Demonic Deception

Back in the early fifties I was in the Navy. [Despite the rumors, that’s 1950s, not 1850’s.] Every day I typed a Bible verse on a three by five card and posted it in the alcove where we had coffee brewing. Then I hung around and had conversations about the “verse of the day.”

My Navy buddies were open to talking, but there was one thing they couldn’t grasp. If God promised us heaven just for trusting in Jesus, they reasoned, a person could just go out and commit any sin they wanted to. So the Gospel just couldn’t be true.

I tried to point out that the key was “wanted to.” If a person was convinced God loved him enough to give his only Son he would want to please God rather than sin. But salvation by faith in Jesus was something they just couldn’t grasp. In the words of Scripture, the god of this world, Satan, had blinded them so they simply could not see the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). What we may not realize is that demons are constantly at work trying to blind and deceive  believers as well.

A liar from the beginning

Scripture characterizes Satan as a deceiver and a liar. His first appearance in Scripture, at the temptation of Eve, shows his use of deception as a basic strategy. Satan leads Eve into disobedience by first questioning and then directly denying God’s word. He promises that if she eats the forbidden fruit she “will be like God, knowing good and evil.” With Eve’s trust in God’s Word eroded she is left with nothing to rely on but what appeals to her senses and what she hopes will result from the choice she wants to make.

Satan has cut Eve off from the one reliable source of information about reality. She is left to struggle in a world of illusion, unable to distinguish between what will help and what will hurt. And Satan has accomplished his purpose by the use of lies and deceit.

The theme of Satan and his followers as deceivers runs through Scripture. Paul describes Satan as one who masquerades as an angel of light, and notes that it’s not surprising that his followers masquerade a servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:14).. Satan and his demons have far greater success corrupting believers by presenting what is harmful as a “good´ than by encouraging believers to do what they know is evil. Deception is perhaps the primary strategy of demons when it comes to their activity in our daily lives.

Deception on a grand scale

We live in a society that is straying far from its spiritual roots. Morality is thought of by most as relative; what is wrong for me may be right for someone else. “Tolerance” has been exalted to such a central cultural value that a person who dares to agree with God that some behavior or lifestyle is sinful is condemned and scorned. Media and music cast women sex objects unworthy of respect. And marketing’s emphasis on material possessions conveys the idea that happiness is to be found in the multitude of things one possesses. Satan strives to shape human culture to cast illusion on a grand scale, and I have no doubt that powerful demons are assigned to movies, television, and the other transmitters of cultural values today.

It is difficult for a person growing up in any culture to distinguish between its illusions and reality. Especially when the deceptive beliefs and values are so pervasive that they are accepted uncritically and even unconsciously by nearly everyone.

In Romans 12 the Apostle Paul encourages his readers to “be transformed by the renewing of your minds,” that you might prove what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God. The word translated “mind” here is nous, which we might render as “perception.” Transformation proceeds as our perceptions are reshaped by the Word of God, so that we might understand aned live in accord with his will. Only Scripture can enable us to see through the deceptive illusions Satan spins to see things as they really are. Only Scripture enables us to know what is truly good, so that our steps might be guided by God’s will.

Deception writ small

Demonic deception is private as well as cultural and pervasive.. Demons actively seek to deceive individuals, lying to us about ourselves and others. One favorite strategy of demons is to plant and then encourage false ideas about ourselves in our minds. A child who is deeply hurt by a scolding and told he’ll never amount to anything may find that belief deeply implanted in his mind. Every minor failure or failing reinforces the belief, with a gleeful assist from demons.

Or a young person living with a parent who demands perfection may grow up feeling inadequate. As an adult he may be unwilling to risk for fear of failure, or he may succeed but lnever enjoy his accomplishments, feeling he should have done even better. These are the kinds of beliefs about oneself that are implanted by others tp be encouraged and endlessly repeated by demons.

The truth is that every person has great potential, and that a Christian has even greater potential. Every believer has a role to play within the Body of Christ. Every believer has been given spiritual gifts that enable him or her to fulfill that role. Every believer is important, and can be empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we accept the judgment of others, that we “will never amount to anything,” we limit our impact in God’s kingdom,. . . something that demons are vitally interested in doing.

Demonic deception may be responsible for many ofour failings. We wonder how we could have missed signs that our child was beginning to use drugs, or was being sexually molested.

We ascribe the worst of motives to an acquaintance when we don’t and can’t know her situation.

