6/29/11~
In this day of great deception, there is something very important that I wish to address and that is, the wiles of the enemies of our souls. I believe that part of our stand against these foul spirits involves seeking the Lord for purified hearts and motives. Certainly, we desire purified hearts for our Lord and we know that He is purifying us by His wonderful grace and continued faithful workings. Also, by having purified hearts we are free from giving ground to Satan and his emissaries. Day by day, as we die to self, more and more of the elements of self are laid down which means that more and more of the Life of Christ is being formed in us. Where the enemies see impurities of our hearts, they are free to work to deceive and to lead astray. But let not the mature believer think he/she is off the hook! No, indeed! Even a more mature believer, one who’s heart and love and life is set on Christ, can be deceived. If anyone thinks they cannot be deceived~~they are already deceived. Remember, the fallen angels are still out to kill, steal and destroy, each one of us, even though, positionally, they were defeated when Christ gave Himself as our sacrifice on the cross.
Be on guard, children of the Lord. We are still at war each new day. There’s never a time we cannot be off guard. We must take our stand against these fowls of the air, for they are ever ready with all of their new deceptions, i.e., new to us. At the same time we can ask the Lord to guide us and give us His discernment as we pray to Him and as we take our stand against every foul trick of the devil so we can recognize them.
Ask the Holy Spirit, where you might be deceived, where you need His light and illumination to help you come increasingly out of darkness. Nests of deception are ever present among so-called Christians, even those who are broadcasting and posting comments and writings on their site or on http://www.YouTube.com. Watch out for those who call themselves pastors, evangelists, prophets, teachers, leaders, etc. for they are especially to be discerned. How we desperately need God’s wisdom each new day. And those among so-called “Christians” and “friends”, beware and be much more aware. Go deeper into the Lord for fresh discoveries of where the enemies are hiding out, for where they are swirling about with all their lies and counterfeiting tricks IN the Body of Christ. We have Christians thinking it’s all right to enjoy rock, heavy metal, hip-hop music under the banner of “Christian” names. We have Christians who think it’s ok to be a homosexual or lesbian, bisexual or transgender and also to watch pornography on their computers as well as on videos. We have lots of ‘strange fire’ as the bible calls it, just doing whatever in the name of the Lord, but apart from His Life. Leviticus 10:1–And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. How about gnosticism~~the churches are loaded with these teachers which are surely a deception leading the sheep astray! We have ecumenism, big time, which is to Satan’s glee as he watches all the sheep following the Mother of Harlots right back into the Roman Catholic Church through leaders and conferences and beliefs straight from hell! ECT, Evangelicals and Catholics Together being just one of the many detours that the majority of people take today off the straight and narrow road. Then there’s always the Jesuits and the Illuminati and the false brethren who have INFILTRATED ALL the denominations.
And of course, we have Another Jesus, Another Gospel and Another Spirit presented to us from the lukewarm congregations, whether they be called denominations, non-denominational, independent, sects or by any other name! 2 Corinthians 11:4–For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. And let’s not forget the New Age doctrines that have crept into the churches with their labyrinths and their contemplative teachings. How about the Jewish Roots movements and their teachings of discovering your Jewish roots and joining in with the ways that were to be your schoolmaster until we have come to Jesus…it is all of the Old Covenant. It’s one thing to know what the holy days represent but quite another to celebrate them and be stuck there. We are in the New Covenant now and our substance IS Christ. For sure, when Isaiah said, “All we like sheep have gone astray”, he was 100% accurate! Isa. 53:6. And one of the greatest deceptions of all is to think we are all ok, just doing fine! No wonder Jesus said that He would vomit those out of His mouth who were lukewarm and thought they were doing just fine! Revelation 3:16–”So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” When we see a woman dressed in a Burka, covered from head to toe, we might feel sorry for her and all her beliefs and restrictions that hold her in bondage, but I tell you that in a crowd of people, at least we know what the woman with the Burka stands for and what she believes.
Then we have lots of cowdarice and a lack of spine and gut, consequently there are many who are not confronted with the truth. And how about unforgiveness~there’s ground given to the enemy for sure. We must keep our forgiveness up-to-date.
