What are deceiving spirits ch1

WhatARE

DeceivingSpirits?

ByKiDongKim

Translated by The Semuon Translation Mission Center

BEREA PRESS

1st Translation and Publication: 24.03.2001Revised edition with original material: 25.08.2015Publisher: CHOI, Eul SookPublishing Press: Berea PressRegistration: No. 13-69Address: 308, Dorim-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, KoreaTel: 82-2-831-3851~3Fax: 82-2-831-3854

www.bereapress.co.krAll rights reserved. No part can be reproduced or copied in any way, or byany means, without prior written permission.

© 2015 KIDONG KIM

Pastor KiDong Kim (TH.D., S.T.D., D.Min., D.D.)

* Senior Overseer, 21st Century Berea Missions Seoul Sungrak Church, Seoul, South Korea

* Honorary and Founding President, Berea International Theological Seminary, Seoul, South Korea

All Scripture quotations, unless noted otherwise,are from the New King James Version (1982).

PREFACE 3

Pointless arguments concerning the topic of this book are notnecessary just because the existing theologies or past preachers hadnot discovered its reality. The Bible definitely exposes the topic ofdeceiving spirits.

Many saints, who were redeemed by the blood of Jesus,suddenly fall from their faith because deceiving spirits deceivethem. The Bible gives explicit warnings to prevent such downfall;however, these admonitions are mostly ignored or notacknowledged as legitimate. Though people do not acknowledgedeceiving spirits, their existence still cannot be denied. God usesthem and so does the Devil. Those who have fallen in their faithare viewed as forsaken in the sight of God (2 Thess. 2:11-12). Butfrom the Devil’s point of view, deceiving spirits deceived them.The issue of deceiving spirits is of grave importance because manychurch leaders have received fatal blows from those spirits.

This third release includes the contents from the author’slectures and sermons for the last 45 years that had been excludedduring the transcription process. There is no doubt that theauthor’s intent will be fully communicated because Evangelist Ki-Taek Lee has accomplished the most exhaustive work for thisproject.

It is the utmost desire of the author that the saints wouldhumble themselves before the Bible and understand what itdivulges concerning important spiritual issues. The author has

stubbornly stood his ground and not acquiesced to the countlesspersecutions and misunderstanding of critics because the Bible hasfully divulged the topic of this book.

It is my desire that people would be victorious in theirspiritual walk, as they deeply understand about deceiving spirits.

July 2007Ki Dong Kim

PREFACE 2

The knowledge about deceiving spirits is the best armor thatthe saints should acquire. Saints must know about them well.

Christians ignore the God-given spiritual power because theytreat spiritual lives as something abstract. They deny themselves theauthority that has been given to them because they ignore thetruth. They bring upon themselves great spiritual ruin because theyignore the disciplinary measures that God enforces throughdeceiving spirits.

We need to understand who is really for us. God sent JesusChrist for us. He also sent the Holy Spirit for us. Since God sentthe angels to serve us, shouldn’t we be grateful for such provision?

People carelessly show adverse disposition against knowledgeheld by others. So they either join themselves to groundless ideasand deceptive theories or fall into the pride of exclusivelyadvocating dogmas. Thus, they do not experience the greater loveand grace of God.

As I release a revised version about deceiving spirits, I wouldlike to express my regret beforehand that I could not sufficientlyexplain all details because of deadlines.

Please understand that there will be repetitions in this bookbecause its content has been extracted from sermons given on thesubject. Also, please note that there will be similar contents fromthe books What is the Devil? and What are Demons? to show theirinterlinking relationships. Anything repeated in this book exists toestablish the background for proper understanding about deceivingspirits.

Thank you.

April 1993Ki Dong Kim

First Edition Preface

The world is full of sin, corruption, and indescribablesufferings. To heal the endless sufferings, more hospitals andpharmacies are being expanded. There are more and morecounselors. More police stations are built with greater disciplinarymeasures. However, because the source of all problems is notaddressed, there is no end to problems.

Man’s actions come from his heart, which is rooted in hisspirit. If man’s spirit does not receive proper instruction fromGod, then it wanders aimlessly like an orphan. The source ofcorruption and sickness is demons. And demons rely on deceivingspirits to carry out their work.

Deceiving spirits are angels that have become corrupt. Theseare angels that were initially sent to help those who are saved, butlater turned.

