How Does Satan Work

You may be surprised that Satan has personality, great power, and a sinister plan. You may have viewed him as some cartoon character with horns and a long tail, dressed in a red suit. That's another lie. Well, then who is this devil who wreaks such havoc in our lives? His original name was Lucifer, son of the morning (Isaiah 14:12), God's masterpiece (Ezekiel 28:12), and a guardian cherub (Ezekiel 28:14). He "walked...in the midst of fiery stones" (verse 14) and functioned as God's highest creation, perhaps leader over all the created angels. God employed Lucifer in revealing the great truths about Himself and counted on Lucifer to teach the angelic hordes about God, His person, personality, works, and plans. So originally the devil was a good angel, gifted by God and loyal in his actions. What happened? Lucifer envied God. He envied the worship God received, the adulation of the billions in heaven. He began to lust after what God possessed. He wanted to be like God, to take God's place (Isaiah 14:13-14). This led him to rebel and incite an attack on God unlike any war in human history. Some think World War II was bad. Yes, that war had an impact on the world. But in its scope and ultimate importance, this rebellion made WWII look like a wrestling match in kindergarten. Undoubtedly, God warned Lucifer, but ultimately God had to let Lucifer make his own choices. He would not force Lucifer to worship or even serve Him. Lucifer had the right to refuse, and he exercised it. When God warned him, Lucifer refused to repent and he persuaded a third of the angels of heaven to follow him in his rebellion. Perhaps he promised them places of power and some kind of weird notion of "creative freedom." Whatever it was, they followed and sank with Lucifer's ship. God defeated him summarily. God then created Adam and Eve, set them in a perfect environment, and subjected them to one test, giving them the right to choose-to choose either to obey ignore God. The test was whether they would eat of a certain tree's fruit that God had commanded them to avoid. At that point, Lucifer, ow Satan, stepped in and tempted the first human couple. But leading our first parents into sin, he immediately defiled God's perfect creation. That plunged the whole universe into as condition of spiritual death that only the death and Resurrection of Christ could repair. Today, Satan roams our planet looking for people he can enslave to himself. He uses lies to accomplish that end. His plan is to deceive us into thinking such thoughts as "Jesus was just a good man, His life and death mean no more than any other person's" and "No one needs some special act of faith in Jesus to find redemption." If Satan fails in that mission and people come to a personal relationship with Christ through faith, Satan tells those new believers another lie: "Spiritual growth, personal development, and learning God's Word are not important for spiritual maturity." The great deceiver says to believers, "Forget the church, because it's full of hypocrites. Find you own way in this world." And he teaches the world's philosophy of success: "Remember, health, wealth, and power are the primary elements of true success." If you want to understand Satan's sinister plan, a good place to start is Isaiah 14:12-14. Here you will find several important facts about the enemy. First, when Satan attacked God, he made five gargantuan, prideful statements of his objectives. His five "I Wills" are revealing. They are. 1. "I will ascend into heaven." 2. "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." 3. "I will sit on the Mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north." 4. "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds." 5. "I will be like the Most High." Behind those boasts is his sinister plan. We can describe it this way. Satan then and now wants: 1. To ascend to god's realm and take charge. 2. To rule over all creation in God's place. 3. To lead in all worship services that were meant to worship God. 4. To break into God's most private secret haven. 5. To drive God out and take His place. Satan was vowing to assassinate God, to take His place and rule everything-no more; no less. At rock bottom, this is the ultimate expression of pride. "I will be number one, on my own, answering to no one!" God dealt with this upstart rather quickly and cast him out of heaven, defeating him with a mere word. All Satan's boasts crumpled to nothing, and he found himself somewhere in a whole new, God-created universe. Satan had blood on his mind, and he soon discovered this world called earth, populated by all sorts of amazing creatures, most notably two who were in many ways like the angels of heaven. God called them Adam and Eve, and He gave them total freedom minus one: They could not eat of a certain tree. If they did, dire consequences would follow. Wasting no time at all, Satan thought up Plan B and decided if he couldn't defeats God, he'd mess up God's handiwork so badly that God would have to admit failure and give up. That was and is Satan's sinister plan. He desires to defeat God and God's good plan. His first step would be to get these perfect folks out of the clutches of God. So Satan visited the Garden of Eden disguised as a serpent. This is one of his bedrock principles of deception: Never come as you are; always use a pleasant disguise. The serpent was the most "cunning" of all God's animals, according to Genesis 3:1. This means not only was he smart, but he was beautiful, friendly, and charming. Once he had possessed the serpent, Satan got to the point quickly. God had commanded Adam (probably not directly to Eve) the he couldn't eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, because if he did, he would die. This was a test designed by God to prove whether Adam and Eve would be loyal to Him and obey Him in a simple matter. All real obedience proceeds by us obeying God about seemingly trivial things. As the serpent, Satan asked Eve, "Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Satan's motive here was to get Eve to think the fruit was not only forbidden but that God was holding back something good. This would cast doubt on God's love for Eve. If God really loved her, He would not have kept from her any good thing. It's not surprising that Satan tells us the same lie today. "Why wait to have sex until marriage? God just wants to keep something good from you. There's no harm in it." And, "Go ahead and try those drugs. They won't hurt you. God knows they will make you more caregiver and even more intelligent, to say nothing of happier. In fact, that's why He doesn't want you to try them!" Satan always arouses discontent with what God wants and then assures us God is withholding it from us because He knows how happy it will make us. Or rich. Or powerful. Answering Satan, Eve said, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, "You shall not eat it, or shall you touch it, lest you die'" (Genesis 3:2-3). Notice: God never said, "nor shall you touch it" (see His words in Genesis 2:17). Eve was already demonstrating an attitude of discontent toward God. The enemy found the spark he could fan into a flame. When we are discontent, we tend to distort God's Word. And Eve was ready to hear Satan's distorted rendering of God's command. At that point, Satan knew he could lie directly, He said, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (verses 4-5). In essence, Satan was saying, "You will be the one who knows, decides, and determines good and evil. You'll be in control. If you eat of the tree, you'll be your own god; you'll call the shots-you will be the boss. You won't have God telling you what to do anymore!" Satan works through the flesh to tempt us to be dissatisfied with God and all He gives us. We are then more willing to grab and eat the "forbidden fruit." Only later do we realize the "apple" has worms in it. Satan persuaded eve to eat the fruit and Eve then went to Adam, who also capitulated. Moments later, the Bible says, "Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God" (Genesis 3:8). Sin always causes fear. We believe God will punish us severely for our mistake and that He will never show love to us again, which is one more lie of the enemy. The truth came out, though, as God went looking for Adam. "Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you?" (verse 9). The Lord hadn't rejected Adam or Eve even though He knew what they had done. He still loved Adam despite his sin. How does Satan work? His most powerful weapon is the lie. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