Being ever so thankful for each new discovery of their evil workings only increases your deep love for Our Great, Living, Loving, Merciful God. It is important to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to recognize their workings and to expose them so we can refuse them. This takes humility as we look to the Lord, knowing that our dependency is truly on Him. Also, we must be wearing the armor of Light, as well as the whole armor of God, 24/7 along w/ being open to the Lord 24/7. We all need to continue to develop our active stand of faith against the enemies’ wiles. Please examine your lives, the past as well as the present to see if there is any place where the enemy has tricked you. It could be a matter of unforgiveness~~is your forgiveness up-to-date? It could be a matter of a so-called Christian friend who is deceiving you. We are to notice the enemies’ workings and rebuke them and resist them. We are also to confront others with the truth. Yes, we fight against the invisible spirits, but we are also to speak the truth to others about the problem or the sin that we see as Paul tells us in Ephes. 4:25.
The subtle tricks of Satan are more subtle in these last days. Unless we are rooted and grounded in Christ, we can be led astray with wonders and signs or workings that seem to be divine, certainly they are supernatural. We do not have to accept anything supernatural until we know what the source of it is. Is the teaching or manifestation something that Jesus taught or did? Is the teaching or manifestation something that the apostles taught or did? If not, then it could very well be a counterfeit.
For more help in this area, please see Jesse Penn-Lewis’s book entitled: War on the Saints. The FOLLOWING CHARTS WERE TAKEN FROM HER BOOK, WAR ON THE SAINTS.
THE WORD “DECEIVED” THE DESCRIPTION OF EVERY UNREGENERATE MAN
The word “deceived” is, according to the Scripture, the description of every unregenerate human being, without distinction of persons, race, culture, or sex. “We also were . . . deceived” (Titus 3: 3), said Paul the Apostle, although in his “deceived” condition he was a religious man, walking according to the righteousness of the law, blameless
(Phil. 3: 6). Every unregenerate man first of all is deceived by his own deceitful heart
(Jer. 17: 9; Isa. 44: 20), and deceived by sin (Heb. 3: 13); the god of this world adding the “blinding of the mind” lest the light of the gospel of Christ should dispel the darkness (2 Cor. 4: 4). And the deception of the evil one does not end when the regenerating life of God reaches the man, for the blinding of the mind is only removed just so far as the deceptive lies of Satan are dislodged by the light of truth.
Even though the heart is renewed, and the will has turned to God, yet the deeply ingrained disposition to self-deception, and the presence, in some measure, of the blinding power of the deceiver on the mind, betrays itself in many forms, as the following statements from Scripture show :–
The man is deceived if he is a hearer, and not a doer of the Word of God (Jas. 1: 22). He is deceived when he thinks himself to be “something” when he is nothing (Gal. 6: 3). He is deceived when he thinks himself to be wise with the wisdom of this world. (1 Cor. 3: 18). He is deceived by seeming to be religious, when an unbridled tongue reveals his true condition. (Jas. 1: 26). He is deceived, if he thinks he will sow, and not reap what he sows (Gal. 6: 7). He is deceived, if he thinks the unrighteous will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6: 9). He is deceived , if he thinks that contact with sin will not have its effect upon him. (1 Cor. 15: 33).
THE BASIC PRINCIPLE FOR TESTING TEACHINGS BY TEACHING SPIRITS
Since thought, or “belief,” originates either from the God of Truth, or the father of lies (John 8: 44), there is but one basic principle for testing the source of all doctrines, or “thoughts” and “beliefs,” held by believers, or unbelievers, i.e., the test of the revealed Word of God.
All “truth” is in harmony with the only channel of revealed truth in the world–the written Word of God. All “teachings” originating from deceiving spirits– 1.Weaken the authority of the Scriptures; 2.Distort the teaching in the Scriptures; 3.Add to the Scriptures the thoughts of men; or 4.Put the Scriptures entirely aside.
The ultimate object being to hide, distort, misuse, or put aside the revelation of God concerning the Cross of Calvary, where Satan was overthrown by the God-Man, and where freedom was obtained for all his captives.
The test of all “thought” and “belief” therefore is its 1.Harmony with the written Scriptures in its full body of truth. 2.The attitude to the Cross, and sin.
In the Christianised world, some doctrines of demons, tested by these two primary principles, may be mentioned as– Christian Science: no sin, no Saviour, no Cross.
Theosophy: no sin, no Saviour, no Cross.
Spiritism: no sin , no Saviour, no Cross.
New Theology: no sin, no Saviour, no Cross.
