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                         Satan Seeks to Devour You

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By David Wilkerson
December 27, 1999
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          "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the
          devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom
          he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith,
          knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in
          your brethren that are in the world" (1 Peter 5:8-9).

          If you are a member of the body of Christ, get ready to
          face a mad devil. You may not want to think about it or
          even accept it - but if you have determined to follow
          Jesus with all your heart, Satan has marked you for
          destruction. And he's going to flood your life with
          troubles of all kinds.

          The apostle Peter warns, "The end of all things is at
          hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer"
          (4:7). He is saying, in other words, "This is no time
          for lightness. You have to get sober-minded about
          spiritual matters. It is an issue of life and death."

          Why the need to be so serious? The end of time is near
          - and our enemy has turned up the heat. He is stalking
          us like a lion, hiding in the grass, waiting for an
          opportunity to pounce. He wants to devour us - to
          utterly destroy our faith in Christ.

          Some Christians say we shouldn't even talk about the
          devil, that we're better off just ignoring him. Others
          try to reason him out of existence. Liberal
          theologians, for example, argue that there is no devil,
          no hell, no heaven.

          But the enemy of our souls is not simply going to go
          away. Few biblical figures have been identified so
          clearly and extensively. He is described as Lucifer,
          Satan, devil, deceiver, hinderer, wicked one, usurper,
          imposter, accuser, devourer, god of this world, ruler
          of darkness, old serpent.

          These emphatic descriptions tell me the devil is real.
          And we know from scripture that he wields a very real
          power. Even now he is at work on the earth - in our
          nations, cities, churches, homes and individual lives.
          And we dare not be ignorant of his methods and
          strategies of warfare against us.

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             The Apostle John Tells Us That Throughout History
                  the Devil Has Declared War Three Times.

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          Revelation 12 describes three instances when Satan has
          declared war:

          1. He first declared war against almighty God himself.
          John writes:

          "There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
          against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his
          angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place
          found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast
          out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,
          which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into
          the earth, and his angels were cast out with him"
          (Revelation 12:7-9).

          This passage recalls the moment in heaven when Satan
          rose up in rebellion against God's supreme authority.
          At the time he was known as Lucifer, an angel who had
          great authority. But Lucifer wanted to be as God. So,
          enlisting a third of the angels, he led an uprising
          against the almighty.

          But God cast Lucifer out of heaven, along with the
          other rebellious angels. All of heaven rejoiced in the
          victory. The devil lost that war, as well as his place
          in heaven.

          2. A defeated Satan then declared his second war - this
          one against God's son, Jesus Christ. John writes:

          "There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman
          clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and
          upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being
          with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be
          delivered.

          "And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and
          behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten
          horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail
          drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did
          cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the
          woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour
          her child as soon as it was born" (Revelation 12:1-4).

          Satan knew an incredible church was about to be born
          out of the Old Testament remnant. It would be a
          glorious body, clothed with the sun of righteousness.
          So the devil declared war once again, reasoning that
          now he could do battle on his territory, the earth.

          This passage suggests that Satan knew he couldn't get
          to the child in Mary's womb. So he determined to
          destroy Christ as soon as he was born. He gathered all
          his demonic forces around Bethlehem, sending spirits of
          deception to blind the scribes, priests and Pharisees.
          Then his own spirit entered King Herod, possessing him.
          If Satan couldn't kill Christ himself, he would have a
          man standing by, ready to do it for him.

          But the Lord's armies of heavenly angels stood guard
          over the child, so that Satan couldn't touch him. The
          devil would have to wait another thirty years to try to
          devour Christ.

          He saw his next chance at the beginning of Jesus'
          ministry, when the Holy Ghost declared him to be the
          messiah. At that point, Satan led Christ into the
          wilderness to be tempted. Yet Jesus defeated him in
          that battle also. God protected his son again, sending
          angels to minister to him in his time of physical
          weakness.

          The devil would try one last time to devour Christ.
          This time he moved forces into place to try to kill
          Jesus by crucifixion and cast him into the grave. He
          sent demonic spirits to incite a mob, entering the
          bodies of priests, soldiers, political leaders and
          false witnesses. At last, Satan thought, he had his
          hour of power. Now he would wage an all-out war.

          Yet you know the rest of the story: Resurrection day
          was Satan's most humbling defeat. When Jesus ascended
          to heaven, he was out of the devil's reach forever.
          "Her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne"
          (Revelation 12:15). All of hell was shaken because
          Satan had lost again. Even using all of his power, he
          still could not defeat the son of God.

          3. The devil declared his third and final war on the
          seed of Christ. This means he is at war with every true
          believer on earth. John writes:

          "When the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth,
          he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man
          child" (verse 13). "And the dragon was wroth with the
          woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her
          seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the
          testimony of Jesus Christ" (verse 17).

