Resist Satan, and stay steadfast in the faith

by Leonard V Johnson

Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a commission ──

“ …’ Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16) He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be [judged]. 17) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new [languages]; 18) they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’” – Mark 16:15-18. 

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Our Lord Jesus said, “’ Likewise, I say to you, THERE IS JOY in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’” – Luke 15:10.

Regarding demons ── ‘serpents and scorpions’ (slang terms, epithets. It’s like saying that a person is a “snake in the grass.” It's often used to describe someone who has betrayed your trust or acted dishonestly) ── notice what the seventy that our Lord Jesus had sent out to ‘heal the sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come to you’ reported back to Him ──

“Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’” – Luke 10:17.

Yes! The demons are subject to the Name and Authority of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Certainly, demonic encounters are worldwide.

I, personally, have had several encounters with demons.

Once in 2006 ── After spending nearly two hours in prayer to Father God and our Lord Jesus in the truck, I went and had dinner in the truck stop restaurant. When I was finished eating, I was paying my bill at the register. A man came up behind me and suddenly stopped, backing away from me as if he’d seen a ghost. A frightened look came across his face! He wouldn’t come near me. After I paid my bill, I turned to move towards him, and he began shaking and looked as if he was ready to fall onto the floor. I just walked away from him without saying a word.

Once, as I was walking out of a truck stop, an exquisitely dressed black man began calling after me, “Hey, can I get a ride?” As I turned around, I saw that this well-groomed man was dressed in the finest dark suit I had ever seen, with gold cufflinks, a gold chain, a gold wristwatch, and shiny black dress shoes. A chill ran up my spine. As I kept walking, he began following me and called out again, “Hey, can I get a ride? I just got off the bus.” I had assumed that he meant a Greyhound Bus, although he didn’t have any bags or luggage, and I had hardly seen anyone in the truck stop, so I knew he wasn’t telling the truth. “No, I’m not going to give you a ride!” I said sternly as I continued walking away from him. He began to follow more briskly, “I’m just going down the road.” Then he stopped suddenly and yelled, “You’re not going to give me a ride!” – which was more of a statement than a question. Friends, this was a demon trying to trick me! I just turned and walked away from him. Did he recognize me and know that I would soon belong to Jesus Christ? Well, they certainly did recognize Jesus Christ when they said, “’ What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?’” – Matthew 8:29. 

Now mind you ── not all evil spirits try and confront us as directly as the sorcerer Bar-Jesus (Elymas; for so his name is translated) did with the apostles Barnabas and Paul (Acts 13:1-12). 

God’s living word tells a story about Simon, who had been practicing sorcery, and the people from the least to the greatest believed that he was a man of God. But he was not! ── Acts 8:9-24. 

Notice that Simon had been baptized ── without receiving the Holy Spirit. “And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money.” (vs. 18). And the Apostle Peter rebuked him sharply! This same Simon ── also known as Simon Magus ── would go on to deceive many, founding Roman Catholicism, usurping Simon Peter’s name, and declaring himself God on Earth and the first Catholic pope. 

This “exquisitely dressed black man” who tried to approach me, however, reminds me of an incident that the Apostle Paul encountered ──

“Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17) This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaims to us the Way of salvation.’ 18) And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And he came out that very hour.” – Acts 16:16-18.

Notice that this slave girl even says the truth concerning these men, who are true servants of the Most High God ── just as this “exquisitely dressed black man” said to me as a statement, “You’re not going to give me a ride!” 

Of course, that was not the only time that I believe a demon was sent to confront me ── Our next-door neighbor, upon moving into our home, I soon discovered he was being attacked by at least a couple of demons. There was a time when he came to our front door and knocked. Upon opening the door, he says, “Can I come in?” I invited him in, and we were having a good visit ── until I began to praise our Most High God and our Lord Jesus Christ. He suddenly became quiet, stared at me, and said, “If you mention God one more time, I’ll kill you!” I politely said, “You need to leave now.” After that ── when I would take a walk around our block, he would “finger gun” shoot me. I have since spoken at length to Almighty God and our Lord Jesus, that he would cease any interaction with me. Now he won’t even speak to me. I believe that he was (and or is) being tormented by at least two evil spirits. 

Truly, demons know who true Christians are ── as Acts 19:13-16 indicates ──

“Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘We exercise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ 14) Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15) And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ 16) Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” 

The very first time that I suspected an evil presence was about 1976. I experienced,  for nearly two weeks, every time that I began to drift off to sleep, I was struck on the head with something (or by someone) that wasn’t there. It would hurt something fierce.

In our societies worldwide, it appears that demonic influence is growing. Sadly, a great many people communicate with “angels.” Which is most likely demons. And, I was told by my wife just last night, that she often speaks to her favorite aunt, who died in 2010. I did not argue with her ── I just simply said, “Whatever comforts you.”

