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This little booklet will help you to understand in dept scriptures of fallen angels, and their description in the bible. The meaning of Principalities and powers defined and the spiritual warfare that is taking place. Our ability to over power them.
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Principalities (Satan Class of Angels) And Spiritual Warfare
The Greek word pronounced ar-khay literally means a beginning (the English word "archaic" originated from that Greek word), but was used to signify a first rule, or a first principle (i.e. in how the word "constitution" is used in the modern-day world), and further, a chief officer of that principle, or the territory under its, or his, jurisdiction.
In the King James Version, that Greek word, ar-khay, is usually translated as "principalities" or "principality." The definition of English "principalities" very well matches the meaning of the actual Greek word that it is used to translate. According to The Consolidated Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary, "principality" means "sovereignty; supreme power; a prince, or one invested with sovereignty; the territory of a prince, or the country which gives title to a prince" (the English word "principal" is merely a more specific definition of that "prince" i.e. again from The Consolidated Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary, a "principal" means "first in time or order."
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness"
Ranks of fallen angels
Principalities are one in the ranking or hierarchy of fallen angels. They are part of a list of angelic beings given to us in Colossians 1: 16. “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers (principalities in many translations) or authorities – all things have been created by Him and for Him.”
Our scriptural references regarding principalities, however, are limited to the bad or fallen angels or demonic forces. We know that they are against us and we are in a war against their power and influence and wickedness.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers (same as principalities), against the powers, against the
world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) These guys are bad dudes!
On the other hand there are two very good things to know. First, they cannot come between God and us. Romans 8:38 says “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Principalities and Powers -
Ephesians 6:12 describes the satanic hierarchy of the kingdom of
darkness, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities (#746), against powers (#1849), against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Believer’s must understand that we do not wrestle or contend with flesh
and blood (a Hebraism for human beings); but we are in a spiritual conflict
with the rulers and powers of the kingdom of darkness. The Amplified says,
“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with
physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers,
against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present
darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly
(supernatural) sphere.”
By using the phrase “principalities and powers,” Paul is telling us that there
is a hierarchical structure to the kingdom of darkness; where fallen angels,
evil spirits, and demons are ranked one above the other according to their
power and authority. These evil spirits exercise influence over people,
geographical areas, cities and nations; and must be successfully dealt with
to experience revival in those areas. For instance, Daniel 10:12-13
speaks of the spiritual ruler that operated over the ancient nation of Persia,
who’s power was broken by the prayers of Daniel (covered later in this
article).
“Principalities” are the chief rulers of the kingdom of darkness; they are
first in rank or power and constitute a high order of evil spirits. Every place
you see the word “principality” in the KJV New Testament, it is the Greek
noun #746 “arche” which Vine’s Dictionary defines as that which is first in
time, order, or place. “Arche” is used seven times in the scriptures to
denote angelic or demonic rulers.
The word “powers” is the Greek noun #1849 “exousia” and means one
who possesses authority or influence. It is used in Ephesians 6:12 to
represent the angelic or demonic authorities that operate in the spirit
realm.
Ephesians 6:12 also speaks about the “rulers of the darkness of this
world,” which is only found in this verse. “Rulers” is translated from the
Greek noun “kosmokrator”, which Thayer’s Lexicon defines as lord of the
world, the prince of this age. It is a compound word that is derived
from #2889 “kosmos” (the present world order which includes the worldly
affairs of mankind) and #2904 “kratos” (dominion, power, ruler).
The last group mentioned was “spiritual wickedness” (or, wicked spirits)
that operate in high places, which is translated from the Greek #2032
“epouranios” and refers to the dwelling place of God as well as the
abode of angels and evil spirits. Vine’s dictionary says
“epouranios”, also translated “heavenly places”, refers to the
sphere of activity or existence that is above, in contrast to that of
the earth.
Vine’s Dictionary states: The context of Ephesians 6:12 (“not against
flesh and blood”) shows that not earthly potentates are indicated, but spirit
powers; who, in consequence of human sin, exercise satanic and therefore
antagonistic authority over the world in its present condition of spiritual
darkness and alienation from God.
Daniel 9 and 10 -
The clearest picture we have of a satanic principality ruling over a nation
and its people is found in the ninth and tenth chapters of the book of
Daniel. These chapter’s describe what happened after Daniel set himself to
fast and pray until he received revelation concerning the prophetic future
of the nation of Israel (who was being held captive by the nation of
Persia).
After twenty-one days of seeking the Lord, an angel approached Daniel
and explained why it took so long for his prayers to be answered. Daniel
10:12-13 records the angels’ words, “Then he said unto me, Fear not,
Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to
understand.... thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But
the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days;
but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained
there with the kings of Persia.”
Notice, the angel was sent to answer Daniel’s prayer on the first day of his
fast, but he was hindered in his journey by the prince of the kingdom of
Persia.
Both mentions of the word “prince” in this verse are translated from the
Hebrew #8269 “sar”, which means a chief ruler, leader or commander over
an army. Since the earthly ruler of Persia could not hinder an angel from
completing his assignment, and the chief prince Michael is commonly
known to be an angel of the highest order, the term “prince of Persia”
must refer to the satanic ruler of the spiritual kingdom of darkness that
operated over the physical nation of Persia.
There are principalities that rule in the realm of the spirit over cities,
regions, nations and governments. Some of these spiritual powers are
good, and some are evil. Revelation 12:7 tells us, “And there was a war
in heaven (“ouranos” - the abode of God, as well as the spirit realm);
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (satan); and the dragon
fought and his angels, and prevailed not...” Angelic forces are doing battle
in the heavenly realm, fighting one another to gain control over the regions
of the earth.
Daniel 10:13 referred to the angel Michael as one of the chief princes;
which is the Hebrew #7223 “ri’shown”, and means first or chief in degree
and authority. Everytime you find the angel Michael mentioned in scripture,
he is doing battle with the spiritual forces of darkness.
A messenger angel was dispatched to bring Daniel revelation from God
concerning the prophetic future of the nation of Israel; but he did not
possess enough power or authority to break through the forces of darkness
that were controlling the spiritual regions above Persia. So, Michael (a chief
prince) was sent to engage the forces of darkness and to open up a
highway for the lesser angel to pass through and deliver God’s message to
Daniel.
The last part of verse thirteen says, “...I remained there with the kings of
Persia,” indicating that the messenger angel was restricted by the forces of
darkness until Michael set him free, allowing him to resume his journey.
Then, after he delivered his message, the angel said in Daniel 10:20,
“...and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I am
gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.” The angel had to fight his
way back out of the earthly kingdom by doing battle, once again, with the
satanic principality that ruled over Persia.
It’s important for us to realize that Daniel’s prayers were the catalyst that
released the angelic forces of God to break the stronghold the prince of
darkness had over the nation of Persia. Once the satanic principality was
broken, the earthly kingdom of Persia was finished as a world power.
History tells us that the kingdom of Greece rose to greatness in 334 B.C.
and destroyed the Persian empire. The prince of Grecia, which refers to the
satanic principality that governed over the Grecian Empire, empowered
Alexander the Great and his armies to conquer much of the world.
This story clearly indicates the power and authority that angelic
principalities have over nations and regions of the earth. It also tells us the
important role that our prayers have in releasing the forces of God to break
the devil’s stronghold. The angel told Daniel, “... I am come for thy words.”
In other words, Daniel’s prayers were the active agent that precipitated a
change in the heavenly realm over Persia.
In Matthew 6:10, Jesus told us to pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it
is in heaven (“ouranos” - the dwelling place of God, and the abode of
angels).” God’s will is not automatically worked in the earth or in your life;
it must be prayed through.
In Matthew 11:12, Jesus said, “...the kingdom of heaven (“ouranos”)
suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force (“harpazo” - to seize and
take by force, to pull up).” The spirit world can be a violent and intense
place.
Jesus talked about the church’s authority and how we need to take
authority over the heavenlies in Matthew 16:18,19, “...the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it (the church). And I will give unto thee the keys
of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven (#3772 “ouranos” - the realm of the spirit); and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Keys are a symbol of authority; they lock and unlock, they bind and loose.
Jesus was teaching that He has given to the church the authority to bind
and to loose on the earth what has already been bound and loosed in the
spirit realm.
Psalms 115:16 says, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but
the earth hath He given to the children of men.” The Will of God is not
automatically carried through to completion on the earth. It must be
sought after, prayed through, and then released on the earth by men and
women that possess a strong faith in the power of God.
No matter how much money, aid or support you send to some nations,
they will always be impoverished and governed by tyrants; because they
are being ruled in the spirit realm by principalities and powers of darkness.
Until the stronghold that satan maintains over these nations is broken
through prayer and revival, the people living there will never be free.
Prince of the power of the air -
Since the fall of man, satan is called the prince or ruler of the power of the
air (#109 “aer” - the atmosphere that surrounds the earth). Ephesians
2:2 says, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince (#758 “archon”) of the power (“exousia” -
authority) of the air (#109), the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience.”
The word “prince” is translated from the Greek #758 “archon” and refers
to a ruler, a commander, chief or leader. A ruler or commander must have
an army that he rules over. Luke 11:15 tells us that Beelzebub, or satan,
is the chief (“archon” - ruler and leader) of devils (#1140 “daimonion” -
demons or evil spirits). Satan is the principle authority figure that rules in
the earth’s atmosphere, which is the seat of his authority. He exercises
control and dominion over the hierarchy of demon spirits that oppress
mankind.
The Amplified translation says, “...you were obedient to and under the
control of the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of
disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go
against the purposes of God.”
In John 12:31, Jesus made a similar statement about the authority of
satan, “Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince (“archon” -
ruler or commander) of this world (“kosmos”) be cast out.”
Again, in John 14:30, Jesus said, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you;
for the prince (“archon” - ruler) of this world (“kosmos”) cometh, and hath
nothing in me.”
Jesus clearly taught that Satan is the prince or the ruler of this world
(#2889 “kosmos” - this present world order, which includes the systems
and governments of mankind; or, as Vine’s Dictionary says: the present
condition of human affairs). He is the commander and chief, exercising
authority over the rulers of the darkness of this world; which includes
principalities, authorities, and every wicked spirit.
Paul also declared that “satan” exercises authority as the “god of this
world” in II Corinthians 4:4, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded
the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
People have mistakenly believed that the Heavenly Father is the
God of this world and they ignorantly blame Him for all the bad
things that happen on this planet. But the scriptures reveal that
Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul clearly taught that satan (not
Jehovah) is the god and ruler of this world. This is why the world
is in such a mess.
