met Klingons does not mean that Klingons exist. They are make believe, fictional characters that live in a make believe world. Parables were merely stories Jesus Christ made up to illustrate a specific truth. You cannot make a literal doctrine out of a fiction. Well, the vatican does so it can defraud grieving families and take their money.

Regarding spiritualism, if the bible is right, and it is, then the dead people mediums and spiritualists call up in their séances and meetings are not what they purport to be. In real life, folks do actually hear voices of dead people at these séances, and they recognise these voices, so what's the answer?

Jane Fletcher has lost her husband and she is grieving. She is missing him terribly. Someone tells her he's really alive and she could talk to him at a spiritualist's meeting, at a séance. Along she goes and she hears his voice and he tells her things, little secret things it would be impossible for anyone else to know. She rejoices because in her heart she knows her husband is alive and enjoying the afterlife. It brings her comfort and hope for the future. Or so the spiritualists would have us believe. If the dead are dead, who or what was this woman talking to, and how did it know the little intimate secrets she and her husband shared?

The discerning of spirits field is without doubt the largest field of human understanding imaginable. The devil spirit kingdom is breathtakingly immense and diverse, stunningly powerful and unbelievably deceptive. To have any chance of understanding the spiritual depth to life we must take the word of God as our standard for truth and work everything else from that premise. The dead are dead, it is that simple. Whoever or whatever it was that talked to Jane Fletcher, it was not her husband. So what was it?

Devil spirits have jobs to do and the bible teaches us much about it. Some devil spirits work well in politics and power. Some are good at depressing and oppressing folks, driving them to despair and suicide. Others are adept at working in religious circles, deceiving those who seek to know the truth, deafening their ears so they neglect the word, blinding them and leading them into ditches.

Another job spirits have is to watch people. The bible refers to these particular devil spirits as familiar spirits. Their job is to watch people, to become familiar with them. They watch people all their lives from the moment they are born until the moment they die. Then they move onto another person. They do this century after century, building vast archives of knowledge about people. They become familiar with people, which is why they are called in the bible familiar spirits. Incidentally, these are the same devil spirits behind the lie of reincarnation.

Jane Fletcher goes to the spiritualist meeting. The medium asks a few questions. The devil spirits possessing the medium get information. They then find the spirit that is familiar with her dead husband and it is summoned. Jane has a chat with this devil spirit, which is quite capable of impersonating her dead husband's voice through the medium, and it tells her all the little secrets they shared. These spirits can mimic the actual voices of dead people while they speak out through the mediums they possess. It is a puerile trick, but it is effective.

The record of Saul and the witch of Endor is another scriptural record used to teach that the dead are alive. However, the bible doesn't teach that the dead are alive, it teaches that the dead are dead. So who was Saul talking to at that séance with the witch of Endor? The bible doesn't say it was Samuel, the bible says that Saul perceived it to be Samuel.

1 Samuel 28:7,12-14 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.

And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

It wasn't Samuel because Samuel was dead, it was a devil spirit impersonating him. Unlike David, Saul obviously didn't get up early to study his bible every morning or he would have known this. Consequently he had a head full of spiritualistic horseshit which led to his death.

The whole realm of witchcraft and spiritualism is built upon the lie that the dead are not dead, that they are alive. But why? Why would devil spirits go to such lengths? Whatever their motives are, it is to steal, to kill, and to destroy. Was this lie effective against Eve? Oh yes, do not underestimate its power.

To further illustrate, two young women once explained how they went to a spiritualist meeting in the Philippines. Over 70 people attended this meeting. The medium's particular emphasis that day was faith healing. Everyone was there to get healing. However, the medium refused to minister to these two women. Everyone else was ministered to and they were all healed. The two women left, without being healed. Later, they learned about spiritualism from the biblical perspective. Out of curiosity, they tracked down every person who had been ministered to at that meeting in the Philippines and were stunned to discover that every single one of them was dead, just like Saul. This is a true story. Little children, keep yourselves from idols, keep yourselves from tarot cards, fortune tellers, hypnosis, magic, horoscopes, psychics, witches and all the rest of the devil's horseshit for it will take your life.

Witchcraft is a spiritual trap, a snare, a baited hook dangled to take your life. The bible has to be our only standard for truth if we are to live powerful, abundant lives. Once we are redeemed from the power of the god of this world, he no longer has jurisdiction over us. We can learn to walk in power and deliver people from his deceptions and cruelty.

