Seminar Available Now

Last Tuesday at the launch of the first of my Invisible War Novels I had the chance to test run a presentation that I’m now offering to alert Christians to the possibility of demonic possession and oppression.

This is a phenomenon we’re mostly ignorant of in our country. While demonic activity is well known in many other parts of the world, we in the United States or generally blind to demonic activity.

At the book launch I polled how many present had had some personal paranormal experience and found over 50% had. Yet when I asked how many had ever had teaching on demonic activity, not one hand wend up.

After my presentation I spoke one woman whose two adopted children had been demon possessed, and one missionary who commented that demon activity was familiar in many parts of the world and who had exorcised a demon overseas just three months ago. Yet most pastors, Christian doctors, Christian counselors and Christian psychiatrists ignore the possibility of demonic possession or oppression, and are blind to their symptoms.

The Seminar

The seminar I’m offering takes about an hour and a half, although it can be condensed to an hour. It has five parts:
 
I.  The skull

    It helps those who attend sense the terror of demons with which ancient people lived,        and which many in the third world live with today.

II. Quiz

    Answers to quiz questions demonstrate the penetration of our society by occult practices     that open individuals to demonization.

III. Assumptions and consequences

    1. Gospel accounts of demonic activity are reliable.
    2. Demons are able to do today what they did then.
    3. Gospel accounts help us understand contemporary demonic activity.
 
    We then look at several Gospel accounts, and see how demons may be involved in our
    experiences today.

IV. The Invisible War Novels

    Communicating truths about the struggle between God and Satan, angels and demons, in
    a unique way that informs both believers and nonbelievers.

V.  Questions and answers

    Participants in the seminar have the opportunity to ask questions.

Follow up

Participants are encouraged to learn more through the novels (which are available at a significantly reduced price) and by registering on www.demondope.com.

It’s hard to sense from this brief outline how fascinating and compelling the seminar content is to those who attend. You simply have to experience it to grasp the impact. But I do believe that we need to alert believers today to the spiritual warfare going on all around us. Warfare of which too many Christians are completely ignorant.

Where I’ll be

If you’d your congregation, class or group to be more informed about this increasingly important issue, I expect to be in Florida in late April and in Southern California in late May. And I’m always available within driving distance of our home in Raleigh, NC.

The Devil (1)

Recently [3/26/009] ABC’s “Nightline” sponsored a debate on the existence of the Devil. It was held at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. On the pro side were Pastor Mark Driscoll and a Ann Lambert, a converted prostitute who now heads Hookers for Jesus. On the anti were Deepak Chopra and Bishop Carlton Pearson. With gracious condescension Chopra put down those whose own needless guilt required the invention of an evil being, while an emotional Lambert insisted she’s seen the Devil in the eyes of her John. Excerpts from the actual debate were mere snippets, and did justice to the positions of neither side. But you can still see the full episode on line by going to “Nightline on ABC” and clicking on video of the full episode.

The fact is, of course, that belief in the existence of the devil doesn’t rest on our interpretation of experiences with evil. It rests on the reliability of Scripture, which enables us to interpret our experiences accurately. Chopra admitted the existence of evil but denied the existence of a being who embodies evil and actively promotes it. Scripture is clear that the evil was introduced into the universe by the rebellion of Lucifer, the angel who became Satan, and that evil was introduced into our world by a similar rebellion against the will of God by Adam, instigated by Satan himself.

Oh yes. Satan exists. And he is still intent on encouraging rebellion against the will of God, whether that rebellion is inadvertent or conscious. In fact, Satan, as ruler of this world, uses both the world and the flesh to foment continuous rebellion.

A brief review

In our studies on “the world” we saw that the Greek word kosmos means “order” or “system.” When the Bible says that “the whole world lies in the wicked one” it’s reminding us that human society as a systematic arrangement of attitudes, beliefs and values reflects the nature and character of Satan rather than of God. In the words of the Apostle John, “all that is in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16). Human cultures mirror Satan, not the divine.