A Pastors Confrontation with the Enemy

As a conservative evangelical pastor I had preached against those who held a warfare position, thinking I was exposing error. I recall how I accidentally received a tape by a spiritual warfare leader. I had ordered a series of tapes from a Christian ministry and somehow they included a tape of a spiritual warfare leader's message. One evening after reading the Bible with my family, I asked my wife to play the tape. Ten minutes into it I asked her to shut off the tape and put it in the garbage. I then told my children that the speaker was teaching heresy. The next Sunday I renounced him and his ministry from the pulpit, requesting that if anyone present owned any of his tapes or materials to burn them. This foolish viewpoint soon received a karate chop that would cut me to the heart. Two months later, our oldest son shared with my wife, and me that he had a spirit guide who was with him in a supernatural way. He talked with him all the time. After hearing him out, I said to my wife, "Let's ignore it. Maybe it will go away." It didn't. Things quickly spun out of control and took turns so weird and bad that my good wife finally asked if she could talk to the guy whose tape I threw way. I said, "Five minutes; don't give him our name." In the conversation she gave enough details about me that the guy was able to get my phone number from a mutual friend. One morning he called and said, "Good morning, Ken! And he gave his name. Being a bit brash and put off, I said, "Let me tell you what I did with your tape and what I said to the congregation that I pastor." He laughed after I explained and said, "God has a tremendous sense of humor." With that bit of wit, the ice melted and I confessed, "I am desperate and I don't have a clue as to how to help my son." He questioned me for thirty minutes, then said, "I believe the Lord wants me to lead you though a doctoral-level course in spiritual warfare. It's obvious you haven't been to kindergarten where warfare is concerned." He kept his word; he helped me understand the nature of the battle around me and guided me in helping my son. My son was set free, and now I have at least graduated from Kindergarten. If you're one of those readers who scorns the whole idea of spiritual warfare, let me say up front that I used to be a kindred spirit. But reality has a way of smashing your arguments into dust. My view of the world changed as I saw the reality of the enemy and the reality of Christ's power. The contrast between the purposes of the two became obvious as I considered Christ's words: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). The pastor in this account, it's me, Ken Copley. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Common Objections to Spiritual Warfare