If enough knowledge and principles concerning the deceivingspirits were acquired, then pastors and even laypersons would trulybenefit when it comes to dealing with personal and familyproblems. Too many people are experiencing perils because theyare ignorant of deceiving spirits. The cure for chronic diseases andhabits would be easily obtained if one could discern the work ofdeceiving spirits.

Through this book, you will definitely discover the reality ofthe power of the Gospel. This book is for everyone, especially forthose who are in the ministry.

August 1985Ki Dong Kim

From his office

Translators’ NOTE

Pastor Ki Dong Kim has written over 250 books to date.Translating these books has been a true blessing for us. We knowthat this book will bless you too! The following are a couple ofthings to note as you read this book. This book is a transcript of atraining seminar that Pastor Ki Dong Kim has done in the pastwith the theme, What are Deceiving Spirits? Thus, we have tried topreserve even the way the pastor speaks. The book also repeatsmany concepts for emphasis. They all have been preserved becausePastor Kim has spoken them by the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

This book has been written for ministers and even forlaypersons who want to know how to live and serve powerfullyaccording to God’s will. Please take a good time off from yourschedule to focus as you read through this book. We pray that youwill be touched and transformed! Amen.

January 2014From The Semuon Translation Mission Center

Table of Contents

11_ The Illegal Traitor that Became the Legal Ruler 11

12_ The Compensation for the Suffering Man 29

13_ The Freedom of Those Who Know the Truth 41

14_ The Will that Overcomes Deceiving Spirits 63

15_ The Identity of Demons 83

16_ The Operations of Demons 97

17_ The Authority to Resist the Devil 123

18_ The Devil and Conditional Faith 139

19_ Three Conditions to Subdue Demons 151

10_ Casting Out Demons by the Holy Spirit 167

11_ The Life that Testifies of His Grace 189

12_ The Final Strategy of the Devil 203

13_ A New Teaching with Authority 233

14_ Avoid Idol Worship 251

Chapter 1

The Illegal Traitor thatBecame the Legal Ruler

1Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast ofthe field which the Lord God had made. And he said tothe woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eatof every tree of the garden’?” 2And the woman said tothe serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of thegarden; 3but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midstof the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, norshall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4Then the serpent saidto the woman, “You will not surely die. 5For God knowsthat in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened,and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

(Genesis 3:1-5)

12 What AREDeceiving Spirits?

We are Spiritual Beings

The Bible introduces three spiritual beings: God, angels, andman. Before we understand anything about the three spiritualbeings, we first have to realize that we are spiritual beings.

Most believers admit that their spirit is more important thanthe body. But in practice, they treat the spirit as something abstract.Though they admit that God’s word is spiritual, they do not makeany effort to receive it into their spirit. For example, if a personwith no pockets claims that he has them and tries to put items intohis non-existent pockets, then what would happen? People claimthat they are receiving God’s word into their spirit, but in reality, itis only a philosophical process to them. They have not experiencedthe word of God in their spirit. Before we can actually store God’sword in our spirit, we must first be conscious of our spirit in thesame way we are conscious of our bodies. Without spiritualawareness, we would lose all the spiritual opportunities that Godendows upon us.

Food that is eaten definitely enters the stomach. Likewise, ifwe claim that we are consuming the word of God, then it mustenter our spirit. People hear the word of God but do not receive itinto their spirit because to them the spirit is just an abstract idea.Our spirit is real and alive! People do not realize that their spiritneeds God’s word. So they hear the word of God as nothing butsounds. Most people unconsciously think of their body when theyrefer to themselves. They do not think of their invisible soul astheir true self. This is why no matter how much they listen to theword of God, the word acts like a basketball swishing through abasket; it goes straight through without having any effect on theperson.

For example, a person shouts “Hallelujah!” with excitementwhen she experiences God’s grace in the church. Yet when shereturns home, she happens to let out her anger and later complains

1. The Illegal Traitor that Became the Legal Ruler 13

that she has completely lost that grace. After awhile, she is back tocrying out “Hallelujah” during a revival. But as soon as she hearsthat her husband has wasted much money, she loses that passionagain. Thus, an emotional Christian is like a bottomless vessel thatcannot retain God’s provisions.