In our studies on “the flesh” we saw that the Hebrew and Greek terms, when used to describe human nature, depict humankind as vulnerable, helpless, and corrupt. We are drawn to sin, urged to it, by our “sinful passions.”

The best image I know of the relationship between the world and the flesh is that of a picture puzzle. Label half the pieces “the world” and label the other half “the flesh,” and you suddenly realize that the world and the flesh fit together perfectly! The social world, the culture in which we live, is perfectly structured to fit man’s sinful tendencies.

I won’t go into here how we conduct spiritual warfare with the world and with the flesh. That’s covered in earlier posts on each enemy. What I want to emphasize here is the fact that Satan and his demons and involved in our struggles with the both the world and the flesh.

Satan’s own twist

There’s not much about demons in the Old Testament. There are two references that indicate demons were the spiritual realities behind the gods pagans worshipped, and we have no reason to doubt that demons continue to energize non-Christian religions.

The Gospels however describe different ways in which demon’s impact human experience. And the epistles provide additional information on what Paul calls “Satan’s devices” or strategies. So in exploring spiritual warfare against Satan, we’re going to explore three biblical sources of information.

   We’re going to look at demonic attacks on individuals described in the Gospels.
   We’re going to look at Satan’s strategies as unveiled in the Epistles.
   We’re going to look at what Paul calls the “whole armor of God” described in Ephesians.

I’m not sure how many posts it will take to work through all this information. But personally I’m looking forward to the adventure . . . and to discovering what the Bible teaches about spiritual warfare against the Evil One and his followers.

A Real Life Exorcism

You may be surprised to learn that there are no less than 37 shows currently on TV that have a paranormal theme. Some are, I guess you could say, “dramas” such as Charmed, rerun daily on one of Ted Turners networks. There’s also Medium, which rates a prime-time slot on a major broadcast network. But the majority of the shows with an occult theme are either documentaries or dramatizations of “real events.”

One of the better shows is Paranormal States, on A&E. It’s led to a number of spin-offs, such as the utterly ridiculous “Paranormal kids.” I’m not suggesting you waste your time watching any of these shows. But I did run across one exceptional program which gives every indication of the filming of an authentic exorcism. If you’d care to watch it, go to A&E on Demand, access the series Paranormal States, and then select the program titled “Six.”

Note especially that while the priest conducting the exorcism begins with the Catholic ritual or exorcism, as the exorcism proceeds it becomes a direct conflict of the demon with the name and power of Jesus. Also note that while the exorcism did expel the demon, the young woman was apparently repossessed two weeks later. I’ll have something to say about the need to follow up exorcism with continuing prayer and with teaching in a future post.

The Flesh (5)

It’s taken a while, but we’ve finally reached the last of our articles on spiritual warfare against “the flesh.” You’ll remember that theologically “the flesh” is a term that portrays human beings as weak, vulnerable, and prone to sin. In this context “temptation” is to be understood objectively as any situation in which humans are drawn to make sinful choices, while subjectively “temptation” is our response to that situation. While God has a role in the situations in which Christians find themselves, God is not responsible for our attraction to wrong and sinful choices. The subjective temptation to sin is the response of the flesh to the situation, and thus we’re drawn away from what’s right by our own “sinful passions.”

Our first reaction when we find ourselves tempted should be to remove ourself from the situation. Thus Paul advises Timothy to “flee youthful lusts [passions], and Jesus taught his disciples to pray “lead us not into temptation.” But there are situations we simply can’t flee. So Corinthians10:12,13 provides insight, and a promise.

The insight: “there is no temptation but such as is common to man.’ Human nature is human nature, and the temptations we feel are hardly unique. Any excuses such as “the temptation was just overwhelming” or “I coun’t help myself” just won’t wash.

The promise: “God will make a way of escape, that you may stand up under it.” God never allows us to be in situations where we have to sin. And in the situations we can’t flee, his solution is to enable us to “stand up under it.” We’ll feel pressure from within to do what we know is wrong. But God will provide us with victory by enabling us to do what’s right.