But God has a plan to completely restore this world and its
inhabitants by exalting Christ above all principalities and
authority. God never starts anything unless He also has a plan to
finish it.
Christ exalted above principalities -
Colossians 1:16 tells us that all the angels and principalities (the good
and the bad) were originally created by God, “For by Him (or, through
Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven (#3772 “ouranos” - the
realm where God and angels live), and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones,or dominions, or principalities (“arche”),
or powers (“exousia”); all things were created by Him, and for Him.”
All angels and spiritual rulers were initially given their position
and authority by God. However, when satan rebelled against the
sovereignty and dominion of God, some of these angelic rulers
rebelled with him; and, today, they use their power to work
against the Gospel of Christ and to oppress the nations of the
world.
Jude 1:6 talks about some of the angels that rebelled with satan, “And the
angels which kept not their first estate (“arche” - principality), but left their
own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness
unto the judgment of the great day.” These angels (Called the Watchers)
did not remain in their own realm and native state, but rebelled against
God and sought to produce offspring with the women of the earth
(Genesis 6:1-4). While “these” angels have been locked up and no longer
pose a threat to the people of the earth, there are still many other fallen
angels who are ruling as principalities in the kingdom of darkness and
oppressing this planet.
To right these wrongs, God sent Christ to the earth to pay the price for
man’s salvation and to regain the authority over the planet earth.
Ephesians 1:19-21 describes the power that was released when Christ
was raised from the dead, “...the exceeding greatness of His power to us-
ward who believe, according to the working of His might power, Which he
wrought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at His
own right hand in the heavenly places (“epouranios”). Far above, all
principality (“arche”), and power (“exousia”), and might, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that
which is to come.”
Christ has been set at the right hand of God and given authority to reign
over all principalities and powers, both in the spirit realm and in the earthly
realm.
I Peter 3:22 says that Christ, “Who is gone into heaven (“ouranos”), and
is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities (“exousia”) and powers
being subject unto Him.”
Colossians 2:10 adds, “And ye (the Body of Christ) are complete in Him,
which is the head of all principality (“arche”) and power (“exousia”).” When
we accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and saviour of our life, we are seated
with Him, far above every principality and power in the spirit realm.
You are “complete” in Him is translated from the Greek #4137 “pleroo” and
means to be filled to the brim, liberally supplied and consummated.
“Pleroo” is translated “fulfill” fifty-one times in the KJV Bible. When Christ
was raised from the dead, He completely fulfilled all the Old Testament
promises and prophecies, which effected our total release from the
kingdom of darkness.
In fact, Jesus told the disciples in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give unto you
power (#1849 “exousia” - authority) to tread on serpents and scorpions,
and over all the power (#1411 “dunamis” - power) of the enemy; and
nothing shall by any means hurt you.” We have been given authority over
the devil and over all the power of the enemy (which includes principalities
and powers of darkness).
Christ stripped them of power -
Colossians 2:15 gives us further insight into the change that Christ’s
resurrection brought to the rulers of the kingdom of darkness, “And having
spoiled principalities (“arche”) and powers (“exousia”), he made a shew of
them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
The word “spoiled” is the Greek #554 “apekduomai” and means to strip
off, as in taking off garments that are clothed about one. Jesus stripped off
of himself all the principalities and powers of darkness that were gathered
against Him, and triumphed over them through the power of His
resurrection.
Vine’s Dictionary says that “apekduomai” is in the middle voice and should
be translated “having put off from Himself (the principalities and the
powers). “There is no doubt that satan and his hosts gathered together to
attack the soul of Christ, while He was enduring, in propitiatory sacrifice,
the judgment due to our sins. Doubtless the powers of darkness gathered
against the Lord at that time, fiercely assaulting Him to the utmost of their
power. The metaphor of putting off from Himself these powers... seems to
stand simply as a vivid description of His repulsion of their attack and of
the power by which he completely overthrew them.”
When Jesus triumphed over these forces of darkness and stripped them off
of Himself, He opened the door for anyone who genuinely puts their faith
in Jesus’ sacrifice to escape the punishment of “hell”. At the same time,
Christ fully empowered us, through the power that is in the Name of Jesus,
to successfully resist all the devil’s attacks against our body, our mind and
our spirit.
Colossians 2:15 also tells us that Christ, “...made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it.” The word “triumphing” is translated from the
Greek #2358 “thriambeuo” and means to celebrate and lead a triumphal
procession. Vine’s Dictionary says, as a victor displays his captives or
trophies in a triumphal procession, Christ showed the angelic beings in
their true inferiority.
Colossians 1:13 states that Christ’s resurrection, “...hath delivered us
from the power (“exousia” - authority) of darkness, and hath translated us
into the kingdom of His dear Son.” When Christ triumphed over the
principalities of darkness, He delivered the people of God from satan’s
authority and translated them into the Kingdom of Light. The kingdom of
darkness no longer has any authority to rule over your life (if you are a
child of God).
Ephesians 3:3-11 further talks about God’s plan of redemption for
mankind, which the Apostle Paul calls a mystery or a secret, and declares
that it is made known only by Divine revelation (which Paul now
possessed). In verse nine, Paul wrote that he was commissioned to,
“...make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the
beginning of the world hath been hid in God...”
The angelic realm (which included satan and the principalities of darkness)
did not possess any revelation of God’s plan of redemption for mankind. It
was a mystery to them.
Paul wrote in I Corinthians 2:7-8, But we speak the wisdom of God in a
mystery (#3466 “mysterion” - a hidden, secret thing), even the hidden
wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory. Which none
of the princes (“ archon”) of this world knew; for had they known it, they
would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” The kingdom of darkness had
no idea of God’s plan; otherwise, they would have never worked to crucify
Jesus. Satan was totally surprised when Christ was raised from the dead; it
was a shock to him.
Colossians 1:26 says, “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages
and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints.”
Now that the secret is out, Paul writes in Ephesians 3:10 that the church
is the means of revelation to the “principalities and powers” of the manifold
wisdom of God, “To the intent that now unto the principalities (“arche”)
and powers (“exousia”) in heavenly places (“epouranios”) might be known
by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”
The Amplified says, “The purpose is that through the church the
complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and
innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and
authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere.”
Angels are watching the church with amazement and wonder as the plan of
God that brings redemption to fallen man and, at the same time, justice to
the rebel satan is being played out in the events that are transpiring on the
earth.
At the end of this age, I Corinthians 15:24-25 declares, “Then cometh
the end, when He (Christ) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,
even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule (#746 “arche” -
principalities), and all authority (“exousia”) and power. For He must reign,
till He hath put all enemies under His feet.”
Until that time, anyone that accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour,
can exercise their authority in Christ and break the demonic chains of
darkness off their life.
Romans 8:38 declares, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor live,
nor angels, nor principalities (“arche”), nor powers (#1411 “dunamis”), nor
things present, nor things to come.... shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Earthly principalities -
The Bible also makes reference to earthly principalities and the duty that
we have to them.
Luke 20:20 tells us that the chief priests and scribes sent spies to gather
information against Jesus so they could arrest Him and, “...might deliver
Him unto the power (“arche”), and authority (“exousia”) of the governor.”
Titus 3:1 says that spiritual leaders should teach the church and, “Put
them in mind to be subject to principalities (“arche”), and powers
(“exousia”), to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.” God’s
people are to obey the rulers and authorities in this present, temporal
world.
Luke 12:11-12, “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and
unto magistrates (#746 “arche” - principalities), and powers (“exousia”),
take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall
say. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to
say.”
Romans 13:1-7 in the Amplified Bible says, “Let every person be loyally
subject to the governing (civil) authorities. For there is no authority except
from God [by His permission, His sanction], and those that exist do so by
God's appointment.” While this statement is true in many nations, it is not
true in every nation. Some nations are still being ruled by principalities of
darkness because the people of God have not taken authority over them
and pulled them down.
The Amplified continues, “Therefore he who resists and sets himself up
against the authorities resists what God has appointed and arranged [in
divine order]. And those who resist will bring down judgment upon
themselves [receiving the penalty due them].”
“For civil authorities are not a terror to [people of] good conduct, but to
[those of] bad behavior. Would you have no dread of him who is in
authority? Then do what is right and you will receive his approval and
commendation.”
“For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, [you should
dread him and] be afraid, for he does not bear and wear the sword for
nothing. He is God's servant to execute His wrath (punishment,
vengeance) on the wrongdoer.”
“Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God's wrath and escape
punishment, but also as a matter of principle and for the sake of
conscience.”
“For this same reason you pay taxes, for [the civil authorities] are official
servants under God, devoting themselves to attending to this very service.
Render to all men their dues. [Pay] taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue
to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, and honor to
whom honor is due.”
In other words, we are to obey the laws of the land and pay our taxes.
However, if the nation we live in is being ruled by the kingdom of
darkness, we should obey God rather than man. Our first obligation is to
God and his kingdom. Apostle Paul warn us in Acts 5:29 “ Then Peter and
the other apostles answered and said we ought to obey God rather than
men”. If any Government, King, or ruler ask us to do anything that is
contrary to God then we are not obligated to obey such a order. Example
of this is found in the book of Daniel where King Nebuchadnezzar wanted
to make Daniel’s three companion serve and worship him and his gods.
They refused to bow down to his idols. Because of them disobeying the
king, they were persecuted. See Daniel 1:7-3:30.
Authority -
In Acts 26:18, Jesus gave to the Apostle Paul his commission for ministry.
He said, I am now sending you to the Gentiles, “To open their eyes, and to
turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance....”
Notice the progression of events. Forgiveness of sins and the inheritance
that is ours through Christ Jesus are received after our eyes have been
opened and after we turn from the power of satan unto the power of God.
There are different words in the Greek New Testament that are translated
“power.” One is the Greek #2479 “ischus” which means physical strength,
force or power. Another is the Greek #1411 “dunamis” which means the
power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, especially miraculous
power or ability.
But the word translated “power” in this verse is the Greek #1849 “exousia”
which means delegated power or authority. In fact, “exousia” is the main
Greek word translated “authority” throughout the New Testament.
So the correct translation of verse eighteen is that we must turn from the
“authority” of satan unto the “authority” of God to receive our inheritance
in Christ.
The dictionary defines authority as the right and power to
command, decide, rule, or judge over another. Authority also
means the power to direct and exact performance from others.