Many Christians buy the lie that spiritual warfare proponents are fanatics, or kooks, or worse. They accept this because of three extreme responses they have observed. Let's take a moment to deal with each of these responses. The first objection I find occurs among Christians who witness other believers who fear demons are involved in every little problem. Such believers create what I call "the demon under every bush" problem. Groups that see Satan as this active and involved in Christians' lives are quick to rush in and cast out various spirits, going so far as to exorcise a "spirit of overeating," or a "spirit of anger," or a "spirit of swearing." This is absurd, you might say, but there are groups that see warfare in these terms. Exorcisms like this are usually un-necessary and in fact the very thing Satan wants us in some cases to do-to see him as so present and overwhelming that every other word must be a "casting out," or a "prayer against the devil." Such actions look weird and few people understand what such folks are all about. A second objection comes from Christians seeing the even greater extreme of people who go about brushing "demons" off their grocery sacks before entering their home. This is not only ludicrous, but it focuses on the devil in a very unhealthy way. Believers in such bondage to rituals can act and think like people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), who can't go anywhere without washing their hands sixteen times. This is just another lie Satan uses to keep us from the truth. A third objection is raised: They see believers who try to get demons to actually speak out of a person. Supposedly, through hearing a demon speak, proponents of this approach believe they will learn deep and dark things about their kingdom as well as God's. Of course, this teaching is at once extreme and sensational. And Satan uses it to convince some to think, See, this is just a bunch of fear tactics and high drama. Some leaders persist in teaching this, even though God's Word tells us not to listen to the "doctrines of demons" (See I Timothy 4:1). All these objections point out clear excesses that in themselves are lies of the devil. They get people focused on the wrong things, a favorite tactic of Satan. He loves to divert counselors and others from the real issues. It's also true that all temptation isn't from spiritual warfare. The world, the flesh, and the demonic world all work together in temptation. The flesh is like a beast in the basement, which will raise its head at times and exert its influence. We are sinners by nature. We have a natural "bent" to choose to sin. While we might claim Satan gave us the suggestion, there comes a point at which Satan doesn't even need to suggest the sin anymore-we just walk off into it because we like it, even crave it. That's the flesh speaking. The world, too, exerts an influence. Its lies, suggestions, tricks, and pressures all can lead us into sin as effectively as anything the devil might throw at us. As in the parable of the sower, the world sends weeds and thistles that choke out the truth in a believer's life until he is all but ruined. Satan uses the world to promote his lies of wealth without conscience, pleasure without consequences, and long life without worry about judgment. The fact that not all temptation comes from the spiritual conflict with Satan and his legions does not mean that spiritual conflict is myth. Instead, Satan uses the temptation of the flesh and the world for his evil purpose. He also uses false doctrine to make Christians vulnerable to his deceptions. Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 13, in His parable of the wheat and the tares. Satan sowed tares among the wheat. Strangely enough, tares look exactly like wheat until the very end of the harvest, when the wheat develops its "head of kernels," something the tares never have. Jesus made the point that Satan sends his tares-pretend believers-into the church. They look like the real things and will continue to look like that until the end. Meanwhile, they will plant their sinister suggestions and diversions that keep a church from the important task of evangelism of the lost and edification of believers. It's through marshaling all these forces that Satan attacks best. But if you don't believe Satan is out and about, why worry about him? "Enjoy your life," some say. "There's nothing to fear," Nonetheless, a thief is never so dangerous as when people believe he has left town. The enemy of our soul loves to have us think he is no longer around. I believe Satan nurtures lies everywhere he can. It's one more reason a warfare outlook is so essential to defeating the devil when he attacks. Why is rejecting the reality of Satan so foolish? Because it leads people in power to make decisions without considering his activity or presence. It leads counselors to try to solve problems without attacking the real problem. And it leads pastors to preach a powerless gospel that frees no one from the enemy-because there is no enemy! Again, my own experience proves this problem. I attended four years of Bible college and six years of graduate school. During this time, goldy professors diligently instructed me to teach God's truth. In the process, though, I was taught very little about spiritual warfare. Their apparent fear was that focusing on the enemy would bring anxiety and paranoia into the Church. I remember one professor who railed about how one church he knew became "so demon-conscious they lost their focus on God. The truth of Satan's active warfare is not fully ignored in Christian schools. In many conservative evangelical schools, missions professors teach the reality of spiritual warfare. These professors usually have been on mission fields where they have encountered warfare face-to-face. When I visited eastern Africa on an assignment, I didn't have to tell my students that spiritual warfare was real. They saw firsthand the power of the witch doctor. In witnessing pagan worship, the students and I saw and heard demons manifest themselves and speak through overpowered victims. Some Africans testified of being demonized before they came to Christ. Others told me about the power of curses and spells and how their unsaved family members desperately feared the demonic world. When you see things like this in person, you can't help but accept the reality of spiritual warfare. Once I was confronted with my own failure to emphasize the spiritual battle when a former seminary student of mine name Sam traveled to the Philippines as a missionary. At the end of his first term, he returned home and had lunch with me. His first questions was "Why didn't you teach me about the reality of the enemy?" When I asked what he meant, Sam said, "I faced spiritual attacks that I was not aware of. I was never told warfare was even possible. I would have been easily defeated had I not attended a seminar by a warfare leader who came to the Philippines. His teachings enabled me to recognize what was happening in my ministry." I asked Sam's forgiveness and explained that as his professor I was ignorant of the lies and tactics of the enemy at the time. It is my desire that on the subject of warfare the church of Jesus Christ should be ignorant no more. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Truth About Spiritual Warfare