1 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Just as with the trinity, the teaching that the dead are alive entrenches vatican doctrine, as well as all other religions, clearly within the realms of paganism and witchcraft. Their doctrine is unscriptural, their beliefs pagan. The jesuits may cloak themselves in religious robes and claim they know what is best for the world, but in truth, they serve their god Lucifer. Rather than bringing us peace on earth, they are destroying it on behalf of their god. The end justifies the means only when it is the god of this world issuing the orders. So the next time you hear the pope praying for world peace, smile warmly as you realise that what he is really praying for is your extermination.

If this all seems a little overpowering, remember that light dispels darkness. Switch on a light and there is no darkness. Darkness cannot exist in light. It is that easy to dispel darkness. How you turn on spiritual light in your life begins with opening your bible and reading. Or is television or something else more important to you? Whether you live in darkness or whether you live in light is a choice you make.

Death: Friend or Foe?

A fourth consequence of believing the doctrine of immediate entrance into heaven at death, and the corollary teaching that death is God’s will, is that it may subtly undermine a Christian’s will to live by causing him to accept death as a “friend.” But God’s Word is clear:

1 Corinthians 15:26 (KJV)
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

If a person is persuaded that death is a “friend” that will introduce him to the glories of eternity, he may adopt a cavalier attitude toward his own death. Satan can then wield the power of death more easily, manipulating the untimely death of his victims by fatal disease, murder, suicide, or accident.
Why should a Christian aggressively cling to life on earth and endeavor to live it to the fullest when a much brighter and higher existence awaits him with God “on the other side”? Does this teaching motivate a Christian to behave in a manner that will cause him to prolong, preserve, and enjoy his earthly existence and service to God? To the contrary, one’s belief in an immediate afterlife might even cause him to hasten his own death. In fact, history contains a great many records of Christians who have committed suicide so that they could “be with Jesus.” Tragically, they have often taken others with them to the grave by murdering them first.
One effect of this false doctrine may possibly be seen in the context of a serious illness. It is generally understood that an individual with a strong will to live is more likely to survive a life-threatening illness. How ironic that Christian believers who have access to God’s miraculous, supernatural power for deliverance often negate it by a truncated will to live based on their misunderstanding of the true nature of death. Unbelievers who think that this life is all there is can too often muster more of the innate and God-given instinct for survival than does a child of God. Does it glorify God that His people should have less desire than unbelievers to live as long as they can on earth? Does this help win the lost and persuade them of the benefits of following the way of Jesus Christ?
In the same vein, many Christians are very fatalistic about the moment of their deaths. Perhaps to deal with the fear of death, they assume the Lord already has the day picked. When their “number is up,” they will die regardless of their behavior, thoughts, or even prayers. They think that God alone determines the day of their death when He is ready.
There is, however, no biblical justification for the idea that the day of one’s death is “set in stone.” Rather, the Bible is replete with examples of men and women shortening or prolonging their lives by the way they lived—for example, Saul (1 Chron. 10:13) and Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1–6).
Although believing that God determines the day of one’s death may seem comforting to a misguided believer in, say, an airplane bouncing through turbulence, it actually may work against him. In a critical situation, intense prayer and supplication would be much more beneficial than passively waiting to see what God’s will is. It is obvious that our own choices go a long way toward determining what kind of life we live and for how long. Thinking fatalistically, one is probably less likely to do those things that make for a long and healthy life.
If it were true that it is God who determines one’s appointed time to die, then death would be a friend and God would be its cause. Neither is true. God’s will for man is a long, healthy, and prosperous life as a testimony to His love and goodness (Prov. 4:10, 9:11; Eph. 6:3). Jesus said that he always did the Father’s will (John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38, 17:4), and he healed all who came to him in faith (Matt. 4:23, 8:16, 9:35; Luke 9:11).

Of course, most Christians who teach that God kills His people seldom say it that way. They usually say, of a Christian who has died, that God “called him home.” What an incredible euphemism! Think about it. “Home.” What visions the word carries with it: a hot meal, a warm bed, a loving family. But what are people really saying about a saint who has died when they sweetly say that God “called him home”? They’re saying that God, Who is love, light, and goodness, ran him down with a bus, ate out his insides with cancer, or had him beaten to death in an alley. Repulsive? Yes, death is just that.