Therefore, the message that God gave Paul to preach to the world
was that we can come out from under satan’s authority (his
power to direct and rule over our lives), and we can now live
under God’s authority (His power to direct and rule over our
lives).
Colossians 1:13 says that God “...hath delivered us from the power
(#1849 “exousia” - authority) of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of His dear Son.”
Notice that our deliverance isn’t something that will happen in the future
(i.e. when we get to heaven). Paul writes that the Father “hath” already
delivered us out from under satan’s authority (his power to direct and to
rule over our lives), and “hath” already translated us into the authority of
God’s kingdom.
In fact, Jesus told the disciples in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give unto you
power (#1849 “exousia” - authority) to tread on serpents and scorpions,
and over all the power (#1411 “dunamis” - power) of the enemy; and
nothing shall by any means hurt you.” We have been given authority over
the devil and over all the power of the enemy.
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood...”
Philipp’s translation says, “...our fight is not against any physical enemy...”
“...but against principalities, against powers (#1849 “exousia” - authority),
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places.” The battle we now wage is the struggle for
authority; who has the most authority in the earth, and who has the most
authority in our lives.
satan’s power -
When Christ was being tempted by the devil, the Bible says in Luke 4:5-6,
“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all
the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto
him, All this power (#1849 “exousia” - authority) will I give thee, and the
glory of them; for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I
give it.”
Other translations read that the authority over the earth, “...has been
handed over to me....” (NASB). “...for it has been put in my hands...”
(NEB). “...it has been turned over to me, and I give it to whomsoever I
will.” (Amplified).
The authority over the earth and it’s inhabitants was transferred into the
hands of the devil when Adam lost his authority by bowing his knee to sin
in the Garden of Eden.
In Genesis 3:17, God told Adam after he fell into sin, “...cursed is the
ground (#127 “adamah” - the earth, country, land) for thy sake...” The
literal translation reads, Adam, because you crossed over, there is a curse
upon the earth.
When Adam crossed over from God’s kingdom to the kingdom of darkness,
he took all of mankind with him; and the Bible teaches that sin, sickness,
and death began their reign.
Isaiah 24:5,6 says, “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants
thereof; because they have .... broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore
hath the curse devoured the earth...” Phillips translation says, “...the earth
is under a curse and its people are paying the price...”
We are paying a heavy price because satan has been made the god of this
world. All of the death and destruction that people blame on God is actually
caused by the kingdom of darkness.
II Corinthians 4:4 says, “...the god of this world hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
Satan is trying to blind the minds of unbelievers to the gospel of Jesus
Christ; because he knows that once enlightened to the truth, anyone can
break free from the devil’s control through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:2 says that the world is, “...walking according to the course
of this world, according to the “prince of the power (#1849 “exousia” -
authority) of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience.”
The Amplified says that the world is “....obedient to and under the control
of the demon spirit that still constantly works in the sons of
disobedience...” Evil spirits exercising authority over nations, over cities,
over families.
But God is never surprised by anything that the devil does. God never
starts something unless He also has a plan to finish it.
The Sacrifice of Christ -
Revelation 13:8 says that Jesus is, “...the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world.” The word “foundation” is not the usual word for foundation;
rather, it is the Greek #2602 “katabole” which means to cast down or to
overthrow.
In other words, Jesus is the Lamb that was slain from the “overthrow” of
the world, from the very moment that the devil stole the authority over the
earth.
I Peter 1:18-20 says, “...You were redeemed ... with the precious blood
of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; who verily was
foreordained before the foundation (#2602 “katabole” - overthrow) of the
world, but was manifested in these last times for you.”
Jesus came to the earth as the perfect Lamb of God to strip satan of his
authority and to take away all the sins of the world. He lived a perfect,
spotless, and sinless life; which He gave as the sacrifice for all of mankind’s
sin. In the garden of Gethsamene and upon the cross at Calvary, Jesus was
made to be sin for us so that we could be made the righteousness of God
in Him (II Corinthians 5:21).
Hebrews 2:14 says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same; that
through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is,
the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage.”
The word “destroy” is the Greek #2673 “katargeo” and means to render
entirely useless. It is translated to abolish, cease, destroy, do away, make
of none effect, bring to nought, put away, put down, and to make void.
The devil’s authority over your life has been utterly and completely
destroyed by the sacrifice that Jesus gave on Calvary.
And after He was raised from the dead, Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “All
power (#1849 “exousia” - authority) is given unto me in heaven and in
earth.”
Then, in Revelation 1:18 He said, “I am he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and
of death.” Jesus took the keys of authority back from the devil!
Colossians 2:15 says, “And having spoiled principalities and powers
(#1849 “exousia”), he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them
in it.”
The word “spoiled” is the Greek #554 “apekduomai” and means to strip
off. Jesus stripped off of himself all of the devil’s authority and triumphed
over him through the power of the cross, His death, and His resurrection.
So that now, anyone who genuinely puts their faith in Jesus’ sacrifice can
successfully stand up and resist the devil’s attacks against his body, against
his mind and against his spirit.
Jesus has stripped satan of his authority to rule over your life.
Keys of the Kingdom -
This is what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 16:18,19 when He said,
“...the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (the church). And I will give
unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven (#3772 “ouranos” - the realm of
the spirit); and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven.”
We have been commissioned by God to walk the paths of restored
rulership. To bind or lock up the enemy everyplace that we find him; and
to loose the people that have been tormented by the kingdom of darkness.
To take authority over the devil and over all of his works; and to restore
the presence of God in the earth.
Revelation 12:10,11 says, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven,
Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the
power (#1849 “exousia” - authority) of his Christ; for the accuser of our
brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony....”
What is your testimony? Who’s authority do you live under?
Binding and Loosing -
Matthew 12:28, 29 says, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God,
then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into
a strong man’s house and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong
man and then he will spoil his house.”
The word translated “bind” is the Greek #1210 “deo” which means to bind,
to fasten, to forbid or prohibit.
In this verse, the strong man is the devil and the house is the life or the
lives of the people that the devil has bound up. Jesus is teaching us that
before we can set the people free, we must first “bind” the strong man that
is keeping them captive.
A perfect example of binding and loosing is found in Luke 13:16, where
Jesus said, “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham,
whom satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this
bond on the sabbath day?”
This woman had been bowed over with a “spirit of infirmity” for eighteen
years (verse eleven). There was no doctor, no therapy, and no medicine
that could heal her, because the root cause of her sickness was not
physical. A spirit of infirmity had her bound.
Jesus took authority over that spirit and in verse twelve he said,
“...Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.” And then he laid his
hands on her and immediately she was healed.
The word translated “loose” in verse twelve is the Greek #630 “apoluo”
which means to fully free, to relieve, release, dismiss; and is translated to
forgive, let go, loose, send away, set at liberty, divorce, etc. “Apoluo” is a
compound word and comes from #575 “apo” (off and away, denoting
separation, departure) and #3089 “luo” (to loose, to break up, to destroy,
to put off).
Jesus loosed the woman and dismissed off of her the evil spirit that had
kept her bound.
Keys of the Kingdom -
In Matthew 16:18,19 Jesus said, “...the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it (the church). And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind (#1210 “deo”) on earth shall be
bound (#1210 “deo”) in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose (#3089
“luo”) on earth shall be loosed (#3089 “luo”) in heaven.”
Keys are a symbol of authority; they lock and unlock, they bind and loose.
Jesus was teaching us that He has given to the church the authority to
bind and to loose on the earth what has already been bound and loosed in
the spirit.
The Concordant Literal New Testament gives us the literal translation of
Matthew 16:19, “I will be giving you the keys of the kingdom of the
heavens, and whatsoever you should be binding on the earth shall be
those things having been bound in the heavens, and whatsoever you
should be loosing on the earth shall be those having been loosed in the
heavens.”
In other words, what God has already bound or loosed in the heavens is
what we are authorized to bind and to loose here on the earth.
Phillips translation says, “... whatever you forbid on earth will be what is
forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be what is
permitted in heaven.”
The Phillips translation goes on to makes this comment, “There is a very
curious Greek construction here, a simple future tense followed by the
perfect participle passive ...the force of these sayings is that Jesus true
disciples will be so led by the Spirit that they will be following the heavenly
pattern. In other words, what they forbid or permit on earth will be
consonant with the Divine rules.”
What we bind or loose on earth, will be those things that have already
been bound or loosed in the heavens (#3772 “ouranos” - the spirit realm).
Thy Will be done -
In Matthew 6:10, Jesus told us to pray, “...Thy will be done in earth, as it
is in heaven.” There would be no need for us to pray this prayer if the will
of God was automatically loosed on the earth.
Psalms 115:16 says, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but
the earth hath he given to the children of men.” God’s will is not
automatically enforced on the earth. We have a responsibility to do
everything in our power to effect and invoke God’s will on earth as it is in
heaven.
We have been commissioned by God to walk the paths of restored
rulership on the earth. To bind or lock up the enemy everyplace we find
him; and to loose the people that have been tormented by the kingdom of
darkness. To take authority over the devil and over all of his works; and to
restore the presence of God in the families of the earth.
In John 14:12 Jesus said, “...He that believeth on me, the works that I do
shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do...” God has
given us the same authority, the same supernatural power that was on
Jesus, so that we can work the will of God in the earth.
Acts 10:38 says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost
and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were
oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.”
God is with you, as well.
Satan -
In the Old Testament, his name is translated from the Hebrew #7854
“satan” which means adversary, an enemy, one who withstands or
opposes; and comes from a primitive root meaning lier in wait.
In the New Testament, his name is translated from the Greek #4567
“satanas” which means the accuser, i.e. the devil, the prince of evil spirits.
The Bible refers to him in many different terms. He is called the devil and
the dragon in Rev. 12:9, the old serpent in Rev. 20:2, the prince of this
world in John 12:31, the prince of the power of the air in Eph. 2:2, the
god of this world in II Cor. 4:4, the prince of devils, Beelzebub, in Mt.
12:24, Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12, pretending to be a roaring lion in I Peter
5:8, the wicked one in Mt. 13:19, the accuser of the brethren in Rev.
12:10, the ruler of the darkness of this world in Eph. 6:12, and our
adversary in I Peter 5:8.
No matter what name you give him, satan is consistently represented in
the Bible as a perverse and wicked enemy of both God and man.
In John 8:44 Jesus said that satan, “...was a murderer from the
beginning...” The word “murderer” is the Greek #443 “anthropoktonos”, a
compound word that literally means a man slayer, one that kills human
beings (#444 “anthropos”). Satan literally hates every human being and
does all he can to destroy their life and defeat God’s plan of grace.