We find ourselves doubting God, or wondering what so and so must have done to deserve the suffering he’s experiencing. These and other ungodly beliefs about God, ourselves and others, are often lies planted by Satan’s demons.

Deceptive and lying demons can blind us to things we would normally recognize, and plant thoughts and judgments which no basis in reality.

The remedy for demonic decept

When experiencing temptation it’s appropriate to use the Word of Command and order any demons involved to stop troubling you. What is appropriate for dealing with demons intent on deceiving you?

The primary remedy against “grand scale” demonic deception is the Word of God. We need to be aware of the beliefs, values and motives that energize the society in which we live, and evaluate them by what God had revealed in Scripture. As we read and study the Bible we can expect God’s Spirit to test and to shape our perceptions and bring them into harmony with God’s will. The transformation will be gradual, and slower that we would like. But if in our hearts we want to please God and live to honor him, God will work through his Word.

But demons can blind us to other things in ourselves and others as well as to illusions embedded in our culture. We need to ask God to open our eyes to anything that Satan is seeking to hide from us. As we pray God to strip away illusions and enable us to see situations and relationships as they truly are, God will show us the truth that we might act on it.

Truth vs Falsehood

When the King of Judah ask Ahab, King of Israel, to seek a word from God about a joint attack they planned on the Syrians, Ahab was willing. He called out his prophets, and they all agreed. Go up to battle, and you will be victorious.

The King of Judah wasn’t satisfied. He wanted information from a prophet of the Lord, not prophets of the apostate Ahab. Reluctantly Ahab agreed, and called of the prophet Micaiah. Micaiah revealed that the promise made by Ahab’s prophets was a lying promise, put in their minds by a lying spirit sent to deceive Ahab and lure him to his death. If you go up, Micaiah assured Ahab, you’ll be killed.

Furious, Ahab ordered Micaiah imprisoned until Ahab returned. But Micaiah’s had revealed the truth, and Ahab failed to return. He was killed in the battle.

The story, found at the end of the First Book of Kings in the Old Testament, reminds us of an important reality. Where Satan’s followers seek to deceive, God provides the truth.

Today as in ancient times where Satan’s lies are spun God makes the truth known. The question is, which will we act on, the truth or the lie? If we are committed to do God’s will we can ask with complete confidence to distinguish the truth from the lie.

Quotable

Satan is a defeated foe; therefore his power is limited, but he still has the ability to “deceive the whole world” (Rev.12:9). Jesus said, “The devil . . . does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar,  and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Satan has no authority or power over you except what you yield to him when you are deceived into believing his lies.

Niel T. Anderson, Victory over the Darkness

Don’t Fear Disarmed demons!

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15).

Background

Colossians presents the Gospel against the background of an emerging heresy that was rooted in a particular view of the universe. Apparently many in the city of Colosse bought into the idea that, in order to reconcile the belief that God is good with the presence of evil in the world, it was necessary to make a sharp distinction between spirit and matter. God is good, and God is spirit. So that which is “spiritual”—understood as immaterial and invisible—must also be good. And since evil is resident in matter, this group of people who were later called Gnostics, assumed that our physical bodies and our lives in the world are necessarily tainted by evil.

It seemed to these Colossians that it followed logically that God, who is both good and spirit, must isolate himself completely from the evil material universe. Thus God could not have created the material universe. Nor could God have entered the creation as a true human being, for human beings have an “evil” material dimension as well as a “good” spiritual aspect. To have taken on humanity God would have had to bond with the material, and as the truly good could never unite with the wholly evil, incarnation seemed to these people utterly impossible.

The Apostle Paul contradicts this abstract, philosophically reasoned set of beliefs. For one thing, there are evil spirit beings, those very principalities and powers that the ancient world feared. So spirit can not be “good by definition.” For another, God did create the universe. And God did enter the universe he created as a true human being. What’s more, the incarnate God died bodily on the cross, was resurrected bodily, and even now is at the right hand of the Father, eternally bonding in the person of Jesus Christ both God and human being.

It is in the context of these conflicting views of the universe that Paul focuses our attention on the cross, and asserts that in the cross Jesus disarmed the “powers and authorities” and triumphed over them.

