For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  (2 Tim. 1:6-7)

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Rom. 8:15)

Timothy was a young man who had a pastor’s heart but, at times, was plagued with self-doubt and fear. If you read Paul’s letters to Timothy you will see him encouraging Timothy to step up to his calling and ministry without allowing others to intimidate him. Fear is Satan’s primary weapon against God’s people. Fear comes in many forms but it keeps us from stepping out and stepping up.

Many of us were wounded in our childhood by anger, rejection, neglect, or abuse that came from authority figures or even strangers in our lives. Each time we experienced one of those actions or attitudes we felt ashamed and experienced profound pain in our hearts. We felt helpless and victimized at the hands of hurtful people and finally felt as if something were wrong with us that invited that response from people who should have loved us. As adults, the fear of being wounded again or of being abandoned again still haunts us and keeps us from stepping into the full destiny that God has for us.

The fear of man hinders most of us. For many it is simply the fear of rejection experienced as criticism, a snub, a loss of reputation, and so forth. Most of us do not carry a healthy sense of significance and worthiness within us. We think we need the acceptance or approval of others as validation that we matter, that we are competent, or that we are worthy of love. When we experience disapproval in its many forms, we are taken back to our childhood years. We re-experience the fear that there is something wrong with us that keeps others from approving, valuing, or extending love to us. The pain comes from our fear that we are not okay or that we are inalterably defective and we choose to avoid circumstances that might affirm our fear. Satan loves to fuel that fire and to stoke the fear that comes with it.

Think about it. What keeps us from sharing the gospel with others? What keeps us from praying for a lame man at Starbucks? What keeps us from writing the book that’s been on our heart for years or from leading a ministry for which we have a passion? For most of us, it is fear of failure or a fear of disapproval that keeps our mouths shut. Why should that even matter, especially, coming from people we will probably never see again? It only matters if the response of other people is what sets our sense of being valuable, acceptable, or significant. Our deepest fear is that we will have our belief confirmed that we are not okay and not acceptable.

We should know that we will never meet out full potential in Christ if the fear of man and his or her response to us continues to shackle us. So how do we overcome that natural fear? We simply do it by changing reference points.   Paul says, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15). John chimes in with this theme when he says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love” (I Jn.4:18).

When the Father, truly becomes our reference point for whether we are significant, acceptable, worthy of love, competent, etc. then we lose the fear of man because the opinion of man does not set our value. Besides, I’ve got news for you. If you are in Christ and serving Christ, most people will not approve of you anyway because most people belong to the world. The world disapproved of Jesus and it will disapprove of those who remind them of Jesus. Jesus himself said, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (Jn.15:19).

To a great extent, the church has lots its power and authority because of compromise with the world. We have taken soft stands or no stands on vital issues so that we can be friends with those outside the church – so that we can fit in with society. In other words, we have tried to win both the approval of God and the approval of man. I’m not saying we should intentionally alienate the world, but as we stand for godly values we will inevitably be labeled as judgmental, homophobic, Islamophobic, self-righteous, intolerant, etc.

Those words sting and suggest that there is something wrong with our views or our hearts so we back down or try to meet the world halfway. When we do, we have chosen the praise of men over the praise of God. When we do that, God’s power and authority will decrease in the church. When we do that as individuals, his power and authority will decrease in our own lives and ministries.

The only antidote for this fear is the love of the Father and love for the Father. To know who He is and who we are in Christ is all that will take away our fear of rejection because we will know our significance, our worth, and our competence in Him. Then we will be confident as we seek the approval of heaven and not the citizens of this world. Don’t get me wrong. We are to do good in this world and sometimes that brings praise even from the world. Mother Theresa has become iconic for sacrifice and her work among the poor in India. The world approves. When the church responds to natural disasters or world hunger the world approves. When the church ministers to AIDS victims the world approves.

But notice, that the world approves when we try to alleviate the pain associated with the consequences of sin in the world…and we should as an expression of God’s mercy. But when we stand against the sin itself, the world quickly turns on us. Eventually, we will have to stand against sin in the world or an individual’s life if we are truly interested in his or her salvation and ultimate healing. Even to alleviate many of the consequences of sin, we will need to invoke the name of Jesus for healing or deliverance. That will draw many to Christ but will offend others. If we fear the offense, we will not be able to minister the grace of God, which comes only through Jesus.

The love of the Father is the key. When we know how much he loves us then we can be secure and confident in who we are and in our significance. After all, we are sons and daughters of the Most High, ambassadors of Heaven on this earth, carriers of the Holy Spirit, those who will judge angels, and those who direct the power of Heaven by our prayers and declarations. We are more than conquerors and destined for eternal glory. We can do all things through Christ and awesome angels serve us. It doesn’t get more significant than that. If we get that truth in our hearts, the fear of man will fade away.

Continually ask God continually for a greater revelation of who you are in Christ. When you get it in your heart, everything changes. Seek the applause of one and not of many and be blessed in your significance today.

There are individuals today who have the capacity to see into the spiritual realm. They typically see both angels and demons from time to time. This is called the gift of spiritual discernment or distinguishing between spirits (1 Cor. 12:10). They often have the gift of prophecy as well but not always. Many of the Old Testament prophets had the capacity to see into the spirit realm and were called seers. Elisha demonstrated that capacity when he saw chariots of fire surrounding Dothan when enemy troops had come up during the night to capture him.