Satan wields power over man primarily through the use of deception and
lies. John 8:44 continues, “... because there is no truth in him. When he
speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Whereas, God is called the Father of lights in James 1:17, the one who
provides illumination and revelation to all believers; satan is called the
father of lies (#5579 “pseudos” - a conscious and intentional falsehood).
Every word the devil speaks is a lie, because there is no truth in him. He
uses deception and lies that are intentionally designed to lead man away
from the truth of God’s Word.
Revelation 12:9 says, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the devil, and satan, which deceiveth (“planao”) the whole
world...” The Greek #4105 “planao” means to lead astray, causing one to
wander from the right path. Satan works feverishly to make man believe
what is not true so he’ll remain bound to the kingdom of darkness.
II Corinthians 11:13-15 tells us that satan works through false apostles
and deceitful ministers, and that, “... satan himself is transformed into an
angel of light.” The word “transformed” is the Greek #3345
“metaschematizo” which means to wear a disguise, to change the outward
appearance. Satan is a master of disguise; always pretending to be
something other that what he really is. Cloaked as a messenger of light,
satan travels the world to put people in bondage and spread his message
of lies and confusion.
Pretending to be righteous, I Timothy 4:2 says that his ministers are,
“...giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. Speaking lies in
hypocrisy...” which is translated from the Greek #5573 “pseudologos” and
means to teach a pseudo or false word. Strong's Concordance defines
“pseudologos” as promulgating erroneous Christian doctrine.
Confusing people with erroneous Christian doctrine by spreading lies and
deception are the chief tactics that satan uses against mankind.
satan’s origin -
There are several passages in the Old Testament that shines light on the
origin and fall of satan.
Job 1:6 informs us that satan is an angel who once had access to the
throne of God, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to
present themselves before the LORD, and satan came also among them.”
In the Old Testament, the phrase “sons of God” is generally regarded as
referring to the angelic order of beings.
The fourteenth chapter of Isaiah begins with the LORD speaking against
the earthly King of Babylon, a mortal man, and then abruptly changes to
describe the fall of Lucifer, a created being that existed thousands of years
before Babylon.
Isaiah 14:12 says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of
the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken
the nations!” The Amplified says, “How have you fallen from heaven, O
light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning...”
“Lucifer” is translated from the Hebrew #1966 “heylel” and means morning
star, light bearer. “Heylel” comes from the root #1984 “halal” which means
to shine, to make a show, to boast, to be clamorously foolish, to rave; and
is translated “praise” over one-hundred times in the Old Testament.
Some use this definition to conclude that Lucifer once led the angelic
choruses of praise and worship to God. Ezekiel 28:13 says, “... the
workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the
day that thou wast created.” Lucifer once was an instrument of praise and
music.
But Lucifer’s pride and ambition led him to concoct a plan to overthrow the
throne of God, which eventually caused him to be cast out of heaven.
Isaiah 14:13 continues, “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend
into heaven...” (indicating that satan’s original domain was somewhere
beneath the region called Heaven); ”... I will exalt my throne above the
stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the
sides of the north.” (informing us that satan had a throne and ruled over a
kingdom).
Tay’s translation says, “...I will ascend to heaven and rule the angels, I will
take the highest throne...” Not satisfied with the domain that God had
given him to rule, Lucifer wanted to be like God, his Creator.
Isaiah 14:14-15 says, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I
will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the
sides of the pit.” Moffatt’s translation says, “...and down you drop, to the
world below, down to death’s abyss you go.”
Hell is Lucifer’s final resting place. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus taught that
the everlasting fire of hell was originally prepared, not for man, but for the
devil and his angels. Revelation 12:9 tells us when satan was cast out of
heaven that “...his angels were cast out with him”; indicating that a large
number of angels followed Lucifer in his rebellion.
His fall from heaven -
In Ezekiel chapter twenty-eight, the LORD once again begins speaking
about a mortal man, the earthly King of Tyrus, and then abruptly changes
to describe in detail the fall of Lucifer.
Ezekiel 28:13-14 says, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God...
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth...”
Obviously, the King of Tyrus wasn’t alive during the time of Eden; nor was
he an anointed cherub (#3742 “keruwb” - an angelic being) who walked
upon the holy mountain of God. The word cherub or cherubims is used
twenty six times in the Book of Ezekiel, and always refers to angelic beings
or their likeness.
Cherubims are first spoken of in Genesis 3:24, where God “...placed at
the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword, which
turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Ezekiel 28:14 continues, “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth;
and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou
hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.”
God gave Lucifer his throne and his kingdom, and appointed him the
anointed cherub that covereth. “Anointed” is translated from the Hebrew
#4473 “mimshach” (found only in this verse) and defined in Strong’s
Concordance as anointed in the sense of expansion, to be outspread (i.e.
with outstretched wings). The Hebrew word for “covereth” is #5526
“cakak” and means to cover over and protect. Like a sovereign ruling over
his kingdom, Lucifer is portrayed as a sentinel, keeping watch over his
domain with outstretched wings. And God said, I have set thee so.
But Lucifer wasn’t satisfied with the position that God gave him; he wanted
more. Ezekiel 18:15 says, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day
that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.”
“Iniquity” is translated from the Hebrew #5766 “evel” and means violent
deeds of injustice, wickedness, depravity, and perverseness. “Evel” comes
from the root #5765 “aval” and means to distort (morally), to act
unrighteous. Evil, perverseness, and iniquity, all have their origin in Lucifer,
the fallen angel.
Ezekiel 28:16-17 continues, “By the multitude of thy merchandise they
have filled the midst of thee with violence (#2555 “chamac” - cruelty,
oppression, injustice), and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as
profane (#2490 “chalal” - defiled, polluted, desecrated) out of the
mountain of God: and I will destroy thee (#6 “abad” - to wander away, i.e.
to lose oneself, to extirpate [pull up by the roots]), O covering cherub,
from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of
thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I
will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may
behold thee.”
The NEB says, “...your beauty made you arrogant, you misused your
wisdom to increase your dignity.” The Knox translation says, “...a heart
made proud by it’s own beauty, wisdom ruined through it’s own dazzling
brightness.”
Pride, arrogance, restless ambition, and iniquity were the cause of satan’s
downfall.
Then God says in verse eighteen (Amplified translation), ‘You have
profaned your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities and the
enormity of your guilt, by the unrighteousness of your trade. Therefore I
have brought forth a fire from your midst; it has consumed you, and I have
reduced you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who looked at you.”
There is a consuming fire burning deep in the center of Lucifer’s being. He
must be in a great deal of pain and mental anguish, as the fire continually
eats and burns away his strength and beauty.
The kingdom of darkness -
In Acts 26:18, the Lord gave the Apostle Paul a synopsis of the ministry
that He was calling him to fulfill, and included revelation about satan and
the kingdom of darkness that he now rules. Paul was being sent to the
Gentiles, “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and
from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of
sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith...”
Rotherham’s translation says, “...to turn them from the authority of satan.”
Goodspeed says, “...to turn them from satan’s control.” The Amplified says
that believers can, “...turn from the power of satan to God, so that they
may receive forgiveness and release from their sins.”
The Bible clearly teaches that satan is the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4)
and rules over this planet with the kingdom of darkness. Ephesians 2:2
calls satan, “...the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience.” The Amplified says that the world
is “...obedient to and under the control of the demon spirit that still
constantly works in the sons of disobedience...” Evil spirits, under the
control of satan, are exercising authority over nations, over cities, and over
families.
Ephesians 6:12 in the Amplified says, “For we are not wrestling with flesh
and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the
despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the
world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of
wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.”
There are two kingdoms operating in the earth today; the kingdom of light
and the kingdom of darkness. The former ruled by Christ, the later ruled by
satan. Accepting Christ as lord and savior is the only way to be delivered
out of the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light.
Isaiah 49:6-9 prophecies the effects that the Lord’s death and
resurrection had on the people of the earth, “...I will also give thee for a
light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the
earth.... That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are
in darkness, Shew yourselves...”
Christ’s resurrection has given man the power and authority to break free
from satan’s kingdom of darkness. The ASV says, “...say to them that are
bound, go free.” The NEB says, “...say to the prisoners, go free.” Moffatt’s
translation says, “...say to the captives, come forth to the light.”
Colossians 1:12-14 says, “Giving thanks unto the father, which hath
made us meet (#2427 “hikanoo” - to enable, to make qualified) to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” Wuest commentary
states, the words “in light” qualify inheritance, not saints; i.e. our
inheritance is to be found only in the light. Therefore, in order for us to
partake of the blessings afforded us through Christ’s resurrection, we must
turn from the power of satan and come out of the kingdom of darkness by
accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our life.
Colossians 1:13-14 continues, when we accept Christ as savior, God
works a transformation in our lives, “Who hath delivered us from the power
of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. In
whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of
sins.”
We have been “translated”; which comes from the Greek #3179
“methistemi” and means to transfer, to remove from one place to another,
a change of situation or place. Rotherham says, “...Who hath rescued us
out of the authority of the darkness.” Tay says that we have been
removed, “...from the darkness and gloom of satan’s kingdom.”
Notice that our deliverance isn’t something that will happen in the future
(i.e. after we die and go to heaven). Paul writes that the Father “hath”
already delivered us out from under satan’s authority (his power to direct
and to rule over our lives), and “hath” already translated us into the
authority of God’s kingdom.
Anytime you choose, you can cast off the works of darkness and accept the
glorious light of salvation in Christ. Isaiah 60:1 in the Amplified says,
“Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have
kept you - rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord),
for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
Be not ignorant of his devices -
The Apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 2:11 that we should be quick to
forgive, “Lest satan should get an advantage of us; for we are not ignorant
of his devices.” The Amplified says, “...for we are not ignorant of his wiles
and intentions.”
The word “devices” is translated from the Greek noun #3540 “noema” and
literally means a mental perception, the thoughts or purposes of the mind.
In other words, satan seeks to gain an advantage over you by influencing
your mental perceptions of life; by controlling what you think.
II Corinthians 4:4 tells us that satan, “...the god of this world hath
blinded the minds (#3540 “noema” - the mental perceptions) of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ....should
shine unto them.”
Satan is trying to alter your perception of reality by bombarding your mind
with lies, half-truths, and deception. If he can alter your perception of God,
of other people and yourself, he can then cause you to believe the wrong
things, to take wrong actions, and to accept the wrong results. If he can
confuse your understanding of the Gospel, then he can limit your freedom
in God.