The word of God never disappears through digestion likefood. It is supposed to remain in the spirit. Excretion is necessaryfor the body, but not for the spirit. Some people receive the wordof God but cannot retain it for a single day. They might get healedat a revival but get sick again after a few days. Why? Healing comesbecause of God’s power that operates in the spirit. Yet, the powermust continue to dwell in the spirit. But when the believer losessight of his spiritual life and does not value his spirit, the power ofGod can no longer remain in him. In other words, if the believerloses awareness of his spirit and becomes uncertain about hisspiritual experiences, then he cannot continue to walk in the wordof God.

People ask me at times, “Pastor Kim, how can I maintainGod’s power in me as you do?”

I boldly tell them, “You must store the word of God in yourspirit.”

God’s word must be preserved in the spirit. I do not have agreat memory. I cannot even remember phone numbers. But if yougive me a verse in the Bible, then I can find its referenceimmediately. God’s word resides in my spirit. If I try to store theword of God in my head, then I probably will not remember it forlong. But since I store it in my spirit, I remember it even after manyyears.

People often say, “The word of God is my spiritual food.”But many of them are just thinking about applying God’s word toprosper their business. They do not fully understand the meaningof receiving the word of God. We must welcome the word of Godinto our spirit. The wisdom of the world was designed for our

mind, but the word of God was intended for our spirit. Our spiritmust possess His word because no other faculty can receive,maintain, and apply them.

The unbelievers in the world do not recognize the existenceof their spirit. Even if they do, they are not fully aware of it or itscondition. This is part of the reason they do not believe in Jesus.The sad reality is that even some believers are oblivious of theirspiritual conditions. They do not know how to nurture their spirit.Even though hundreds of people sit in the same sanctuary, they areall in different spiritual conditions. Their spirit is like a bottomlessbasket, a broken basket, or not at all like a basket. If believersunderstand that their spirit is like a vessel, then they will receiveand hold onto God’s word so that they can experience the eternalpower that comes from the Word.

Even if something were to happen to me so that I can’t readthe Bible, I can still maintain my spiritual life since the word ofGod resides in me. The word of God dwells in my spirit, not in myhead. Just as I know exactly what is in my pocket, I am sure thatGod’s word, His plan, and His blueprints are in my spirit.

When I give a sermon, I try to use the words that have beenstored inside my spirit. In the past, I travelled the country for over10 years hosting tent revivals. During those times, I did not evenhave any notes but just my Bible. My sermons have not diminishedever since I started my ministry. The word of God continues toflow out of my spirit just as a silkworm spins endless threads.

Spiritual Realities

To be spiritually successful, one must first realize that he is aspiritual being, and then decide to live in the spirit. The Biblerecords many events. Their main purpose is to reveal spiritualrealities. Without fully understanding them, believers can return tothe world at any time.


When an unbeliever steps into the church, he must be taughtwhat he did not and could not know when he was in the world. Butthe sad reality is that people cannot find or learn anything in theirchurch that is beyond what they already know from the world. Sothey feel that there is no difference between the church and theworld. So many of them go back into the world. If unbelieverscome into the church and clearly see the spiritual world, then theywill realize that the church is different. When they discover theirtrue identities, they will pursue spiritual realities in the church whileliving out in the world. But many churches today do not reveal thespiritual realities to their congregation.

People who are unaware of their spirit do not have thestrength to maintain their spiritual lives. Only from the spirit canfaith be maintained. The word of God and His power can onlyreside and operate in the spirit. Although a believer is blessed withabundant grace, if that grace is not stored in his spirit, then it is assame as pouring water into a bottomless pitcher. For me, when Iread the Bible, I make sure it remains in me. No matter how manytimes you read the Bible, the important thing is that the Wordabides in you. God’s word should not be wasted by pouring itthrough a bottomless vessel.

I’ve heard of many revivalists who manifested much fervency,power, and anointing during their youth. But as they aged, theyclaim that their faith has matured and their power has diminishedaway. I disagree with this statement. The more a believer knows theword of God, the more power and anointing should manifestthrough him. The same power that operated through me decadesago still manifests through me now when I pray for the sick. I canexercise even greater power more effectively now than ever. All thisis because I have stored and maintained the power that God hasdeposited in my spirit.

Everyday we see ourselves in the mirror. The physical imagethat we see is not our real self. The flesh is like the clothing that the


real self is wearing. The real self cannot be seen in a mirror; it isinvisible yet eternal. Although it cannot be seen, we must always beaware of the invisible, eternal self. The real self is the living soulenclosed in the body. Being aware of the living soul prepares thebeliever to receive whatever God – the true spiritual being – cangive.