The “We Try Harder” Approach

In Fles.I 4 we saw that trying harder just doesn’t cut it. In fact, setting up the right thing to do as an “ought” or “law” and trying to keep it is a prescription for failure. In Roman 7:4-6 the Apostle Paul traces the psychological impact of “ought,” pointing out that external rules energize the sin nature and produce death. That is, the harder we focus on doing the right thing the more our sin nature is stirred up to want the wrong thing!

But the same passage points out that as Christians now, God has implanted in us a new nature, and that just is the flesh [the "old" nature with which we born] responds psychologically to Law (ought), so the “new” nature given us in Christ responds spiritually, not to Law but to the Spirit.

The two systems that operate within us then can be diagrammed:

flesh [old nature, sinful passions]–> energized by Law –> produces fruit for death [sin]
[new released and raised self]–>energized by the Spirit–>produces fruit for God [good works]

The “let go and let God” Approach

Romans 6:1-14 lays the foundation for what Paul is saying in Romans 7 and 8. In Romans 6 Paul takes us back to the cross, and explains what happened there. He tells us we were “baptized into Christ.” Don’t confuse this with water baptism, whether dipped, poured, or sprinkled. The phrase refers to the believer’s union with Jesus. Paul is saying that when we believed we bonded with Jesus so perfectly that we died with him on Calvary, and that when he rose from the dead we were raised to new life too.

This so-called “mystical union” with Jesus is not a metaphor or similie. It’s a reality. God counted Jesus’ death, when he paid for our sins, as our death. And when the Holy Spirit’s power flowed to raise Jesus from the dead, that same power flooded us even in our mortality (Romans 8:11). One day we will be transformed by the Holy Spirit to reflect Jesus perfectly. But the message of Romans 6-8 is that we don’t have to wait to experience that resurrection power in our lives! Because the Spirit is present within us, God’s power to overcome temptations can be ours, now.

So, what do we do to experience that power? The Apostle Paul tells us that the key is to know (6:6) what Jesus did for us at Calvary, to count on our union with him as a reality (6:11), and rather than let sin reign in our mortal bodies to “offer ourselves to God” as “instruments of righteousness” (6:11-13).

The concluding promise: “Sin shall not be your master because you are not under law but under grace” (6:14).

Let’s get Practical

So how does all the above translate into practice? Very simple. Take God at his word and choose to do the right thing. Trust God to provide the strength you need to deal with any consequences of that right choice.

Don’t “try” because you “ought” to. Stop focusing on you and your feelings. Choose, act, and let God deal with whatever happens.

The flesh . . . vulnerability, weakness, temptations to sin . . . will be with us until the resurrection. But God is with us too, and His Spirit is here to enable us to do the right thing however strong the temptation to give in to sin.

Quiz

Like to take a little quiz? Here’s how it works. Write down what you believe to be the right number. Add up your numbers. The person closest to the correct total is the winner. HINT Most of the answers were incorporated in earlier posts on demondope.

1. What percentage of people polled say they have   _______
   had a personal paranormal experience?
2. What percentage of parish pastors in Scotland    _______
   have been asked for help with demon possession?
3. How man “active” Internet students are enrolled  _______   
   in the Hoopsville, Illinois Witch School?
4. How many priests and exorcists gathered for the  _______
   Fourth International Conference of Exorcists?
5. How many are on staff of the Good News for       _______
   Demon Possessed Europeans in Poland?
6. How many years passed before the Catholic Church _______
   recently revised its Rite of Exorcism?
7. Approximately how many years ago did the world’s _______
   first known practitioner of magick did?
8. Many paranormal shows are on TV?                 _______
9. How many “meet-up” groups dedicated to pagan 
   religions or witchcraft meet in the Raleigh area? _______
10.In how many cities does the Pagan Pride Project 
   sponsor Pagan Pride Days?                        _______
Tie breaker:  How many first run movies in 2008/2009
              had paranormal themes?                _______

The Flesh (4)

In previous studies of spiritual warfare against the flesh we established several basic points.