          Satan has turned his wrath on the church of Jesus
          Christ. And he has reserved his worst rage for
          believers who keep God's commands and trust in him.

          The devil knows this war is his last chance, because
          only a short time remains before Christ returns for his
          bride: "...he knoweth that he hath but a short time"
          (verse 12). Therefore, Satan's war against the church
          is the most intense of all. He wants to gain back the
          ground he lost to Christ - so he'll stop at nothing to
          destroy the faith of his bride. That means he's going
          to use all of his weapons against us - all subtleties,
          deceits and devices.

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                 I Have Prayed Diligently For a Revelation
                     About the Horrendous Spiritual War
                        We Face With Our Adversary.

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          When I was a young preacher, I didn't give much thought
          to spiritual warfare. I thought anyone who walked in
          victory shouldn't have any problems at all against the
          devil. To me, it was simply a matter of resisting him.
          But soon I found a roaring lion pouncing on my
          weaknesses with all his might - and I felt helpless to
          do battle with him.

          All too often I see the devil doing the same thing to
          other sincere Christians. I know multitudes of godly
          servants - people pure in heart, walking in grace - who
          have suddenly been overwhelmed by demonic floods of
          confusion and despair.

          Such Christians can labor diligently for the Lord for
          years. Then, one day, Satan injects accusing thoughts
          into their minds. And overnight they are overcome with
          awful troubles - unexpected temptations, covetousness,
          depression. Their trials are so deep, strange and
          mysterious, these saints have no idea where they came
          from.

          I believe there is only one explanation: Their troubles
          are a demonic onslaught. Time after time I have seen
          this happen to Christians who are growing by leaps and
          bounds. At the very peak of their spiritual growth,
          Satan puts an old seduction in their path. It may be an
          old lust - something they thought they had overcome
          years before. But now, after years of living in
          victory, they're walking a tightrope - teetering on the
          brink of a lustful indulgence that could lead them back
          into terrible bondage.

          I received a heart-wrenching letter some time ago from
          a dear senior pastor. He wrote, "I'm sixty-five years
          old, and the people in my congregation know me as man
          of prayer. But now, out of nowhere, evil thoughts have
          begun to plague me. A lust has come upon me that I have
          never experienced in my life.

          "I have not succumbed to the temptation. But I have
          been in a constant tailspin for months. I know it is an
          attack from the enemy. He wants to destroy the ministry
          God has allowed to prosper here. Please pray for me."
          This, I believe, was Satan's attempt to devour that
          dear saint of God.

          Christian marriages are now under attack like never
          before. A couple can love each other for years and then
          suddenly get mired in a horrible struggle they don't
          understand. One minute a faithful spouse says, "I love
          my mate" - but the next she shouts, "I can't stand that
          man. I don't even want to be around him." What can this
          be but a satanic attempt to devour and destroy a godly
          marriage?

          Day after day, these couples grow more discouraged,
          tempted and despairing. And soon Satan floods them with
          other accusing thoughts: "You're a failure as a parent.
          You can't do anything right. And you don't know God
          intimately. You're a phony, a hypocrite. You aren't
          what people think you are. You are a poor example of
          what a Christian mate ought to be."

          Beloved, what is happening in that relationship can't
          be diagnosed by a counselor, pastor or psychologist. No
          one can fathom the destructive spirit that has gripped
          that marriage. Why? It is supernatural, demonic - an
          attack straight from hell. Satan is on the attack
          against every home where Jesus is Lord. And he won't
          rest until he exhausts every device to devour and bring
          ruin and chaos.

          All of these trials, troubles and temptations are known
          as the devil's flood. John writes, "The serpent cast
          out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman.[that
          she might be] swallowed up which the dragon cast out of
          his mouth" (Revelation 12:15-16). Isaiah also warns
          that Satan will bring a flood against all who "fear the
          name of the Lord...the enemy shall come in like a
          flood" (Isaiah 59:19).

          I have experienced this flood. And multitudes of
          believers are being caught up in it right now. They're
          being flooded with persecutions, physical attacks,
          mental harassment, fiery temptations and lusts out of
          hell, friends turning against them as enemies. Satan
          has aimed an all-out, last-days assault meant to sweep
          us away in utter despair.

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                        Why Does the Devil Flood the
                       Righteous With Such Ferocity?

                      -------------------------------

          The key to understanding how Satan operates against the
          church is found in the word rebellion. Simply put,
          rebellion means going against the rule and authority of
          God's word. When Lucifer declared war on God, he was
          rebelling against the word of the almighty.

          You must understand - God's word is his power. Through
          it, he spoke the worlds into being. And through it, the
          sun, moon and stars are kept in place. His word brought
          all things into being and continues to produce life.
          And by his word, God pulls down kings and raises up
          nations. Through it, he blesses and saves, judges and
          destroys.