However, I Peter 1:13 tells you that the thoughts and the imaginations
that journey through your mind are under your control, and not satan’s.
You have the power to “...gird up the loins of your mind” by becoming
selective in your thought life. You have the right to refuse every perverse
thought and every wicked imagination that satan tries to plant in your
mind.
II Corinthians 10:5 admonishes us, “Casting down imaginations, and
every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought (#3540 “noema” - mental perception)
to the obedience of Christ.” You can bring your mind under control. You
can control your attitude and perceptions about life.
In II Corinthians 11:3 Paul warned us that satan will try to deceive us
the same way that he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden; by using
specious arguments and half-truths that contradict God’s Word, “...as the
serpent beguiled Eve (#1818 “exapatao” - to deceive thoroughly) through
his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ.”
Satan rarely attacks openly. He prefers to use subtilty and craftiness to
cloak his lies in a manner that makes them palpable and believable. But
always, satan’s purpose is to corrupt your mind (#5351 “phtheiro” - to
destroy by means of corrupting, and to bring into a worse state). He rules
by subverting people’s minds.
The word “subtilty” is translated from the Greek #3834 “panourgia” and
means craftiness and cunning, especially a specious or false wisdom.
Specious describes words that are deceptively attractive; having the ring of
truth or plausibility but are actually fallacious and filled with error.
If you don’t renew your mind to the truth of God’s Word, satan will fill you
with deceptive arguments and half-truths that will eventually cause you to
fall away from a condition of holiness and purity of doctrine.
Remember that Jesus said Satan is the father of lies and there is no truth
in him. When he offers you false perceptions of God’s Word, you must
refuse them. When he tries to make you feel condemned or unworthy, or
tries to make you condemn others, you must discipline yourself to cast
these thoughts down and refuse to entertain them.
In John 8:32, Jesus said that if we continue in the principles of God’s
Word, then “...ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
If you remain stedfast and obedient to the truth of God’s Word, satan will
not be able to gain an advantage over your life.
He tries to rob the Word from our heart -
In the forth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus taught the parable of a
sower sowing the seed of God’s Word in the hearts of believers; and then
said this is the principle that defines how the Kingdom of God works.
Receiving and then nurturing the Word sown in our hearts is the key
ingredient for our spiritual maturity.
Satan understands this principle and works hard to dislodge the Word from
our hearts before it can take root and grow. In Mark 4:15 Jesus said,
“And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when
they have heard, satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word
that was sown in their hearts.”
Matthew 13:19 in the Amplified says, “While anyone is hearing the Word
of the Kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes
and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”
As we said earlier, II Corinthians 4:4 tells us that satan is trying to blind
our minds to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He wants to stop the revelation of
God’s Word from taking root and thereby changing our lives.
The Apostle Paul had some of the greatest revelation of any man that lived
during the first century. God inspired him to write over two-third’s of the
New Testament. However, his abundance of revelation knowledge
concerning the Word of God came at a steep cost as satan continually
harassed Paul’s ministry and tried to silence his voice.
Paul wrote about his battle with satan in II Corinthians 12:7, “And lest I
should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the
revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of
satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”
For centuries, theologians have preached that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was
an infirmity or sickness in his flesh. But Paul clearly tells us what the thorn
was: a messenger of satan, sent to buffet me.
The word “messenger” is translated from the Greek #32 “aggelos” which is
the New Testament word for angel (translated 179 times “angel”). An
envoy or angel of satan was assigned to harass Paul constantly.
In I Thessalonians 2:18 Paul wrote, “Wherefore we would have come
unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but satan hindered us.” The word
“hindered” is translated from the Greek verb #1465 “egkopto” and means
to impede one’s journey by cutting off his way, to detain. Vine’s dictionary
says “egkopto” is used of impeding persons by breaking up the road, or by
placing an obstacle sharply in the path.
Satan was constantly hindering Paul’s ministry to stop him from preaching
the Gospel to the world. Paul was stoned, beaten, shipwrecked and
whipped five times (II Cor. 11:24-28). But he never quit. Paul refused to
let satan rob the word from his heart and never ceased preaching the
uncompromised Word of God.
Having overcome every attack of satan, Paul eventually wrote Romans
8:38-39, “For I am persuaded (#3982 “peitho” - to be convinced, to
assent to evidence or authority, persuaded beyond doubt), that neither
death, nor life, nor angels (#32 “aggelos”), nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things, present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Sifted like wheat -
In Luke 22:31 Jesus warned Peter, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon,
behold, satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.”
The word “sift” is translated from the Greek #4617 “siniazo” and means to
riddle, to sift, and shake in a sieve. The Dictionary defines riddle as to
pierce with numerous holes (i.e. riddle a target with bullets), to find and
show flaws in, to criticize and disapprove.
Satan, who’s name means “the accuser”, tries to riddle us with
condemnation and criticism. He continually reminds us of our faults and
tells us things like God doesn’t love us, and you don’t deserve to be
blessed of the Lord. But these are all lies, designed to distract our hearts
from the message of God’s love and grace that is presented in the Gospel.
Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Fully realizing that Peter was going to deny Him before morning, Jesus still
showed love and mercy to Peter and told him that everything was going to
be alright in Luke 22:32, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail
not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
In other words, even though we fall into sin and make numerous mistakes
throughout our life, God still loves us; and He will continue to use us as
ministers of His grace and mercy. There is nothing that satan can do to
stop the love that God has for His children. “For I am persuaded.... that
nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
satan and the antichrist -
The Apostle Paul unveils satan as the lord over a rebellious world power in
the last days that will be headed up by a personality known as the
“antichrist”.
The antichrist will be a mortal man who is empowered by satan to deceive
the people of the earth during the seven year period that precedes the
Second Coming of Christ. At which time, both he and his armies will be
destroyed when Jesus returns to the earth to defend Jerusalem and to set
up God’s millennial kingdom of peace.
But before he is destroyed, Paul writes that satan will empower the
antichrist to deceive many people on the earth and cause them to believe a
lie. II Thessalonians 2:9 says, “Even him, whose coming is after the
working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
Revelation 13:2 says that the dragon, or satan, will give the antichrist his
power, and his seat (#2362 “thronos” - his throne), and his authority. At
the end of seven years, the antichrist will be destroyed in what many call
the battle of Armageddon.
Jesus talked about this event in Matthew 24:29-20, “Immediately after
the tribulation of those days.... then shall appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven; and then shall the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory.”
The whole earth will know when Christ comes to earth this second time to
destroy the armies of the antichrist. In Matthew 24:27 Jesus said, “For
as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west;
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
Paul says in II Thessalonians 2:8 that the antichrist shall be destroyed,
“...with the brightness of His coming.”
With the antichrist taken care of, God now turns his attention towards
satan (the real author of man’s sorrows). Revelation 20:1-3 tells us that an
angel shall come down from heaven, “...And he laid hold on the dragon,
that old serpent, which is the devil, and satan, and bound him a thousand
years, and cast him into the bottomless pit...”
satan in the book of Revelation -
Revelation 12:7-10 says that there was a war in heaven (future event),
where Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (satan) and his
angels; and eventually defeated the devil’s forces and cast them out of
heaven (permanently) kicked out and he no longer has access) Right now
he is still a liberty to the heavenly spheres, but does not have access to
where God’s throne is.
Jesus referred to this event in John 12:31, explaining the significance of
His death and resurrection, Jesus said, “Now is the judgment of this world;
now shall the prince of this world be cast out.”
Revelation 12:9 says, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the devil, and satan, which deceiveth (#4105 “planao” - to
lead into error, to cause to stray) the whole world; he was cast out into the
earth...”
Knowing that he only has a short time left, satan roams the earth, seeking
whom he might devour. However, Revelation 12:11 tells us, “And they
(the people of the earth) overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by
the word of their testimony...”
We overcome satan through the power of the blood covenant that was
ratified through the death and resurrection of Christ, and by the word of
our testimony. Through the cleansing blood of Christ, we are made
righteous in God and victorious over the kingdom of darkness. Though the
words of our testimony, our faith is released to overcome the attacks of
the devil.
Then, towards the end of the Great Tribulation, Revelation chapter twenty
says the angel that has the key of the bottomless pit comes on the scene
to arrest satan. Revelation 20:2 says, “And he laid hold on the dragon,
that old serpent, which is the devil, and satan, and bound him a thousand
years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and a seal
upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand
years should be fulfilled...”
Revelation 20:7 tells us, at the end of the Millennium, “And when the
thousand years are expired, satan shall be loosed out of his prison.” Satan
will be loosed one last time, to personally lead the final conspiracy against
Christ and attempt one last time to deceive the nations of the world.
Then, Revelation 20:20 says, “And the devil that deceived them was
cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false
prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
At the conclusion of the Great White Throne Judgment, Revelation 20:14
says that satan, along with “...death and hell were cast into the lake of
fire.” Satan is never heard from again. He can no longer hurt God’s elect.
The Devil -
In the King James translation of the Bible, the word “devil” is found only in
the New Testament. It is translated from the Greek #1228 “diabolos”
which means a traducer, a slanderer, a false accuser, a calumniator (one
that makes malicious and knowingly false statements). The very definition
of his name defines the devil’s nature to be one of lies, deception and
slander.
In the scriptures, the devil is also known as satan, beelzebub, lucifer, and
the prince of demons; and is consistently represented to be the malignant
enemy of God and man’s evil adversary.
Revelation 12:10 gives him the epithet “accuser of the brethren”, “...the
accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God
day and night.”
In John 8:44 Jesus called him the father of lies, “Ye are of your father the
devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the
father of it.”
The devil is the father of lies (from the root #5574 “pseudomai” - to
attempt to deceive by falsehood).
The word “father” is translated from the Greek #3962 “pater” which means
the generator or male ancestor, the originator and transmitter of anything.
Thayer’s Lexicon says that “prater” also conveys the meaning of nourisher,
protector, and upholder. In other words, the devil first conceives and then
transmits his lies and deception throughout the world. He nourishes,
protects, and disseminates lies, false statements and slander to anyone
who will listen to him.
Whereas, God is called the Father of lights in James 1:17, the source or
giver of whatever provides illumination and revelation; the devil is called
the father of lies and false statements. He cloaks everything in a mystery,
attempting to keep the truth hidden from our view, and is intentionally
misleading in everything he says and does. Every word the devil speaks is
a lie, because that’s all he knows. And the purpose of his lies is the
destruction of mankind.
