The Battle - Defeating The Enemy Of Your Soul Part 4

to flee. If we stand on the name of Jesus, tell me who can stand before us.

In the precious name of Jesus We have the victory.

The following day Haik disappeared.

A reliable source said, "The Iranian government was furious over an invitation Haik had issued to the United Nations to send a special envoy to investigate the abuse of Christians and other minorities in Iran."

Before his death, Haik had said, "If we die or go to jail for our faith, we want the whole Christian world to know what is happening to their brothers and sisters in a country claiming to have religious freedom."

Haik added, "I will go quietly."

Our source said, "Mehdi Dibaj may have said it best while awaiting execution, It is a terrible waste for a Christian to die a natural death.'"10 Satan would like nothing better than to destroy the church. He has demonstrated this through the centuries by promoting persecution and the martyrdom of Christians.11 The Poison of False Teaching.

IN SEEKING TO WEAKEN and destroy the church, Satan tries to deceive individual believers. Historically he has done this largely through false doctrine spread by false teachers, false apostles, and false prophets. These people are "wolves in sheep's clothing."

Writing to the Ephesian church, Paul warns that after he leaves, "savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!" (Acts 20:29-31). If we have been in a church environment for very long, we have probably seen some of these people in action. They will do anything to draw a crowd in order to promote their teaching. They are interested in drawing attention to what they are doing, not to what Jesus can do and is doing. Often their pride and arrogance are obvious. At other times they use a pious false humility to appear holy.

One prominent false teacher was Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon faith. Smith claimed to have met an angel called Moroni. Moroni supposedly told him things that are different from what Scripture teaches and, in fact, contradict many parts of the Bible. Out of that "new" revelation came the Book of Mormon. Mormons believe that this book is divinely inspired and regard it as holy scripture. If an angel did indeed visit Smith, it was not an angel of G.o.d, but a demon.

According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad had a similar experience in that a so-called angel, named Gabriel, spoke with him. The Koran actually contains four different and sometimes contradictory accounts of what happened.12 The angel supposedly told Muhammad to start a new religion called Islam that would be exalted above all other religions, including Christianity and Judaism. Cult experts Ed Decker and Ron Carlson write, Muslims say, Muhammad received revelations during which he would go into epileptic fits. (That is what Muslims believe they were). He would shake, he would perspire, he would foam at the mouth. Whether they were epileptic or even demonic, he claimed he then received revelations from an angel of light. What were the revelations? They were written down into what is known as the Koran, the Islamic holy book. However, they were not written down until years later because Muhammad himself was uneducated and probably did not even know how to write.13 This angel could not have been an angel from heaven because of what it said. Its teachings, as written down, violate the Word of G.o.d. All of our spiritual experiences must be verified by G.o.d's Word. If there is a new revelation, it must agree with G.o.d's oldest revelation, found in the Bible.

False teachers, though less influential than Joseph Smith or Muhammad, exist in many churches today. These people add or take away from the Scriptures and persuade many to follow their heretical or aberrational teaching. Their motives are impure, and their "inspiration" comes from Satan and his demonic forces. Jim Jones, who was responsible for the Jonestown ma.s.sacre in Guyana, often used the Bible to teach his followers. David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidian group in Texas, frequently preached from the Scriptures in expounding his ideas.

It is no wonder that Paul calls false teachers "wolves in sheep's clothing." They are convincing, intimidating, persuasive, and wicked.

The apostles and disciples of Jesus boldly rebuked the false teachers who tried to distract and deceive the early church. Peter (Acts 2:14-41; 3:12-26; 4:8-12) and Stephen (Acts 6:8-10; 7:1-60) spoke boldly against the Jews who didn't believe their message. Paul spoke against the Jewish leaders in the cities he visited (Acts 13:16-46; 14:1-4; 17:1-4) and defended his faith in their synagogues. Throughout the history of the Christian church, G.o.d has raised up men and women to defend the faith from false teachers. Some of these courageous people are little remembered today: Quadratus, bishop of Athens, and Aristedes, philosopher of Athens, who wrote a defense of Christianity addressed to Emperor Hadrian about 117 A.D.