God desires to care for man’s spirit, but man denies hisspiritual self and thus, cannot welcome God. Communion withGod starts when man realizes that he is a spiritual being. When wetruly know that we are spiritual beings and lay the foundation ofGod’s word in our spirit one by one, His grace and power willnever disappear but continue to operate in our lives.

Do Not Worship Angels

Of the three spiritual beings, God is the only true God whoexists by Himself. God alone is the self-existent being. No onecreated Him, for He alone is the Creator of all things, including theother two spiritual beings. To say God is the only true God meansthat God alone is the self-existing being.

Angels are God’s created, spiritual beings. Before He mademan, God created the angels to serve Him. The word angel means amessenger in Greek. We call them chunsa in Korean, which meansheaven’s servants. Angels are God’s servants by status. Whensomeone claims to have seen angels, people envy him. They evenseek the person, find him, and ask the person to pray for them.Seeing an angel is not something so worthy of boasting or envy.Why should a child of God boast that he just saw a servant?

The Bible strongly warns us against worshipping or adoringangels (Col. 2:18). Though the angels were created before man,their position is to serve the children of God. So it is veryimproper for the children of God to worship angels.

Man in general has an innate religiousness. This is because he


was created with an innate desire to seek God. Even though manlost his relationship with God by falling away, the instinctivereligiousness to seek God still remained in him. This religiousnessled the fallen man to seek idols instead of the only true God. Man’sdesire to physically see God caused him to make idols. His corruptdesire to hear something audible led him to listen to the voice ofmediums. This innate religiousness is the reason people desireangels and worship them. This is far from the Christian faithbecause believers do not worship angels. Christians are God’schildren and angels serve them. They are children of authority whowill judge the angels when Jesus returns.

The Angel that Fell

The Bible mentions the different ways that angels serve God.They are divided into three main groups according to their rolesand duties. The first is the group that glorifies God with songs andbeauty, led by the archangel Luciel. The second group representsthe power of God as an army, led by the archangel Michael. Thethird group is in charge of revealing God’s will and plan, led by thearchangel Gabriel.

Heaven was filled with the three groups of angels with thearchangels in charge of them, but Luciel rebelled with his group ofangels. Before he fell, Lucifer was called Luciel because he was anarchangel of God. The suffix -el means God in Hebrew. Ezekiel28:14-15 on the surface describes the fall of the king of Tyre whiledescribing the fall of Satan who was working behind the king.

14You were the anointed cherub who covers; Iestablished you; you were on the holy mountain ofGod; you walked back and forth in the midst of fierystones. 15You were perfect in your ways from the dayyou were created, till iniquity was found in you.


(Ezek. 28:14-15)

Luciel was created perfectly as God’s servant. But later hisheart changed. Some might wonder how God’s creation canbecome corrupt. Luciel was not a self-existing being. John 12:50says that God’s commandment is eternal life. So angels are able tosustain their lives only by receiving the commandments from God.In order to receive a commandment, one must possess the will torespond to it. In other words, when a command is given, theoption to accept and reject must be fully operational in a person.This is called free will. When the free will exists to respond to acommand, the angel is perfect as a creation to serve God.

However, a thought arose in the heart of the archangel toglorify himself with the glory in Heaven. The first of the TenCommandments is, “You shall have no other gods before me”(Deut. 5:7). This became the first commandment because Lucieltried to make himself like God. He probably thought to himself,Why should I serve God with this glory? I can be God myself. He ultimatelyabandoned the position that God had given him. Luciel used theGod-given free will to reject His command.

As soon as he left his position, Luciel became Satan, one ofhis titles meaning a traitor. Satan betrayed God, and he rebelledagainst Him. You think only you can be God? I can also live by myself! Hechallenged God’s unique self-existence.

Another label for the fallen angel is Lucifer, which implies thathe is the king of evil. When Luciel rebelled against God, the angelsunder him also fell and together formed a formidable kingdom.The word Lucifer is used to indicate that even God recognizes thisgroup of traitors as a kingdom.

What are the characteristics of the angel’s fall? First, hedenied the uniqueness of God. In a way, Satan said to God, “Areyou the only true God? Are you the only one who self-exists? I willalso be self-existent!” By doing so, Satan denied and challenged the


uniqueness of God. Second, he tried to deify a creation likehimself and tried to be equal with God. Third, he denied the worksdone in God’s name. In other words, he blasphemed the name ofthe only true God. Fourth, he disturbed God’s environment.