Jesus said the devil was a murderer from the beginning (#746 “arche” - a
commencement, beginning or origin; first in time, order, or place). The
word “murderer” is the Greek #443 “anthropoktonos”, a compound word
that literally means a man slayer, one that kills “anthropos” or human
beings.
The devil is out to destroy the lives of every man, woman, and child on the
earth. Jesus called him the thief in John 10:10, the one who steals, kills,
and destroys. If your life is being diminished in any way, the devil is either
the directly or the indirectly involved. He is the enemy of all mankind.
Hell was created for the devil -
In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus describes the Day of Judgment, when the
nations of the world will be gathered before the throne of God and
separated into two groups. On God’s right hand will be gathered the sheep,
the people who have been made righteous through the blood of Christ;
and on His left will be gathered the goats, the wicked who have denied
Christ and lived an unholy lifestyle.
Jesus said the righteous will be ushered into the kingdom prepared for
them from the foundation of the world and will spend eternity in the
presence of God. But the wicked will be sentenced to everlasting
punishment.
Matthew 25:41 says, “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand
(the wicked), Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for
the devil (#1228 “diabolos”) and his angels.”
It is interesting to note that Jesus taught the everlasting fire of hell was
prepared, not for man, but for the devil and the angels that rebelled with
him. Hell was not created for man.
Was “hell” the devil’s original abode, corrupted when satan fell into sin and
rebelled against God? Was “hell” a pleasurable place until satan sinned,
which caused the glory of God to be removed from it’s atmosphere and
everlasting fire to begin consuming it? We can’t be sure. But Jesus clearly
taught that the everlasting fire that will receive the unrighteous at the end
of days was originally prepared, not for man, but for the devil and his
angels.
The devil sows tares among the righteous -
Jesus explained the parable of the good seed and the tares in Matthew
13:36-43. He said the Son of man sows good seed in the world, which
are the children of the kingdom; while the devil sows tares in the world,
which are the children of the wicked one (#4190 “poneros” - of a bad
nature; working evil, wicked and harmful deeds, bad).
Matthew 13:39 says, “The enemy that sowed them (the tares) is the
devil; the harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the angels.”
Jesus taught that the devil turns some people into agents of his
wickedness. These people refuse to submit to the goodness, morality, and
truth of God’s Word; and, instead, give their lives over to the evil and
wickedness the devil has sowed in their heart. They imprison, rule, and
murder human beings with such malevolence that they can only be labeled
as evil, under the control of the wicked one.
In this parable, Jesus taught the end of the world will be a time of great
harvest, not only of the righteous, but also of the wicked. Matthew
13:41-42 says, “The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they
shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do
iniquity. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth.”
The devil even sowed a tare in the ranks of Jesus’ disciples. In John 6:70
Jesus was talking to his disciples and said, “...Have not I chosen you
twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot...for he it was
that should betray him...”
The Bible says the devil deleteriously effected the heart of Judas until he
finally submitted and betrayed Jesus into the hands of His enemies. John
13:2 describes the event as taking place during the Last Supper, “And
supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas
Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him.”
During the last supper, Jesus handed a sop (a morsel of food) to Judas.
John 13:27 says, “And after the sop satan entered into him. Then said
Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”
His power has been destroyed by Christ -
The Bible clearly teaches that the devil’s power has been destroyed
through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I John 3:8 tells us,
“...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy
the works of the devil.”
The word “destroy” is translated from the Greek verb #3089 “luo” and
means to loose, dissolve, sever, and break. Rotherham’s translation says
“undo” and the Basic English translation says “put an end to” the works of
the devil. The purpose of Jesus coming on the earth was to put an end to
the works of the devil. To undo their effect, break their control, and sever
their influence in your life.
The word “works” is translated from the Greek noun #2041 “ergon” and
means business, employment, to be occupied with, that which one
undertakes to do. Every tactic or device the devil employs against you has
been severed from your life. You no longer have to listen to his lies, follow
his suggestions, or fall prey to his snares. He has no business with you.
There is no occasion where you have to serve him, obey him, or be afraid
of him.
Hebrews 2:14-15 further explains why Jesus had to manifest Himself on
the earth, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and
blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death
He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. And
deliver them who through the fear of death were all their lifetime subject
to bondage.” Jesus had to partake of a mortal, flesh and blood body to
secure your deliverance and destroy the devil’s power.
Here, the word “destroy” is the Greek verb “katargeo” and means to render
entirely useless, to make of none effect, to make void, to do away with, to
abolish. The Berkeley translation says that Jesus was manifested that He
might neutralize the devil’s power. Goodspeed says, “...by His death He
might dethrone” the devil. Rotherham’s translation says, that He might
paralyze him.
Christ’s death and resurrection have rendered satan entirely void of power
as far as you are concerned. His strategies have no effect in the life of a
knowledgeable believer who has learned to be an overcomer in Christ;
because he knows that the devil’s power had been neutralized by the blood
of Christ.
The only way he can hurt you is if you submit to his lies, buy in to his
suggestions, or accept what he is telling you as truth and therefore
inevitable. However, if you refuse to give him permission, the devil cannot
devour your life. Christ’s resurrection has enabled you with authority and
power to successfully resist the devil.
You can resist him -
Ephesians 4:27 says, “Neither give place to the devil.” The Amplified
says, “Leave no room or foothold for the devil, give no opportunity to him.”
Without a foothold, satan has no place to operate in your life; and
therefore has no power over you.
The word “place” is translated from the Greek noun #5117 “topos” and
means a place, an opportunity, a spot, room, or position.
When we allow fear and strife to have a place in our minds, we are giving
place to the devil’s operation in our life. When we allow the thoughts of
condemnation, guilt, or criticism to linger; we remain vulnerable to satanic
control. This is why we must remove every stronghold of fear, every
imagination of strife, and every thought of condemnation from our minds.
If the devil has no base of operation, he can’t control us.
The Goodspeed translation says, “...give the devil no chance.” The NEB
says, “...leave no loophole for the devil.”
Ephesians 6:11 tells us to, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
The word “wiles” is translated from the Greek noun #3180 “methodeia”
which the Strong’s Concordance defines as a travesty or trickery. A travesty
is a false, derisive, or impudent sham. It is designed to cause you to
believe what is not true, to accept a false report, and to act on wrong
information.
You are no longer a defenseless victim that is subject to the wiles of the
devil, because the armour of God will protect you when the devil attacks.
You can put on the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of
salvation that keeps your mind secure in God. You can girt your loins with
truth and become established in the gospel of peace that keeps you on the
right path. You can take up the shield of faith that quenches all the fiery
darts of the wicked, so “...that you may be able successfully to stand up
against all the strategies and the deceits of the devil” (Amplified).
James 4:7 tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.” The NEB says, “Stand up to the devil and he will
turn and run...” The Amplified says, “...stand firm against him and he will
flee from you.”
The word “resist” is translated from the Greek verb #436 “anthistemi” and
means to stand against, to withstand, to oppose and resist. Each member
of the Body of Christ has been invested with power and authority through
the resurrection of Christ, to stand against every work, every device, every
assignment the devil tries to use against them.
“Anthistemi” is a compound word that has it’s origin in #473 “anti”, a
preposition that means against or in opposition to; and #2476 “histemi”, a
verb that means to stand in an upright and active position. In other words,
we are instructed to take a forceful position by actively standing up to
oppose every attack of the enemy.
When you indulge the devil and entertain his lies you are giving him
permission to stay in your life. If you remain gentle and tenderhearted
towards him, the devil will run roughshod over your live and keep you
bound to the kingdom of darkness. You must stand in an upright and
active position and vigorously oppose every thought, every assignment,
and every demonic device that he tries to work in your life. Then, he will
flee from you.
I Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom
resist (#436 “anthistemi”) steadfast in the faith...”
The Amplified says, “...that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a
lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and
devour.” The NEB says that satan is “...looking for someone to devour.”
Notice, the Bible says that satan walketh about ‘as’ a roaring lion; it does
not tell us that he ‘is’ a mighty beast. While he pretends to be powerful,
the Bible teaches that you have more power over him than he has over
you. In fact, the devil only has power over your life if you acquiesce to his
lies and passively submit to his tactics.
When you use the authority that Christ has given you and actively resist his
lies, the devil will flee from you.
The snare of the devil -
The Apostle Paul warned about the traps the devil lays to ensnare our
minds. I Timothy 3:7 speaks of “...the snare of the devil.” The literal
translation reads, the snare of “diabolos” the accuser and slanderer.
The word “snare” is translated from the Greek #3803 “pagis” and means a
trap, a snare (as fastened by a noose or notch). These traps are cunningly
designed and created to draw us away from the truth of God’s Word.
I Timothy 4:1 warns us, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils.” The phrase “giving heed” comes from the
Greek #4337 “prosecho” which means to turn the mind towards, to give
attention to. When you open your mind to the devil’s lies you will be
deceived.
I Timothy 4:2 adds, “Speaking lies in hypocrisy...” which is translated
from the Greek #5573 “pseudologos” and means to teach a pseudo or
false word. Strong's defines “pseudologos” as promulgating erroneous
Christian doctrine.
Tempting people to believe an erroneous Christian doctrine is one of the
chief snares that the devil uses to draw us away from God.
However, II Timothy 2:26 says that it is possible to recover ourselves
from this snare, “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of
the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
When we refuse to believe the devil’s lies and refuse to allow him to
pervert our understanding of God’s Word, “diabolos” cannot take us captive
at his will. When we are established in God’s Word, the devil won’t be able
to manipulate us, to exploit us, or maneuver our lives in any way. The
Amplified says that, any time we choose, we can come to our senses and
escape from the snare’s he has laid for us.
The phrase “recover ourselves” is translated from the Greek #366
“ananepho” and means to return to soberness, as from a state of delirium
or drunkenness. When believer’s fall into the snare of “diabolos”, they
become intoxicated with the devil’s lies and his perversion of the truth.
Recovery is only possible by repentance (#3341 “metanoia” - to change
the way your are thinking) and acknowledgment of the truth of God’s
Word.
II Timothy 2:25 tells us, “In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth.” The Amplified says, “...that they will perceive
and recognize and become accurately acquainted with and acknowledge...”
the truth of God’s Word.
The devil is the father of lies; everything he tells you is a perversion of
God’s truth. However, Jesus said, “...If ye continue in my Word, then are
ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free.” Our best weapon of defense to fight off the lies of the
devil is a full and comprehensive knowledge of the Word of God.