In the heathen world:
1. Mohommedanism, Confucianism, Buddism, etc.–No Saviour, no Cross, a “moral” religion, with man his own Saviour.
2. Idolatry as the worship of demons. No knowledge of a Saviour, or of his Calvary sacrifice, but true knowledge of the evil powers, which they endeavour to propitiate, because they have proved them to be existent.
THE PLACE OF TRUTH IN DELIVERANCE
There is a fundamental principle involved in the freeing power
of truth from the deceptions of the devil. Deliverance from
believing lies must be by believing truth. Nothing can
remove a lie but truth. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free” (John 8: 32), is applicable to every
aspect of truth, as well as the special truth referred to by
the Lord when He spoke the pregnant words.
In the very first stage of the Christian life the sinner must
know the truth of the gospel, if he is to be saved. Christ
is the Saviour, but He saves through, and not apart from
instruments or means. If the believer needs freedom, he
must ask the Son of God for it. How does the Son set free?
By the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit does it by the
instrumentality of truth; or we may say, in brief, freedom
is the gift of the Son, by the Holy Spirit working through truth.
There are three stages of apprehending truth :–
•Perception of truth by the understanding.
•Perception of truth for use, and personal application.
•Perception of truth for teaching, and passing on to others.
Truth apparently not grasped may lie in the mind, and in the
hour of need suddenly emerge into experience, and thus by
experience become clear to the mind in which it has been
lying dormant. It is only by continual application, and
assimilation of truth in experience, that it becomes clarified
in the mind in order to teach others.
The great need of all believers is that they should eagerly seek
truth for their progressive liberation from all Satan’s lies; for
knowledge and truth alone can give victory over Satan as
deceiver and liar. If the hearers of truth should resist it, or
rebel against it, truth can well be left to the care of the Holy Spirit
of Truth. Even in the case of resistance to truth it has at least
reached the mind, and at any time may fructify into experience.
There are three attitudes of mind in regard to knowledge, i.e.,
1.Assumption of knowing a certain thing.
2.Neutrality toward it, i.e., “I do not know.”
3.Certainty of real knowledge.
This is instanced in the life of Christ. Some said of Him, “He is a
false prophet,” with an assumption of knowledge; others said,
“We do not know”- -taking a position of neutrality until they did
know; but Peter said, “We know . . ” and he had true knowledge.
MISTAKEN CONCEPTION ABOUT THE SHELTER OF THE BLOOD
Ere we pass on to deal with the ground for the working of
deceiving spirits in believers, some misinterpretations of
truth which are giving ground to the powers of darkness
at this time, and which need examination to discover how
far they are in accordance with Scripture, may briefly be
referred to. (1) A mistaken conception concerning the
“shelter of the Blood,” claimed upon an assembly
as a guarantee of absolute protection from the working
of the powers of darkness.
The following table will show some other misinterpretations
of truth, which need clarifying in the minds of many children
of God: TRUTH, TRUE INTERPRETATION, INCORRECT INTERPRETATION
1. “The Blood of Jesus cleanses . .”Cleanses moment by moment.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN-Leaves the man sinless.
2. “It is not ye that speak . .”
FALSE-The source is not from the believer.
note 14 FALSE-The man must not speak nor use his jaws, but be passive.
3. “Ask and ye shall receive.”
Ask according to God’s Will and you will receive.
note 15 FALSE-Ask anything, and you will receive.
4. “It is God that works in you to will and to do . .”
The man must “will” and must act. (page 74)
note 14 FALSE-God wills for you (or instead of you) and God works instead of you.
5. “Ye need not that any man teach you.”
You do not need any man to teach you, but you need Spirit-taught teachers given of God.
note 16 FALSE-I must not take teaching from any man, but “direct” from God . . .
6. “He will guide you into all truth . .”
FALSE-The Spirit of God will guide, but I must see how and when . .
note 16 guided me into all truth . . .
7. “A people for His own possession . .”
God’s ownership.
FALSE-“Possessed” by God indwelling, moving and controlling a passive automation.
8. “Meet for the Master’s use . .”
God, in the man’s spirit, using the mind, in the sense of giving light for the believer’s intelligent co-operation.
“Used” by God as a passive tool, requiring blind submission.