However, God’s living word warns us against this ──   

“’ When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10) THERE SHALL NOT BE found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11) or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or ONE WHO CALLS UP THE DEAD. 12) For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.’” – Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

“ ’They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. 17) They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear.’” – Deuteronomy 32:16-17.

“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, …” – Colossians 2:18. 

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! …’” – Revelation 19:10.

Sadly, a great many television shows and movies directed at children encourage demonism. 

Certainly, while parents should truly worry about explicit sex scenes and outright vulgar language on television, there is also a danger ── that is blatantly out front for all to see ── witchcraft and demonism. One blockbuster movie that comes to mind ── the 1991 Addams Family Movie – in which Uncle Fester reunites with his family, and they entertain guests during a Halloween party by playing the “wake the dead” game! Many modern so-called family movies are encouraging children to talk to the dead. This is encouraging demonism. And, with Satan the Devil becoming ever more angry in his wrath, knowing that his time is growing shorter ── this will continue to increase until the glorious and powerful return of our Lord Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God! Because, as our Lord Jesus asks, “ …’ Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’” – Luke 18:8. And, it’s not just faith in our Lord Jesus, but faith even in a Creator! 

YOU ARE NEVER TO CALL OUT OR WORSHIP THOSE IN THE DEMONIC REALM! 

Notice what the Apostles Peter and James ── under divine inspiration ── have written ──  

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walk about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9) Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” – 1 Peter 5:8-9. 

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. …” – James 4:7, 8. 

We are to resist Satan the Devil, and his demons ── not to ever call out to them! 

Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in Christ ── this is what all parents are to do ──

“’ Hear O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6) And these words I command you TODAY shall be in your heart. 7) You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.’” – Deuteronomy 6:4-7.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6.  

Instead, sadly, children are ── as was my niece, who was only 11 years old at the time ── encouraged to watch the movie Bob Marley – One Love! With its Rastafari message. And its mention of Haile Selassie I – who, among adherents of Rastafari, Selassie is called the returned Jesus. 

We should be warning our children to stay clear of messages like that and to stay clear of demons!

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, says to us ── because His message is timeless ──

“ … ‘ If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” – John 8:31-32. 

Let us always stay in the Word of God! □

Additional Item of Interest:

Do You Know Your Enemy? 

Be Not Ignorant of Satan

Lucifer ── Became Satan the Adversary

Did the LORD God Create Satan?

by Leonard V Johnson

Satan the Devil is doing all he can to destroy the nations of Israel ── Because he has great wrath, and because he knows that he has a short time left. But, truthfully, is there even a Satan after all? Is he real or is he only a figment of people's imagination? 

I just watched last night for the first time The Tender Bar, with Ben Affleck and Tye Sheridan. One of the professors in whose class JR is sitting one day begins talking about the Iliad and Paradise Lost, along with the Odyssey by Homer ── which brought about this subject matter. The onscreen professor began by stating that the Iliad was written in dactylic hexameter. Unfortunately, we only get about ten seconds of this scene before it ends and goes on to another. Stories like these have tried to pinpoint the origin of Satan, but Homer did not know the spirit and power of a spirit being known as Satan that has deceived the whole world. Because he is invisible to the naked eye. You can’t hear him. You can’t taste him. You can’t smell him. So, how are you going to know whether he truly exists? You can’t ── unless he is revealed to you.

Now, contrary to what many might think ── you can prove whether God’s living word is true. And, you can prove whether God exists. You can also prove that Jesus was (and is) the Son of God and that He is the Messiah. I have proved it to myself beyond any shadow of doubt. And I certainly hope and pray that you can prove it to yourself. I have also proved to myself that the Holy Bible is the LORD God speaking to us. The LORD God speaks to me through His living word ── and I have been graciously blessed to understand it. 

But Homer ── the ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of those epic poems ── knew nothing about spiritual things, spiritual knowledge. What he couldn’t see, what he couldn’t hear, taste, or smell – he knew nothing about. But Almighty God reveals His truth to us through His Spirit. And His living word reveals to us the truth concerning Satan the Devil. Sadly, the Holy Bible ── and let us never forget that it is Holy ── is the most misunderstood, misinterpreted, twisted, and maligned bible of any set of books on the planet! O’, multiple billions try to interpret it. And, Minister Fred R. Coulter has written that “a secular worldview has emerged over the past fifty years, gradually eroding the knowledge of the true God. As a result, a form of “Christianity without God” has developed. … Central to this removal of God from the public conscience is the destruction of the Bible itself. Indeed, the foundation of Christianity is being subverted and corrupted with new “easy-to-read” translations that ALTER THE WORD OF GOD …” 1 

God’s living word ── a word that is dynamic, powerful, and living, “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit” ── reveals to us spiritual knowledge. And you can either accept what our Lord Jesus Christ reveals, or you either refuse to accept it or truly don’t understand a word that is being said. It’s surely one or the other.  