What is not clear is whether seers see angels and demons as they are or as symbolic representations of what they are and are doing. God shows his people many things that are related to the spiritual realm in dreams, visions, and open visions. He may open up the spiritual realm as we dream as he did with Jacob when he saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder or a stairway to heaven (Gen.28:10-17). God also reveals things through visions that come to individuals who are awake but slip into a trance-like state where they are unaware of anything else going on around them (see Acts 10:9-16).  Open visions come to individuals who are seeing things God wants to show them while they are still quite aware of their surroundings. Elisha at Dothan might be a good example of an open vision. Cornelius would be another example. “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius…One day about three in the afternoon, he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God who came to him…’ (Acts 10:1-3).

Jonathan Welton, in his book The School of the Seers, says the he sees angels superimposed over the natural realm. He doesn’t see them as clearly as a person in the flesh but he sees them with “spiritual eyes.” We have several individuals on our Free Indeed team at Mid-Cities that see angels and demons from time to time as we minister to people. In our setting (spiritual warfare), they are typically dressed in armor. Some are eight feet tall. Others are much taller. Some are on the floor. Others are close to the ceiling. Sometimes, as we read the Word of God, our seers will see angels kneel in reverence to the Word. On several occasions, as we have been doing deliverance with large groups of people, our seers have been aware of an angel close to the ceiling next to a whirlwind sucking up unclean spirits as they are cast out. Is that literal or is God showing them symbolically what is happening in the spirit realm? I don’t know. Our seers will also see demonic spirits on those days as smoke leaving individuals, as serpents crawling away, and so forth.

Many seers see angels in worship settings. Welton recounts one such experience. “As worship began, I saw two angels standing on the stage and they were unlike anything I had ever seen. They were about 15 feet tall and there was fire coming out of them – six feet in every direction. I was standing in the front row of the church with Randy, so I was closer to the stage than the rest of the crowd around me when the closest angel began to walk toward me. I wanted to run or get out of his way but I was unable to move. He came straight at me and reached out his hand. When he touched my chest, I collapsed to the floor on my side…The spiritual fire from his touch remained on me causing me to create my own puddle of sweat on the cement floor of the church…

Over each section (of the sanctuary) I saw another angel of fire about the size of a human man and fire only emanated out of them about six inches. As the worship intensified, I saw more of these smaller angels come down through the ceiling and join the crowd of worshippers. The worship grew so intense that at the height of worship, while the fire angels continued to join in, the crowd looked like a field of grass on fire, an extreme wild fire of worship” (Jonathan Welton, The School of the Seers, p. 29). At the end of the service, Welton asked another person, with the gift of spiritual discernment, what he had seen and he described exactly what Welton had perceived.

I was at a conference in south Texas once where an individual was taking digital photos of the dark ceiling of the sanctuary during worship when only the stage lights were on. Afterwards, he showed me the pictures and there were orbs of light all around the dark ceiling. He believed those orbs indicated the presence of angels. You will have to decide what you think.

Here is what we know. Angels were created as ministering spirits who minister not only to the Father but also to the children of the Father – that is you and I. They play a prominent role throughout scripture in the lives of God’s people and in the life of the nation of Israel (think Six Days War). Sometimes they are not seen, except by those whose spiritual eyes are activated to see into the spiritual realm. Sometimes they are seen as amazing creatures who often inspire awesome fear. They are seen in dreams, visions, and open visions. Sometimes they come to people and do not inspire fear such as when Gabriel came to Mary to tell her that she would carry the Messiah. Sometimes they appear as humans and, according to Hebrews, many of us have entertained angels unaware of who they were. They are powerful. One angel destroyed 185,000 Assyrian troops in one night. They love to worship God as we do. Sometimes they work on our behalf for protection, provision, and direction and sometimes they are fellow servants serving alongside us to accomplish God’s purposes.

Perhaps, the major takeaway from this little study on angels is that God is “sooooo for us” and has provided for us in remarkable ways. His Son died for our sins and intercedes for us now. The Holy Spirit lives within us and leads us into all truth, equips us with spiritual gifts, and provides us with divine weapons. Magnificent angels watch over us and work beside us. He hears every prayer and knows even the number of hairs on our heads. And scripture declares, “If God is for us who can be (stand) against us?” So as the angels say, “Don’t be afraid.” Live with joy. Walk with confidence. Do not fear man or Satan because you are filled and surrounded by the immeasurable power of God who cares for you. Be blessed today and keep an eye out for angels.

The first mention of an angel in scripture is found in Genesis 16. Hagar, pregnant with Abram’s son Ishmael and mistreated by Sarai, had fled into the wilderness. The angel of the Lord found Hagar, gave her a prophetic word about her son, and then directed her to return to her mistress Sarai and submit to her. Our first encounter with an angel, then, is a result of God watching over a pregnant outcast who is in danger of dying in the desert. Most of us believe that a primary function of angels is to watch over or guard people from harm. Is the idea of guardian angels a biblical concept or just wishful thinking on our part?

There are several verses that suggest that angels are assigned to individuals to care for them. The first suggestion of this is found in Genesis. “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm — may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth” (Gen. 48:15-16). This mention of an angel is found in Jacob’s blessing over Joseph’s sons. The phrase, “The angel who has delivered me from all harm” suggests that an angel had been assigned to care for him throughout his life.

The word translated as “angel” here is the Hebrew word malak which can be translated as angel, messenger, envoy, representative, or ambassador. The context determines how it is translated. Some scholars believe that Jacob’s reference is an Old Testament reference to Jesus – not as a created angel but as a representative of the Father to man. There are several places in the Old Testament where the Lord seems to show up in some physical form to interact with God’s people. In Genesis 18-19, there are two angles interacting with Abraham and, apparently, also the Lord. Many believe that Melchizedek (King of Peace), to whom Abraham offered a tithe in Genesis 14, was also an O.T. appearance of Jesus. In addition, Joshua encounters the commander of the Lords army on Holy Ground in Joshua 5:13-14. These occurrences are most likely the Son of God who is the member of the Trinity that represents God to man and man to God.