The Word of God clearly states that God is “good” (Mark 10:18) and that death is an “enemy” to His people (1 Cor. 15:26). God tells us also that it is the Devil who holds the power of death (Heb. 2:14) and that the Devil was a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44).
It should be noted here that although death is of the Devil, this does not mean that a Christian who dies is “bad” or “out of fellowship” or “possessed.” Because of the fall of Adam, physical death is the inevitable end of life for each person unless he is still alive when Christ again appears.
If the Church fails to change its wholly untenable biblical position that the “dead” are actually “alive,” it will unwittingly continue to play into the hands of spiritualists, adherents of Eastern mysticism, and the proponents of the rapidly growing New Age movement, who deny both the significance of Christ’s resurrection and the unique opportunity for everlasting life through faith in his name. It will also continue to offer people a weak and false hope based on paganism rather than the comforting and satisfying truth of God’s Word.

NO AUTOMATIC IMMUNIZATION - By V. P. Wierwille

NO AUTOMATIC IMMUNIZATION
By V. P. Wierwille

Most fundamental, Bible-believing Christians believe that once they are born again of God’s spirit the adversary (Satan, the Devil) cannot touch them. They believe that he has no influence over them, that he cannot do anything to them because they are Christ’s. Now if that is not about the height of stupidity, I would like to know what is the height of stupidity! That is just what the adversary wants, because if he can keep us blind, he can keep us stupid, and he has done such a masterful job that there is hardly anybody in the Christian believing field today who knows the basic principles that are the groundwork on which the adversary lives and operates in people’s lives. This idea that simply because you are a Christian nothing can touch you is a trick of the adversary.
1 John 4:4: Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
This is literally true from the moment that you are born again, and yet that is not seen in the lives of Christian believers consistently, so there is either something wrong with God’s Word or with our understanding. Well, I want to tell you there is nothing wrong with God’s Word; it has been in our misunderstanding, or lack of understanding, regarding the truth of it.
Christians have gone around and said, “Well, greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world,” and thought that this immunized them against the adversary .That is exactly what has been taught, that we as Christians had a spiritual immunization, that the adversary could not get to a Christian. I would call it “Automatic Immunization”, because people think that if they are born again, then they are automatically immunized against the adversary, that they automatically are protected. If we are automatically immunized and automatically protected simply because greater is he that is in us than the adversary who is in the world, then you have got to explain how the adversary gets such an advantage of Christians time and time again. It is simply a trick of the adversary to get Christians to believe that they are automatically immunized and that nothing can hurt them; so then, he can just come and defeat them because they go along and think, “Oh, I’m automatically immunized,” yet all the time they are getting beaten down. He just keeps fooling Christians like this.
Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
He has blessed us, so Christians go around and say: “Well, look I’m blessed! I’m blessed with all spiritual blessings! I’ve got Christ! He that’s in me is greater than he that’s in the world! I got all the blessings!” And so, they think that they are immunized against the adversary , that he cannot touch them. Christians think this simply because they read it in a verse of Scripture, but reading something and making it your own is as different as can be. To say that we believe and to actually believe is sometimes as different as day and night.
Ephesians 1:4: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
Christians read that and say: “Well, He chose us; I did not have anything to do with it, therefore I am His. The adversary cannot touch us Christians.”
Ephesians 1:8: Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.
They say, “We have got all of it, therefore the adversary cannot touch the Christian.”
Ephesians 1:9: Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.
“We know His Mystery, therefore the adversary cannot touch us.” This is what Christians say.
Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Therefore they say: “Well, if we’re His workmanship, the adversary can’t touch us. We are God’s workmanship.”
Ephesians 1:19: Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and [now we are] of the household of God.
“And, if you’re of the household of God, the adversary can’t touch you,” they say.
Ephesians 3:20: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
And the scripture says that God is at work within us to will and to do of His good pleasure, therefore they say, “Oh, the adversary cannot touch the Christian.” That is not true!
Colossians 2:9, 10: For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him,…
And so they say: “Well, if we are complete in him, the adversary cannot get into that completeness. Therefore, the Christian simply cannot be controlled or possessed or taken over by the adversary.”
Let us delve into God’s Word and find out some of what it tells us about what the adversary is.
John 14:30: Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Here he is called “the prince of this world”.
2 Corinthians 4:4: In whom the god of this world...
In John he is “the prince of this world”, and here it says he is “the god of this world”.
Ephesians 6:11: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
“The wiles of the devil.” The word “wiles” means “cunning, crafty, sly”.
2 Corinthians 11:3: But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The adversary is referred to as the serpent and as being subtle. He is “the prince of this world”; he is “the god of this world”; he is “the serpent” showing his subtlety and slyness.
