Overcoming The Dragon
Part Three
In the first two parts of this message we tried to show from Scripture
that Satan's power is not going to diminish in these last days, but increase.
Since this is the reality we are facing, it's dangerous to think we can ignore
him.
We also saw that even
though Jesus had authority over all the power of the enemy during His earthly
ministry, He could not stop Satan from attacking Him—and the same is true of
us. Having the power to overcome the enemy does not mean we can stop him from
tempting or attacking us. Nor does it relieve us of the necessity of actually
having to face him and overcome him.
Being a
Christian does not automatically
shield us from the activity of Satan. Many Christians have no idea that Satan
can have authority over those areas of their lives which remain in bondage to
sin. They don't know this because they have been taught the opposite by deluded
church leaders. They have been taught that since we belong to Jesus, Satan can never have authority over any part of
us.
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Whosoever committeth sin is the
servant of sin.
John 8:34
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves
servants to obey, his servants ye are
to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Romans 6:16
Jesus
said if we commit sin we are the servant
of sin. This is a kingdom law, just like the law of sowing and reaping, and it
applies to everyone, saint and sinner
alike. Neither grace, or mercy, or forgiveness, or justification can annul or
override this law. The person who commits sin is the servant of that sin.
Just in
case the reader may think the Lord was only talking to the Jews, and that
somehow these words do not apply to those of us who have been "saved by
grace", the Holy Spirit spoke the same truth through the apostle Paul, to Christians in Rome. He said we are the servant of the thing we are obeying. If we obey sin, we are the
servants of sin. If we obey
righteousness, we are the servants of
righteousness. Obviously, the choice to obey sin or righteousness is one that only believers can make. The unbeliever
has no such choice; he is a prisoner to unrighteousness. We must understand
that Paul was talking to us.
To be a
servant of some one or some thing means we are under the authority of that person or thing. Does this mean that if
a Christian remains in bondage to some kind of sin (or sins), he is not really
a Christian? Not at all. That's not what Jesus and Paul were saying. They were
explaining the way things work in the spirit realm. As long as a person yields
to (obeys) a particular sin, he is the servant of that sin; it has authority over that particular area of his life.
This means that Satan also has authority over that portion of his life through that sin.
This is
a simple truth, and accepting it will not make us a weak or unfaithful
Christian because we are giving too much glory to the enemy. Rather, it will
make us stronger Christians because (hopefully) it will change our view of sin.
It should cause us to stop viewing our sins as mere human weaknesses, which
have already been taken care of as a result of being justified by the blood of
Jesus. Instead, we should begin to realize that the sin we yield to actually
has authority over us, and through it, Satan also has authority over us in that
particular area.
Accepting
this truth will not only better equip us to overcome the sin that so easily
besets us, it will help us get a grip on what is happening today. It will help
us to understand why so many of today's Christians are being deceived and
overcome.
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon
shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter
as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any
means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,
and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God.
II
Thessalonians 2:1‑4
The most
common interpretation of this passage—which has its origins in the Pre-tribulation
Rapture view of the end times—is that a demon-possessed ruler will take his
seat in a re-built Jewish temple in Jerusalem and proclaim himself god. But
this is not what Paul was talking about. He was warning us that in the last
days, a very powerful, religious spirit (the man of sin; Antichrist) will take
his seat in the temple of God (believers) and will show himself (prove;
demonstrate) that he is God.
We need
to get our eyes off the natural realm for just a moment and realize that the
entity we all refer to as "the Antichrist" is not a man. It's not a
religious or secular institution. Neither is it a government. It's an invisible fallen angel. This is why the
things we see happening today cannot be explained in political or cultural
terms alone. What's happening goes deeper than Republicans versus Democrats, or
Liberals versus Conservatives, or Totalitarianism versus Democracy. What we are
seeing is the result of the work of a
demon prince.
All the
things we associate with the term "Antichrist" are actually a manifestation of this spirit. It's this spirit which has deceived the
Church and caused the great apostasy. It's this spirit which is producing a Global Police State and a Global
Religion. One day this spirit will cause the world to make an image to the
beast and worship it. In the final hours of this age it will possess and
empower a human political/religious leader.
We need
to realize that it doesn't matter what political leader or what political party
holds the reigns of power in this nation or any other nation. In the last days,
God has determined to let this demonic prince rise up and conquer the
planet—and nobody is going to stop
it. God warned us this day was coming. He put those warnings in the Scripture
for all to read and understand. The question is: Is anybody listening?