Another scripture that suggests guardian angels comes from the lips of Jesus. “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Mt.18:10). Some people have taken this passage to mean that when children die they become angels who stay in the presence of God. But we have already determined that humans don’t become angels after death (sorry Clarence), so what does this mean? To me, this passage suggests that angels are assigned to children and always have immediate access to the Father on behalf of children because children have such a favored place in the heart of the Father. Would that angelic protection be for all children, only covenant children, or only children whose parents pray for that divine protection? You would have to decide.

A third passage that suggests guardian angels is, “If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the Lord, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.      You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name” (Ps.91:9-14). This verse is also quoted in the New Testament regarding Jesus (Mt.4, Lk.4).

There is no question that angels show up to minister to God’s people for protection, provision, rescue, a word from the Lord, and so forth. The question is whether an angel is assigned to you for a lifetime, never leaving your side as a guardian angel. You would have to decide yourself but most of scripture suggests that the answer is “no.” If that were the case, an angel would not have to be “sent” to Daniel in Daniel 9-10 since an angel would already be present. We are told that “an angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring” in Genesis 16. If he had been assigned to her 24/7, he would not have needed to find her or search for her. In Luke 1, we are told that, “God sent the angel Gabriel” to Mary. The flavor of most encounters in scripture is that angels come and go on assignment. It is possible that some assignments are lengthy.

To a great degree, the presence of angels might be in response to our prayers. James told the recipients of his letter, “You have not, because you ask not” (James 4:2). A consistent prayer for divine protection from the enemy and from hurtful people might be your best guarantee for angelic protection for your children and yourself. The Lord taught us to pray for daily bread and for God to keep the evil one from us. As we pray for daily bread we may also need to pray for daily protection. I’m not saying that angelic protection is never provided if we don’t pray, but I prefer not to take things for granted in our relationship with the Lord.

In our ministry, we often ask the Father to assign angels to watch over those who are traveling, to keep the enemy from homes we have just cleansed, from those who are vulnerable to the enemy, and for those who are in dangerous places. We also pray for their presence when we do deliverance. There are a few folks out there that believe we can command angels because of who we are in Christ. Since Jesus is the commander of the armies of heaven, I think it might be best to ask him to command angels on our behalf. Nevertheless, angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation (Heb.1:14). They are real, powerful, and protective so feel free to pray for their presence and ministry in your life and in the lives of those you love.

In my next blog I will quote some seers who see angels in the spirit realm so that we get a sense of what may be going on around us as we serve and worship the Lord! Be blessed today and may the Lord’s angels watch over you.

There is a lot of cultural misinformation about angels. Many people have developed an informal theology about angels from “highly reliable” sources such as movies (It’s A Great Life, Michael, etc.), television shows (Touched by an Angel), the History Channel (Yikes!), and the Internet. Let’s talk first about the appearance of angels from biblical sources.

Apparently, not all angels are created equal. In scripture we run across several classes of angels in the Old Testament. There are the heavenly hosts which seem to be the great number of angels sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation (Heb.1:14) and those who minister to the Lord in heaven.

Then there are archangels or “angelic princes” such as Gabriel and Michael. Both of them are mentioned in the Book of Daniel and then in the New Testament. We are told in Revelation 12 that Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (Satan) and his angels and drove them from heaven. Gabriel, of course, was the one who told Mary that she would give birth to Messiah. These archangels seem to be very powerful, commanding angels. Catholics would count seven archangels whose names are listed in books and writings that are not found in the Protestant Bible.   In Revelation 19, John sees Jesus riding out on a white horse leading the armies of heaven. Jesus, then, is Lord, Savior, and Commander-in-Chief of angelic armies.

Some contemporary religions teach that Jesus was an angel before being “promoted to Son of God.” However, the Book of Hebrews is extremely clear that Jesus was not an angel but the very Son of God who created the angels (See Hebrews 1).

In Isaiah 6, we encounter another order of angels – Seraphim.  These creatures surround the throne of God and sing his praises. They have six wings with which they fly, cover their faces, and cover their feet and declare the glory of God constantly. These are like the royal chorus.

Cherubim are also present and surround the throne of God. They have wings and were represented on the lid of the Arc of the Covenant as those angels who uphold the holiness of God. The Old Testament often speaks of God as the one enthroned between the cherubim. I liken these to the palace guard. In the book of Ezekiel, God is seen in a vision coming in judgment on Israel, carried on his throne by cherubim as a conquering king might come in his war chariot. God also set cherubim at the entrance to the Garden of Eden to keep fallen man from re-entering the Garden. In Ezekiel 10 they are described as having wings and four faces – the face of a cherub, a man, a lion, and an eagle. Those faces could simply be symbolic of qualities of the cherubim – angelic, intelligent, powerful, swift, etc. or could be literal.

Believers who have the gift of seeing into the spiritual realm often see angels that are seven feet tall, others that are twenty feet tall, and some even taller. Some appear with wings, while others do not. All biblical references refer to them in the masculine gender. They are a created group of beings who do not reproduce or marry. Therefore, there is no need for a female gender. People do not die and become angels. Angels are a distinct creation, created before man was shaped by the hands of God.