1. When used in Scripture as a description of human nature, “flesh” emphasizes both our weakness and our tendency to sin.
2. Scripture makes it clear that when we feel temptation (attraction toward an wrong choice or action), the fault isn’t in the situation that gives rise to the temptation. The fault lies in ourselves, in our fleshly nature.
3. Scripture also makes it clear that the situation in which we feel tempted should be viewed in a positive way, as one of God’s good gifts. The gift is good, because it provides us with an opportunity to make a right choice, thus honoring God and strengthening our character.
4. However, we are to pray “do not lead us into temptation,” and our first course in dealing with temptation is to recognize and “flee” situations where we feel tempted. Thus Palin’s daughter’s comment that its unrealistic to expect teens to remain virgins until marriage. The temptation is too strong–therefore, stay out of situations where you know you’ll be tempted, and especially avoid alcohol which you know lowers inhibitions!

With this said, all of us will find ourselves in situations where we will frequently find ourselves tempted in situations we could not have avoided and which we can’t flee. So, the question is, what do we do then? What is “the way out” that God promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13 to provide?

Not “out” out

Let’s look at the 1 Corinthian verses and see exactly what they say. He’s what Paul wrote:

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

Several phrases provide basic concepts that we need to understand:

   common to man. Human nature is the same everywhere. Our temptations are hardly unique. Everyone feels the same pulls and pressures that we do. We really can’t claim that any temptation we experience is so uniquely severe that we just couldn’t resist it.

Hebrews reminds us that Jesus was human, and that he too was “tempted in every way–just as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 5:15). He felt the pressures and pulls we feel, but never surrendered to the temptation. Who then felt the most severe temptation…you and I, who surrender all to quickly, or Jesus, who never surrendered?    

    a way out. In this context its clear that the “way out” isn’t to flee the situation. Paul here is speaking of temptations that we can’t avoid, and that we must either “stand up under” or surrender too.

This “way out” has been provided by God, and we can assume that its the same way that Jesus chose as he stood up against his temptations and refused to sin. That “way” is one that Jesus summed up when he said, “I do always those things that please him.” More about this in a moment.

   stand up under it. Again, in temptations situations we can avoid or flee, we have just two options. We either surrender to the temptation–that pressure within us that arouses the desire to choose what we know is wrong–or we “stand up under it.” We meet the temptation, and we overcome it by refusing to sin.

A word about human psychology

Ever hear the story of the mom who warned her eight-year-old not to touch a batch of cookies because she’d baked them for her women’s circle? He couldn’t help smelling those cookies. And they looked soooo good! The more he thought about mom’s command, the harder he tried to keep from reaching out and taking one, the more he wanted to bite into one of those cookies!

The story illuminates one of the most misunderstood teachings of Scripture, one that’s developed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:5 Paul is explaining how it’s possible to “bear fruit to God,” and he writes:

“For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit to death.”

The Bible uses the word “law” (Greek nomos) in a variety of ways. Here “law” is viewed as “that divine standard which is perceived as an obligation to behave in conformity with the standard.” That is, law by its nature conveys “You ought to do this or that” to those to whom it’s addressed.

But there is a problem with law. Law actually “arouses” our sinful passions. That is, the more we strive to do what the law says, the greater our desire to do the wrong thing. Mom’s “don’t eat the cookies” doesn’t make us want the cookies less. It makes us want the cookies more! And the result is that we “bear fruit to death,” ie., we do the wrong thing and sin.

Simply put, what Paul is teaching is that we humans are perverse creatures. The more we tell ourselves when tempted that we ought to do this or that, the stronger the temptation. Thus when we approach a situation in which we feel temptation and try to conquer our sinful urges by reminding ourselves of God’s standards (law), the more likely we are to give in the temptation!

We can diagram the process like this:

Temptation Situation -> Look to Law (I ought to …)  -> The desire to sin in aroused further ->  We give in and sin.