Is spiritual warfare a common occurrence for Christians? Or is spiritual warfare a scare tactic to get Christians in line? "God would never let Christians be tested by the devil." "'Spiritual warfare' is a phony phrase. We already have spiritual victory." "Spiritual warfare is a concept that only kooks believe." I've heard these responses and more to the statement Christians are in a spiritual battle. But such beliefs are right out of the pit. Furthermore, they contradict the Scriptures. It's true that we are born again by the Spirit of God. We begin a vibrant new life (2 Corinthians 5:17). But we also are joined in a battle-a battle from which dying and arriving in heaven will be our only escape. This battle is called spiritual warfare. Such warfare appears on nearly every page of Scripture, from the beginning when Adam and Eve fell to the lies of Satan, through the journeys of Israel as they listened to more lies of the devil. It led finally to the coming of Jesus and the arena of entrenched falsehood that He entered, which ultimately led to His death. Through it all, though, a reassuring theme runs through the Bible: God is ultimately in control; nothing happens outside His sovereignty, and even Satan is little more than a player in God's vast drama. God has every lie and machination well in hand. The Scriptures declare that nothing Satan does will deter the triumph of God's plan, which is the establishment of the kingdom that will last forever. The New Testament describes the battle as continuous and purposeful. In Ephesians 6:10-18, the classic passage detailing the spiritual armor that every Christian must carry into battle, the apostle Paul gave this call to arms: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (verses 11-13). And the apostle Peter cautioned all believers about the leader of the attacks: "Be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion" (I Peter 5:8). Satan is in fierce battle with God and His followers, but his fate is sealed, for God has already won the victory. As Christians, we fight from victory, not for victory. Such victory is not always a reality in our Christian lives, however. Paul exhorted Timothy to "wage the good warfare" (I Timothy 1:18). But truthfully, most Christians know very little about the enemy or the warfare he wages against us and which we must wage against him. As a result, we do not walk in the spiritual victory that is ours in Christ Jesus. Years ago, I heard a man speak on spiritual warfare in a way that raised the hair on the back of my neck. The casting out of demons, frontal attacks on Satan through rebuking prayer, and loud denunciations of the enemy using biblical language, all ran like a thread through his speech. Today, I honesty question that speaker's accuracy in describing real spiritual warfare. True, there are moments when the casting out of a demon is necessary. And yes, prayer is essential in defeating the power of Satan in a bleiver's life. But warfare does not involve attacking Satan himself. Instead, spiritual warfare means confronting the enemy's lies with God's truth. In warfare counseling, I have found people face mainly two problems: they sin and they believe lies. Satan's only real power is through those lies. He will take God's truth and twist it or deny it. In tempting Eve, for instance, the serpent (inhabited by Satan) twisted God's words (Genesis 3:1) and directly denied them (verse 4). Satan succeeds as the great deceiver when we believe in our mind and emotions what he says is true even though it is false. Liberty comes when we grasp and believe the truth. At that point we are no longer deceived. Satan's advances against us are foiled. Why is this deception so sinister? Because we live what we believe. When I believe a lie, I live that lie. If I think I'm worthless, I am worthless. If I come to believe hatred is justified, then I will feel just in hating. Satan foments anger and all sorts of negative emotions with such lies. This is why warfare is so much a matter of the heart and mind than of exorcism and so many other dramatic examples others give to the issue. I believe that in America today more people are susceptible to the subtle lies of Satan than any kind of oppression or possession through the occult. Though the occult is gaining a much greater foothold, even to those trapped in its bonds, it's not actual indwelling of spirits that occurs, but a series of lies accepted and followed as the truth that destroys them. You need not be in the occult to hear and accept Satan's lies. Many Christians are listening to his lies. Some are as simple yet devastating as someone telling himself that he's stupid, no good, worthless, ugly, etc. The truth "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). The amazing thing is that many people will go through life believing such lies and never recover or learn the truth. How does Satan manage it? He whispers the lie so subtly and so repeatedly that we cannot think any other way. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Know Your Enemy