THREE CLASSES AMONG BELIEVERS
I. Unsurrendered.
II. Surrendered, Deceived, Possessed.
3. Surrendered but Undeceived, Dispossessed and Victorious.
These use the word “surrender,” but do not really know it, and act it out in practice.
These seem more “foolish” than those in Class 1, but in reality are more advanced.
****************The mind is liberated, and all the faculties are operating.
Believers in this stage are more reasonable than those in No. 2, because their faculties have not been yielded into passivity.
In order to understand the actions of No. 2, it is needful
to read them from their inner standpoint, for to them all
that they do seems right.
These are open to light and all that is Divine, but they seek watchfully to close themselves to all that is Satanic.
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These believers call those in the next class “cranks,” “faddists,” ..extremists,” etc.
These are open to both Divine and Satanic power.
Are liable to be “puffed up.”
The safe path for believers at the close of the age is one
of tenacious faith in the written Word as the sword of the
Spirit, to cut the way through all the interferences and
tactics of the forces of darkness, to the end.
THE REFUSAL OF THE WORKINGS OF EVIL SPIRITS
The refusal, also, of the workings of deceiving spirits in possession, is necessary as well as the refusing of ground upon which they have obtained possession. The believer may say as his declaration of decision:
1.I refuse the “influence” of e.s. 2.I refuse the “power” of e.s. 3.I refuse to be “led” by e.s. 4.I refuse to be “guided” by e.s. 5.I refuse to “obey” e.s. 6.I refuse to “pray” to e.s. 7.I refuse to “ask” anything of e.s. 8.I refuse to “surrender” to e.s 9.I refuse all “knowledge” from e.s. 10.I refuse to listen to e.s. 11.I refuse “visions” from e.s. 12.I refuse the “touch” of e.s. 13.I refuse “messages” from e.s. 14.I refuse all “help” from e.s.
A few brief suggestions for attitude and action may be added here in condensed form, for the guidance of any who are seeking freedom from the enemy’s power: 1.Keep claiming the power of the blood (Rev. 12: 11). 2.Pray for light, and face the past. 3.Resist the devil persistently in your spirit. Page 183, 257. 4.Never give up hope that you will be set free. 5.Avoid all self-introspection. Page 190. 6.Live, and pray for others, and thus keep your spirit in full aggressive and resisting power.
Again it may be said:–
1.Stand daily on Rom. 6: 11; as the attitude to sin. 2.Resist the enemy (James 4: 7) daily on the ground of the blood of Christ (Rev. 12: 11) 3.Live daily for others; i.e., outward, and not inward.
THE FOOTING ON ROM. 6: 11, A WEAPON OF VICTORY
The standing on Romans 6: 11 means the attitude of the believer reckoning himself “dead unto sin . . in Christ Jesus.” It is a declaration of death–a gulf of death–to evil spirits as well as sin; to evil spirits working in, through, for, instead of, or in conjunction with the man.
To resist the enemy on the ground of the blood of Christ, means wielding the weapon of the finished work of Christ, by faith; i.e., His death for sin, freeing the trusting believer from the guilt of sin; His death to sin on the Cross and the believer’s death with Him, freeing the man from the power of sin, and His death victory on Calvary freeing the believer from the power of Satan.
A condensed form of the principles, and conditions for deliverance from the deception and possession of evil spirits in any degree, may be given as follows:–
1.Knowledge of the possibility of deception and possession; 2.Admission of actual deception and possession; 3.Attitude of neutrality toward all past experiences (spiritual) until truth concerning them is ascertained; 4.Refusal of all ground to evil spirits; 5.(In some cases) the casting out of evil spirits by the authority of the Name of Christ; 6.The believer taking position of death to sin (Rom. 6: 11); 7.The detection and refusal of all that belongs to possession; 8.The understanding of the criterion of the true normal condition so as to gauge signs of dispossession; 9.Active usage of the faculties so that they reach the normal condition.
In another brief form a summary of the steps to deliverance may be given as follows:– 1.Recognize persistently the true cause of bondage; i.e., the work of an evil spirit or spirits. 2.Choose to have absolutely nothing to do with the powers of darkness. Frequently declare this. 3.Do not talk or trouble about their manifestations. Recognize, refuse and then ignore them. 4.Refuse and reject all their lies and excuses, as they are recognized. 5.Notice the thoughts, and the way in which they come, and when, and immediately declare the attitude of Rom. 6: 11 against all the interferences of the enemy.
