Light in a Dark World

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Many Christians aren’t aware that the Bible has much to say about demonic spirits. They are real, but we don’t have to fear because we have Jesus. However, God’s Word warns us about Satan, our enemy, and equips us with truth to help us stay strong spiritually despite the darkness around us. Some Christians want to ignore the kingdom of darkness in hopes that it will simply go away. Others believe that if they “play” with the demonic they will be more “conditioned” to it and their fears will diminish. They see it as simply psychological. This is so far from the truth! We are light in a dark world!

In this post, I hope to erase the notion that demons are simply a figment of our imagination, a genre of cultural entertainment or in cases of demonic manifestation, a disease that can be cured medically. As we get closer to the end times the world is getting darker and parading its evil shamelessly. But God’s people are growing brighter and more loving by the power of the Holy Spirit!

In this post, I have chosen a few important scriptures about the subject. For some, this post will be a reminder of what you have learned in the past. For others, I pray these insights in scripture will help you grow in God’s light and in your relationship with Jesus. God loves us and wants us to be protected and strong in His presence!

…in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:11 NIV

The Thief & The Life-Giver

The devil was once a beautiful, pure, high-ranking being in Heaven named Lucifer. Lucifer was created by God in love. But he became envious of the beauty, majesty, power, honor, adoration, love and glory of God and wanted to rule over God. When that clash happened in Heaven, Lucifer, also known as the dragon, and the heavenly beings that chose to follow him were hurled down out of Heaven by the lightening power of God.

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Revelation 12:7-9 NIV

Immediately they were stripped of their beautiful heavenly bodies and the glorious loving presence of God. All that is left in these spirits is evil. We call them demons and they are our enemy.

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. John 10:10 AMP

The “thief” in this passage refers to Satan and his demons. The One who brings life is Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

Satan is the Father of all Lies

Jesus said this to the Pharisees:

You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father’s desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies. But I tell the truth, and that is why you do not believe me. Which one of you can prove that I am guilty of sin? If I tell the truth, then why do you not believe me? He who comes from God listens to God’s words. You, however, are not from God, and that is why you will not listen. John 8:44-47 GNT

Jesus never sinned. He had great compassion for people, healing the sick and driving demons out of people. Yet a group of Old Testament scholars were trying to find a reason to kill Jesus. He told them the truth and it enraged them. They were following the devil but they thought they were following God! The same devil that deceived the Pharisees and others in Jesus’ day is still at work deceiving people today– even some Christians.

Satan is a Deceiver

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  2 Corinthians 11:3 NASB

What enters into our minds without God’s spiritual filters, inspection and cleansing will eventually become our belief system and can lead us astray from the truth. The devil is real but we don’t have to fall for his lies. Our minds have to be renewed every day in God’s presence. The Holy Spirit must be the One instructing us in God’s Word and forming our beliefs. God Himself is our protection from the enemy.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 NKJV

We love Jesus, therefore, we love His Word (the Bible). As followers of Jesus, we want to stay close to God by listening to His Word and believing what He says. His Spirit teaches us. We don’t have to be Bible scholars to be close to Jesus. But if you want to resist the devil’s lies, you must grow in God’s truth. The truth from God’s Word sets us free. One of the ways Satan beats Christians down is to accuse them.

Satan is an Accuser

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” Revelation 12:10-11 NASB

The devil will accuse you day and night, and if you accept his lies eventually you will become your own accuser. Do not accept the devil’s lies. If you have repented of your sin and you follow Jesus with all your heart, His blood has cleansed you. The way we overcome the accusation of the enemy is by the blood of Jesus and by testifying of what Jesus is doing for us. You are no longer accused of sin– no matter what anyone else says about you. You are redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Believe it with all of your heart so the devil cannot discourage you!

But if you have deliberately made decisions to participate in sin or your testimony is that you approve of the sinful lifestyle of others, you have given the accuser a right to accuse you. You are no longer following the Holy Spirit. You are following a demonic spirit. Jesus tells us to separate ourselves from the world even if it makes us unpopular. If you are having trouble living victoriously in these areas, seek help from a Christian who can help you with deliverance. God wants you free! There is no shame in seeking freedom!

Sorcery, Witchcraft & False Gods

When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. Acts 19:13-20 NIV

In the early church, new believers burned everything related to witchcraft! It was clear to them that the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness could never mix. Jesus came and crushed Satan’s head when He died on the cross for our sins and was raised up again on the third day. As followers of Jesus, we crush anything we own that resembles the kingdom of darkness– regardless of the cost! Jesus, God’s Son, came to destroy the works of the devil in our lives so we could become heirs of God’s Kingdom.

Destroy the Works of the Devil

But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 NLT

The occult in any form is dangerous because it opens a spiritual door to the devil. Some people practice sorcery today fully aware of their union with demons in the kingdom of darkness. They delight in evil by secretly placing curses on people. Only the blood of Jesus and our undying love for Him can keep those curses from affecting us, and only the blood of Jesus can break those curses off of our lives. Hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus!