Isaiah 14:13-14 "For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the side of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." The enemy said he would ascent into heaven, to take charge. He said he would exalt his throne above the stars of God to rule over all creation in God's place. He would sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north to lead in all worship services that were meant to worship God. He would ascend above the heights of the clouds to break into God's most private secret haven. And he would be like the most High, to drive God out and take His place. The enemy still fights against God by doing battle with God's children. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood." We must know his ways and be on guard. We are never so much like the enemy as when pride rules in our hearts. The cure for pride is worship. Pride focuses on self; worship puts the focus on Christ, (John 4:23). There is the pride of self will, the pride of self effort and the pride of self glory. The answer "Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes unto heaven and his understanding returned" (Daniel 4:34). Look to Jesus and give yourself to Him. Jesus came to "Heal the broken hearted and set the captive free." God does not deliver us for our sake but for His sake. He frees us so we can fulfill His purpose, ( Isaiah 61:1-4). Many Christians battle with a spirit of fainting. In Christ we obtain comfort for mourning, garland for ashes, gladness for sorrow, the mantle of praise and thanksgiving instead of weariness and heaviness. Freedom comes through brokenness, repentance, humility and trust. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The demonized boy - Copley

Please read Mark 9:14-29. The best book on how to deal with the demonic is of course the Bible. That which happened in the Gospels and Epistles is going on today. Jesus came into a faithless culture (on the most part), we also live in a faithless culture. A half century ago a friend of mine was in seminary. He said at that time America was a "Christian nation" in principle. He said today America is an agnostic nation that houses some frustrated Christians. Dr. Mark Bubeck said "The church of Jesus Christ will never experience revival until they confront the enemy." Many pastors and laymen fear the enemy and have the mistaken idea that to leave him alone is the best policy. We can never make a deal with the devil, he is anything but a gentleman. Failure to warn the sheep of a ravaging wolf is simply to fatten them up for the slaughter. As with the Gerasence demoniac, we see the demonic desire to attack their victim's humanity. In the case of this boy the attacks had been happening since childhood, a grim notice that children are not immune to demonic activity. The boy is described variously as having an evil spirit (or a spirit of dumbness), seize him, being a lunatic and being very ill. The symptoms include muteness (his normal state) as opposed to his convulsions, when he screams, and deafness, falling (being dashed) to the ground, foaming at the mouth, grinding his teeth, stiffening or, sudden screaming, and being mauled. The demon scarcely leaves him, so that he gets very little rest from the attacks, the goal of which appears to be the death of the boy. While the symptoms are epileptic in nature, the condition goes beyond epilepsy. It could either be that the demon took advantage of an existing case of epilepsy, or else it brought those symptoms with it. The disciples' command is refused by the demon: claiming Jesus' authority does not guarantee instant deliverance. The disciples had previously been given authority over demons, and had already been casting them out. Possibly there were relying on their own resources rather than Christ. Whatever the reason, they are defeated and frustrated. Even the boy's father sees this, and doubts Jesus ability. When the boy sees Jesus, he is thrown to the ground in a series of convulsions. Jesus, not immediately rebuking the spirit, asks the boy's father how long this has been happening, and the father expresses his doubt. Jesus reminds him that He is fully able, but the father has to appropriate Jesus' ability by faith. The responsibility for failure belongs to the father, not Jesus. In some way, the faith of the father (or the parents?) may be important in delivering (and protecting?) children. Fortunately, Jesus is not looking for perfected faith, only genuine faith. The man expresses his honest faith; it exists, but he needs help. Jesus not only wants the boy relieved, he wants the father saved. Thus the brief delay. With the father's confession, Jesus "rebukes" the spirit, just as He rebuked a fever )Luke 4:39) and a storm, (Luke 8:24). He used two commands 1. Come out, and 2. do not re-enter. There is no need to use the demon's name-He identifies it by the symptoms ("You deaf and dumb spirit"). The boy has a final convulsion, the departing demon's last attempt to harm him, and lays "as one dead". Jesus however, picks him up to show that he is alive. Afterward the disciples question Jesus on their failure. His answer possibly indicates that there is a certain class or type of demon which can only be controlled by prayer, and He rebukes the disciples for the quality (poverty) or their faith, not the quantity. He teaching of reliance on prayer (the word fasting also is found in early and late Greek texts) indicates both that the disciples had relied on themselves and that full control of the demonic realm belongs to God alone. The prayer He refers to is not a particular form or ritual of prayer, but a life characterized by prayer and possibly, persistent prayer in the face of the demon's refusal to leave. Here we see Jesus' exasperation with the disciples, which coincides with Mark's theme of discipleship failure. The whole theme can be traced throughout Mark's gospel, and is encouraging to us today because the same disciples who failed Jesus on a regular basis were used of Him to turn the world upside down. That means there is hope for you and me. We need to understand warfare in order to protect our families. As a father I need to pray a "hedge of protection" around my family every day. I also need to cry out to God, in faith, on behalf of each of my children. Job offered a sacrifice for his children. We must offer the sacrifice of prayer, praise and fasting for ours.