Hegesippus, who, between 117 and 138 A.D., wrote about the heresies of Simeon, Cleobus, Gorthoeus, Masbotheus, Menander, Marcion, Carpocrates, Valentinus, Basilides, and Saturnilius, and also the Jewish heresies of the Essenes, Galileans, Hemereobabtists, Samaritans, Sadducees, and Pharisees Justin Martyr, who wrote his first apology to Emperor Anto-nius Pius about 138 A.D.

Tatian, who wrote against the Greeks about 163 A.D.

Melito of Sardis, who wrote a discourse to Emperor Antonius around 166 A.D.

During this same period, Musa.n.u.s Modestus, a disciple of Justin, wrote an elegant work to some of the brothers in the church who had abandoned the truth in favor of the heresy of Encrat.i.tes and Tatia.n.u.s. Between 170 and 220, Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, wrote his famous Against Heresies, also known as the Detection and Overthrow of Falsely-named Knowledge.14 Others who defended the faith from false teachers in the second century A.D. were Rhoto, a disciple of Tatian; Miltiades, from Asia Minor; Apollinius of Rome; Serapion, bishop of Antioch; and Tertullian. Then came the great church fathers of the third century such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Cyprian of Carthage.

The church councils of Antioch (268), Aries (314), and Nicea (325) were called to deal with heresy.

We could go on, because in every age in the history of the church there were people raised up to speak out against false teachers and those who would distract, distort, and deceive.

Protecting Ourselves from False Teachers.

How CAN WE PROTECT ourselves from false teachers? How can we feel protected physically against the enemy's attack? Protection comes through understanding the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He will not let sincere Christians get off track for very long. He will steer them back into the right path.

We must understand the critical importance of knowing the Word of G.o.d. David asked, "How can a young man keep his way pure?" and gave the response, "By living according to your word" (Ps. 119:9). He also said, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path" (v. 105). Knowing the truth of Jesus Christ and knowing G.o.d's Word are the best safeguard we can have in this world. Jesus told His disciples, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul" (Matt. 10:28).

It is possible that some who read this book will suffer martyrdom. At this time we in the United States do not commonly suffer death for our faith-but it could happen. A primary threat in America at this time is false teaching and apathy toward the things of G.o.d. However, if physical threats come because of our faith, we are not to fear but to trust G.o.d with all our hearts. If we suffer because of our testimony, we will be saved in the end. Our physical life does not end on this earth. We go on living in Christ.

A few years ago, missionary statesman Dr. J. Philip Hogan visited Lima, Peru, as a speaker at a national ministers' meeting. The city was in much turmoil and he was warned about possible danger, but Dr. Hogan was sincerely blessed by his weekend of teaching. He closed his last service and began hugging the people and saying good-bye.

Person after person said, while embracing him, "If they shoot us in our churches we will be happy. We want the world to know what we will die for."

Others told Dr. Hogan, "I will see you on the other side."

Dr. Hogan thought that hearing this over and over had to be more than coincidental, so when it was time for him to leave the city, he asked one of the leaders, "Why did many of the people say, 1 will see you on the other side' or 'We want the world to know what we will die for'?"

The answer came back, "All of these national workers are under great physical threat and have suffered much persecution. They truly feel that they could lose their lives at any time."

Before a year pa.s.sed, more than forty of the national workers had been killed. Although they had suffered the death of martyrs, the work they started remains.

The Battle comes at us on several fronts. Satan will use deception, false teachers who look like "angels of light," intimidation, and physical threats. However, we are not to fear, because the Battle has already been won!

PART TWO.

OUR SPIRITUAL WEAPONS.

Six.

Preparing for Battle.

For six generations Sharon's family had been involved in witchcraft. She grew up attending seances, praying to Satan, and performing demonic rites. Involvement in the occult was normal to her, and the frequent paranormal experiences of the spirit world were part of everyday life.

Although Sharon thought that the demonic activity was what life is all about, she was empty inside. She was very aware of her need for answers to life's questions. She increasingly felt more and more oppressed and tormented. Little did she know that what she perceived as a "normal" spirit world was really a world controlled by an unseen power who was out to deceive and ultimately destroy her. Her emotions were out of balance, her thinking was confused, and her life seemed hopeless. She was only in her early twenties, yet she had already experienced most of the destructive things life had to offer. To all appearance she looked like any other young adult-except that her eyes betrayed her fear and confusion.

Sharon knew of a small church near her home. The pastor was young, sincere, and eager to do all he could do to reach his community for Christ. Sharon scheduled an appointment. After discovering Sharon's deep involvement in witchcraft, the pastor decided to fast and pray and ask some of his family and friends to do so also before he met with her again.