Now, did the LORD God (the Elohim, the family of God ── which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) create a Satan the Devil? Was he brought about just to torment us, to trouble us? In our article entitled “What is… God?” we go over the fact that the LORD God is Spirit. In John 4:24, our Lord Jesus Christ says to us, “’ God is Spirit, …’” The Authorized King James Version translates it as, “’ God is a Spirit, …’”

So, the LORD God is composed of spirit ── not physical matter. And, God’s living word tells us that “No one has seen God [speaking of God the Father] at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, HE HAS DECLARED HIM.” – John 1:18. In fact, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came to Earth to represent and to reveal God the Father. So, throughout mankind’s history up to that time, NO ONE knew anything about God the Father! And here’s the tagline: ‘Believe It, Or Not!’ Even today, with our advanced sciences, education, and technologies, along with our plethora of religions, very few of our peoples know that it was Jesus Christ who was the God of the Old Testament. Sadly, in the epic movie Exodus: Gods and Kings (which I refuse to watch!), YHWH is shown as an 11-year-old boy named Malak. If you want to blaspheme God, that’ll do it! 

The YHWH of the Old Testament; the Word ── and is translated from the Greek language, “the Logos,” “became flesh and dwelt among us.” And, as verse 1 of the Book of John chapter 1 says, “In the beginning was the [Logos], and the [Logos] was with God, and the [Logos] was God.” ── notwithstanding what the New World Translation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses created. Let us testify to them of our LORD God’s living words, “For I testify to EVERYONE who hears the words of the prophecy of this book [this Biblia – this set of books]: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, …” – Revelation 22:18, 19. 

A DIRE AND GRAVE WARNING!

Some Angels Tried A Coup d'état 

I spoke some concerning angels in a couple of sermons lately ── and I know that I need to return to this important subject ── but let’s turn in your Bible to the Book of Hebrews, there’s something concerning angels. 

The LORD God created angels. And they were created before anything else ── including mankind. We can learn of this in the likes of the Book of Job, where the LORD asks, “’ Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? … Surely you know! … To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, …’” – Job 38:4, 5, 6, 7. There was no mankind ── and by “mankind” I am not speaking of the Sahelanthropus, the Neanderthals or the Denisovans, or even the Homo heidelbergensis. I’m speaking essentially of Homo sapiens, Adam and Eve ── in existence until after the angels had been created. Angels are spirit.

And again ── as I have said before, we learn from God’s living word that angels were never created with the intent to have any rulership (past or present) over the earth or the universe, or the world to come.

“For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.” – Hebrews 2:5.  

“For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You’? … 6) But when He again brings the FIRSTBORN into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.’” – Hebrews 1:5, 6. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN. Because our Lord Jesus Himself is God.

“And of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits …” – Hebrews 1:7.

So again, angels are spirit ── they are not physical matter. You cannot see angels ── unless they desire to be seen (cf. Hebrews 13:2). We speak of angels as being holy, righteous, and perfect like the LORD God. But, notice 2nd Peter, the second chapter and verse 4 ── “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, …”

Angels that sinned. Yes, some angels sinned against the LORD God. In fact, God’s living word indicates to us that a third of all the angels sinned and brought about a coup d'état against the kingdom of God!

The Apostle Peter continued, “ … the angels who sinned, but cast them down to [Tartaroo] and delivered them into chains of darkness, …” 

Now, I speak of the meaning of this Greek name Tartaroo in our PDF article, “Hell or No Hell?” We also have a sermon entitled, “Is There A Hell?” Many of your loved ones - right now - are in hell! But don't be alarmed, you probably have never heard the TRUTH about just what “hell” really is - and where this world's idea about the subject actually came from. Just what does God's living word teach about “hell”? Tartaroo – referring to the place of restraint for demons. And that place being EARTH.

“ … and delivered them into chains of darkness [chains of darkness being knowledge and understanding ── and even “logic 101”], to be reserved for judgment.”

So, imagine that ── these angels are going to come to a judgment. These sinning angels. And it will be true and faithful followers of the LORD God that will ultimately come to judge these angels ── because the LORD God’s born family members will have become God’s ── here as an example, I give you 1st Corinthians 6:2, 3 ── “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? … 3) Do you not know that we shall judge angels? …” WOW! And here are angels (known as demons now, because they rebelled against the LORD God) ── powerful spirit beings wholly composed of spirit ── and we, God willing, will come to judge them!