In the Ten Commandments, the first four are warningsagainst what the fallen angel had committed. The firstcommandment warns against having any other gods before theonly true God. Since Satan denied the uniqueness of God and triedto be like Him, believers should shun his deception. The secondwarns against serving any idols. Satan tried to deify himself thoughhe was just a creation. The third commandment warns againsttaking the name of the Lord in vain. Satan disturbed and slanderedthe works done for the sake of God’s name, but believers are toflee from blaspheming the name of God. The fourth warns againstdesecrating the Sabbath day. Satan brought chaos to God’senvironment, but believers should keep His environment holy. Thefirst four commandments directly deal with the relationshipbetween God and man. The commandments reduce down to oneimportant warning, Do not be deceived by Satan!

When Satan seduced Eve, he applied all the characteristics ofhis sin.

1Now the serpent was more cunning than any beastof the field which the Lord God had made. And hesaid to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shallnot eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2And thewoman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit ofthe trees of the garden; 3but of the fruit of the treewhich is in the midst of the garden, God has said,‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest youdie.’” 4Then the serpent said to the woman, “You willnot surely die. 5For God knows that in the day youeat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be


like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:1-5)

The serpent deceived Eve when he told her that if she eatsfrom the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then she wouldbecome like God. This sin denies the uniqueness of God anddirectly violates the first of the Ten Commandments. At the sametime, the serpent was trying to deify creation, a violation of thesecond commandment. When the serpent told the woman, “Youwill not surely die,” he was challenging God’s commandment givenby His name, a direct violation of the third commandment. Finally,the serpent disturbed the peace inside the Garden of Eden whenhe deceived Eve to disobey God. This directly went against thefourth commandment, which is to keep the Sabbath holy.

The fall of Satan, the incident in the Garden of Eden, and theunrighteousness warned by the Ten Commandments are all related.The command not to eat the forbidden fruit and the TenCommandments were both warnings against Satan’s deception.

The Imprisonment of Satan

Satan is the traitor that betrayed God in Heaven. God castSatan out of Heaven and imprisoned him in the universe until thejudgment day. The universe is a prison to confine Satan.

And the angels who did not keep their properdomain, but left their own abode, He has reservedin everlasting chains under darkness for thejudgment of the great day. (Jude 6)

The word everlasting refers to God’s attribute. The phrase“reserved in everlasting chains” means to be bound by the powerof God. Simply put, Satan was bound inside the universe so that hecould not escape. It is like a prison with high walls and armed


guards to keep the prisoners from escaping.

The earth was without form, and void; and darknesswas on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Godwas hovering over the face of the waters. (Gen. 1:2)

The verse highlights the same meaning of Jude 6. Before thelight and the firmament were created, the universe was alreadyfilled with water. Light was created here on the first day. Then, afirmament was created in the midst of the waters on the secondday, dividing the waters to be located under and over thefirmament. So “the spirit of God” moving over the surface of thewaters refers to the power of God that bound Satan inside theuniverse. It means the same as the “everlasting chains underdarkness.” Satan, who rebelled against God, was detained ineverlasting chains in the universe until the day of his judgment.

God has created all things in the universe, which is alsoSatan’s prison. The Bible records that God created everythingduring the six days. He said that “it was good” everyday except onthe second day (Gen. 1:8). Why? The firmament that wouldimprison Satan was created on the second day. This firmamentwould be Satan’s platform for his evil acts. Would the PrimeMinister proudly say, “We have built the biggest and most efficientprison in the world! All of us need to be proud that we areKoreans”? God created the firmament so that Satan and his angelswould have a limited space to carry out their works and thus, it wasnot pleasing in His sight.

The universe is not a resting place for our souls. Jesusfrequently explained about the Father’s house when He was on theearth. When He taught the disciples how to pray, the first sentenceof the prayer was, “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9). This‘heaven’ is neither the sky nor the universe, but Heaven where thethrone of God is located. Our Lord is preparing a place for us up


in Heaven now. Our eternal resting place is not a corner in thisuniverse because the universe does not concern us in any way. Thisuniverse is nothing but a prison for Satan. Before God created theearth and mankind, He had already incarcerated Satan in theuniverse.