Observations

“principalities and authorities” The terms “principality” and “authority” are two of thirteen different “power” terms in the Epistles used to identify supernatural beings that the people of the first century believed occupied the spirit world. These terms might be applied to a pagan god or goddess, or to any other spirit being, such as a demon or a ghost or demi-god [half human, half deity}. In the first century these supernatural beings were generally feared, for the populace firmly believed that beings in the spirit world controlled what happened in this world. Spirit beings determined whether humans would be sick or well, poor of wealthy, unlucky or lucky. So principalities and authorities were held in awe, and people were desperate to placate or to influence them.

“having disarmed” The exciting message of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ has “disarmed” the enemy in the spirit world. The image is drawn from military life. When a foe was defeated it was forced to surrender every sword, every spear, every knife blade, every blunt object, with which it might harm the victor. The weapons were surrendered, or they were torn from the unwilling hands of the defeated but still hostile enemy.

The principalities and powers, Satan’s demons all, would not surrender voluntarily. So Jesus disarmed them! The weapons they wielded against a helpless humanity were torn from their hands at Calvary by a triumphant Christ!

“he made a public spectacle of them” When a Roman general defeated a stubborn foe the Senate might vote him a triumph. So honored, the general led a procession through the city of Rome itself. The victorious general rode in a chariot, cheered by admiring crowds. He was trailed by the defeated foe, who stumbled after him in chains, forced to endure the jeers and insults of the mob.

This is the image that Paul draws of the principalities and powers who once terrorized humankind. Jesus has triumphed. Satan and all his demons are now exposed as powerless, having been disarmed by the Lord. And we are invited to envision Satan’s hordes as, powerless now, they trail after the Savior, heads bowed, the objects of our jeers and our contempt.

“triumphing over them by the cross” How did Jesus triumph over Satan? In the most amazing manner. Not by power, with flashing lightening bolt as thunders pealed. Jesus triumphed by dying like some criminal on a Roman cross.

The writer of Hebrews explains it for us. Jesus chose to share our humanity “so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14,15). It was our mortality that gave Satan his power over us. We lived in fear of what might come, knowing how vulnerable each of us was and how helpless before the specter of our own approaching death.  Then, in his death, Jesus ripped that power from Satan’s hand, revealing that what lies ahead for us is life, and that eternal!

With the power of death torn from his hands by the death of Jesus, Satan and his demons truly are disarmed. Satan is a defeated foe. Freed from the fear of death we are released from Satan’s grasp. There is nothing now that Satan or his demons can do to harm us.  For all the demons’ posturing, for all their threats, demons know all they can do is try to bluff those who do not realize who they are in Christ, or who fail to grasp the truth Paul states so clearly. Jesus truly has disarmed the powers and the authorities. Today they cringe when we see them as they are; powerless, disarmed, dragged unwillingly along behind the triumphant Jesus who lifts high his cross.

So many in Christ’s church today shy away from the subject of demons. They would rather pretend that evil spiritual forces do not exist. It seems dangerous to acknowledge the reality of evil spirits or explore the harm demons may do to believers. These Christians seem to feel that if we ignore demons, they may ignore us. But the good news of the Gospel is that Christ has triumphed. He has disarmed the evil forces that we so foolishly fear. In spiritual warfare the outcome is no longer in doubt. Because Christ has disarmed the forces of evil, we have already won! All we need to do is understand the enemy, take our stand against him, and he will flee.

Where did Demons Come From?

The apostle Paul pictures the “heavenly realms” as the abode of spirit beings. These rulers, authorities and “powers of this dark world” are the “spiritual forces of evil” against which believers must stand (Eph. 6:12). And the Gospels are filled with references to demons who infect humans and cause various illnesses and difficulties. Clearly demons exist. But nowhere in the New Testament are we told exactly what these spirit beings are, or where they came from.

Two theories

In first century Judaism there were two prevalent theories. The first was built on Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, which were understood to describe the transformation of the angel Lucifer into the Prince of Darkness, Satan. According to this theory, the demons and evil spirits which all ancient peoples believed populate the spirit world, were angels who had followed Satan in his great rebellion against the Creator.

The second theory was built on the Genesis 6 reference to Nephalim, who were the offspring of the “sons of God,” understood as angels, and human women. According to this second theory, demons are the disembodied spirits of these half-breeds who died in the subsequent Genesis Flood.

No other theories were offered then, or later. While in the first century the ghosts of humans were supposed to remain nearby for a time, and often supposed to harm the living, this was a pagan theory and not common in Judaism or early Christianity.