Sometimes angels are seen by men and those whom they are protecting and at other times they are unseen. In 2 Kings 6, Elisha and his servant are in the city of Dothan and find themselves surrounded by the enemy. Elisha’s servant panics but Elisha calmly declares that those that are with them easily outgun and outnumber the enemy. He then prays that his servant’s eyes would be opened and suddenly he saw the hills full of chariots of fire. They were there ready to take part in protecting Elisha, whether they were seen or not, but Elisha had faith and anointing to see them.

Sometimes they appear as angels and, at other times they appear to be merely human. In Genesis 18, angels appear to Abraham as traveling strangers and even eat a meal with him on their way to judge Sodom and Gomorrah. In the Book of Hebrews, we are told to be careful how we treat strangers because many have entertained angels unaware of who or what they were (Heb.13:2). On the other hand, many saw angels as angels and often trembled in fear before them. In fact, it seems that the opening line for most angelic encounters in scripture is, “Don’t be afraid.”

Primarily, angels enforce the will of God whether as a blessing, a judgment, or a discipline. The heart of God is always to bless his people and even those who aren’t his people. Remember that God sent Jonah to Nineveh so that they might repent and avoid his judgment. He also says, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live” (Ezek.18:23)?

The Bible is replete with stories of angels watching over God’s people: defeating enemy armies, providing food and water for a starving Elijah or Hagar, ministering to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, delivering messages from the Father, announcing the birth and resurrection of Jesus, orchestrating jail breaks, closing the mouths of lions, protecting God’s people from the flames, fighting wars against demonic princes in the heavenlies just to answer a prophet’s prayer (Dan.10), bringing warnings of impending danger, and so forth. On occasion they also bring judgment on the wicked, when their actions demand it, and even on God’s people when they are stubbornly unrepentant.

These angels are majestic, powerful, joyful, and plentiful. “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly” (Heb.12:22). These angels minister to God and minister on your behalf. Sometimes you will be unaware of their activity and at other times you may know that angels are involved.

They minister to you because you are supremely important to God. And although they are awe-inspiring beings, you have even greater standing than the angels. Jesus is greater than the angels and since you are in Christ, you share his standing with the Father. In view of that, Paul tells us that eventually we will judge angels (1 Cor.6:3).

Angels are finite beings. They are not all-powerful nor are they all-knowing. In fact, God has revealed his plans through the church and it was through the church that angels have heard what they longed to know for millennia (See 1 Peter 1:12). As amazing as angels are, you are more amazing in the eyes of God! Be blessed in knowing that.

In my next blog we will discuss “guardian angels” and I will share with you what “seers” see when they perceive angels in our midst.

So…what do you think about angels? After talking about demons, I thought we should talk about the good guys, the ones that are on our side. Most of us like the idea of angels and see them sprinkled throughout the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation, but how much do we really know about them from Biblical texts? We really need to know because they are one of the amazing helps God gives us in our lives as believers…and, lets face it, some days we need all the help we can get.

Our launching point will be from the Book of Hebrews. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb.1:14)? That verse should encourage you immediately. Angels are awesome, there are myriads of them, and they are sent forth by the Father to minister to you if you are in Christ.

So lets take an overview of angels and see how that view might effect your life and your prayers? First of all, we need to affirm that angels are created beings. Speaking of Jesus, Paul says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him” (Col.1:15-16). Jesus was instrumental in creating not only the visible or natural realm but also the invisible or spiritual realm and the powers within those realms.

In another place, Ezekiel prophesies to the King of Tyre and makes an analogy between the king and Satan. In essence he talks about the glory that Satan had as an angel in the courts of God until his pride caused him to rebel and he was cast down to earth. He is warning the King of Tyre that he also is about to lose his glory because of his pride. Ezekiel says, “ You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you” (Ezek.28:14-15).

Don’t think of cherubs as little, pudgy infant- like creatures. These are a class of angels that are essentially the palace guard. They stand in the presence of God and guard the way to him. They are awe inspiring and powerful. Satan was one of these amazing angels but notice he was “created.” Angels then are created beings. They are not a race that marries and reproduces, but have been created as spiritual and eternal beings.

They were not, however, made in the image of God as we are. They were made before man but, it seems, they were made on behalf of man. In the Book of Job we are told that angels witnessed the creation of the earth and so preceded man. “On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:6-7)?

Angels, like man, were created with free will and the capacity to rebel against God. Satan and, perhaps, one third of the angels in heaven did so and were cast down to earth. Angels are soldiers and servants and do the bidding of God. “Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will” (Ps.103:20-21). His angels always work to fulfill his purposes and also work that you might fulfill his purposes in your life as well.

Sometimes angels work on our behalf and sometimes they work with us in fulfilling God’s purposes. John encounters an angel in his vision that we call the Book of Revelation. Forgetting himself he responded to the angel as if he were worthy of worship. “At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God” (Rev. 19:10)! It is clear that angels can be overwhelming in their appearance but they are not to be worshipped under any circumstance.

In this text he calls himself a fellow servant with John and the church. In one sense, we are working in the natural realm to effect things in the spiritual realm while angels are working in the spiritual real to effect things in the natural. When we pray according to God’s will and are working to achieve it, we can be sure that we are not laboring alone. God said that he will never leave us and never forsake us. His Spirit is always with us and his powerful angels will often be with us as well. So, when anxiety, fear, and doubt begin to creep in, take heart, the mighty power of heaven is working on your behalf!

In my next blog or two we will explore what angels do, what they look like, if there are guardian angels, and so forth…all for your encouragement. Be blessed.