Hindrances to deliverance from deception and possession may again be given here briefly, as:–
1.Not knowing it is possible to be deceived; 2.Thinking God will not allow a believer to be deceived; 3.Saying “I am safe under the Blood,” without intelligent knowledge of conditions; 4.Saying “I have no sin,” to open the door to an “evil spirit”; 5.Saying “I am doing all that God wants, so all must be right”; without seeking to understand what the will of the Lord is. (Eph. 5: 10- 17).
Some hints on overcoming passivity of mind, are as follows:–
1.Act as far as you can, doing what you can. 2.Take the initiative, instead of passively depending on others. 3.Decide for yourself in everything you can. Do not lean on others. 4.Live in the moment, watch and pray step by step. 5.Use your mind, and THINK–think over all you do, and say, and are.
THE CALL TO DECISIVE ACTION OF THE WILL All this is fully made clear in the New Testament Epistles. “Our old man was crucified with Him” is said of the work of Christ at Calvary, but on the part of the one who desires this potential fact made true in his life, he is called upon to declare his attitude of choice with decisive action, both in the negative and positive positions. The Apostle appeals again and again to the redeemed believer to act decisively with his will, as the following few passages show:–
Negative
Positive
“Cast off the works of darkness.”
“Put on the armour of light.”
Rom. 13: 12.
Rom. 13: 12.
“Put away the old man.”
“Put on the new man.”
Eph. 4: 22.
Eph. 4: 24.
“Put off the old man with his doings.”
“Put on the new man.”
Col. 3: 9.
Col. 3: 10.
“Put to death your members.”
“Present your members unto God.”
Col. 3: 5.
Rom. 6: 13.
“Put off the body of the flesh.”
“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh.”
Col. 2: 11.
Rom. 13: 14.
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See also Ephes. 6: 13, 16
“Take up the whole amour. . .
“Put on a heart of compassion.”
Col. 3:12
“Put on the whole armour of God.”
Eph. 6: 11
SOME LIGHT ON TRUE GUIDANCE AFTER THE SPIRIT
In “guidance,” the believer should understand that when
there is no action in his spirit, he should use his mind.
If in everything there must be the “Amen” in the spirit,
there is no use for the brain at all, but the SPIRIT DOES
NOT ALWAYS SPEAK. There are times when it should
be left in abeyance. In all guidance the mind decides
the course of action, not only from the feeling in the
spirit, but by the light in the mind.
In coming to a decision, the deciding is an act of mind
and will, based upon, either mental process of reasoning,
or sense of the spirit, or both, i.e.:–
(1) Decision by mental process, reasoning, or
(2) Decision by sense of the spirit: i.e., movement, impelling;
drawing or restraint; spirit as if “dead”–no response.
Contraction of spirit; openness of spirit; fullness of spirit;
compression of spirit; burden on spirit; wrestling in spirit;
resisting in spirit.note 2
BELIEVER SHOULD MAINTAIN NEUTRALITY TO
ACCUSATIONS UNTIL SOURCE PROVED
The steps in the working of evil spirits in their accusations
and false charges, are these, when the believer accepts
their accusations:–
(1) The believer thinks and believes he is guilty;
(2) Evil spirits cause him to feel guilty;
(3) They cause him, then, to appear guilty;
(4) They cause him then to be actually guilty note 10 through
believing their lies, it matters not whether he is guilty or
not in the first instance.
The armoured Christian. Armoured with truth. Righteousness of life. Making and keeping peace. Faith as a shield. Scriptures in the hand. Prayer without ceasing.
The non-armoured Christian. Open to lies, through ignorance. Unrighteousness through ignorance. Divisions and quarrels. Self-preservation. note 52 and control. Reckless unwatchfulness. Doubt and unbelief. Relying on reason instead God’s Word. Relying on work without prayer.
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~FOR YOUR MEDITATION~
Matthew 5:8–Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
John 10:10–The thief comes 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.
1 Peter 1:2–Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Deuteronomy 11:16–Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
Colossians 3:15–And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Luke 11:36–If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
Ephesians 5:13–But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
1 Timothy 1:18–This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them might war a good warfare;
2 Timothy 2:3-4–Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Luke 8:5–A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5–For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (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 exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Gal. 6–Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Ephesians 6:10-18–Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Love of the Bridegroom 