We’re left, then, if we wish to be biblical in our search for the identity of evil spirits, to ask whether either of these ancient theories has additional support in Scripture. We very quickly discover that the second theory is given no additional support beyond the Genesis 6 story from which it is drawn. But the theory that demons are fallen angels—angels who sinned with Satan when he fell—does have considerable New Testament support.

Six lines of evidence

1.  Evidence that some angels fell with Satan

A statement in Revelation 12 pictures Satan as an enormous red dragon and refers to his tail sweeping “a third of the stars out of the sky and flinging them to earth (v.3). As angels are sometimes referred to in the OT as “stars” (cf. JOB 38:7), this reference is often taken as evidence that a third of the angels God created followed Satan in his rebellion. This interpretation is commonly supported by Rev. 12:7, which describes “the dragon and his angels” at war with Michael and God’s angels in heaven. A similar reference to “the devil and his angels” is found in Matthew 25:4.

2.  Evidence from parallel expressions

The devil “and his angels” are linked in Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 12:7. A parallel expression is found in Matthew 12:24, where reference is made to “Bellzebub [a name for Satan] and his demons.” In these expressions “angels” and “demons” are parallel, and thus arguably the same.

3. Evidence from parallel activities

The Bible pictures demons as seeking to enter and control individuals (Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 11:14,15), something which Satan also does (Luke 22:3; John 3:2). In the same way evil angels are seen joining Satan to war against God, just as are demons (Mark 9:17-26; Revelation 9:1-11).

4. Evidence from essential being

Angels are called “spirits” in Psalm 14:4; Hebrews 1:14). Demons are also called “spirits” (see Matthew 8:15; Luke 19:17).

5. Evidence from personhood

Both angels and demons are referred to by personal pronouns, indicating that   both are persons (Luke 8:28, etc.). While members of a class, both angels and demons are revealed to be individuals.

6. Evidence of personhood

Like angels, demons can communicate with us and are pictured as having emotions, intelligence, and other marks of personhood (Luke 8:31, etc.) As above, angels and demons are each pictured as individuals in Scripture.

Conclusion

While any one of these lines of evidence might be challenged, it’s difficult to imagine that six distinct lines of evidence which support the same conclusion, are likely to lead to an erroneous conclusion. In short, there is enough Scriptural evidence to conclude with some confidence that the demons of the Gospels and the powers of the Epistles are in fact angels who rebelled against God

While we can say this with some confidence, whether our conclusion is right or wrong has little impact on biblical demonology. Whatever their origins, there clearly are supernatural beings who are engaged with Satan in an invisible war against God and human kind. The good news is that Satan and his followers are defeated foes, and that as we follow Scriptures guidelines we can meet, and defeat them today.

Occult Roots of Astrology

In the time of Paul astrology was closer to religion than “science.” Franz Cumont provides a clear statement of the common belief:

“The planets and constellations were not only cosmic forces, whose favorable or inauspicious influence grew weaker or stronger according to a course established for eternity; they were deities whose who saw and heard, who were glad or sad, who had a voice and sex, who were prolific or sterile, gentle or savage, obsequious or arrogant. Their anger could be therefore soothed and their favor obtained through rites and offerings; even the adverse stars were not unrelenting and could be persuaded through sacrifices and supplications.”

Magic could be used with great success by manipulating and invoking the assistance of the astral spirits. Magic thus was not only a mechanism for altering fate, but also for tapping into the power of the astral spirits for carrying out the varied demands of the conjurer. One papyrus text bases the effectiveness of all conjurations on the position of the moon in the various houses of the zodiac:

“Orbit of the moon: Moon in Virgo: anything is rendered obtainable. In Libra: necromancy. In Scorpio: anything inflicting evil. In Sagittarius: an invocation or incantations to the sun and moon. In Capricorn: say whatever you wish for best results. In Aquarius, love charms. Pisces: foreknowledge. Aries: fire divination or love charm. In Taurus: incantation to a lamp. Gemini: spell for winning favor. In Cancer: phylacteries. Leo: rings or binding spells.”

Clinton E. Arnold

Powers of Darkness pp 51,52

?

A Visit to Pilate’s Court

The trials of Jesus, first before a Jewish court and then before the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate, are described in each of the Gospels. The trials have also spawned dozens of books and articles. Yet one mysterious response of Jesus to Pilate hasn’t been given enough attention. Perhaps that’s because it’s hard to know exactly what to make of Jesus’ statement.

