Exposing Satan's Devices

Today's title exposing Satan's devices. Are you ignorant of Satan's devices? I plan to give three sermons related to Satan and his devices today, and I hope the next two that I give. We used to hear a lot about Satan and his devices in the church. It seems we don't hear so much about Satan and what he is doing. In recent times, this week I was leaving Ace Hardware, or Book Church, one of the two, and the cell phone rang and it was a guy calling, a non-church member.

He and his family were having problems with demons, all kinds of weird stories, and this and that and the other. I asked him if he was a church member and he said, Well, yes.

I said, Who is your pastor? Well, he didn't answer that. I said, Have you talked to your pastor about this? He said, Yes, but he sort of dismissed it. I don't think he really believes it in the spirit world, so I tried to help him the best I could considering his lack of Bible knowledge and not knowing much about him and his background. It seemed that it helped somewhat. You know, in the case oftentimes of demons, it can be, as I told him, it can be mental problems.

I dealt a lot with various scenarios with students and masters who were being troubled by various thoughts. One night, way back in the 70s, when his pastor and Tyler got a call and a man who lived, he was a paraplegic, lived in Athens, Texas, and he said, There are two demons down there at the foot of the bed, and they're talking about splitting my brain into you. He said, Can you come? I'd already talked to him about various things. He insisted that somewhere along the way in the future that he would be healed, he would get out of his wheelchair, and he would then proclaim a great testimony to the world.

I tried to get him to understand that probably was not the case. The last time I visited him, I told him that, Well, Mr. So-and-so, if you ever need me, give me a call, and I'll be on my way. So he called about 10 o'clock at night, and I went through tighter, picked up our associate then, Mr. Jim Duke, and we headed to Athens and got there. He said, Now, do you see those demons there at the foot of the bed? Talking about splitting my brain into you.

And I said, No. Mr. Duke, do you see them? No, I don't see them. Of course, sometimes we can get in our minds and heads certain things and think they are real, and they're not, but this call is.

Robo-call, I'm sure. And I said, That what you think you're seeing is in your mind. It is a figment of your imagination, and he would not accept that. We tried to talk with him and console him and finally left, and that was the last time I ever saw him.

And so I told this man, it may just be in your mind a lot of the things that are happening, and you really need to understand that this could be due to mental problems and so on. If one listens and reads the news, you'll seldom hear anything in the mainstream like the main networks, ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, with regard to demon activity.

From time to time, there is a headline on the Drudge Report about the increase in demon activity in the world. The Catholic Church has actually put out notices that they need more exorcists. And at the same time, the movies and the video games are filled with the most grotesque, demonic characters that the human mind can conjure up. It is beyond my ability to understand the people who flock to the movies today and see all of those special effects of the grotesque, demonic kind of figures that are fighting each other and all the kind of things that are taking place.

And I'm convinced that the people who develop those games, and, you know, there are computer programmers who sit down and develop those games. So the movies and video games are filled with this. And from what I see and hear, Satan is alive and well on planet Earth. As we shall see in this series of sermons, Satan is the God of this present world.

So let's look at three scriptures here in succession. First of all, in 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 10. I'm sorry, 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4 with regard to Satan being the God of this world.

And some people say, oh, Satan is not the God of this world. God is always God. Yes, God is always God, and God and Christ have power over Satan. But he is allowing Satan to control so much of the world's activities at the present time. And this scripture means what it says in 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4.

So the scripture says that Satan is the God of this present cosmos, this world order that we live in. Now let's look at John 12 and verse 31. John 12 and verse 31. One of the main things that happened in Christ's ministry, remember after he was baptized, he was led away into the wilderness where he was tempted of Satan the devil, tried, tested of Satan the devil for 40 days there. He fasted and Satan came to him, and of course he responded to each one of Satan's tests with the Word of God. And so one of the main weapons that we have against Satan and his devices is the Word of God.