Others dabble in the demonic through entertainment avenues, not realizing they are opening spiritual doors for the devil to wreak havoc in their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Another way Christians open themselves up to demons is participating in other religions. If you are participating in activities that call on spirits other than the Holy Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ, you are placing yourself in spiritual danger which can open you up to mental and physical danger as well. Ask God to forgive you, renounce those things out of your life and call on the blood of Jesus to cleanse you from them. Shut all the doors in Jesus name. The Holy Spirit is ready to help you live free from sin!

Gray Areas

Just because other Christians are doing a certain thing doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit wants you involved. That’s why each of us must learn to hear from the Holy Spirit for ourselves and follow Him closely. And because there will always be disputable matters, we must not become haughty or judgmental towards fellow believers whose views are different.

If we judge others, God will judge us by the same measuring stick that we used. If your difference of opinion is not clearly stated in the Word of God, don’t get in heated discussions about it. Trust that the Lord is covering your brothers and sisters. Pray for them in the secret place and be full of grace toward them. Remember that as Christians, we are light in a dark world and offense only leads to darkness.

Who Are You Listening To?

The world is eager to pull you away from God by influencing your life. That’s because the devil is the ruler/prince of this world.

And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins, in which you once walked. You were following the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God]. Ephesians 2:1-2 AMP

You are responsible for own spiritual life. If you know Jesus, God is with you to empower you. The Body of Christ is there to help guide you, encourage you and in some cases to help you with deliverance, provision, etc. But nobody can build your relationship with God for you. You must learn to follow the Holy Spirit for yourself. Otherwise, you will enter a never ending mindset of blaming someone else for your spiritual and emotional state. As a newborn Christian, accept the nurturing advice and teaching from God’s people. But if your teachers aren’t teaching you to follow the Spirit for yourself or you choose not to do so, you will not be prepared for the spiritual battles that lie ahead.

Get Ready for Your Spiritual Battle

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NIV

Obedience to Jesus Christ gives us the ability to stand up to the temptations our enemy throws our way. We must pray for each other and spiritually fight for one another. But in the end, if somebody doesn’t put God’s armor for themselves, they are a perfect target for the demonic. Learn what it means to put on the full armor of God because you will get hurt without it! And remember, you have to clothe yourself!

Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 NET

We are Different From the World

Therefore, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:17 NLT

The way we talk and live our lives should look very different from the way the rest of the world lives. We no longer follow the devil who is a liar, deceiver and accuser! He wants to kill us spiritually and in every other way possible.

Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NET

Our eyes are fixed on Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life! The Holy Spirit has done a supernatural work in us making us alive in God. Our Father is holy, righteous and loving. His greatest desire is that we keep following Jesus into life. He loves us so much! Following Christ will cause you to stand out from the world, and you will likely receive criticism for it just like Jesus did. But acting weird just for the sake of being different and standing out doesn’t please God. Just follow the Lord and enjoy His grace and favor!

Authority Over Demons

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:17-20 NKJV

Jesus has given us authority over demons, that is, if we are submitting our lives to the Holy Spirit. We can command demons to leave us and others in the name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit wants us to do so. But we must always stay humble and remember it is God’s grace that saves us and empowers us, not our own good works. He must receive all the glory! God wants us to pray for protection against anything that may harm us. He is our shield of protection. But we can also declare God’s protective and delivering power over our lives, family, community, etc., using the Word of God. Psalm 91 is a perfect example!

If you know that you need deliverance God will help you. God can deliver you by yourself in the secret place of prayer or you can ask someone to help you. The Holy Spirit will show you any doors you or your ancestry may have opened to the enemy. Ask God to forgive you for your part in opening the doors as you forgive everyone who wronged you. Denounce the darkness and command it to leave you. Be persistent and keep your eyes on Jesus who is your Deliverer. The grace of God will back you up!

God’s Angels

What happened to the angels that didn’t fall from Heaven with Satan? I have great news. They’re still serving God! They only obey God’s instructions. From scripture we see that God sends angels to minister to the needs of His children. They can bring messages from God, provide protection, bring deliverance, give physical strength and provide for our physical needs supernaturally. Angels worship God. Some angels carry out acts of judgment, both to individuals and to the earth. They carry out God’s commands to perfection with supernatural power and authority given to them by God.

God tells us not to worship angels but to only to worship God. We don’t have to be afraid of them if they appear before us, although I’m certain that would be easier said than done! Sometimes angels come to us looking like human beings dressed in regular clothes. They may ask for assistance in some way and if we respond with kindness we have ministered to them! I’m not sure that they actually need food, water or anything else we could provide, but I believe there is a spiritual component of blessing any time we keep our hearts full of generous compassion for others in need.

Angels also appear to humans dressed in heavenly attire, but most of the time they are invisible to us. So if you find yourself concerned or frightened about the demonic realm, remember that there is also an angelic realm, and they far outnumber those in the kingdom of darkness! But most of all, remember that God’s Spirit lives in us. Our Father loves us, is for us, and we can trust in Him to come to our aid. Let’s keep our spiritual eyes fixed on Jesus, for He is the King of the armies of Heaven!

Jesus the Light that Leads to Life!

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12 NLT

Jesus who lives in you is all-powerful and He makes you an overcomer! We are light in a dark world because He lives in us!

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 NKJV

So no matter how bad it gets on earth, stay close to Jesus! In the end, those with Jesus will win!

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp swordwith which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

Revelation 19:11-16 NIV