          Satan's aim is always to tempt God's people to rebel
          against his word. He planted thoughts of rebellion in
          Adam and Eve, causing them to reason, "I know what God
          said. But I'm going to act according to my own will."
          Those thoughts caused humanity's fall.

          Satan also succeeded in planting seeds of rebellion in
          God's chosen nation, Israel. The Psalmist says Israel
          was "a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation
          that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was
          not steadfast with God" (Psalm 78:8). Scripture also
          says of Israel, "Ye would not go up, but rebelled
          against the commandment of the Lord your God"
          (Deuteronomy 1:26).

          Please note - God revealed his word very clearly to all
          of these people. And yet they all rebelled against it.
          Why? They were seduced by the wicked one.

          Satan will also try to tempt you to rebel against God's
          word. He knows he can't get to you through blatant
          temptations. So he'll inject subtle seductions into
          your mind by flooding your life with pain, trials,
          struggles. And he'll try to block God's blessings in
          your life, just as he hindered Paul in his ministry.

          Many have fallen prey to Satan's subtle seductions. The
          Psalmist says such believers "sit in darkness and in
          the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and
          iron; because they rebelled against the words of God,
          and contemned the counsel of the most High" (Psalm
          107:10-11).

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                        The Devil Looks for a Single
                         Area in Our Lives We Have
                       Not Submitted to God's Word.

                      -------------------------------

          Satan isn't interested in turning you into a reprobate.
          All he wants is for you to rebel in just one area of
          your life. That will allow him enough room to gain a
          foothold.

          Right now, he has his principalities and powers on
          alert to provide him with intelligence reports on our
          lives. These demonic entities read our actions and hear
          our conversation. And when they pick up on a fleshly
          weakness in us, they aim all their hellish temptations
          at that weak area.

          Jesus told his disciples, "The prince of this world
          cometh, and hath nothing in me" (John 14:30). He was
          saying, in essence, "When Satan comes at me, he can't
          find any place where he can get a foothold. I am
          totally under the authority of my father."

          Likewise, Satan cannot enter the body or spirit of any
          believer whose life is totally submitted to God's word.
          He has to be given a place in order to gain a foothold.
          And that happens only when a person holds back "part of
          the price." Let me explain.

          In Acts 5 a couple named Ananias and Sapphira sold a
          portion of their land and gave the proceeds to the new
          church in Jerusalem. Yet, when they laid the amount at
          Peter's feet, the apostle was perplexed. He asked them,
          "Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy
          Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?"
          (Acts 5:3). As soon as Peter spoke these words to the
          couple, they fell down dead on the spot.

          What is the lesson God wanted to teach the church
          through this? I don't believe it had anything to do
          with the physical piece of land Ananias and Sapphira
          owned. Rather, it had to do with the inner territory of
          their hearts.

          This couple believed they could be 95 percent obedient
          to God but remain safely disobedient in one small area.
          They had heard God's pure word preached - but they
          rebelled against what they knew to be true. They
          convinced themselves, "We can serve the Lord yet hold
          onto this one thing." That was a lie to the Holy Ghost.

          So, the part of the price they held back had nothing to
          do with money, but a small bit of ground of
          covetousness in their hearts. It was a patch just big
          enough to give Satan a stronghold. And with their one
          stubborn disobedience, they allowed the enemy to fill
          their hearts.

          This is why Paul warns, "Neither give place to the
          devil" (Ephesians 4:27). The example of Ananias and
          Sapphira is clear: The price of an overcoming life is
          no small matter. It means subjecting our lives wholly
          to God's word, with no more dark places, hidden lusts
          or rebellion. Do not give Satan one inch of ground.
          That's all he needs to gain entrance and establish a
          power base.

                      -------------------------------

                          I Want to Give You Four
                         Examples of How Satan Can
                        Claim Ground in Our Lives.

                      -------------------------------

          1. The author of Hebrews tells us: "Not forsaking the
          assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some
          is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as
          ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).

          You may be a truly wonderful person - kind, considerate
          and giving. But if you read this word from Hebrews and
          willfully ignore it, you give Satan ground. If you
          spend week after week lying in bed on Sunday mornings
          instead of going to God's house to be provoked to
          righteousness, you have given the deceiver a place in
          your heart. Like Ananias and Sapphira, you are holding
          back part of the price.

          The very next verse describes the judgment we incur for
          neglecting a single area of God's word: "If we sin
          willfully after that we have received the knowledge of
          the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
          but a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery
          indignation, which shall devour the adversaries"
          (verses 26-27).

          2. Jesus tells us, "If ye forgive men their trespasses,
          your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye
          forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your
          Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15).