This “psychology of human nature,” as I’ve called it, helps to explain why we give in to temptation so easily and so often. And it leads us to theology.

Oh my, this post is becoming too long. I guess I’ll have to get to theology and to the answer in the next post.

For now, though:

1. “Flesh” reminds us we’re weak and have a tendency to sin.
2. “Temptation” to sin is rooted in our nature, not in any external situation.
3. Whenever possible we should avoid or flee situations where we feel tempted.
4. When we can’t avoid a temptation situation we are to “stand up under it.”
5. Trying harder (a “Law” approach, reminding ourselves of what we ought to do ) doesn’t work.     
6. But God has a solution . . .one we’ll look at next post.

Shades of The Skull

Before you read this, take a look at the article that follows is. That report of what’s known as the Mussaieff skull is all too familiar to me. In researching the Invisible War series I came across much evidence of the fear ancients had of demons who preyed on newborns. In The Blind Prophet, a book I’m offering to send free to registered visitors to this blog, the hero, Zaki, is transported to a city in ancient Mesopotamia where he witnesses the following scene.

Shortly after sunrise Ishmi-Lim opened the door. Startled, Zaki came fully awake. The little man hadn’t slept, but he had dozed. Now, fully alert, Zaki stood and leaned against the wall to watch.
   During the next two hours a half-dozen teachers and researchers entered Ishmi-Lim’s office. Zaki was impressed with the ummia’s decisive answers and the clear instructions he gave his subordinates. Near mid-morning, one of the school’s big brothers knocked at Ishmi-Lim’s door and announced an important visitor. In awed tones the teacher whispered, “It’s the king’s baru. He says he must see you at once. He seems upset.”
   Ishmi-Lim rose and went to the door. For a moment the ummia and his visitor were out of sight, but Zaki could hear their conversation.
   “I’m sorry to interrupt you, Ishmi-Lim,” Zaki heard the visitor say. The man’s voice quavered and he took deep breaths between phrases.
   “Not  at all, not at all,” Ishmi responded. “The king’s chief diviner is welcome at any time. But I can see you’re upset. What is it, my friend?”
   “I had a dream. A terrible dream.”
   “And you’ve come to the tablet house to consult the Summa alu?
   “No, no!” the visitor said breathlessly. “I Have my own copy of the Book of Omens. I’ve come because my dream sent me to you.”
   “Well, come in. Come in, sit down, and catch your breath. Tell me all about it.”
   Isahmi-Lim came through the door, followed by the visitor. When the chief diviner entered Zaki drew back in horror. There, riding on the baru’s shoulders, clawed hands gripping each side of the man’s face, was the demon Zaki had seen the night before!
   The demon’s legs were wrapped around the chief diviner’s torso and its face was split in a wicked grin. In contrast, the chief diviner’s face was pale, and his tunic was blotched with perspiration.
   Zaki pressed himself against the the wall. Fearful, Zaki told himself that the demon couldn’t see him, but shrank back even more, repelled by the evil creature’s repulsive looks and its stench.
   “Sit. Sit my friend,” Ishmi-Lim urged his visitor. The chief diviner shook his head and paced back and forth in the narrow room, frantically wiping at the sweat pouring from his face with the tail of his tunic.
   “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” the chief diviner repeated again and again. “I’m so sorry, Ishmi-Lim.”
   “Sit. Sit down for a minute,” Ishmi-Lim urged. Listening to his thoughts, Zaki understood that Ishmi wondered if the king’s diviner was going mad. Ishmi grasped the royal official by one arm, his hand passing through the body of the demon who rode his visitor.
   “Sit. I insist.”
   As the chief diviner slumped on a bench all the energy seemed to drain out of him. After a moment, he looked up and forced himself to speak.
   “Last night, before I went to bed, I read the king’s future as I do every night. I poured oil into the bowl of water on my lap, and watched its movements. I couldn’t believe what I saw. The oil refused to spread out on the water! Ishmi-Lim, this is the worst of all omens. It means the king will die, and that our city will die with him.
   “I got another bowl of water and more oil. And the same thing happened again. I needn’t tell you that I couldn’t sleep. I paced the hall, worrying. I consulted the Surpu and the Maplu for some spell to ward off the king’s fate. But there was none. Then I must have fallen asleep or into a trance, because I saw a vision. The demon Lamashtu appeared to me. I saw her, Ishmi-Lim. I saw all her ugliness!”
   At this Ishmi-Lim sat down suddenly. Lamashtu was one of the most evil of the demons, a wicked creature who attacked pregnant women and babies. Ishmi-Lim remembered the description of the demon recorded on his tablets, and he’d often seen the amulets bearing her image that pregnant women wore in hope the sight of her own ugliness would drive Lamashtu away. The words describing her came to Ishmi-Lim’s mind, and as Zaki followed the thoughts he saw the demon riding the chief diviner mockingly change form to match the words.