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 119, verse 9, 10, 11, Your word ever hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. So one of the most powerful weapons against his devices is the Word of God. In John 12 and verse 31, we see this statement made by Jesus Christ. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. So Jesus Christ, one of the great things that happened, I interrupted myself, throughout Christ's ministry was Satan trying to get to him time after time after time. And every time, of course, Christ came out victorious, and we can cast Satan out of our lives now. On the day of atonement, we talk about binding Satan, and Satan is going to be bound after Christ returns again, cast into the bottomless pit. But we are to bind Satan and cast him out now. As we have read here, he is the God of this world. We read from 2 Corinthians 4, 4, he is the prince of this world. Jesus Christ also says, Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Now, in addition to this, and this scripture, I believe, is very important. Mr. Armstrong used to quote this scripture quite often. We go to Ephesians 2, and we'll read into the main verse, which is verse 2. So Ephesians 2, verse 1. Ephesians 2, verse 1.

And you hath he quickener made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. You were spiritually dead.

Wherein in time pass you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. And of course, we have talked historically in the church about Satan broadcasting through moods and attitudes. Some mornings you get up and you want to pick a fight with the world, and some mornings you get up, and all is well. And what a wonderful day it is. The spirit which now works in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conduct in times past, the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love, were with us. He loved us, as he has called us, and hopefully we have repented, received God's Spirit, and we're not walking according to the prince of the power of the air. Satan had the power of death over humankind until the birth of Jesus Christ, the ministry of Christ, time after time in the Gospel, Jesus Christ is confronted by or confronts demons of all kinds of different spirits and casts them out until Jesus' ministry. Then, of course, his crucifixion, in which Satan tried to kill him when he was two years old, and Satan tried to get to him throughout his ministry. Finally, of course, Jesus Christ is crucified, and I would imagine that Satan had somewhat of a party with his chief agents. After that, now we got him, and we can continue with our plan to be rulers of the universe. But he was resurrected from the dead, and he ascended back to the Father, now sitting on the right hand of the Father, making intercessions for us. Satan tried so desperately through the centuries, yea, even through the millennia, to kill even the forefathers, also to destroy Israel. And even when Israel was divided into the ten tribes to the north and Judah and Benjamin to the south, the Israel, at that time the ten tribes under Jeroboam, completely departed from the faith. They changed the Sabbath, they changed the Holy Days, and they changed the priesthood. Judah remained somewhat faithful for a while, and yet even they went into captivity, into the hands of the Babylonians. But God mercifully spared them and allowed them to return to Jerusalem and build a second temple. So he preserved them, even somewhat despite themselves, so that his plan and purpose could be fulfilled. So look at Hebrews 2.14 with regard to the power that Satan had before that time, before the birth of Jesus Christ, his ministry, the resurrection, the ascension, his role now as mediator. In Hebrews 2, verse 14, For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise, speaking of Jesus Christ, took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death. That is the devil, and deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. So that's one of the things that Satan the devil is, of course. He is a tyrant. He is an oppressor. But God through Christ has raised up the church to expose Satan. Let me say that again. God through Christ has raised up the church to expose Satan, overcome Satan, and become the righteousness of God in Christ. That's a mouthful, but let's read the scripture that shows that in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, beginning in verse 16. God through Christ has raised up the church to expose Satan, overcome Satan, and become the righteousness of God through Christ. So in 2 Corinthians 5, I thought I had turned here. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 16.

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself. That is, to God by or through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Of course, God's goal is through Christ to bring all of the world into a relationship with God and Christ in each member of the body of Christ. So that all of the world is reconciled to know that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing trespasses unto them, and have committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you, in Christ's stead, you be reconciled to God, for he had made him to be sin, who knew no sin, that we might what be made the righteousness of God in him. God, through Christ, is raised up the church to expose Satan, overcome Satan, become the righteousness of God through Christ. Of course, that's not the only thing, but that's one of the principal things to reconcile the world to God and become the righteousness of God through Christ. The word of God prophesies that at the end of the age, Satan will greatly increase his activities. So do you hear very much about Satan's activities? Look at Revelation 12, verse 9. We'll start there and read the rest of the chapter here. Revelation 12, verse 9.