          Christ is warning us, "You may be obedient in every
          other area in your life - pious, devout and faithful.
          But if you hold onto unforgiveness toward anyone, then
          your own sins are piling up against you, unforgiven by
          the father."

          Holding onto unforgiveness makes you a greater debtor
          than the one who has sinned against you. That person
          may have already repented and been forgiven by the
          Lord. But if you hold onto your hurt, you're demanding
          a price from him that Jesus has already paid. And you
          can't demand that of anyone.

          Yet the real danger of unforgiveness is that you open
          your heart to satanic intrusion. The enemy stakes that
          little piece of ground, sets up shop and begins his
          work of devouring you. And you have allowed it to
          happen by holding back part of the price.

          3. James tells us, "If ye have bitter envying and
          strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against
          the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but
          is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and
          strife is, there is confusion and every evil work"
          (James 3:14-16).

          Note who James is addressing here. In verse 13 he says,
          "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among
          you?" He is telling us, "You may have great spiritual
          wisdom and knowledge. But if there is bitterness in
          your home, strife in your heart, envy at your workplace
          - don't think you are spiritual at all. You are under a
          lying delusion."

          When James speaks of strife and bitterness, he is
          talking about arguing and faultfinding. And he says all
          of it is devilish, sensual, works of evil. In short,
          anyone who holds onto bitterness causes strife - and
          worse, he opens his heart to demonic possession.

          Do you know people whose bitterness has led to satanic
          possession? Over time, their outer person begins to
          manifest the darkness they have held inside. Eventually
          their body begins to break down, becoming diseased and
          shriveled, and they suffer mental imbalances. Whenever
          the devil is given such ground, he works utter
          destruction.

          So, go ahead - hold your grudge. Keep your bitterness.
          Continue stirring up strife. If you do, you will be in
          total rebellion against God and his word. And you'll
          open yourself up to Satan. You will become spiritually
          blind and hardened in heart.

          On the other hand, if you are spiritual - willingly
          obedient to God's word - then no matter how injured you
          are, you'll show the peaceable wisdom of gentleness by
          forgiving.

          4. On a recent trip to Jerusalem, I saw a powerful
          example of how Satan can get a demonic foothold in even
          the smallest patch of ground. As I looked down over the
          holy city from the Mount of Olives, I saw the land
          where the Muslim Dome of the Rock Temple sits. That
          tiny piece of ground is perhaps only part of an acre.

          Yet somehow Satan got his hands on it and built a
          temple to himself. And now it has become the
          abomination of desolation, as mentioned in scripture.
          The devil has managed to focus his powers in the very
          midst of God's once-chosen people, Israel. And it all
          happened because he got just a small foothold. This is
          a vivid picture of what Satan does when he gains even
          the smallest piece of ground.

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                         What Kind of Defense Do We
                        Have Against the Devourer?

                      -------------------------------

          If you ask any Christian how to do battle with the
          devil, he'll probably recite James 4:7: "Resist the
          devil, and he will flee from you." But what does James
          mean by resist? How do we resist Satan's power?

          John gives us the answer in Revelation 12: "They
          overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word
          of their testimony" (Revelation 12:11). When you hear
          the roar of the lion - when the flood crashes in, and
          you're overwhelmed - simply run to the holy of holies.
          By faith, enter into the very presence of God on his
          throne - because the lamb has made a way for you,
          through his blood.

          "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the
          holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way,
          which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil,
          that is to say, his flesh" (Hebrews 10:19-20).

          When you are alone with God in prayer, you are totally
          immune to the devil's devices. So run to his throne by
          faith, call on him, and stand on the power of Christ's
          blood.

          John then writes, "To the woman were given two wings of
          a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness,
          into her place, where she is nourished for a time"
          (Revelation 12:14). I believe the two eagle's wings
          mentioned here are the Old and New Testaments of God's
          word. He has given them to us to carry us to a place of
          nourishment, so that when the devil comes against us,
          we are able to fly over him on the wings of God's word.

          The apostle Paul also uses the word nourish, writing,
          "nourished up in the words of faith and of good
          doctrine" (1 Timothy 4:6). The Greek word for nourished
          here means educated. Paul is talking about being
          educated in the scriptures, knowledgeable of God's
          word.

          Jesus is our example here. When he resisted temptation
          with God's word, the devil fled. Why? The truth exposed
          Satan, putting him to shame. And Hebrews says that all
          who have trusted in God's word "through faith subdued
          kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises,
          stopped the mouths of lions" (Hebrews 11:33). We muzzle
          the powers of hell by standing on God's word.

          So, when you hear the lion's roar, fall on your face
          before the father. And immerse yourself in his word.
          His eagle's wings will carry you above every
          overwhelming flood of temptation.

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771, USA.

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