    She comes up from the swamp,
    is fierce, terrible, fearful, destructive, powerful;
    she is a goddess, is awe-inspiring.
    Her feet are those of an eagle, her hands mean decay,
    Her fingernails are long, her armpits rank and unshaven.
    The daughter of Anu counts the pregnant women daily,
    follows on the heels of those about to give birth.
    Against those giving birth she casts a spell.
    “Bring me your sons, let me nurse them.”
    She loves to drink blood, bubbling human blood,
    eats flesh not to be eaten, picks bones not to be picked.

   As Zaki watched the demon take on the appearance of Lamashtu. he could still see a shadow of the demon’s own form. He’s enjoying this, Zaki realized. No, more than that. He’s feeding on the poor man’s terror!

   “Then,” the chief diviner said, “Lamashtu spoke to me.” Zaki was aware that Ishmi-Lim was now beginning to feel the same horror and fear that radiated from his visitor. “I’m sorry, Ummia. I’m so sorry,” the chief diviner repeated.
   Both fascinated and fearful, Ishmi-Lim urged his visitor. “Go on, go on, man. Go on! What did Lamashtu say?”    
   “Lamashtu told me . . .” and the visitor hesitated again. “Lamashtu told me that she had been cheated when your grandson, Napir-Assu, was born. She had chosen him, but he was born prematurely, when she was away. Lamashtu says that she wants Napir-Assu now, and that only if you sacrifice him to her will she reveal how to save the king and the city.”
   Ishmi-Lim’s heart seemed to stop beating. The blood drained from his face, and every limb went limp. His grandson? Lamashtu wanted Napir-Assu? Well, she couldn’t have him! Ishami Lim could never give up Napir-Assu, no matter what the cost.
   For a moment Ishmi-Lim sat in stunned silence. Then he said, “She can’t have him, Chief Diviner. Anything else. But not Napir-Assu.”
   The chief diviner nodded sympathetically. “I know, Ishmi-Lim. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. But I had to deliver her message.”
   “Of course. But you’ve done that. Now go.’
   The baru rose to leave. “She says that she’ll tell you how to save the king and the city If you give her your grandson.”
   Ishmi-Lim nodded. He understood.
   “If you don’t,” the chief diviner said as he left, “We’re doomed.”
   Then, just as the door was closing, the demon riding the baru jumped from his back and scurried to the corner of room opposite to where Zaki crouched. The demon was staying.

Demons in Babylon

A large Jewish population remained in Babylon after some 42,000 returned to Judah in 538 B.C. In fact, Babylon remained a major center of Jewish learning for centuries afterwards. The 200s and 300s AD saw the development of the Babylonian Talmud, writings expressing the rabbis understanding of Scripture and its laws. Strikingly, during the same period and on into seventh century of our era, there was also a widespread belief in demons in the Jewish community. This belief is revealed by the discovery of more than two thousand magic incantations written on bowls. Some have argued that the practice of magic, typically involving a recitation of the names of angels and demons, is “inconsistent with the spirit of the Talmud.” But recent research has revealed it to be “representative of aspects of life reflected with in Talmud,” according to an article by Dan Levin appearing in the Biblical Archaeology Review (March/April 2009).