This will be the last blog on demons for a while. Many Christians have received no teaching on the demonic at all or, perhaps, have received inaccurate information so I feel the need to do some teaching on the subject from time to time. The danger is always putting too much emphasis on the enemy or giving him too much credit rather than focusing on the all encompassing power of our Lord.

But, long after the cross, Satan is still referred to as having power on the earth. John says, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 Jhn.5:19).      Paul also speaks of Satan’s continuing power. “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Col.1:13). Most of the world is still under the authority of Satan, the dominion of darkness, because most have not been rescued and brought into the kingdom of Christ. The victory that Christ won over Satan is a victory for those of us in Christ and a potential victory for those still in the hands of Satan. The key for believers is to maintain the victory we have while extending that victory to others.

If we are in Christ and the victory is ours, then how does Satan access believers in order to torment or oppress them? Few of us have trouble believing that we are tempted by Satan every day. The New Testament tells us to put on the armor of God, to be aware of Satan’s schemes against us, to watch out for Satan who prowls around like a lion waiting to devour those who come within his reach, etc. Although we are citizens of heaven and walk in victory, we will still encounter the enemy. As we occupy territory and continue to push back on darkness, the enemy will still resist and still try to take out believers. Think about the Middle East. Even when we were occupying Iraq, enemy snipers still shot at our soldiers and car bombs directed by the enemy still created tragedy. Even though Saddam Hussein was toppled and the victory was ours, we still had to maintain defenses and guard ourselves against attacks of the enemy who were still determined to take back what they had lost.

In the spiritual realm, demons still snipe at believers and try to draw them out of heavenly defenses. The primary way of attacking believers is to draw them into some agreement with Satan in some part of their lives. That’s what Satan did in the Garden with Eve and then with Adam. His lies brought them into agreement with him about the character of God and that agreement cost them (and us) their unique place with the Lord. The prophet Amos said, “How can two walk together unless they are agreed?” The corollary is that when we agree, we are walking together. A kind of unity is established by agreement and, if nothing else, a welcome mat is placed outside our door.

Unbelief, unrepented sin, unforgiveness, dabbling with the things of Satan, buying into his lies, etc. are all forms of “coming into agreement” with the enemy. Believers are not immune. Paul often tells believers to put away those things that open the door for the enemy. He says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.         Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph.4:22-27). Paul is essentially telling believers not to revert to their old ways of thinking and doing or they will eventually give the enemy a foothold – a place in their life. If you invite someone to your home often enough, they may just move in with you. When that happens, a believer can be demonized.

The good news is that Jesus is more powerful than any demon and much more powerful than even Satan himself. Jesus demonstrated that time and again as he cast our demons and so did his followers. For believers, the first step back to freedom is always re-establishing alignment or agreement with the Father. That comes in the form of confession, repentance, a renewal of faith and a heart of obedience, and often a verbal renouncement of sin. Our agreement, even as believers, has given Satan authority to establish a place in our lives. Confession and genuine repentance revokes that authority and then demons can be commanded to leave in the name of Jesus. That is really the deliverance process. The key is true repentance and realignment with the Father. Half-hearted repentance will not get you freedom. Having regained his or her freedom, the believer must then maintain his or her defenses and walk faithfully with the Lord.

I really can’t count how many demons we have driven out of believers. Some come out quickly. Others take a wile depending on their rank and how long they have been attached to that individual or even a family line. The greatest factor, however, is how much that believer wants freedom and how much he or she is willing to trust and surrender every part of their life to Jesus, withholding nothing. James tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. “Resist” is not a word that means a casual dislike or opposition but a great opposition based on a hatred for the things of Satan. When we get there, we will be in a very good place.

The key for believers is to keep the doors and windows of our souls closed to the enemy. Dabbling in bitterness, unforgiveness, pornography, horoscopes, etc. and compromise with the culture are open doors that may eventually give the devil a foothold which can become a stronghold. When that happens, Jesus still has the remedy but it is much better not to go there period. Be blessed and know who you are in Christ today… and don’t forget to put on the armor (Eph.6:11-18)!

There are a number of liberal “biblical scholars” who do not believe in the actual existence and activity of demons. They believe that Jesus simply ministered and spoke in the context of cultural superstitions and ignorance. The “casting out” of a demon, in their view, was simply the psychosomatic response of a person who believed something had happened to deliver him or her from their suffering in the same way that a sick individual might feel better after taking a placebo medication. In the view of liberal scholars, science and learning has debunked the myths of scripture so that the idea of demonic activity is only for the superstitious and ignorant.

Others believe that although demonic activity was a reality in the days of Jesus, the cross disarmed Satan and demonic activity faded away along with miracles and the supernatural gifts of the Spirit somewhere around the end of the first century (Cessationism). The idea seems to be that God allowed the activity of demons in the days of Jesus to demonstrate his power over the enemy in the same way that God allowed healing miracles to demonstrate that Jesus was, indeed, the Son of God.

Some of these theologians might concede some possibility that demons are active in cultures where voodoo and other dark religions are practiced but they would maintain that Christians are immune to their attacks and certainly immune to any demonic spirit that would want to take up residence in a believer where the Holy Spirit dwells. Therefore, the topic as a current reality is typically ignored by most Protestant or Evangelical churches in America.

However, these same individuals would not want to deny the existence and activity of angels watching over us or working to bring about answers to our prayers. To acknowledge angels acknowledges a spiritual realm in which unseen forces exert power. Not only that, but scripture speaks of demons operating in Old Testament times hundreds of years before their “showdown with Christ” and we are warned constantly throughout the New Testament to arm ourselves against the attack of the enemy.