Pauls thorn and yours

Please read II Corinthians 12:1-10. God is sovereign in all his dealings. Satan is God's Satan and the Lord uses him for His kingdom purposes as He sees fit. We see Satan's involvement in church discipline. "Turn such a one over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh" In the following we will see Satan's work in the Apostle Paul's life. We are to fear the Lord and Him only. The evil one is never to be a fear object. In this passage of Scripture the Lord pulls back the curtain and shows us His purposes for enemy activity in His servants life. Paul was 'caught up' (i.e., raptured) in a vision of the third heaven (the same as "Paradise." The fact that Paul was not permitted to speak further and that such things were incommunicable in human terms shows that a more detailed knowledge is not of significant importance either to his argument or to the church as a whole. To keep Paul from becoming conceited over his vision, he was given a thorn in the flesh. Over the centuries many ideas have been purposed for the "thorn in the flesh" from human opponents to temptations to physical problems. God purposely left it ambiguous because the ambiguity of Paul's problem makes it easier for us to relate our own "thorns" to it. I believe every Christian I have ever met could point to their own "Thorn in the flesh." To some it was poor health, or a wayward child, perhaps continuing financial struggles, or an unsaved mate, etc. How was it a 'messenger (lit. 'angel') of Satan? It need indicate not more, than that his stake through the flesh was satanic in origin, attributable to demonic agency, though permitted by God and overruled by Him for His servant's good. Whatever it was, Paul was not given victory over it, though he prayed three times for its removal. God's purpose was greater than mere removal of the Thorn. Rather, He used it as His sovereign tool to shape Paul into a humble servant, totally dependent on God's grace in all he did. Do you realized God is giving you sufficient grace for your "thorn?" Have you thanked Him for the work that is being accomplished in your life because of it? The will of God is always good.

Methodology of Spiritual Warfare - Copley

Much of the modern church has chosen to simply ignored the enemy. As a result some demonic problems are termed psychiactric problems and troubled members are carted off to secular counselors. Those who have done any work in the area of the demonic have seen some so called mental problems are caused by the enemy. Many times a person has a combination of physical and spiritual problems. The Epistles call us to knowledge and correct application of truthful thinking and acting. In the New Testament there is a lack of explicit methodology of confronting demons. In this writing we will explore various ways to deal with the enemy. The results of power displays in Acts can be fit into three categories. 1. The church grew in witness and/or numbers. (Acts 2:5-41; 3:7-4:4 etc.). 2. The church grew in quality (people deepening their faith, and their commitment to each other as the body of Christ, etc. (Acts 2:43-7; 4:34-5 etc.) 3. The church faced persecution from the enemies of Christ, who responded to miracles and church growth with violence (Acts 3:7-4:4; 5:17-18; 29-42; 6:8-15 etc). Though the initial response may be growth, eventually the enemy regrouped and launched a counter attack. Why isn't there any emphasis on exorcism in the New Testament Epistles? Reasons may include: 1. God wants our attention on Him rather than our ability to exorcise demons. I have seen believers become fascinated with the enemy. 2. Too much emphasis on demonic encounters opens the door for a type of demonomania in which Satan is seen as the source behind every problem. Biblical counseling includes dealing with the enemy, however it focuses on confronting the enemies lies with God's Truth. 3. Power and truth are inextricably intertwined (see Eph. 3:16-19). In the Gospels and Acts, power is shown more clearly. In the Epistles, truth is given greater emphasis. Power and truth work together in God's kingdom. 4. Truth encounters empower Christians to believe appropriately on their own behalf, rather than relying on an "expert" to deliver them. I believe there are three types of encounters: 1. Power encounter. A visible, practical demonstration that Jesus Christ is more powerful than the spirits, powers, or false gods. 2. Commitment encounter. To rescue people from wrong commitments and bring them into relationship with Christ. 3. Truth encounter. To counter error and to bring people to correct understandings about Jesus Christ. "You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free." These are all seen as part of the same process and not as isolated from each other.