The Gospel of John portrays a conflicted Pilate, unsettled at being put in the position of judging a person he knows is innocent, a person who claims to be the Son of God. At one point deep into the trial, an exasperated Pilate says to a silent Jesus, “Don’t you know that I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

Christ answers, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin” (John 19:11).

It’s easy to see why this saying of Jesus tends to be ignored. We know, as Peter makes clear, that Herod and Pontus Pilate and the people of Israel “conspired” against Jesus and that, in this, they “did what your [God’s] power and will had decided beforehand should happen” (Acts 4:29). In a sense the “one who handed” Jesus over to those who crucified him was God the Father.

What’s more, the word for “above, anothen, is found only three times in the New Testament. John the Baptist speaks of the coming Messiah as “the one who comes from above” (John 3:31). In the same verse he identifies the Messiah as “the one who comes from heaven” (John 3:31).

James 1:17 states that “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”

The third use is by Jesus in his statement to Pilate, that the procurator’s authority is “given to you from above.”

Normally we would take “above” as a typical Jewish way of referring to God, suggesting that Jesus may be reminding Pilate that his power has been granted to him by the Creator. But Jesus goes on to state that “therefore the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” Unless we can find another meaning to hamartia, “sin,” this rules God out as the source of Pilate’s power over Jesus, for nothing that God does can be described as “sin.”

This seems to leave us with three possibilities. The first is that Pilate, as an agent of the Roman Empire, is a man “under authority.” That is, his authority and power derive from above him and are not inherent in him personally, but exist only because of his role within the system. Thus the “one who handed me over to you” may represent corrupt political power.

This does not seem to be a likely meaning, however, as the phrase “the one who” points to a responsible personal agent, an individual.

If that individual is not God, who might it be? We could suggest Jesus has in mind the Jewish high priest, who conspired to see to it that Jesus was executed. Jesus was “handed over” to Pilate by a Jewish court. But this was not the act of “one.” It was the judgment of the Sanhedrin, Judaism’s supreme religious and civil court, which had some 70 members. In addition “the crowd”, a reference to the Jerusalem public, had a significant role in Jesus’ crucifixion. The crowd demanded that Barabas, a brigand and a murderer, be released rather than Jesus.

An unlikely suggestion is that Jesus has Judas in mind. But Judas is no longer a factor. Judas had agreed with the temple priests to betray Jesus, and had led a mob organized by the High Priest to capture Jesus. Judas might be accused of handing Jesus over to the Jewish court, but he could hardly be accused of handing Jesus over to Pilate. And certainly Judas had no influence on what any Roman did, much less being the source of Pilate’s power.

The final possibility is that Jesus is referring to Satan, both as the source of Pilate’s power, and as the one who handed Jesus over to the earthly authorities that carried out Christ’s execution. This is a strong possibility, supported by several lines of evidence. The Gospels tell us that at the critical moment Satan “entered into” Judas, not to create the intent to betray Jesus but more likely to support and intensify that intent (Matt 26:14;Luke 22:3). Satan thus might well be called “the one who” handed Jesus over to Pilate.

But what about the indication that “the one” who handed Jesus over was also the source of Pilate’s power? Several observations may help us here. According to Ephesians Satan and his demonic followers are “the powers of this dark world” and these “forces of evil [are] in the heavenlies” (6:12). If we understand the heavenlies and “heaven” as the realm of the supernatural, which is certainly one sense in which the terms are used, the reference to that realm as “above” is understandable.

We should also remember that in tempting Jesus, Satan made a claim which other New Testament passages support. Satan offered Jesus all the world’s kingdom, and said “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to” (Luke 4:6). It’s no wonder then that John tells us that “the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).

It seems then that in speaking of the one from whom Pilate derived his power and authority, Jesus was probably referring to Satan, not to God, not to the Roman Empire, not to Judas, and not to the Jewish leaders. Satan was totally invested in the attempt to kill Jesus, a theme I develop in my Invisible War book, The 69th Week. There I suggest that Satan’s efforts to kill Jesus was based on a belief that if the God-Man died, the triune God himself must be either shattered or weakened.

What actually happened is that Jesus rose from the dead, unleashing a burst of resurrection power that transforms all who trust him, and that establishes once and for all Jesus supremacy in the universe. It’s against this background of Satan’s desperate effort to neutralize the Creator that Paul writes of God’s secret wisdom in 1 Corinthians 2. That secret wisdom foresaw the mystery of life through death, of victory through defeat, and of glory through humiliation. And so Paul says, “none of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8).