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I
told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For
the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will
let, until he be taken out of the way. And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
II Thessalonians 2:5‑8
When
Paul starts talking about the revelation of the Antichrist he makes two basic
points. First, he said this revelation has to do with something called
the "mystery of iniquity", and that this mystery was already at work
in his day. The iniquity Paul refers to is not
the iniquity of the unsaved, for their
iniquity is no mystery! The unsaved have always been godless; they have always
murdered others to get power and to keep power; they have always lived
perverted lifestyles; they have always killed the people of God; and they have
always manifested Satan's wicked nature to one degree or another.
Neither
was Paul talking about the establishment of a world empire. Since the days of
Nimrod there have been rulers who have established world empires. Again, this
is no mystery! However, the iniquity of God’s
people is a mystery. How can those who have been born again, end up
following another spirit? How can those who have been given God's Spirit, end
up following another Jesus?
Secondly, Paul
said that even though this mystery was already at work, it was being hindered
from reaching it's intended goal. However, some day that restraint would be
removed and the mystery would produce
what it has been trying to produce—the full revelation of Antichrist.
This is
what Paul meant when he said the restrainer is restraining the mystery, so that
he (Antichrist) may be revealed "in his time". The time of his
revealing is the last days. So in our day, the thing that has been holding
Antichrist back has been "taken out of the way". This makes our day different from any other time in
history.
In
Paul's day the mystery of iniquity was already working. Believers were being seduced. Christians
were accepting another gospel, another spirit, and another Jesus. People who
had been born again were being
deceived by false apostles. John talked about the human anti-Christ's who were moving among the fellowships. But
since the mystery was being restrained at that time, the ones who were being
drawn away from the truth were a minority
within the congregations. Today, since the restraint has been lifted, this
mystery is reaching the zenith of its power and it's the majority of Christians who are being drawn away.
Until
our time, there were things the spirit of Antichrist was not allowed to do because it was being restrained. But now, the
restraint has been removed and it can do things it has never been allowed to do
before. Some of these things include the duplication
of everything the Spirit of God can do in a person's life.
As a
result, it has already exalted itself above
the true Spirit of God and taken its seat in the lives of multitudes of those
who name the name of Christ. Right now it is demonstrating to them, though
lying signs and wonders, that it is God (the
Holy Spirit), and they are now following this wicked spirit faithfully.
How is
it possible that a person who has been born again can end up serving Antichrist? It's possible because, first of all,
Christians are not automatically protected from the deceiving power of Satan
just because we are Christians. We are responsible to do our part in our walk
with the Lord, in order to receive His protection and deliverance. If we do not
do our part, we will not be protected. Few of today's Christians understand
this simple truth.
For
example: the Scripture says we should cast
down imaginations that oppose the knowledge of God. It also says we should take every
thought captive to the obedience of Christ (II. Cor. 10:5). The responsibility for doing these things rests
upon us, not God. He cannot and He will not cast down our imaginations for us.
Again, He has no intention of taking our thoughts captive for us.
If we do what He commands, we will have
victory in these areas and we will remain under His protection. But if we are
too lazy to do them, or if we think we don't have to do them because Christians
are automatically protected, we will receive thoughts and vain imaginations
from our own (wicked) hearts, or worse, from demon spirits. Then, when we act on them and get into spiritual
trouble, or we end up in some kind of bondage as a result, we have nobody to
blame but ourselves!
The
Scripture also commands us to "flee from" the desire to be rich,
and/or the idea that having great wealth equals godliness (I. Tim. 6:9-11). Once again, fleeing from these things is our
responsibility. God cannot flee from them for us. If we flee from them, God
will be there to help us and we will remain under His protection. If we do not
flee from them, God is under no obligation to protect us and we could end up
like the ones Paul describes below:
But they that will be rich fall into
temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and
perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while
some coveted after, they have erred
from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
I. Timothy 6:9‑10
These
people did not do their part. They did not flee from the desire to be rich, or
the idea that attaining wealth is a sign of godliness. What was the result?
They erred from the faith. They pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
They fell into temptations and snares and lusts. Eventually they drowned in destruction and perdition!
The
Scripture also commands us to flee from fornication and idolatry (I. Cor. 6:18 & 10:14). Again,
fleeing from these things is our responsibility. God cannot flee from these
things for us. If we flee, we will remain under His protection. If we do not,
we will not be protected and we could
miss the Kingdom of God altogether.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not
inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
I. Corinthians 6:9‑10
Friends,
God never said He would protect us regardless of whether or not we obey Him: men are saying this. God never said we
have automatic protection against the power of the enemy just because we are
Christians: men are saying this. God
told us very clearly in His Word that we must do certain things in order to be
kept safe and secure. Once again: Is anybody listening?