Demon control & Christian minds

There are many questions today about demonic control. One well known pastor when asked about demons and the Christ said "Don't worry about the little green men." In other words totally ignore the issue. On the other hand some believers have become fearful of the enemy. They believe everything that goes wrong in their lives must be the work of the enemy. Both extremes are unbiblical. Under the direction of Satan, demons seek to attack and harass Christan's. Satan is not bound today to use the same particular set of strategies that he used in the New Testament times, and his strategies can be expected to be tailored to his audience. How much influence can a demon have on a true believer? In seeking to answer this question, we must keep in mind several basic principles: 1. Satan's power was broken at the cross (Co. 2:15). 2. Scripture is not exhaustive on the subject of demons. God did not tell us everything about every subject. Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to the Lord our God." 3. Satan is able to influence a believer, or else there would be no reason for the many New Testament warnings to resist him. The questions is not his ability to influence us, but the extent to which he is able to do so. 4. Do not confuse spatial relations (the physical location of a demon) with spiritual ones. A genuine believer can allow a non-Christan person to control him-why not a demon? The issue is one of control, not ownership. 5. Once we become believers, we still face the lingering consequences of sin from our past. 6. We must carefully define our terms. However we define the term in relation to demons and the Christian, in the final analysis all believers are Christ's possession, and nothing (angels, powers, and principalities) can change that. A person having a demon is not the same as the demon "having" him (i.e. controlling his eternal destiny). While the person may yield control to demonic forces through sin, he cannot yield his eternal status as a child of God, which Christ fully controls. 7. What, then is my conclusion? I feel that, though demons can display a remarkable amount of control over the body and actions of a genuine Christian, nonetheless they cannot "possess" him in the sense of controlling his eternal destiny (see I John 5:18). The extent of the control given to any demon(s), however, is determined by the believer, who has the authority to yield his own life to whomever he wishes (whether the Holy Spirit, evil spirits, or even human beings, including cult leaders.) Sin in a believers life open a door to enemy influence. Repentance and confession of sin closes the door. Sin is Satan's ground, repentance is ours.

Demon control & Christian minds

There are many questions today about demonic control. One well known pastor when asked about demons and the Christ said "Don't worry about the little green men." In other words totally ignore the issue. On the other hand some believers have become fearful of the enemy. They believe everything that goes wrong in their lives must be the work of the enemy. Both extremes are unbiblical. Under the direction of Satan, demons seek to attack and harass Christan's. Satan is not bound today to use the same particular set of strategies that he used in the New Testament times, and his strategies can be expected to be tailored to his audience. How much influence can a demon have on a true believer? In seeking to answer this question, we must keep in mind several basic principles: 1. Satan's power was broken at the cross (Co. 2:15). 2. Scripture is not exhaustive on the subject of demons. God did not tell us everything about every subject. Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to the Lord our God." 3. Satan is able to influence a believer, or else there would be no reason for the many New Testament warnings to resist him. The questions is not his ability to influence us, but the extent to which he is able to do so. 4. Do not confuse spatial relations (the physical location of a demon) with spiritual ones. A genuine believer can allow a non-Christan person to control him-why not a demon? The issue is one of control, not ownership. 5. Once we become believers, we still face the lingering consequences of sin from our past. 6. We must carefully define our terms. However we define the term in relation to demons and the Christian, in the final analysis all believers are Christ's possession, and nothing (angels, powers, and principalities) can change that. A person having a demon is not the same as the demon "having" him (i.e. controlling his eternal destiny). While the person may yield control to demonic forces through sin, he cannot yield his eternal status as a child of God, which Christ fully controls. 7. What, then is my conclusion? I feel that, though demons can display a remarkable amount of control over the body and actions of a genuine Christian, nonetheless they cannot "possess" him in the sense of controlling his eternal destiny (see I John 5:18). The extent of the control given to any demon(s), however, is determined by the believer, who has the authority to yield his own life to whomever he wishes (whether the Holy Spirit, evil spirits, or even human beings, including cult leaders.) Sin in a believers life open a door to enemy influence. Repentance and confession of sin closes the door. Sin is Satan's ground, repentance is ours.