Satan and his following of fallen angels failed to grasp God’s secret wisdom. And so Satan arranged for a corrupt Jewish court to accuse Jesus, a corrupt judge who failed in his duty to clear the innocent to condemn Jesus, and a corrupt world power to carry out the execution.

In all of this, the one who bragged of his control of kingdoms, and who handed Jesus over to be crucified, committed a greater sin than did Pilate.

The irony is that in arranging for the death of the Son of God Satan ensured his ultimate and total defeat . . . and our salvation.

Powers of the Powers #4

I suppose it’s only fair when writing on the Powers of the Powers to include something on their limitations. There seems to be a lot that the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” can do to mess up the lives of us humans down here on earth. At the same time, it would be a mistake to fear demons. Take them seriously, yes. But fear them? No.

One of the most interesting stories on this point in Scripture is found in 2 Samuel 24, and told again – with a significant variation! – in 1 Chronicles 21. The first time the story is told the writer begins, “Again the anger of the Lord was stirred against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” We’re not told what Israel was doing that angered the Lord, though typically idolatry and injustice were involved when God’s anger stirred. We’re not even told why taking a census was such a terrible thing. After all, Moses had taken a census of fighting men when the Israelites left Egypt, and again some 38 years later when the second generation was about to enter Canaan. However, it’s clear that it was a terrible thing for David to do. Even General Joab, hardly a spiritual man, objected, saying “why does my lord the King want to do such a thing!”

That question too was never answered, and commentators have enjoyed speculating on why taking a military census at that time was so wrong. Most suggest that the census indicates a lack of faith: David was relying on the vast armies he could put in the field against his enemies rather than relying on the Lord. But, as I said, it’s all speculation. David didn’t answer Joab’s question. And the Bible doesn’t answer our question, either.

What the Bible does do is to introduce a supposed “conflict” in retelling the story in 1 Chronicles 21. There the writer launches his account saying, “Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.” Both authors agree that Israel was the target. But one credits the Lord with inciting David to take the census, and the other credits Satan.

For folks who doubt verbal inspiration of Scripture, the differing accounts seem to offer proof of “error” in the Bible. That is, of course, unless one chooses to believe the obvious. God and Satan were each taking aim at Israel. And each of them, for his own good – and in the case of Satan, evil – reason was actively inciting David to take the census.

Take the census David did. He learned that he had a million, one hundred thousand men of Israel and four hundred seventy thousand of Judah available. But the census was hardly complete when David realized, “I have sinned greatly in doing this,” and asked God’s forgiveness. At this point the prophet Gad came to David offering him three choices of punishment, each directed against Israel, which had always been the object of God’s anger. As king David represented his people, and so in Hebrew thought punishing the people for the action of the nation’s head was an appropriate thing to do.

Now, if you want to read the rest of this story, you can check out either 2 Samuel 24 or 1 Chronicles 21. What I want to focus on is three apparently conflicting statements.
1. The Lord was angry with Israel and incited David.
2. Satan rose up against Israel and incited David, and
3. David’s statement, “I have sinned greatly in doing this.”
The question these three statements raise is, What responsibility did each person have for conducting the census?

The answer is both simple, and important for us to understand.

God was responsible for his action in inciting David. But God was not responsible for the choice David made. God, in creating human beings in his image, gave us the gift of free will, and he respects our freedom. God certainly doesn’t like all of our choices. And he wants everyone to come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved. But God will not force, coerce, or manipulate us into doing something we do not choose to do. David was fully aware of this when he took responsibility for his action and said “I have sinned greatly in doing this.” David didn’t try to shift the responsibility to God or to Satan. And David was right. It was his choice.

In the same was Satan was responsible for his action in inciting David. I suspect that Satan pulled out all stops in his effort to nudge or push David toward a decision that would bring harm God’s people. But while Satan does not respect our free will, Satan is unable to make choices for us. Ultimately our choices, like the choice David made to take the census, are our responsibility. Simply put, “the devil made me do it” is not a true statement.

This must be one of Satan’s greatest frustrations. Here he is, ages old, far more intelligent tham mere humans, fielding an army of demons, and while he and his can “incite” us, they simply CAN NOT make us choose to sin. Poor demons. So many powers, but in the end powerless to make humans do what humans choose not to do.