To discard the idea of demonic activity would nullify a great number of passages in the New Testament for any present application: the armor of God (Eph.6); divine weapons (2 Cor. 10); demonic doctrines in latter times (1Tim.4), Satan as a roaring lion (I Peter 5); Satan, still at work as the prince of the power of the air (Eph.2); and so forth. When we appeal to the cross and the defeat of Satan as the rationale for the disappearance of demons, we must remember that the letters of Paul and the other apostles who spoke about the continuing power of the enemy were written 20-30 years after the cross.

There is no doubt that Satan was defeated and judged by the cross. There is no doubt that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, that he has a name that is above every name and that he that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. His defeat was the action in which his rightful authority to rule the earth was taken away. God will not take away what rightfully belongs to someone. The blood of Christ paid the ransom price for man and the resurrection demonstrated that the authority of Satan had been taken away. As a result, the church has the authority to put our foot on the neck of the enemy in every circumstance.

We are not trying to achieve the victory, rather we enforce the victory that has already been won. We are not fighting for victory; we are fighting from victory. Satan still has a measure of power but no blanket authority over men. He has only the authority now that men give him through their choices. Those who align themselves with the Lord can resist the devil and he will flee.

So then, how do individuals become susceptible to demonization? That is a better biblical term than possession. Possession is rare and does not happen to believers. Possession implies ownership and typically manifests as an individual who has lost all control of his or her life to the influence of demonic spirits.

Demonization implies oppression or affliction by a spirit or spirits but typically the individual will function normally in most areas of his or her life. Believers will work, care for their families, attend church, pray and even read their Bibles but one part of their lives will be out of control and at times will dominate them. This spiritual oppression or affliction may show up as depression, fear, addictions, anger, constant feelings of unworthiness, bitterness, etc. Each of those expressions has its origins in wounds from the past. Demonic spirits magnify the pain of those wounds and keep them from healing. These spirits may also manifest as physical or psychological illnesses. Remember the woman who was bent over for eighteen years until Jesus cast out a demon (Lk.13).

Some believe that since the Holy Spirit dwells in a believer, demons could not share that same space. But the Holy Spirit shares space with all kinds of sin in the hearts and minds of believers without departing: adultery, pornography, unforgiveness, rage, alcoholism, drug addictions, etc. We never assert that believers caught in these traps are unsaved or that the Holy Spirit has abandoned them or claim that he keeps those things out of a believer’s life because of His holiness.

In Ephesians 4, Paul warns believers not to let the sun go down on their anger or to give the devil a foothold. Unresolved anger opens the door for the enemy even in the lives of believers. In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul declares that believers need to employ divine weapons to destroy strongholds within the believer’s mind. The real battle against demonic spirits takes place in the mind where lies and temptations are launched. Strongholds suggest a continuing presence of demonic influence in the life of a believer.

It is true that we don’t see absolute examples of deliverance for believers in church services in the New Testament. However, there are numerous warnings about Satan and his schemes, the need for spiritual alertness, and the need for armor. For the most part, we don’t see examples of deliverance for New Testament Christians because the church practiced deliverance when people first came to faith. We can safely assume that many of those who found freedom from the demonic at the commands of Christ became faithful followers. The miracles performed by the apostles and other church leaders such as Philip when planting churches must have included deliverance since the pattern set by Jesus was to preach, heal, and deliver.

On the other hand, the American church, by and large, has offered no deliverance for decades so that many believers are demonized without knowing it and without help and, as a result, make little progress in their Christian life. In my next blog I will briefly talk about how believers come to be demonized and how Jesus sets captives free.

I keep running into believers who have never given much thought to the reality of demons or the spiritual realm and yet are frequently overcome with emotional pain and addictions for which they have found no lasting solutions. Their view seems to be that we only encounter the spiritual realm after we die and do to heaven. They like the notion of guardian angels but push back against the idea of demons operating in the world. When I bring up the possibility of demonic afflictions, all kinds of questions arise.

• Are demons real or just superstitious echoes from the past when we didn’t understand human psychology and physiology as we do today?
• Is the demonic real or just an emotional, hyper – spiritual response to the normal struggles of life?
• Is demonic affliction real or is it just a rationalization for bad behavior like saying, “The devil made me do it?”
• Is “demon possession,” like we see in the movies, a real thing and can it even happen to believers?
• Why would some people be oppressed by demons but not others?
• Does that stuff still happen today?

Those are questions frequently asked by those new to the arena of spiritual warfare. Serious, Bible-believing Christians are also sometimes uncertain of how far to go with a theology that embraces the activity of demons in the lives of believers. Since these seem to be “standard questions,” which I also had at one time, I think I will take a few blogs to respond to those questions and maybe a few more that come to mind as we consider these topics.

Let me just begin by saying that scripture is very clear about the reality of a spiritual realm in which angels and demons operate. It is an eternal realm that contains more power than anything we experience in the natural realm. Speaking of the spiritual realm, Paul said, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor.4:18). A realm that is eternal is a greater and more powerful reality than that which is temporary.

Paul also declared, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (Eph.6:11-13). Again, Paul points to a spiritual realm where the real battles take place, where Satan (and those that serve him) scheme against us, where we need to put on spiritual armor, and where we will have to take a stand on days when the enemy launches attacks against us. Some people think that the cross took all power away from the enemy but Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is written decades after the cross.

Scripture isn’t clear about the origin of demons, but is very clear about the reality and activity of demons. Some commentators believe that they are the fallen angels cast down from heaven when they joined Satan in the rebellion. Others say that demons are the spirits of wicked men looking for a body to inhabit so that they can express their wickedness once more. Others say they are something else.