The pastor sought the Lord and prayed for spiritual power and wisdom to deal with this demonic stronghold. He discerned that her problems arose from her involvement in the occult and a lifestyle that had been in her family for generations. He knew that G.o.d could deliver her.

The young pastor had not had this experience before, but he had studied the Bible accounts relating how Jesus and the apostles had prayed for people who were demon possessed. He believed he could do the same as they did.

When Sharon arrived for her next appointment, she was obviously distressed. She wondered, What am I doing here? This person will not be able to give me any answers. Amid her tension, she felt that she wanted to run from his office, but deep down inside she somehow knew that this man could help her.

The young pastor greeted her, "Sharon I'm glad you decided to ask for a.s.sistance with your problem. With G.o.ds help, I believe that we can find some answers for you."

She was visibly tense and uneasy, shifting continually in her chair. Hesitantly she said, "I'm not sure if you can help me. This has been going on for a long time."

"How long, Sharon?"

"For generations," she mumbled.

The pastor's heart went out to this desperate young woman. Calmly but boldly he said, "Sharon, I want to pray for you. I have been praying and fasting for you for several days. I have also asked my wife and some friends to pray, and they are praying for you right now. We believe that G.o.d will free you from the oppression and bondage you are feeling. Can I pray for you right now?"

Sharon was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Please help me!"

With quiet authority the pastor began to pray in the name of Jesus. "Satan, I command you and your demonic strongholds to leave Sharon! You have now lost your control and power over this woman and in the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to leave her."

Sharon said she felt some sense of relief, then suddenly cried out, "I know Pastor Miller."

She said in another voice, "I drove Pastor Miller from his church."1.

The young pastor was surprised at Sharon's words. He knew whom she was talking about and wondered how she could know this pastor, whom she had never met? He thought, How could she have made him leave his church?

The pastor continued to pray for Sharon's deliverance. "Devil, leave her in the name of Jesus! With the authority of Jesus Christ I command you to remove any power you have over Sharon!"

Suddenly, Sharon was released. She knew something had happened because she felt a sense of peace and the oppression was gone. Her features relaxed, and the fear was gone from her eyes. Her voice became normal, and she felt a tremendous sense of freedom.

The pastor perceived that Sharon had been delivered, and he immediately instructed her on how to become a Christian. He explained that giving her life over to Jesus Christ was the only way to protect herself from the torment and oppression she had lived with.

"Sharon, G.o.d has set you free from the bondage and oppression you have felt for so long. Now you need to protect yourself by giving your life to Jesus Christ. He will never leave you, and He will be there if this demonic spirit comes back to bother you."

Sharon did give her life to Jesus Christ. At this writing, she has been serving the Lord for many months. There have been times of difficulty and times when she felt under attack from the spirit world that she had turned her back on. But she is growing in the grace and peace of G.o.d.

The pastor later asked Sharon how she had been involved with Pastor Millers church. She said that people in the occult sometimes try to curse or pray against powerful churches and Christian leaders.

This land of story has undoubtedly been repeated many times and in different ways. Many people are unaware of the evil spirit world that would deceive and ultimately destroy them. They may become fascinated and naively play around with the paranormal: palm readers, "fortune-telling" 900 phone numbers, astrology and horoscopes, Ouija boards, channelers, and occultic books. Learning that Sharon had actively prayed against a pastor she had never met, as well as his church, awakened me to the devious ways by which the devil and his fallen angels want to prevent Christians and churches from advancing Christ before a needy world.

The Seven Sons of Sceva.

THE BIBLE TELLS A story that has much in common with Sharon's.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-posessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. The evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know and Paul I know about, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding (Acts 19:13-15).

The demon knew of Jesus and Paul, but it did not know the young men who were trying to cast it out of "the man." The evil spirit understood that the seven men had no power over it because they were not Christians. The demon-possessed man attacked them and ripped their clothes off.

We learn from this biblical account that demons know who Jesus is and they also know the people who have given their lives to Jesus Christ. They are aware that Christians have power over them and that non-Christians do not.

When the pastor confronted the evil spirit in Sharon's life, he was victorious because he knew Jesus Christ and had the wisdom to pray for strength and knowledge to deal with the demon. When the sons of Sceva confronted the evil spirit in Corinth, they were unsuccessful because they had no relationship with Jesus. They were a mockery to the demon that lived in this man.