2 Corinthians 11:14: And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
If the adversary ever came to the Christian and portrayed himself like he really is, the Christian would not have anything to do with him. He has to get to the Christian subtly, slyly. He has to get to the Christian to say, “Has God really said?”, as he did to Eve in Genesis. Then he has to get the Christian to omit a word, add a word, change a word. When he finally has him hung then he can say, “God is all wrong.” But, the adversary never says this at the beginning. He would not dare to say it even half-way through, because if the adversary showed himself and declared his intentions to the Christian believer, the Christian would not have anything to do with him. He has got to work the Christian around to the place where he finally gets the Christian so engrossed that he is not even cognizant mentally that the adversary has engrossed him.
1 Thessalonians 2:18: Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
In addition to those things that we have already read, the adversary is a hinderer.
1 Thessalonians 3:5: For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
There he is called “the tempter”.
Ephesians 2:2: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
In John 14:30 he is called “prince of this world” and here he is called “prince of the power of the air”, thus he is prince of both.
1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
The adversary roars to freeze us in our tracks so that we do not do anything for God, like a lion does to freeze his prey in its tracks before he springs.
Revelation 19:19: And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
There he is referred to as a “beast”. He is not a very kind-hearted fellow; he is a beast.
1 John 5:18: We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
There he is called “the wicked one”. There are many more in the Bible, but these are some of the great ones in the Bible that tell you what the adversary is.
Luke 4:12: And Jesus answering said unto him [the Devil, the adversary], It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Jesus said to him; him who? The adversary. If Jesus was not immune to the adversary, do you think you and I will be? Do you think any Christian is going to be immune? Do you think there is automatic immunization?
Since he is the prince of the air and he is the god of this world, he arranges circumstances and situations so that when people come to them they are impressed by the situations and by the circumstances which he has altered to suit himself. He is always after God and His people, so he cuts the Word to pieces, because the Word is the only thing that gives an accurate knowledge of the true God and of the desires that He has for His children.
2 Corinthians 12:7: And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
Paul’s thorn in the flesh was people. The people were the thorns in the flesh; the people were the messengers of Satan; they were the ones who buffeted Paul’s ministry.
2 Corinthians 11:3: But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
In the adversary’s use of situations and conditions he gets to people’s minds.
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The minds are corrupted. That is how he gets the ground prepared, he corrupts our minds. How does he do this? He does not come and say, “Well, I’m taking over today.” No, no, no, no! If he did, he would be rejected. He organizes the world, situations and circumstances so that as people walk day by day they are walking right into his workings and so it gets to the place where their minds become corrupted. Instead of following the simplicity that is in Christ, the minds of Christians have been corrupted by what they hear, see, smell, taste and touch in the world that is round about, through people or situations that the adversary has arranged.
Matthew 16:23: But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but, those that be of men.
Jesus said to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan,” for you are “an offence unto me”, and yet Peter was one of his right-hand men. It was Peter, James and John whom he took along on the Mount of Transfiguration and when he went in to raise the young girl mentioned in the Gospels. And yet, to that same Peter at another time he said, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” The adversary operates through people, circumstances, the environment or situations which influence people. The reason that he organizes people, circumstances, the environment or situations is to get to people. Jesus had to say to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” Who had influenced Peter? The adversary.
1 Thessalonians 2:18: Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
“We would have come unto you,” Paul said, “but Satan hindered us.” Paul was wanting to go, but the adversary hindered. He obstructed through people, situations, environment, whatever was involved, that kept them from going.
Acts 5:3: But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
“Why did the adversary fill your mind?” How did the adversary do that? Everybody was bringing their plurality and laying it at the apostles’ feet. Joses, the Levite, had sold his single possession and laid the money at the apostles’ feet (Acts 4:36, 37). The adversary organized things in such a way that Ananias was influenced. “If I would sell that one property that I have
and lay that money at the feet of the apostles, look what advantage I would have, because they only sold their plurality. If I really went all out and sold that one single…” How do you think the adversary influenced him? These people were selling their plurality so he started Ananias thinking: “How can I promote myself? How can I get myself at the top of this thing?” And Peter said to him by revelation, “Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?..”
Matthew 13:19: When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