If God had not imprisoned Satan, then he would have causedendless turmoil in Heaven. So God had taken all those who haddisturbed His peace and confined them in the universe to wait fortheir judgment. The words judgment and condemnation havesimilar meanings. When was Satan condemned? He wascondemned through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Some people mistakenly think that Satan was alreadycondemned in Heaven before he was thrown into the universe.This is very different from what actually happened. Satan wascondemned through Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrectionthree days later. The words “was condemned” mean his sins wereconfirmed, and that he has been judged. There is a differencebetween judgment and punishment. Satan has been judged by thedeath and resurrection of Jesus, but not yet punished. Jude 6explains that Satan was locked up in the universe until thejudgment day, meaning until Jesus Christ came in the flesh. SinceJesus has come into this world, died and resurrected, it can be saidthat the universe has already served its most important purpose.

When Satan Became the Devil

God created the earth inside the universe where Heimprisoned Satan, and on that earth He created man. But why didHe create man in the same place as Satan’s imprisonment? Goddoes not accept challenges by anyone nor does He challengeanybody.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted


by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nordoes He Himself tempt anyone. (James 1:13)

Even though Satan wanted to challenge God, God did notaccept his challenges nor did He challenge Satan in return. God’splan was to destroy Satan by due process. To accomplish this plan,God created man in His image.

Why did God create man in His image? It was so that Satan,who opposed God, would be induced to attack man. In otherwords, God created this environment called universe and redirectedSatan’s opposition against God towards man. Since then, Satan wascalled the Devil.

The name Satan is used to describe the illegal one whorebelled against God, but Devil is the name of the one who has thelegal right to attack man. God has allowed man to be tempted,attacked, and cursed by Satan. By creating man in God’s own imageand placing him in the universe where Satan was imprisoned, Heallowed Satan to become the Devil.

When he rebelled against God, the fallen angel was calledSatan. When man was created to be used as the vessel to judge thefallen angel by due process, Satan was called Devil. The word Satanmeans, “the one that rebelled against God”, and there is no versein the Bible that commands believers to resist Satan. But the wordDevil points to the one who divided the relationship between Godand man, leading him to destruction. God placed man, who wasmade in His image, before Satan so that his (Satan’s) oppositionwould be diverted to man. This is when Satan became the Devil.

God legally recognizes the identity of the Devil. Satan has anillegal status as a traitor, but the Devil has a legal status as a ruler.In other words, God allowed the illegal one called Satan to belegalized as the Devil. From Matthew 4:1-10, it is clear that Jesusacknowledged the Devil as the tempter by receiving histemptations. God allowed Satan to become the Devil. Satan is theillegal status that the fallen angel has taken for himself, but the


Devil is the legal identity that God approved for him. Simply put,allowing Satan to become the Devil means the same as legalizingthe activities of the illegal one.

Since the Devil’s identity is legal, he has the lawful right toharass mankind. People are unaware of this, so when hardshipsand troubles come, they say, “Where is God? Where is He nowwhen I’m suffering? If God exists, then how could these thingshappen to me?” But we have to know that it is the legal right givento the Devil to tempt, deceive, and harass people. This is similar tothe parable of the Prodigal Son. The second son kept telling thefather that he would leave. Yet, he could not until the fatherallowed him by packing his bags for him.

It is the Devil’s legal right to tempt and harass mankind. So hemobilizes all the knowledge, power, and resources in the universeto operate in his legal right. It is obvious that people are under thedominion of the Devil. The Lord Jesus called the Devil, ‘the rulerof this world.’ A ruler has the official right to govern over hisnation as he wills. The Devil likewise has the right to arbitrarily ruleover all creation on earth.

And you shall eat dust all the days of your life. (Gen.3:14c)

For dust you (Adam) are, and to dust you shallreturn. (Gen. 3:19)

Since man is from dust, he is to return to dust, and theserpent has the right to consume that dust. This means that just asthe serpent eats dust, the Devil has the right to govern, to disease,to maim, to mutilate, and to enslave man in any way he desires(John 10:10).

The Devil has the legal right to tempt people, to afflict themwith sickness, and to even cause death. So in order to destroy the


works of the Devil and to rescue the people under his influence, hemust be judged by due process. The Son of God came into thisworld in the flesh to legally destroy the works of the Devil.

The Son of God came to the world and was judged accordingto the legal system of the world ruled by the Devil. Jesus wascrucified on the cross, but God raised Him up from the dead andproved His innocence. At the same time, God judged the Devil forcondemning and killing His Son. Thus, the Devil’s judgment wasby due process. This permitted those who desire to be in ChristJesus to receive salvation. But whoever does not desire to be inChrist would still be legally ruled by the Devil.