G.o.d did not create us to lose the spiritual battles we experience in life. All of us experience satanic conflict, and all of us can develop strengths that will enable us to be consistently victorious in our walk with the Lord. There is no attack from the enemy of our souls so strong that G.o.d cannot give us the insight and strength we need to resist. In our unique spiritual journeys there are three att.i.tudes we must acquire that will prepare us for battle, no matter what Satan throws our way.

Gaining Confidence.

WE MUST BELIEVE THAT we have authority in the spiritual realm because of what Jesus Christ did for us. Jesus clearly demonstrated authority over the demonic world when He was on earth, and He has pa.s.sed this authority on to those who follow Him. When we become Christians we become dead to the old nature (Rom. 6:11; 1 Cor. 15:31) and alive to Christ. The same resurrection power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in Christians (see Ephesians 1:19-20). Paul tells the church at Colosse, "He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves" (Col. 1:13).

Just imagine a military officer being hesitant in his leadership when he knows he has all the power he needs to win the battle. He can have all the personnel, all the weaponry, and a creative strategy for the battlefront, but if the enemy notices a lack of confidence and takes advantage of his hesitancy, the well-equipped officer will suffer serious damage because of his indecision.

We need to understand that G.o.d will protect His children, but we must have confidence in His ability not only to protect us but also to enable us to win in spiritual warfare. We are not alone. Jesus will be with us-always-and we can trust that He will help us. Before He left the earth, Jesus told his disciples, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:18). He said, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever" (v. 16). We can have confidence that just as Jesus walked with the early disciples, the Holy Spirit will walk with us today. In the same way that Jesus taught and demonstrated spiritual power with those early believers, so the Holy Spirit will teach us how to use the authority G.o.d has given every believer. Our confidence comes because of who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us. Our ever-present helper is the Holy Spirit (see John 14:26).

Confidence will grow in our lives. As we decide to use the gifts G.o.d has given us and rely on His protection, we will experience victory after victory in the spiritual life. Soon we will be able to look back and see how G.o.d has helped us win on major battlefronts.

Developing Courage.

WHEN VISITING THE BEAUTIFUL city of Bangkok, Thailand, a few years ago, I and the group of Christians with me took a tour of some religious temples. I had done some study on the various Eastern religious traditions common in that part of the world. As we walked around the temple in one particular village, I noted, "Look at how the people need to repaint their G.o.ds-they are actually falling apart before their eyes!" I told the group that many of the idols we were observing were the "actual" G.o.ds they worshiped. We saw numerous people crying out to these G.o.ds who could not hear, see, understand, or answer them. This only made us more eager to tell these people about our G.o.d, who constantly hears our pet.i.tions, answers our cries, and cares about His children.

As I was giving a very limited lesson about the temple we were visiting, I noticed a Buddhist monk walking across the patio toward us. Seeing him, I felt a strange sensation. I sensed that he was going to try to deceive someone in my group and demonstrate occultic power, but I temporarily dismissed this thought as a figment of my imagination.

When he was a few feet away, the monk greeted us in English. "h.e.l.lo! Are you visiting our country from America?"

Several in the group smiled and said, "Yes, we have just arrived."

I felt impressed to take control of the conversation and said, "You have a beautiful country, and it is an honor to visit."

The monk looked directly at one of the people in the group and smugly said, "I can tell you where you were born and your mothers name."

We were stunned. I felt a boldness come over me, and I responded, "I will not permit you to do that, and in the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke the power that gives you this ability!"

The monk was silent for a few seconds, surprised by my direct confrontation. Gathering his thoughts, he said, "I have the gift of knowing great details about people's lives. Why would you try to stop me from giving this gift?"

I said, "The power you have to do this is not from heaven. It is demonic, and I come against that demonic activity."

Again the monk looked bewildered. He did not seem to understand. He responded, "I have never had this type of experience or seen such authority. I have studied my religion for over fifteen years and am an expert with its practice. Who is your G.o.d, and how can you have such power?"

The small group of believers stood by amazed during this conversation and were eagerly awaiting my answer.

"My Lord and my G.o.d is Jesus Christ. He is the true power and authority over all the spirit world. The Bible, which my G.o.d has given us, commands that we do not become acquainted with other false G.o.ds. You can know my G.o.d, too."