The most common belief seems to be that demons are the fallen angels cast out of heaven with Satan.       “Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth” (Rev.12:3-4).   Many commentators believe that “a third of the stars” refers to a third of the angels and that those angels joined Satan in his rebellion and were cast down to the earth with him. “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him” (Rev. 12:7-9). Those who hold this view believe that these angels still serve Satan by tempting, oppressing, and afflicting the human race. They will even make some humans a habitation in which they take up residence and constantly afflict those individuals – even through generational lines.

The problem with this view is suggested by the apostle Peter. “…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment” (2 Pet.2:4). Jude also says, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day” (Jude 6). If these angels are bound in chains and gloomy dungeons until judgment, then they cannot be wandering around afflicting people. It is possible that chains and dungeons are metaphorical but these verses seem to be fairly straightforward.

The theory that demons are the spirits of wicked men comes from the idea that departed spirits would be uncomfortable without bodies so they seek to enter bodies so that they can satisfy their wickedness once again. Of course, this view must also maintain that spirits wander the earth after death. Word studies in Greek find that the word “daemon” (demon) in Greek culture originally meant the spirits of the dead (righteous or unrighteous) and later took on the meaning of the departed spirits of wicked men.

However, scripture suggests that the dead go to holding or waiting places until Judgment Day – the righteous rest in Paradise, the wicked wait in torment. That view is reflected in Luke 16 in the story of the rich man and Lazarus where Lazarus is in a place of comfort while the rich man is in a place of torment wishing that someone could go back to the earth and warn his brothers about judgment. There are also passages that speak of Jesus preaching to spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago and of, apparently, visiting those “holding places” and moving the righteous souls from a place akin to Hades to Paradise as they await the judgment (See 1 Peter 3:18-20; Eph.4:8-10). These verses suggest that all spirits go to an intermediate waiting place as they wait for judgment rather than wandering the earth.

I find no theory about the origin of demons to be totally satisfactory. I asked a former satanic priest what he thought about it and he was confident that demons come into existence from the creative force and influence of the wicked thoughts and actions of men. I don’t know but scripture is clear that they exist and have a profound impact on people – even those in a covenant relationship with God. I also know that scripture clearly commands believers to stay away from things that open the door to demonic spirits in our lives: sorcery, mediums, psychics, fortunetellers, séances, and so forth. The demonic realm, like the angelic, is very real and is presented as an ever-present reality in scripture.

More about the demonic in my next blog.

Many of us distrust God or hold an offense against God because we are victims of misinformation. We believe that God sovereignly determines all things and, therefore, when bad things happen he is the cause or, at least, is at fault because he didn’t prevent the tragedy. We often hold God responsible for things he never promised and for things he has made clear he will not do. This all falls into the conundrum of free will and is worth considering as we attempt to understand the goodness of God.

In the very beginning, God determined to grant man free will – the ability to make choices that God would neither prevent nor force on man. God placed two trees in the Garden and gave Adam and Eve a clear choice concerning those trees. They could eat of every tree in the Garden, including the tree of life and live forever or they could eat of the one tree of the knowledge of good and evil and become subject to death and expulsion from the Garden.

When Satan entered the Garden and began to dialogue with Eve, God let her choose and let Adam choose their course of action even though the consequences were catastrophic for them, their descendants, and the universe. Their actions released pain and suffering on a fallen world. So why did God simply not rush in and sweep Satan from the Garden or freeze Eve’s mouth in place so that she could not continue her discussion with the serpent? Why did he not intervene to prevent the sin and the far ranging consequences?

I think there are, perhaps, two reasons. First of all, our actions are the true measure of love. I have counseled with any number of abused wives whose husbands continually declare their love for them. Physical and verbal abuse year in and year out suggests something else. How had God expressed his love for Adam and Eve? He had created them with his own hands, given them life, placed them in a phenomenal garden that met every need, and had granted them authority over his creation and the significance that came with that position. He met with them daily to build a relationship and impart his word and his ways to them. He treated them as a son and a daughter. And…he gave them the ability to think and choose rather than simply being puppets on the stage of creation. Being made in the image of God suggests that since God is sovereign, man must have some measure of sovereignty over his own life to reflect that image.

In the same vein, God is love and love is not satisfied unless love is willingly returned. Love that is forced or contrived can hardly be love. Love that is given must be a true choice and a true choice requires free will. Free will is risky but it is the price of love. Adam and Eve chose not to love God that day when they trusted the words of a stranger over the clear commands of the Father. Free will and the actions that flow out of our decisions are measures of our love for others, including God. Free will is the ultimate evidence of love.

Secondly, God was not interested in having eternal children. He wanted Adam and Eve to mature and become adults operating in love and wisdom. Free will is the context in which maturity occurs. Have you ever been around a child whose hovering parents make every decision for him or her in the name of protecting that child? You can easily project the disastrous “adulthood” that is coming for that boy or girl. We mature by making decisions and learning from the consequences. We learn and mature by sowing and reaping the consequences. There is also great risk in that because my free will choices can bring pain and destruction on others – even on innocents. Free will gives every person the potential to bless or harm others. If God controls every person’s heart and intervenes in every situation so that no tragedies occur, no divorces happen, no war breaks out – then free will is out the window.

Free will nailed Jesus to a cross, but the Father, Son and Spirit believed from the beginning that is was worth it. Revelation 13 speaks of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. That phrase assures us that in the mind of God, the cost of free will was clear even before man was created and the price for redemption needed by those who chose poorly was already agreed upon.