Incantation bowls were common in ancient pagan communities, and those found in Jewish ruins carry the same type of magic incantations written in what is called “Jewish Aramaic.’

What brings this up the is recent discovery of a related object found encapsulated in a pair of bowls. The object is a human skull, with a typical magic incantation written on it rather than on a bowl. Four other skull’s bearing incantations are known. The incantation on this skull, known as the Moussaieff skull after the antiquities collector who first acquired it, is hard to decipher. However references to “spirits” and to “Liliths” are clear. It’s also clear that the skull mentions two women who have Jewish names common in the 3rd-7th centuries.

In Medieval Jewish legend “Lilith” was a mythical first wife of Adam, who refused to be subservient to him. In the 3rd to 7th centuries however Lilith demons were thought to roam the earth looking for pregnant women so they could devour the newborn infants. Belief in these Lilith demons has its roots millenia before in ancient Mesopotamia. A similar incantation written on a skull in the Berlin Museum mentions Lilith’s son and grandson as well as Gabriel and seven angels.

Why is this particular magic incantation against demons written on the human skull? It seems especially peculiar in view of the fact that Jewish law considers anyone who touches the dead to be ritually unclean. However the article does quote a saying from the Talmud that mentions necromancy [the summoning of the spirits of the dead, as modern mediums and spiritists claim to do] that asserts: “There are two kinds of necromancy: the one where the dead is raised by naming him, the other where he is invoked by means of a skull.”

While we can’t say just how the skull was used originally, we can be confident that it was fashioned in a desperate attempt to provide protection against demonic beings. An attempt so desperate that it directly conflicted with the command in Scripture for God’s people to reject any and every occult practice (see Deuteronomy 18:9-13).

The Flesh (3)

Our two previous studies have established an important foundation. As a biblical term, and when used of human nature, “flesh” portrays human beings as (1) weak and vulnerable, and as (2) flawed creatures whose intellect, desires, and capacity to make right choices have all been corrupted in the Fall.

Implications

The first implication of this teaching is that “temptation” is internal, not external. That is, we may find ourselves in situations where attractive options to the right choice are available. When we do, we must recognize the fact that the temptation that we feel to make a wrong choice doesn’t stem from the external situation, but from within us.

  Another driver cuts us off, then gives us the finger.
  We’re asked to evaluate a competitor for a promotion at work.
  We find an envelop stuffed with hundred dollar bills.
  Our spouse snaps at us irritably.
  An attractive friend signals that he/she is sexually available.
  A lie would avoid our boss discovering a costly mistake we made.
 
It’s easy to imagine ways any person might respond in any one of these situations. It’s easy to imagine how that person might feel. Probably, as you read these brief descriptions, you’ll find that, for you, five of the six wouldn’t tempt you to make what you know is a wrong choice. But the chances are that in at least one of them you’d feel such a strong pull to do wrong that you would at least hesitate before you choose.

And that, of course, is the point. The problem with temptation isn’t the situation. It’s our response to the situation. As the Apostle James put it, “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death” (1:14,15).

The fact that we are “flesh” means that we have “evil desires.” We want to do what we know is wrong, even while another part of us wants to please God.

It’s not what’s outside that bothers us. It’s what lies within.

Is the desire to do wrong sin?

Martin Luther answered this question with a fascinating image. “I can’t keep the birds from flying around my head,” he remarked. “But I can keep them from building a nest in my hair.

James answers it more straightforwardly. We do have “evil desires.” Those evil desires seek to “drag (us) away and entice (us). But it’s only after desire has conceived and given birth to action that it becomes “sin.”

It’s important to make a distinction here. In Scripture the word “sin” is used in two primary senses. In the first sense “sin” characterizes human beings as fallen; as creatures who are antagonistic to the Creator and his standards. This is what’s often called ‘the sin nature.’ Every person is born with it, and we will live with it until Jesus returns to accomplish our final transformation. It’s our sin nature that gives rise to those evil desires [desires to do what is evil].