This
whole idea that we are automatically protected from Satan because we are God's
children is in fact a vain imagination
which is exalting itself against the knowledge of God as revealed in Scripture!
Moreover, it's an integral part of the false
gospel that's being preached all over this planet—a gospel of rebellion and
lawlessness—which tells people they are kept safe and secure by unmerited favor, so they don't have to
do anything or obey anything in order to remain protected and secure.
When you
try to tell them this is a false gospel, that they must do certain things in order to remain under God's protection, they
cry "legalism"! Then they accuse you of preaching "salvation by
works". Since they have been deceived, they have no idea they are walking in rebellion, and when they read
about what will happen to people who walk in rebellion in the last days, they
have no idea it applies to them! For example, they read the following passage
in the book of Daniel and they have no idea he is talking about them.
Out of one of them came another horn [Antichrist],
which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward
the Beautiful Land. It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it
threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. It
set itself up to be as great as the
Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the
place of his sanctuary was brought low. Because
of rebellion, the host [of the saints] and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in
everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
Daniel 8:9‑12 NIV
It
should be evident that Daniel is talking about more than just a human political ruler in this passage. He is also
describing the invisible spirit that
empowers this ruler. It's not the man who reaches to the host of the heavens
and throws some of the stars to the ground; it's the spirit inside the man that does this. Those
stars represent God's people, and this is exactly what we see happening today.
When
Daniel talks about the little horn setting himself up to be as great as Jesus
(the Prince of the host), he's not talking about the man: he's talking about
the spirit inside the man. This is exactly what Paul was talking about in
Thessalonians, when he said Antichrist will exalt himself: "...above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself
that he is God." Again, when Daniel talks about the little horn
throwing truth to the ground, he's not referring primarily to the man; he's
talking about the spirit inside the man. Isn't this exactly what we see
happening today?
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the
truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
II. Timothy 4:3‑4
What
Daniel saw thousands of years ago is being fulfilled today, in the spirit realm. The things we see in
the visible realm—Christians being deceived; Christians throwing truth behind
their backs and turning to religious fables; Christians letting their love grow
cold and allowing Antichrist to take his seat in their lives—are external
manifestations of what is taking place in the spirit realm.
Why does
God give so many of His people into the hands of Antichrist? Because of
rebellion! Because they have accepted a
lawless gospel which tells them they
don't have to obey anything in order to be protected. They go through life
ignoring the things God said we must do if we want to be protected from the deceptions
of the enemy.
Of
course, those who ignore the obvious things we are told to do in the New
Testament, in order to remain under God's protection, will surely miss the more subtle ones. For instance: in one
of the passages which speaks about the coming of Antichrist, we are given an
important key of survival—a love for the truth.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom
the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of
Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
II. Thessalonians 2:8‑10
When
reading this passage, there are a few things we must understand or we will
completely misinterpret what Paul is saying. First of all, he is not
talking about a man or a government. He is talking about an invisible spirit,
which he calls "that Wicked", which is going to come in those who
perish. No man or government can come "in" people. Only an invisible
spirit can do that.
Secondly, when
Paul says those who do not receive a love for the truth will perish, he's not
talking about the unsaved. He's not saying the unsaved will perish if they do
not accept Jesus. He is talking about Christians.
He is telling us that if we don't receive a love for the truth, we will end up
believing the lie that damn's the
soul.
Thirdly, Paul
is telling us what to look for when this spirit starts trying to move in our
lives. It will try to deceive us through supernatural power, signs and wonders.
In other words, it will work in the supernatural
realm. It will try to duplicate the way God talks to us and leads us. It
will do anything it can to convince you that it is the Holy Spirit. The degree of success it will have in
deceiving us will depend on where we are spiritually with regards to the issues
we have mentioned:
~ How much sin are we yielding to?
~ How much rebellion are we walking in?
~ Have we received a love for the truth?
The more
sin and rebellion we walk in, the easier it will be for the spirit of
Antichrist to start moving in our lives. The less love we have for the truth,
the easier it will be for him to start imitating the voice and presence of God.
God is
faithful to His people. He tries to warn us again and again when this starts to
happen. If we will listen to the warnings, if we will repent and turn away from
(known) sin, if we will stop walking in rebellion and begin to obey His
commandments, and ask Him to give us a love for the truth, He will deliver us.
But if we continue to demand our own will and walk in our own way, He will not
strive with us forever. There will come a point when He lets us go and we will end up serving another god.
Please
Note:
There
will be no January Newsletter.
My
apologies for the delay.
Zion's Trumpet/ Dan MaceRR3 Box 985 Mifflintown, PA. 17059 717-436-8773 www.zionstrumpetministries.com |