God does not prevent our pain but neither does he abandon us to it. He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” When the hurt comes, God is there to begin to heal our broken hearts and set us free from the bondage we often choose (Isa.61: 1-4). God is there to direct, restore, renew and, when we allow it, to rescue.

Many things happen in this world that are not God’s will and that do not represent his heart. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet.3:9). God wants all men to be saved, but not all men will be saved. Disease and suffering is not God’s heart for people. We know that because Jesus came to show us the Father and he constantly healed people out of compassion for their condition. We are also told that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn.3:8). Therefore, disease and disability are the work of Satan not God and the cost of free will.

When a little girl suffers at the hands of satanists, a marriage crumbles, a child is born with birth defects, or a teenager commits suicide, these are not events ordained or approved of by God. These are the expressions of free will and sin in this world, which God is in the process of eradicating through the cross, the preaching of the Gospel, and the ministries of his church for healing, reconciliation, and freedom from all kinds of bondage in this world. There is a place where God’s heart is perfectly reflected in every way. That place is heaven and we are taught to pray for that will be expressed on earth as it is in heaven. God’s will is for his goodness to be felt everywhere but it will first be expressed through our choices.

When we take offense at God, we misunderstand the source of our pain. Why do we never take offense at Satan, when he is the source of all that is bad? God is good and wants good things for his children. How often he must show restraint and reserve judgment so that more have an opportunity to repent and be saved? God has sovereignly chosen to let man have a measure of sovereignty over his own life. God has paid the ultimate price for that decision but believes it is worth it in the end. In the meantime, he directs, comforts, heals, and protects more than we know and has sent his son to heal broken hearts and set captives free. He can be trusted and, truly, only wants the best for you.

What you think about God is the most important thought you are ever going to have about anything. – Graham Cooke

I believe the statement above is absolutely true. What you believe about God determines just about every decision you will ever make and those decisions will determine the accumulation of consequences in your life that will define it. Knowing what you believe about God is the first step to coming into alignment with his truth.

If I were to ask the average believer if he knows what he believes about God, the answer would most likely be “Of course!” Then that believer would begin to tell me everything he had ever learned in church about God and probably give me all the right answers. But knowing the right answers does not always mean that is what we believe. We typically believe that we believe the things we should believe. But our actions are more often the real indicators of what we truly believe.

For instance, if you are high on control in your life then you may actually believe that: (1) God does not always know what is best for you, or (2) God doesn’t always do what is best for you or (3) God is unable to accomplish the things in your life that would always be in your best interest. So…either God doesn’t know, he doesn’t care, or he can’t. Why else would you always have to be in the driver’s seat rather than letting God drive?   When we always have to be in control of the situation or always have to control the people around us it is, most likely, because we are afraid of being hurt or not having our needs met. We don’t trust God to meet our needs, protect us, or work things out for our ultimate benefit. If we don’t trust God it is because we believe he is either untrustworthy or incapable. Our actions are evidence of our actual beliefs.

If we are angry with God, then we must believe that he is uncaring, unfaithful, or incapable because we have taken up an offense against God believing that He betrayed us or wronged us in some way. Deep within, we believe that the Father does not always love, does not always keep his promises, and is not always righteous. Otherwise, how he could have wronged us?

If we are constantly driven by fear, then we hold similar beliefs about God or, at least, believe that God’s love is based on our performance and since we know our performance often falls short, we believe he doesn’t love us and, therefore, he will neither protect us nor provide for us. The world, then, becomes a frightening place.

We could go on but you get the drift. Most of us know what the Bible says about God but out actions reveal a deeper level of beliefs about God that are contrary to scripture. Taking a look at our actions and what they suggest about our view of God is the first step to correcting misbeliefs and is the first step to real faith.

Much of our disappointment with God, anger at him, or even “unbelief” comes from some experience in which we believe God let us down or wasn’t there for us. It is as if we have snapshots of God in our hearts through which we judge him even though the snapshots are taken in an isolated moment of time without regard for all the frames before that moment or after.

In my book, Born to Be Free, I tell a story that demonstrates that principle. Several years ago, I counseled a woman who was a survivor of satanic ritual abuse. When she was five years old she was taken to a “church” by her mother and left with some adult “church workers” who then took her to the basement of the building. In that dark basement, she became part of a satanic ritual complete with robes, candles, sexual molestation, incantations, threats and more. Terrified, this little girl cried out to God to have them stop … but they didn’t. Later, her mother picked her up and took her home. The little girl never told her mother thinking that she was part of what had happened to her or that the Satanists would kill her and her mother is she ever told anyone what had happened.

As an adult, she attended church faithfully and served in several ministries there but suffered from clinical depression. As we talked about her depression we got around to her relationship with God. She told me her story. She left that childhood experience with several negative views of God deep in her soul. Either he didn’t exist or he wasn’t loving (or at least didn’t love her) or Satan was more powerful than God because he didn’t supernaturally rescue her from those people.

Even though she was extremely hungry for God she couldn’t trust him to protect her or provide for her and she wasn’t sure that the loved her. Some days she wasn’t sure that he existed. She was fearful, controlling, self-rejecting and often found ways to medicate her emotions. After all, from her childhood perspective, she was on her own in a dangerous world being run by a God she couldn’t count on.

Our first step was to talk about the concept God’s love and free will. It is a difficult concept and gets back to the question, “If there is a loving God, why is there so much evil in the world?” That is a great question and one we will tackle briefly in my next blog. In the meantime, make Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians your own prayer as you ask God for a revelation of his true nature for your heart and be blessed today.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Eph.1:17-19).