I held my New Testament out to him and said, "This is a portion of His book."

Even though he was dressed in monk's clothing, with his head shaved, and displayed a very religious demeanor, I could see spiritual hunger in his eyes as I talked. He said, "I want to know more about your G.o.d. Will that book tell me about Him?"

I said, "Yes, this book will tell you about Him. Here, you can have my book." I handed my New Testament to him, and he gratefully accepted it. I then said, "Sir, you can become a Christian right now. You do not need to study this book but only to surrender your life to Jesus Christ."

Softly he replied, "I want to study your book, and then I will make a decision." He excused himself and left.2 The amazing thing about this story is that I am sure the monk could have named the birthdate and mother's name of the person he was talking to. The Holy Spirit had warned me that the monk would try to deceive someone in our group. His small supernatural demonstration would have brought confusion to the young believers. This confrontation was a face-off in the spirit world. And the Holy Spirit gave direction and courage to win.

When Joshua was about to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land, G.o.d told him over and over again, "Be strong and of good courage" (Josh. 1:6, 9,18). We can have faith, confidence, and trust, but we must all come to the point of decision. We must step out by faith. Every spiritual advance in the history of the church has required courage, a courage that says, "With G.o.d's help we can do this!"

When the Christians in the early church were threatened, imprisoned, and warned not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, they had a prayer meeting. I am sure they were concerned and wondered what they should do. Should they keep quiet? Should they go underground with their faith? They said among themselves, "We cannot keep quiet about what G.o.d has done for us and what He wants to do for everyone!" They prayed, "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness" (Acts 4:29). And what happened? "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of G.o.d boldly" (v. 31).

Those early Christians did not stop when they were opposed, and we must not stop, either. G.o.d will give us the courage to fight whatever battles the enemy involves us in.

Relying on G.o.d.

WE CANNOT WIN THIS battle alone. We need G.o.d's help. Some Christians boast of having great power or authority, but we should become concerned when they give that impression. Our att.i.tude should be, We can do all things "through Christ"! Not through our ability, but rather our availability to Him. We cannot put our confidence in our own strength; we must trust and rely on Him to win the battle for us. Even Jesus demonstrated great trust and humility before His Father. He was continually doing His Father's will. When we are in spiritual battle we need to look to the Lord, pray, and humbly trust that He will help us win.

Christians must depend on the Lord for everything in their lives, including spiritual battles. We no longer belong to ourselves but are under new ownership. Jesus Christ paid the price for us and will defend us as we depend on Him for victory. Our total reliance is on Him. We do not need to be afraid that the devil will surprise and attack us at any time. We can rely on the fact that Jesus will help us in everything. As we walk our journey through life, living for G.o.d and seeking ways to care for, teach, and help people, we can be sure that the enemy will attack and try to distract us. Our focus should not be on what the devil might do, but on the truth that Jesus will help us no matter what happens.

On many occasions we may meet Christians who are constantly looking for the devil or his demons. We have seen people cast demons out of rooms, buildings, cities, nations, and more. Their focus is on what the devil might do. But in Scripture we see the people of G.o.d concerned about what the Lord can do, not what the devil is trying to do. Our eyes are to be fixed on Jesus, and our pa.s.sion is to do His will. We need to have an understanding that as long as we are living in the will of G.o.d, the enemy will try to throw us off course. Yet, our G.o.d will be there on every occasion. He will never abandon us. He will help us to be well-equipped soldiers.

Billy Graham said, Spiritual forces and resources are available to all Christians. Because our resources are unlimited, Christians will be winners. Millions of angels are at G.o.d's command and at our service. The hosts of heaven stand at attention as we make our way from earth to glory, and Satan's BB guns are no match for G.o.d's heavy artillery. So don't be afraid. G.o.d is for you. He has committed his angels to wage war in the conflict of the ages-and they will win the victory.3 In his book What Works, Stuart Briscoe writes, "The fact of the matter is that I take refuge in the Lord. Unashamedly I run to Him. In fact, if it were not for the ready access I have to Him, I would never survive the ministry. The pressures would be more that I could take. I hide myself away with Him. I crawl into a corner and talk to Him. When the pressure is on, I pull the drapes and commune with Him. I take refuge in Him."4 We, too, can rely on G.o.d and trust Him to help us win every spiritual battle.