The tempter -
The Bible teaches that the devil is the one who tempts all men to do evil;
he even tempted Jesus. Matthew 4:1 says, “Then was Jesus led up of the
Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
After He was baptized in the Jordan river, Luke 4:1-2 says that Jesus was
led by the Spirit into the wilderness, “Being forty days tempted of the
devil...”
After a series of temptations, Luke 4:5-6 says, “And the devil, taking Him
up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world
in a moment of time. And the devil said unto Him, All this power will I give
thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me, and
whomsoever I will I give it.”
The Amplified says, “...I will give all this power and authority.... for it has
been turned over to me, and I give it to whomever I will.”
How did satan gain power and authority over the world? Genesis 1:26 tells
us that God originally gave the authority to rule over the earth to man,
“And God said, Let us make man (#120 “adam”) in our image, after our
likeness, and let them have dominion (#7287 “radah” - to rule over, have
dominion).... over all the earth...” Therefore, the devil must have stolen
man’s authority over the earth sometime in the past.
Psalms 8:4-5 says, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?.... For
thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him
with glory and honour.” What makes this verse interesting is the word
“angels”. It is translated from the Hebrew #430 “Elohiym” which is
translated God, the Supreme Being, two thousand, three hundred and
forty-seven times in the Old Testament and “angels” only once.
Man was created to be second, only to God. All of the angels, including
Lucifer, were created to be under man in both rank and authority. Psalms
8:6 adds, “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy
hands; thou has put all things under his feet.”
The word translated “dominion” is the Hebrew #4910 “mashal” and means
to have dominion and to rule over, but with a twist. The Gesenius Lexicon
says that “mashal” also conveys the idea to make like another thing, in the
sense of judging, forming an opinion, ruling or having dominion over.
Strong’s Concordance says it conveys the idea of superiority in mental
action. In other words, man was created to be like God, to think like Him,
to act like Him, and to rule over this planet like God would rule.
However, Adam’s sin changed all that. We are now living in a world that is
ruled by the kingdom of darkness and therefore susceptible to the devil’s
temptations.
The best way to foil the tempter’s arrows is to employ the same tactics
that Jesus used. In every instance, Jesus resisted the devil’s temptations
by quoting from the Word of God.
Luke 4:13 ends the story of Jesus’ temptation, “And when the devil had
ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.” For a
“season” is translated from the Greek #2540 “kairos” and refers to a fixed
and definite time or season.
Luke 8:13 tells us that there is a “time (“kairos” - season) of temptation.”
A limited period of time when the devil will try to entice you to sin.
This season of the devil’s temptation usually follows the preaching of the
Word. In Luke 8:13, Jesus talked about the different seasons that follow
the sowing of God’s Word, “...when they hear, (they) receive the Word
with joy; and these have no root, which for a while (#2540 “kairos”)
believe, and in time (#2540 “kairos”) of temptation fall away.” Notice,
there is a season of faith (believing) and a season of temptation.
You can prolong your season of faith by resisting the devil’s season of
temptation just like Christ did on the mount of temptation. You do not have
to yield to the devil’s temptations. Greater is He that is in you than he that
is in the world.
The author of sickness -
Physical disease is connected to the introduction of evil into the world;
which makes satan, either directly or indirectly, the cause of all sickness
and disease.
Acts 10:38 says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that
were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.”
This verse indicates that those who are in need of healing are being
oppressed of the devil. The word “oppressed” is translated from the Greek
verb #2616 “katadynasteuo” and means to exercise harsh control over
one, to use one’s power against someone else.
The TCNT says, “...curing all who were under the power of the devil.”
Moffatt’s translation says, “...curing all who were harassed by the devil.”
Knox says, “...curing all those who were under the devil’s tyranny.”
Sickness and disease are the direct result of satan bringing evil to this
planet. Even the diseases that are biological or genetic in nature, would
never have polluted the human race if Adam would have resisted the devil
and prevented him from introducing sin into this world. Genesis 1:31 says,
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very
good...” The planet that God originally created was perfect; sickness and
disease did not exist.
But after sin polluted this planet, God said in Genesis 3:17, “...cursed is
the ground (#127 “adamah” - the earth, where adam dwells) for thy
sake...” The Amplified says, “...the ground is under a curse because of
you...” The literal translation is, because you crossed over.
When Adam bowed his knee to the temptation of the devil and sinned, he
crossed over from the kingdom of light to the kingdom of darkness; he
went from the glorified state that God created man to dwell in, to the
polluted and contaminated world that sin created. At that moment, satan
became the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2:2-3) and sickness and
disease began to reign in man’s, now, mortal body.
In Matthew 13:35 Jesus said, “...I will open my mouth in parables; I will
utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the
world.” The word “foundation” is not the usual word translated foundation;
rather, it is the Greek #2602 “katabole” which means to cast or throw
down, to overthrow. In other words, Jesus preached revelation that had
been locked up since the “overthrow” of God’s creation.
The state of God’s original creation has been overthrown by the works of
the devil. Therefore, all sickness and disease are indirectly caused by the
oppression of the devil. The Bible also teaches that some sickness is
directly caused by an evil spirit.
In the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus attributed a woman’s
infirmity directly to the devil. The Bible says that she had a spirit of
infirmity that was controlling her life for eighteen years. Luke 13:16 tells
us what Jesus said after He healed her, “And ought not this woman, being
a daughter of Abraham, whom satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years,
be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”
If this woman could have been examined by a modern physician, the
diagnosis would probably have been some type of arthritic or muscular
condition or possibly curvature of the spine. But Jesus said that her
physical condition was being caused by the devil; or, as verse eleven says,
a spirit of infirmity.
Some sickness can only be cured through the prayer of binding and loosing
in the Name of Jesus.
The devil in the book of Revelation -
Revelation 12:7-10 tells us that there was a war in heaven; where
Michael and his angels defeated the dragon (the devil) and his angels and
cast them out of heaven.
Revelation 12:9 says, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the devil, and satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he
was cast out into the earth...”
Revelation 12:12 says, “...Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the
sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he
knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Knowing that he only has a short
time left, satan roams the earth, seeking whom he might devour.
Revelation 20:2 describes an angel coming down from heaven at the end
of the Great Tribulation period, “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old
serpent, which is the devil, and satan, and bound him a thousand years.”
On the eve of the new millennium, the devil is bound for a thousand years.
Having failed to defeat God’s purpose of making this earth the Kingdom of
Christ, satan is bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years.
Then, at the end of the Millennium, satan is loosed for a while and
personally heads up the last conspiracy against Christ and attempts to once
again deceive the nations of the world.
Then, Revelation 20:20 says, “And the devil that deceived them was cast
into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet
are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
At the conclusion of the Great White Throne Judgment, Revelation 20:14
says that the devil, along with “...death and hell were cast into the lake of
fire.” The devil is never heard from again. He can no longer hurt God’s
elect.
Hell -
The word “hell” occurs fifty-four times in the King James Bible and is
commonly regarded as the place of eternal punishment for wicked souls
after death, as well as the final abode of satan, fallen angels, and evil
spirits. Jesus mentioned the place called “hell” sixteen times in the New
Testament.
The Old Testament word translated “hell” is the Hebrew noun #7585
“sheowl”, which is defined as Hades, the world of the dead, where
disembodied spirits of the wicked go when they die. It comes from the root
#7592 “sha’al” which means to ask and demand; indicating that “sheowl”
is a place of insatiable need, where every request for relief is denied.
Psalms 9:17 says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the
nations that forget God.”
Proverbs 15:24 in the Amplified says, “The path of the wise leads upward
to life, that he may avoid [the gloom] in the depths of Sheol (Hades, the
place of the dead).”
In the New Testament, the word most frequently translated “hell” is the
Greek noun #1067 “ghenna”, which literally means the valley of Hinnom.
This rocky valley was located southwest of Jerusalem, where the people of
the city deposited their filth and garbage and set it on fire. Hence, a valley
of perpetual fire and destruction.
The valley of Hinnom was also the site of an Old Testament cult, where
children were burned as offerings to the god Molech (II Kings 23:10).
Another New Testament word translated “hell” is the Greek noun #86
“hades” and refers to the infernal regions of the damned, the place where
the departed spirits of the lost are deposited after death.
Peter referred to “hades” when he taught about Christ’s resurrection in
Acts 2:31, “...spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left
in hell (“hades”), neither his flesh did see corruption.”
After His resurrection, Jesus said in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth,
and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the
keys of hell (“hades”) and of death.”
The final New Testament word translated “hell” is the Greek #5020
“tartaroo”, which Strong’s Concordance defines as the deepest abyss of
Hades; where the angels that sinned during the time of Noah are locked up
in chains of darkness, waiting for the final day of judgment (II Peter 2:4-
5, Genesis 6:2-4).
As you can see, hell is not a single place. It has several compartments or
regions that are covered in detail at the end of this article.
Created for the devil and his angels -
In Matthew 25:41, Jesus said the place of everlasting fire and
punishment was originally prepared, not for human beings, but for the
devil and his angels.
Matthew 25:31-41 says, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory,
and all the holy angels with Him, then shall he sit upon the throne of His
glory. And before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall separate
them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.
And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world.... Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels.”
Hell was not created for man, but for satan and the angels that followed
him when he rebelled against God and tried to exalt his throne above the
throne of the Most High (Ezekiel 28:13-17 and Isaiah 14:12-15).
Was “hell” the devil’s original abode, that was corrupted when satan fell
into sin and rebelled against God? Was “hell” once a pleasurable place until
satan sinned, which caused the glory of God to be removed from it’s
atmosphere and an everlasting fire to begin consuming it? We can’t be
sure if “hell” had a previous existence or was specially created for the devil.
But Jesus clearly taught that the everlasting fire that will receive the devil
and the unrighteous at the end of days was originally prepared, not for
man, but for the devil and his angels.
God loves all men and desires to see every person saved (I Timothy 2:4).
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.” Every person can escape “hell” by believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ and the sacrifice that He provided for man’s salvation.
But John 3:18 says, “...but he that believeth not is condemned (#2919
“krino” - judged) already, because he hath not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.” There is a day of judgment coming for the
human race.
I Timothy 3:6 says that it is possible for man to, “...fall into the
condemnation (#2917 “krima” - judgment or sentence) of the devil.” The
judgment that is reserved for satan (i.e. banishment to “hell”) will be
meted out to every person that refuses to accept the sacrifice of Christ.
In Mark 9:43-44, Jesus taught that “hell” was a place of “...fire that
never shall be quenched. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not
quenched.”