Spiritual warfare & the thinking mind

Let's explore the fact that we must be thinking appropriately in spiritual conflict. Spiritual warfare is primarily a battle for the mind. Essentially, Satan would have us ignore or distort the truth by giving all thoughts we have "free air time." Our task is to know, understand, and correctly interpret the truth in order to renew the mind. The basic framework of spiritual conflict in our thought processes is focused on knowing and understanding correctly the truth. The spiritual disciplines we are to cultivate in regard to our thought processes include (but are not limited to). We must Immerse ourselves in the Word of God through learning, studying, memorizing, and meditation on Scripture. Some basis truths about God's Word and the consequences of those truths may be noted from Psalm 19:7-11. "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; the are sweeter than honey, than honey for the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." 1. God's law is perfect; reviving the soul. Law (Torah) means "teaching." God, motivated by love, reveals to man basic insight into how to live with each other and how to approach God. Through the law God shows his interest in all aspects of man's life which is to be lived under his direction and care. Law of God stands parallel to word of the Lord to signify that law is the revelation of God's will (Isaiah 1:10) Specifically law refers to any set of regulations, in this light law is often considered to consist of statutes, ordinances, precepts, commandments, and testimonies. The fundamental idea of "perfect" is completeness. In ethical terms, it is that which is ethically sound, upright. It is all sided so as to cover completely all aspects of life. It revives the soul; it turns the whole person to God, a beneficial reviving effect that permeates the very life and soul of a converted child of God. 2. His statutes are trustworthy, making the simple wise. Statutes (or testimony) comes from a root meaning "to bear witness. it is always used of a testimony of God. It specifically designates the two tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments written on them. The law of God is his testimony because it is his own affirmation relative to his very person and purpose. The law is a reminder to man of what he is to do and where he has failed to do it. It is a trustworthy (or sure) foundation on which a man can unhesitatingly build. At the heart of this term is the idea of certainty, including constancy. The net, when applied to God, is total dependability. It is the term from which "Amen" comes. It makes the simple wise; imparting true heavenly wisdom to all who will keep their soul open to its effects because it teaches us about our Creator. 3. His precepts are right, giving joy to the heart. Precepts" is used only in the Psalms, this is a general term for the responsibilities God places on his people. The root idea of "right" is to be level or straight. When used ethically, it refers to uprightness or blamelessness. It maps out a straight course for any man that would be guided by it. Giving Joy to the heart implies deep and satisfying joys. 4. His commands are radiant. Giving light to the eyes. Commands refer to the particular conditions of God's covenant with men, used of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 24:12. In addition to being radiant (or pure), they are variously described as true (Psalm 119:151), reliable (Psalm 119:86), righteous (Psalm 119:172). Radiant (or pure) refers to a product that has been thoroughly purified and is thus unadulterated; there are no unwholesome elements in it. Giving light to the eyes indicates that it imparts a freshness and Joy to the very looks of the eye. 5. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. Fear: not specifically referring to God's word, but the effect it should have on us. In the Old Testament meaning ranges from emotional fear to reverence or awe to formal religious worship. In Deut. 10:12-17 it is linked to what follows (walk in His ways, love Him, serve Him, and keep His commands) and conveys the idea of living properly before God. We fear God in that, as He is awesome and completely beyond us, we stand in a state of fright for what He can do and in a state of awe for who He is. It is this fear that is the beginning of true wisdom (Proverbs 1;7). Godly fear is more than just an attitude, however; it involves a response of obedience and right living. Pure (or clean) literally means clean and pure, it refers to ethical blamelessness. Because it endures forever, it will never lose its value. Proverbs has much to say about fearing God. A practical application. we must know, understand, and correctly interpret the truth in order to renew the mind. We must learn, study, memorize, and meditate on God's Word. We need to gain knowledge of basic truths (including God's sovereignty, glory, character, and priorities; our nature as people, identity as Christians, and authority as Christ's followers; our responsibilities in spiritual conflict (e.g. knowing about the armour God gives); Satan's character, schemes, tactics, and agents; the nature and ministry of God's holy angels. Why is this important? because Satan would have us ignore the truth, distort the truth, and allow any thoughts we have free air time.