That’s the point of the supposed “error” or “contradiction” in these two Bible accounts of the census incident. It’s not that the Bible contradicts itself in the least. It’s simply that the two tellings of the story remind us of one amazing, and one wonderful, truth. The amazing truth is that God has chosen to limit himself in order to give us the freedom to be responsible for our choices. And the wonderful truth is that, despite all the evil power Satan wields, he cannot force us to make any choice against our will.

So take Satan and demons seriously. But don’t fear them. Just make it the habit of your life to choose what you know is pleasing to God, however desperately Satan tries to incite you to sin.

Quotable

Many have assumed that a demonized person’s greatest problem is the demon itself. This is seldom true. Demons are like rats. And the ability of rats to stay in a place is dependent on the presence of garbage in that place. With demons, then, it is the presence of emotional and spiritual garbage that gives them the legal right they need to live in a person. Their job is to make those problems worse and, thereby, to keep the person in captivity.
Charles Kraft,
In Doris M. Wagner (ed) How to Minister Freedom

Spirits evil? Not to folks today

Belief in evil spirits is as old as humanity. In ancient Messopotamia expectant mothers quaked at the thought that the demon-goddess Lamashtu might be stalking them, eager to claim their baby at birth. In the first century some persons were believed to have supernatural powers because they had a relationship with demon “assistants” who carried out spells they cast against others. Just who these evil spirits were, or where they came from, was a mystery. But no one doubted that they exist.

Today too the many varieties of contemporary neopagans are quite fascinated by the spirit world. They worship so-called gods and goddesses, and view the spirit world asa populated by a variety of heroes, spirits of the deceased, spirits awaiting birth, animal spirits, all of which are eager to contact and to help those currently living in this world. And, oh yes, the new pagans do believe in evil spirits who might harm someone who contacts them by mistake. While the ancients viewed the gods as selfish and capricious and unreliable at best, they viewed all spirits as dangerous. The spirits could be employed to gain control over another person or to harm them. But in general the spirit world was populated by dangerous entities. Today the new pagans view almost all spirits as benevolent. And so they approach the supernatural realm with confidence and expectation.

Christians believe in evil spirits too. The four New Testament books that tell about the life of Jesus Christ, called the Gospels, frequently picture Jesus interacting with people who are afflicted by demons. These demons truly are evil, causing blindness, deafness, crippling diseases and, in extreme cases, madness. In every case Jesus commands the demons to leave the person they’re tormenting. And the demons, recognizing Jesus as the Son of God, are forced to obey him. The people the demons oppressed are healed and freed.

Certainly the designation “evil spirits” fits the demons of the New Testament. They are evil, committed to harming human beings. And they are spirits, something invisible as if from a different dimension.
The ancients puzzled over the nature of evil spirits. Some thought they were the hostile ghosts of people who’d been mistreated while alive. Some thought of them as minor gods or goddesses. The Bible’s answer to the question of “What are demons?” is unique.

Scripture tells us that before God created the material universe he created a host of the spirit beings we call angels. At some point a powerful angel named Lucifer led a rebellion against God. Lucifer was transformed into Satan, and the angels who joined his rebellion became demons, the “evil spirits” of the Gospels. The rebel Satan and the now-demons who followed him became the implacable enemies of God. And, because God loves human beings, Satan and demons seek to oppose God by oppressing and attacking human beings.
What’s fascinating for all of us who believe that there is a spirit world is that the Bible pictures just two kinds of spirits: angels, good spirits who love God and carry out his orders, and evil spirits, who hate God and are committed to deceive and torment human beings.

Christians don’t have all the answers about paranormal events, simply because the Bible doesn’t speak of them. But the Bible does address the spirit world. It pictures a world that can and does interact with ours. And it warns against attempts to contact that world, for the spirits eager to reach us are evil. Whether these spirits take the form of ghosts or goddesses, or masquerade as “spirit guides,” underneath, the Bible warns, they really are demons.

The good news about the spirit world, however, is that Jesus is far more powerful than evil spirits. The Son of God, who cast out demons in the first century, can free us from their influence today.

Quotable

Who does the healing?

For years I carried the burden of trying to be the healer. I was declaring with my mouth that God is the healer, but at the same time carrying the pressure of it as “my responsibility” to make something happen. Going into a Soul/Spirit Hurts session I was tense and anxious. I ministered for several years in this miserable condition. At last the light broke through. What he wanted was simply for me to cooperate with him as he did the healing. It’s not an understatement to say that, as I gave up my perceived responsibility (control). A multitudinous burden lifted.
Betsy Kylstra
in Restoring the Foundations