In II Thessalonians 1:8-9, Paul describes the fate of those who do not
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, “...on them that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of His power.”
The word “destruction” is translated from the Greek #3639 “olethros”
which is used to describe the effect of the Divine judgments upon men in
the Day of the Lord; where unbelievers will be cut off from the presence of
the Lord.
The Amplified says, “...and [upon those] who ignore and refuse to obey
the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Such people will pay the penalty and
suffer the punishment of everlasting ruin (destruction and perdition) and
eternal exclusion and banishment from the presence of the Lord and from
the glory of His power.”
But there is no need for any man to perish; because Jesus has conquered
“hell” for all men.
Jesus took back the keys of hell -
Between His crucifixion and resurrection, the Bible teaches that Christ first
descended into the abode of the dead. Ephesians 4:9 states, “Now that He
ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of
the earth?”
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He told one of the prisoners that
was being crucified with him, “...Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
(Luke 23:43). Paradise, as we shall see later, is also called Abraham’s
bosom in Luke 16:22.
At death, all those that were part of the Abrahamic covenant, went to this
place called paradise; where they waited for the promised Messiah to come
and liberate them and lead them into the presence of God (covered in
more detail later on).
In Matthew 12:40 Jesus described what would happen after his soul
departed from his body at the time of His crucifixion, “...so shall the Son of
man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Quoting from Psalms 16:10, Peter preached about Christ’s death and
resurrection in Acts 2:27, “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Indicating that
Christ’s soul went to “hell” (#86 “hades”) sometime after He died. And
again in verse thirty-one, “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection
of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell (“hades”), neither his flesh did
see corruption.”
To completely pay the price for man’s redemption, Christ had to suffer the
same penalty that all men, up to that time, had to endure at the moment
of their death.
I Peter 3:18-20 also describes what happened after Jesus died, “For
Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He
might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by
the Spirit. By which (the Spirit) also He went and preached unto the spirits
in prison. Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering
of God waited in the days of Noah...”
Peter wrote that Christ “went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” The
word “went” is translated from the Greek #4198 “poreuo” and means to
transfer, to depart from one place to another. The word translated
“preach” comes from the Greek #2784 “kerusso” which means to herald or
proclaim, and is translated “preach” fifty-one times.
Jesus was raised as an orthodox Jew and, therefore, a partaker of the
Abrahamic covenant; which meant, that upon His death, His soul initially
travelled to paradise or Abraham’s bosom. But then, Peter says that Christ
transferred or passed over into a different place, to preach or announce to
the spirits in prison that He was the Messiah and had constituted a New
Covenant which subsumed and now supersedes the old, Abrahamic
Covenant; whereby, any that believed could escape “hell” and rise with
Christ into the presence of the Lord.
No doubt, this was what the Apostle Paul referred to when he wrote in
Ephesians 4:8, “...When he ascended up on high, He led captivity
captive, and gave gifts unto men.” The phrase “He led captivity captive” is
translated from both the noun and the verb conjugation of #162
“aichmaloteuo” which mean a prisoner of war. In other words, the spirits
that were taken captive as prisoners of war, by the Kingdom of Darkness,
were recaptured by the great liberator, Jesus Christ.
The Amplified says that when Christ ascended to the Father, “...He led
captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes]...” This procession of
souls included all the Old Testament greats; including David, Noah, Daniel,
and many, many more. Paradise was emptied when Christ rose from the
dead.
Since Christ’s resurrection, when a believer dies, his soul does not travel to
“paradise” or Abraham’s bosom; he is ushered immediately into the Lord’s
presence. Paul expressed this doctrine in two passages of scripture: II
Corinthians 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent
from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”; and Philippians 1:23-
24, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be
with Christ; which is far better. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more
needful for you.”
Death and Hell can no longer claim the souls of believers when they die.
Jesus declared in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and
of death.” Jesus took the keys of “hell” and the grave from the devil when
He redeemed mankind from the Kingdom of Darkness.
Jesus description of hell -
In the sixteenth chapter of Luke’s gospel, Jesus gave us a vivid description
of “hell” and the afterlife when He shared the story of two men and the
events that followed their death. Since He did not label this narration a
parable (#3850 “parabole” - a narrative which uses symbolic language to
set forth a spiritual lesson), we must assume that all of these events are
factually based and really happened to these two men. One was a rich man
who died and went to “hell”; and the other was a beggar called Lazarus,
who died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.
Jesus said in Luke 16:22-23, “And it came to pass, that the beggar died,
and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom; the rich man also
died, and was buried. And in hell (#86 “hades”) he lift up his eyes, being in
torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
Jesus’ narrative represents “hell” as a real, tangible place; not a figment of
some primitive man’s imagination. In “hades”, man does not cease to exist
when his soul leaves his body; rather, man loses his personal freedom and
well-being. In “hell”, the rich man could still see and recognize other
people; later verse’s tell us that he was still able to communicate and
possessed the faculties of reason and memory. He also had a sense of
where he was and could feel pain, thirst, and torment. In other words, he
was a functioning soul.
Verse twenty-four says, “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have
mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in
water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
But Abraham was constrained by the boundaries of “hell”, and explained
why he had to refuse the rich man’s request for mercy in verse twenty-six,
“And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that
they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to
us, that would come from thence.”
The word “gulf” is translated from #5490 “chasma” and represents a huge
chasm, a gaping opening or gulf; used only in this verse. The gulf that
surrounds “hell” cannot be traversed; either by those that want to give aid,
or by those that desire to escape.
This teaching should end the speculation that ghosts of the departed are
able to linger on earth to haunt people or places. Jesus taught, once a man
dies and enters “hell”, he can never cross over the great chasm that
surrounds it. His soul and spirit are imprisoned in “hell” until the last days
judgment of God.
This should also put an end to the idea that someone alive on the earth
can offer indulgences that would effect a release of their departed loved
ones. Not even the great patriarch Abraham, whom God called His friend,
could help the rich man once he was confined to “hell”.
Once the rich man realized that there was no escape from the torments of
“hell” and that his condition was completely irremediable, he changed his
tactics. Luke 16:27-28 records his new request, “Then he said, I pray
thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him (Lazarus) to my
father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest
they also come into this place of torment.”
Once again, Abraham had to deny his request and replied in Luke 16:29-
31, “Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them
from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not
Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose
from the dead.”
In other words, God has already sent His Word to warn men of the
existence of “hell” that they may escape it’s punishment. Every man is the
steward of his own soul, and must choose between spending eternity in
the presence of the Father, and spending eternity in “hell”. And that choice
must be made while men are still alive on the earth.
Five compartments of Hell -
The Bible talks about five compartments of hell or the underworld.
Tartarus is the prison for fallen angels who sinned before the flood of
Noah. II Peter 2:4 says, “ For if God spared not the angels that sinned,
but cast them down to hell (#5020 “tartaroo”), and delivered them into
chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.”
Jude 6 says, “And the angels (who were the Watchers, not Satan and his
class of Angels) which kept not their first estate, but left their own
habitation (#3613 “oiketerion” - dwelling, of the body as the dwelling-place
of the spirit), He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto
the judgment of the great day.”
These angels did not remain in their own realm or native state, but tried to
enter the human race by having intercourse with women and producing
children (Genesis 6:2-4). To preserve the purity of the human race until
Christ could come, God locked these angels up in “Tartaros”. No human
beings ever go to this place.
Paradise, or Abraham’s bosom, was the abode of the righteous who died
before Christ’s resurrection. Jesus referred to this place in Luke 16:23-26 in
the story of Lazarus and the rich man (covered earlier in this article). He
also told one of the men that was crucified with him, “...today shalt thou
be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43).
Christ’s teaching on “paradise” is the foundation of some religion’s doctrine
of “purgatory”. But “paradise” is now an empty place (and “purgatory”
never existed); Christ emptied “paradise” when He revealed Himself to the
captured saints as the Messiah and then took them to Heaven when He
ascended to the Father (Eph. 4:8-10). Ever since Christ’s resurrection, all
believer’s immediately go to the presence of the Father when they die (II
Cor. 5:8, Phil. 1:23,24).
The third compartment is Hades, the place where all the wicked go at the
time of their death and are held in a conscious state of torment until the
day of judgment. Revelation 20:13 says, “...and death and hell delivered
up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works.”
The Abyss or the bottomless pit is the fourth compartment. It is the abode
of demons, some fallen angelic beings, the “beast” of Revelation eleven,
and the temporary home of satan during the Millennium. The Greek noun
#12 “abussos” means to have no bottom, to be unbounded. Vine’s
Dictionary says that “abussos” is used to denote the abyss, the
immeasurable depth of the underworld, the lower regions, the abyss of
Sheol. It is mentioned seven times in the book of Revelation and no human
beings are ever sent there.
Revelation chapter nine talks about an angel that “...was given the key of
the bottomless (“abussos”) pit...”, who opened the door and loosed the
spirit beings imprisoned there to torment men for five months during the
tribulation period.
Revelation 20:1-3 talks about satan being “...cast into the bottomless pit
(“abussos”) and shut up.... till the thousand years should be fulfilled...”
It is noteworthy that the demons who possessed the demoniac of Gadaera
begged Jesus in Luke 8:31, “...that He would not command them to go
out into the deep (#12 “abussos”).” Some believe this verse indicates that
demons know that this will be their final fate.
The “lake of fire” is the final, eternal compartment of “hell”; where all the
fallen angels, demon spirits, and wicked men will be sent at the end of the
Millennium and during the great White Throne Judgment of God.
Revelation 20:10 says, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are,
and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Revelation 21:8 says, “...and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murders, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone;
which is the second death.”
Then, after the Great White Throne Judgment, Revelation 20:14-15
says, “And death and hell (“hades”) were cast into the lake of fire. This is
the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life
was cast into the lake of fire.”
God is love and has plainly warned men of the existence of “hell” that they
may escape it’s punishment.
Proverbs 15:11 in the Amplified says, “Sheol (the place of the dead) and
Abaddon (the abyss, the final place of the accuser Satan) are both before
the Lord. How much more, then, the hearts of the children of men.”
Verse nine in the Amplified says, “The way of the wicked is an
abomination, extremely disgusting and shamefully vile to the Lord, but He
loves him who pursues righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every
area and relation).”
II Peter 3:9 says that God is “...not willing than any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.” John 3:15 says, “That whosoever
believeth in Him (Jesus Christ) should not perish, but have eternal life.”
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus preached, “...I will build my church; and the
gates of hell (“hades”) shall not prevail against it.”