When One Accepts Defeat

The only way that we can be free from the authority of theDevil is to rely on the works of Jesus, who has legally judged theDevil. Many saints confess the ministry and works of Jesus Christ,but they still justify their sicknesses and curses as a normal part oflife. I was born weak. My family has this condition. This is my fate. Theyjustify their hardships with these words. This kind of justificationultimately leads to despair.

Mental illness and despair or self-abandonment is closelyrelated to each other. Psychosis does not develop just because of ademon. The Bible mentions many accounts of demon expulsion,but there are very few stories about demons being cast out ofpeople with a mental illness. A specific demon does not causemental illness. When the demon enters the body, he attacks withsmall sicknesses such as athlete’s foot, ulcers, or even neuralgia. Butif the person cannot handle the pain and gives up his will toendure, then the demon takes over his will and the person becomesmentally ill.

Sicknesses, accidents, violence, and destruction are all legalworks of the Devil that he uses to oppress man. The Devil has the


authority to do whatever he wants with people. This is possiblebecause the illegal Satan became the legal Devil. The Devil shouldnot be taken lightly. Without Jesus Christ, there is no way that wecan escape from the Devil.

Even Jesus acknowledged the authority possessed by theDevil. When Jesus was tempted by the Devil, He never said, “Howdare you to tempt Me?” The Devil’s identity as a tempter is a legalstatus. The Devil took away Job’s possessions, health, and familybecause of the legal right that was given to him.

We realize that wars, famines, floods, poverty, curses, deaths,trials, and desperations are all caused by the legal actions of theDevil and his cohorts. It is also apparent how complete, detailed,resilient, and bold their actions are. All the authorities in thisuniverse are in their hands. This is why the Bible refers to the Devilas the ‘prince of the power of the air.’ Since he possesses all theauthority, power and knowledge within the universe, he is apowerful being indeed. The Devil will do whatever it takes withinhis jurisdiction to recapture the people whom he had lost to Jesus.The Devil will obviously use all temptations and deceptions toaccomplish this resolute task.

When Satan became the Devil, man became his possession tobe torn, oppressed, and plagued. No authority or power exists inthe universe that man can use to escape from the oppression ofthe Devil. For this reason, eternal death awaits those who liveaccording to the flesh. The only way to escape the clutches of theDevil is to be empowered with heavenly authority. Jesus Christ isthe only one who can truly set us free. The name Jesus means Godwill save His people from this world. Jesus came in the flesh tosave us from this world, to rescue us from the oppression of theDevil. When Jesus returns, He will take us away from this worldand bring us into His dwelling place.

Failure in business, failure in school, broken families,oppression, temptations, and curses are all works of the Devil. Just


as how the Devil used the serpent to deceive Eve in the Garden ofEden, he can use all the creations in this world for his purpose.Whatever they may be, the Devil can use animals, religions,societies, cultures, knowledge, dignitaries, and any other resourcesto attack the people on earth. The Devil even tried to tempt theSon of God by using the things of the world! So if anyoneentrusts his soul to the world, then he will not be able to escape theclutches of the Devil.

Man’s Spirit, A Vessel for Eternal Love

Man cannot escape the agony that the Devil inflicts. However,God did not create man only to be subjected to pain and suffering.Man’s body might suffer much pain and suffering from the Devil’sattack, but his spirit was created to receive the infinite love of Godthrough Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that nothing can separateus from the love of God that is poured into our spirit in JesusChrist.

38For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, norangels nor principalities nor powers, nor thingspresent nor things to come, 39nor height nor depth,nor any other created thing, shall be able to separateus from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus ourLord. (Rom. 8:38-39)

We have to fully acknowledge that we are spiritual beings ableto receive the eternal love of God. The body might suffer in theDevil’s hand, but the spirit is a vessel that can receive God’s love.Without affirming yourself as a spiritual being, you cannot receivethe love of God. If you do not receive God’s love, then you willreceive eternal condemnation with the Devil at the end.

We have learned that the illegal actions of the Devil have been


legalized. We have also learned that since he is the ruler of thisworld, he is able to officially utilize any creation in this world tooppress and tempt mankind. However, no one should ever give up.God has sent His Son to this world so that the Son can judge theDevil according to his deeds. In subsequent chapters, we will studyin depth about what God has done to set us free from the rule andoppression of the Devil.


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