A man listens to the teaching of the Word and it is sown in his mind, but if he does not understand it to the end that he walks on it then the adversary comes and he catches it away. This is a description of the Word and how this Word falls in different places and the reactions to it. There is only one thing that ever keeps any of us from not being controlled by the adversary, and that is the knowledge of God’s Word that we have and that we walk on. A person can have a tremendous knowledge of God’s Word, but if he does not walk on it, he will still faint in the mind and the adversary will snatch it away.
The adversary cannot get in the spirit of one who is born again, for it is eternal life, incorruptible seed. But, the adversary is the god of this world and so he influences people, circumstances, the environment or situations, and the born-again believer still has body and soul and is in this world. He lives in this world. He eats in this world. He sleeps in this world. He breathes in this world. He travels in this world. If he is not taught God’s Word, or if he does not believe it, the adversary will get an advantage of him and operate by affecting the mind. The man has freedom of will to believe the adversary’s deception or not to believe his deception, and if he chooses to believe his deception, the adversary sees to it that there is more deception presented, and that is just the way that his vicious cycle runs.
If you do not understand formed, made and created, body, soul and spirit, you get lost in the shuffle. After the new birth the mind is still the same, but we have the privilege of putting on the mind of Christ. To the end that we put on the mind of Christ we become more than conquerors; only to that end do we manifest that which we read in Ephesians. We are not automatically immunized simply because we are Christian, but because we are Christian we have the potential, the power, to renew the mind.
Most Christians are still walking for the adversary, because they are as much in the world and the world is as much in them as it is in any other person. They live for what they want. They eat what they want, go where they want, see what they want, do what they want, say what they want, spend their money any way they like, use their time as they please and squander their talents as they will. They are concerned with: “How can I get ahead? This is my life. I can do with it as I please.” That is how the door is opened. And all of this is so human; it is just so natural, isn’t it? It is just what all of us have done at one time or another, to a lesser or a greater degree. Do you know how to get rid of it? You never get rid of it any other way except in the category of the
renewing of the mind, “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).” James 4:7 tells us: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Do what? Resist him! Resist him! Resist him! You are never going to get rid of him by enjoying his presence or by simply saying to him: “Now look here, I’m a Christian. Please don’t do that to me.” The only way you can get rid of him is to submit yourself to God and to resist the Devil. You have got to take a very sharp stand, like Jesus did. Do you think Jesus enjoyed saying to Peter, one of his best friends, “Get thee behind me, Satan”?
2 Corinthians 10:4 and 5: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
You cannot stop the adversary from coming to your mind, because you are living in the world in which he is boss. He sets the things up using people, circumstances, the environment or situations. You cannot stop him from coming, but you can sure stop him from controlling the mind, because you can pull down the strongholds and deliberately bring into captivity every thought—you control your thinking, and you bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Do you know why we think wrong? Because we want to. Do you know why we think bad thoughts about one another? Because we want to. We have got to quit blaming anybody else. We have got to simply say: “Well, I have not brought into captivity my own thinking. I have freedom of will, I can control it. I can think what I want to think.”
We have to have a center of reference for truth outside of the individual seeking, and we have come to the conclusion that there is only one center of reference for us, and that is the integrity and accuracy of God’s Word, for it means what it says and it, says what it means. This Word of God is our only rule of faith and practice, so we do not go by what people say, by circumstances, by the environment or situations. We can only go by the Word, and to the end that we go to the depth of this Word and bring every thought into captivity we will pull down the strongholds of the adversary, where he will not have the influence over us.
1 John 5:4: For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
What is He talking about, “overcometh the world”? The adversary, because he is the god of this world. “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world,” provided the latter part of that verse is obeyed: “our faith”, and faith is believing. Our believing of God’s Word overcomes the adversary.
2 Corinthians 2:11: Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
We are not stupid. We know from God’s Word how the adversary gets advantage of us. We are not ignorant of his devices. Since we are not ignorant of his devices, if he gets an advantage of us it is because we have given him the freedom to do so.
Most of the fundamental, Bible-believing Christians believe that once they are born again of God’s spirit, the adversary (Satan, the Devil) cannot touch them. They believe that he has no influence over them, that he cannot do anything to them because they are Christ’s. Now if that is not about the height of stupidity, I would like to know what is the height of stupidity! That is just what the adversary wants, because if he can keep us blind, he can keep us stupid, and he has done such a masterful job that there is hardly anybody in the Christian believing field today who knows the basic principles that are the groundwork on which the adversary lives and operates in people’s lives. This idea that simply because you are a Christian nothing can touch you is a trick of the adversary.
There is no “automatic immunization” for the Christian. We do not need to be ignorant of the adversary’s devices but we can lead every thought captive and manifest the victory that overcomes the world by our believing of God’s wonderful matchless Word.