Standing Against The Devil - Part 3

(To read Part 1, click here. To read Part 2, click here.) I closed Part 2 of this blog post series by saying the devil's not just a fantasy. He is very real. At this very moment he's plotting how he might destroy you. Yes. That's right. I said, "Y-O-U. You!" And there are some people who will read that and their response will be: "You can't be serious. The devil's out to destroy me? I just don't believe it." And I would say to these: You better believe it. ******* And there are two very important things that we learn from the experience of the young man in Part 1 & 2 of this blog post series, my friends (among other things). The first is this: The name of Jesus is powerful. Did you notice who the boy didn’t call out to when the demon was trying to lay hold of him? And maybe he should have shouted, “Buddha!” or, “Confucious!” or, “Mohammed!” or, “Joseph Smith!,” or some other religious leader's name who’s dead and buried and no one’s ever heard from them again. But that wouldn’t have delivered him from Satan. And isn’t it interesting how, when people are in the most direst of situations – listen – even so-called atheists will naturally shout, “Jesus!” because there’s something in the very depth of the heart of every man and woman that knows Christ is the only One that can do anything. After all, He’s the only One who’s alive! And the second very important thing that we learn from the experience of the young man harassed by a demon, beloved: We have it in our power to give or not give the devil access to our lives. Bottom line - there are some things that we ought not be doing or exposing ourselves to or it’s like there’s a knock at our door and we open it and invite Satan in, literally, to wreak havoc. While there are other things that we ought to be doing and exposing ourselves to that will shut the devil out and keep us living in freedom. And there are those who call themselves or say they are Christians while all the while it isn’t Jesus who they’re living for. My question is: Who do you think you're kidding if it's you? You can not serve two masters. You will either hate the one and love the other. Or you will hold dear to the one and despise the other. Who are you loving today? Who are you hating? Is it the devil? Is it the Lord? It's either one or the other. Your actions speak louder than words. Watch for Part 4 to this series coming very soon.

Standing Against The Devil - Part 2

(If you haven't read Part 1, click here.) The young man's room was as dark as night. The blankets that hung over his windows did an excellent job of not letting any light in. His walls and ceiling were covered with posters - posters of rock groups. And he had just as many tapes (they're CDs nowadays!) to go along with the posters. At that point he asked me what he should do. He never again wanted to go through what he had gone through the night before. Ultimately, I wanted to pray. What else does one do in that situation? But before I prayed I told him that everything had to go. The posters, the tapes, everything. Even the blankets had to come down. If he was really serious, he needed to get right with God and give up everything that was not of Him. So he began to tear the posters down and throw the tapes into a box. It was a most humbling sight. These were this young person's treasures. He even took off the shirt he was wearing. On it was the name and picture of one of his favorite bands. He gave me everything. Before leaving, I prayed for him. I prayed for a cleansing to take place in his life and in that room. And I prayed against the enemy that he would not return. I left with at least two good-sized boxes of paraphernalia to discard. I quickly did in a nearby trash bin. ******* The devil. ******* He's not just a fantasy, my friends. He is very real. At this very moment he's plotting how he might destroy you. Do you realize that? Do you understand it?! Keep watching this blog for Part 3 to this series to come soon.

Standing Against The Devil - Part 1

The concert had just ended when I was introduced to a young person from the audience. I was immediately struck by the fear in his eyes. I would say he was maybe thirteen years of age or so and he needed help. He pleaded with me to come to his house. So I asked him what the problem was. He began by saying that he had been to an Iron Maiden rock concert the night before. It was during his time there that he related experiencing various occult-like practices not the least of which was the conjuring up of demons from the stage. It was supposedly part of the "act." He had always thought nothing of it. To him it was only a show. That stuff wasn't real. Until he got home that night. He shared how he had gone to sleep only to be suddenly awakened later by some entity near the end of his bed. (I get chills even now as I'm writing this!) He described the being as huge and dark and oppressive. And it was reaching out for him, trying to grasp his leg. He pulled away yet it kept coming. It was then that he crashed into an electric fan sitting next to his bed. He hit it so hard that it broke in it's tumble to the floor. In final desperation, he told me that he cried out, "Jesus!" and that was all it took. (He had been to church in the past.) The entity departed as suddenly as it had arrived. Well, to say the least, I reluctantly decided to go to the young man's house. I can remember thinking to myself, "O Lord, if you've ever been with me, I need it to be now." Keep watching this blog for Part 2 to the story coming soon.