Let us turn to the Book of Jude ── 

Verse 6 ── “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, …” Now, recall, we just read that the LORD God had cast them down to Tartaroo – down to the Earth. But they left their own abode. “ … He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.”

Just this morning, my wife had asked me, “Why does it appear that the Democratic Party wants to destroy the United States of America?” And, the answer I gave her involved this very spiritual being we are speaking about here in this article ── Satan the Devil. In fact, I quoted her the latter part of Revelation 12:12. It truly appears as if the majority of Democrats have lost their critical thinking! It is not logical to want to have biological males compete with biological females in sports. It is not logical to want to have known illegal MS13 gang members brought back to the United States of America after they have been removed.    

But I digress.

This is truly Satan the Devil’s world. And it’s mighty important to know your adversary! 

A Few Symbols In Revelation

If you haven’t listened to our series of articles entitled “Revelation ── A Book of the Past and the Future,” I encourage you to do so. It talks quite a bit about the different prophecies spoken about by our Lord Jesus ── especially about “a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns.”

Revelation 13:2 ── “Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The DRAGON gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.”

And no ── this dragon is not a diminutive dragon named Mushu voiced by actor Eddie Murphy. This “beast” represented world kingdoms that had dominated throughout world history. A succession of kingdoms starting with the Babylonian kingdom. This “dragon” that gave him his power, his throne, and great authority is none other than Satan the Devil. And we know this because ── as an example, Revelation 12:9 ── “So the great DRAGON was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; …” It can’t get any clearer than that! 

So, both “dragon” and “serpent” are but slang terms, epithets. It’s like saying that a person is a “snake in the grass.” It's often used to describe someone who has betrayed your trust or acted dishonestly.

So, it was Satan the Devil who gave these world kingdoms their political systems, their seat of power, and great authority. 

Let’s get to the crux of the question ── Did the LORD God Create Satan?

The Prophet Isaiah ── under divine inspiration of the Spirit of God ── speaks of this. Isaiah 14:12 ── “’ How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! …’”

Now, the name Lucifer is a Latin name ── in fact, it should have been translated Hêlēl, which is Hebrew for “shining one,” or “morning star.”

“ … ‘How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!”

Verse 13 ── “For you have said in your heart; ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; …’” 

So ── even today ── Satan the Devil has a throne. He is a ruler. And he gave these earthly kingdoms their power and authority. And he is the one who deceives the whole world.

It was truly Satan the Devil who was ruling over the ancient Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, the Greco-Macedonian Empire, and the Holy Roman Empire. And it is he ── even in this 21st century ── that is ruling over the overall majority of the Gentile nations!

Verse 14 ── “’ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’”

So, he left his throne here on Earth, and with a third of his angels, ascended above the heights of the clouds to try a coup d'état against the very kingdom of God! He wanted to be a son of God. He wanted to overthrow the kingdom of God. He wanted to be God over everything. 

Notice the Book of Ezekiel, which speaks of this very thing ──

Beginning in chapter 28, verse 1 ── “The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 2) ‘Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, …’” – It was not uncommon for a king to also be called a prince within Hebrew thought. The king spoken about here was King Ithobaal II. An eighth-century BC Phoenician king of Tyre.

Now, understand ── in modern terminology, this would be the same as the Prophet Ezekiel speaking to the United States of America. We must understand this passage figuratively. Therefore, the context of this passage is rather addressing “the prince of Tyre” as a type, or a representative of Satan the Devil.

Verse 12 ── “ …’ You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13) You were in Eden, the garden of God; …’”

So, it wasn’t King Ithobaal II who had been in the garden of God ── rather, it was the one that this Phoenician king truly represents. Satan the Devil. 

Verse 14 ── “’ You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; …’”

So, notice that Satan was an anointed cherub. His massive wings had literally covered the very thrones of the LORD God! We read of this very thing in the Book of Exodus, chapter 25. 

Verse 15 ── “’ You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.’”

So, here is the created being. Sealed with perfection, full of wisdom, perfect in beauty! This was not a devil. This was a perfectly created cherub, perfect in his ways from the day that the LORD God created him. But, he wasn’t a robot ── he wasn’t like Optimus. A general-purpose robotic humanoid that will one day be sent to explore Mars. This created perfect spirit being had a mind and was created with FREE MORAL AGENCY. He had a mind that could think, reason, and plan. A created spirit being with emotions and attitudes ── certainly being able to choose love or hate.

God’s living word goes on to show us that he had an excessive amount of pride, of wrong competition, and jealousy ──

Verse 17 ── “’ Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, …’”

So, no ── the LORD God didn’t create Satan the Devil. In a sense, Lucifer himself created the powerful spiritual being that we know today. □