In the second sense “sin” characterizes actions. In each case sinful actions are a violation of standards set by God. Different Hebrew words portray sin as falling short of the standard, twisting the standard, or rebelling against that standard. But in each case the focus in on the act itself.

So Luther’s analogy actually is apt. Birds (temptations to sin arising from the fact that our sin nature expresses itself in evil desires) are always going to be flying around our heads. But, as Luther pointed out, we don’t have to let them build nests in our hair (that is, welcome those evil desires and act on them.)

So while an evil desire is an expression of our sin nature, the desire is not itself an act of sin.

Far too many Christians are haunted by unnecessary guilt for the existence of evil desires. What we are to do is to recognize such desires for what they are and avoid acting on them.

Is the desire wrong if we don’t act on it?

While we must make a distinction between evil desire and sinful actions, its important not to make an opposite mistake. The reasoning goes something like this. “If the desire isn’t sin until I act on it, then what I do with it mentally isn’t a problem.”

What this argument overlooks is that mental actions are just as much actions as those carried out physically. We can illustrate this with something that has become a problem for too many Christian men: pornography. Men who would never think of betraying their wives by an act of physical adultery have become addicted to the pornography so readily available on the Internet. The reason that this activity doesn’t deserve the “pass” I just gave those who feel guilty for sinful desires is simple. Watching pornographic material is an action. It’s moved far beyond a desire that emerges for a moment and then is suppressed. Pornography feeds the desire, plays with it, enjoys it. And these things are acts of sin.

What do we do about temptations that arises from our “evil desires”

In our last post we saw the Apostle Paul’s repeated prescription. “Flee youthful lusts.” Whenever you can, remove yourself from situations where you know those evil desires are going to be stimulated.

But, as I noted, we all find ourselves in unavoidable situations where we’re tempted to do what we know is wrong. What are we to do as the temptation to sin grows more and more intense, and there is no way to flee the situatuin?

The fact that “flesh” speaks of weakness and vulnerability as well as the corruption of our nature makes this a question of utmost important. What can we do when we simply can’t overcome temptation.

When the temptation to sin that we’re waring against is simply too strong?

For all who have fallen prey to temptation–and I’m afraid that includes all of us–we remember the words of David in the 103rd Psalm  “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” (13,14). A gracious and loving God knows our weakness and understands our frailty. He forgives our sins and failures, and remains committed to us.

Yet at the same time God does “make a way to escape” the sin which is so often an outcome of temptation.

When it comes to spiritual warfare, the New Testament reminds us that the spiritual battles have been won for us. And it tells us how we can overcome those temptations we can’t avoid.
_________
Next time, Winning our War with Flesh

Who Believes in Demon Possession?

Most healthcare professionals doubt that possession by spirits can occur. However, there are some notable exceptions.

Dr. Morton Kelsey, a Notre Dame professor of theology: “Most people in the modern world consider themselves to sophisticated and too intelligent to be concerned with demons. But in thirty years of study, I have seen the effect of demons upon humans.” Dr. Kelsey views demons at destructive spiritual forces seeking to harm everyone they possess or that the possessed come in contact with. He says severe cases can lead to suicide, “because the demon is trying to destroy people in any way it can.”

Dr. Ralph Allison, senior psychiatrist at the California State prison in San Louis Obispo. “My conclusion after 30 years of observing over one thousand disturbed patients is that some of them act in a bizarre fashion due to possession by spirits. The spirit may be that of a human being who died. Or it may be a spirit entity that has never been a human being and sometimes identifies itself as a demon, an agent of evil.”

Dr. Wilson Van Dusen, chief psychologist as Medocino State Hospital. “I am totally convinced that there are entities that can possess our minds and our bodies. I have been able to speak directly to demons. I have heard their guttural, other-world voices.”

Interestingly, a 2001 Gallop pole showed that 41% of adult Americans believe that people can be possessed by the devil or his followers.