They call themselves by many different names and wear many different labels, but they have been here with us for a long time. Their goal is to wreak havoc among us. They have been attempting this goal on an epic level.

We don’t typically talk about demons and devils as a reality to be dealt with. We have been conditioned by Hollywood, culture and media to look past them as fairy tales…imaginary entities that we only see as dangerous in movies, books, or video games. But there is a truth about them that is as old and ancient as the Bible. They are here. They walk among us. And their assignment is centered around division and destruction.

The Bible describes the history of these evil creatures and how they came to dwell here on earth.

“The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 12:9

The archangel, Lucifer, was found with pride in his being. He wanted to be worshipped as God was worshipped. God will not share his glory. Period. Lucifer was thrown out of heaven with the third of the angels who fell for his deception and worshipped him. They live their eternal lives on earth as evil spiritual beings who serve their leader, Satan. They spend their time spying on, tempting, tormenting and deceiving their prey…humans.

Throughout humankind’s existence, demons have been tasked with causing deception, disruption and destruction to anyone open to their influence. They conspire against those who follow Christ with great diligence, always looking for a way to penetrate any unprotected areas within us.

Recently I re-watched a movie that stars Denzel Washington, called “Fallen.” In this story, a cop (Washington) is pulled into the spiritual realm by a vengeful demon that wanted to attach itself to him through a murderer that the cop arrested. The murderer was executed after stating a final threat of returning from the dead to exact his vengeance. Upon the death of the killer, the demon exited his body and attached itself to one of the attending guards. During the development of the plot, the story showed the transference of the evil spirit from one person to another through touch. Each affected person would touch someone else and transfer the spirit to the next person, or vessel. This transference ended with the predicted possession of the cop. Although this movie was a work of fiction, it’s theme is more relevant to our Christian experience than we may think.

The Bible tells us that Satan, the devil, goes around looking for victims. His pride, ever his downfall, drives his insatiable need to be worshipped; feared. He continues his mission to seek out those whom he can control, manipulate and overtake. 1 Peter 5:8 warns that the devil is like a “roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Satan is referred to in the Bible as the “adversary,” a “fallen angel”, and more disturbing, the “accuser of the brethren.” His thirst for power and glory takes shape in evil schemes that he uses to “deceive the whole world” (Revelation 12: 9).

How does such an enemy take advantage of those who believe in Christ?

The scriptures warn us that the devil “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15), leading those who listen to and are influenced by him, astray. The Bible goes on to explain that some followers will abandon the faith to follow “deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1)

We are all subject to the strategies of the “adversary,” Satan. We all have weak areas in our experience, spirituality and personalities. These weaknesses can be open doors to the schemes of the devil and cause us to fall into the trap of deception. More that this, we become more susceptible to evil when we turn away from the practice of communing with God, reading His Word and sitting in His Presence.

There are consequences to following deception. Our worldview becomes tainted. Our relationships are no longer safe to experience the way God intended. And the vitality of our inward self begins to grow weak and conflicted. Steps to overcome evil are simple but require diligence and faith, which is sometimes not as easy to do as we may want it to be, particularly when we sin. But understanding that God offers us His Grace and that we have help in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10) assists us in turning away from the wrong we have done and turn back to our loving, forgiving Almighty Father.

Our intimacy with God is vital to our ability to resist the conversation of the devil and his demons. A common, but often overlooked instruction to keep us on the narrow path of righteousness is found in the book of James:

“⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Submission has become an unpopular state today. It has a misconception of servitude or subservience. But in reality it is the ability to surrender what we think, feel, or desire to what God thinks, feels or desires. It is a simple act, but takes courage and humility to do. In submitting ourselves to God, we are empowered, by His anointing, to resist the temptations and schemes that the devil presents us with. In this place of submission, we are able to take authority over the devil and say “no” to him. Once rejected, he has no choice but to “flee.” I love the word “flee.” It is an active, aggressive word that describes the action of fearfully running away to escape danger or harm. When we submit ourselves to God, say “no” to our enemy, the devil…that evil adversary will literally run away from us. This is the victory over evil that God desires for us. And we can turn away from a life of deception and sin, if and, when we surrender to God.

Until next post…blessings. vw1.