The great dragon was cast out, that old circuit called the devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him, the demons. We're going to see what they do in view of that.

And I heard a loud voice saying, in heaven, now has come salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of the brethren is cast down, which accuses them before God day and night. Satan wants you. He's after you. He wants to devour you. He wants to destroy you. And he wants to destroy the church of God. Now notice, and they overcame him three things here by the blood of the Lamb. The only way sin can be forgiven and removed from us as far as the east is from the west, to be remembered no more, is through repentance and faith in the blood, the life, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who gave his life and blood for us. And by the word of their testimony, they remained faithful through it all, never wavered, when called before kings and magistrates and all as described in Luke 21. They gave a faithful witness and testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. They didn't try to save themselves at the expense of others, as many will do at the end of the age. We'll read later, and many will betray others. Verse 12, Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them, woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for the devil has come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child. And of course, Jesus Christ was born of a woman. She was a descendant of David.

He was born, made flesh, and dwelt among us. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time and times, and half a time, three and a half years, from the face of the serpent. So according to this, there will be some who will be spared during the time of Satan's great wrath. This is what the Bible says. People will go away and say, well, Ward said that there is a place of safety we all go to. Now, I didn't say that. I read what it says here. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he may cause her to be carried away of the flood. The flood representing an army and the earth helped the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood, which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was mad with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed. And what did they do? This identifies for sure who it is, the Church of God.

Of course, now Satan and the demons hate physical Israel as well. And of course, you read more and more in the news about Israel under attack and anti-Semitism on the rise, and all kinds of articles like that. Even congressmen and women and even senators and so on have blamed Israel for a lot of things in recent times, much less many of the international leaders. But see, the remnant of the seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the witness of Jesus Christ. The witness of Jesus Christ. The Jews are still, as a physical people, are still looking for the birth of Jesus Christ. So make no mistake about it. The Church of God is the number one target of the devil. And if you're a member of the Church of God, that makes you a member. That makes you one who is one of the principal targets of Satan the devil. Why? Because it is and will be. It is and will be. If it's ever to be done, it is and will be the members of the Church of God that will expose Satan for what? He really is. We'll see that as we go along. Are we doing that in our teaching and preaching? That being exposing Satan the devil for what he really is and manifesting it by the way we live our lives. Satan poses as an angel of light.

And we can talk about the sincerity of so many people who are philanthropists, who spend much of their fortune and money in trying to save the world, as it were. Of course, I saw a little snippet there on the news this week of Barbara Streisand, who is one of the great proponents of climate change. And I personally believe the climate has changed, maybe not for the same reason that Barbara Streisand does. Well, she recently gave a concert in England, and she flew her three poodles on her private plane to watch her perform at the concert.

That's what it said. Satan poses as an angel of light. Look at 2 Corinthians 11, verse 13. So we read so much about the celebrities and the people. Almost everyone, they had the ESPYs this past week recognizing the sports heroes of the world and giving them their rewards. Almost all of them, all of the entertainment world, basically, and so many of the rich of the world, the entrepreneurs, the corporate executives, they have foundations in which they are raising money to help various causes throughout the world. In 2 Corinthians 11, verse 13, For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ, and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. In other words, he tries to look as if he is the great Savior. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to the works. Satan is the author of Gnosticism. Gnosticism is anism that praises knowledge. If you just had this special knowledge, then you could be reunited with God. Gnostics basically teach that there is an area that is all light, and that is God. From God are emanations of lesser light. Finally, it comes down to the demons and eventually to the demiurge, the evil one who created the physical universe. The way back to light in God is through knowledge, as you are able to climb the various ladders back to God through special knowledge. Most of the fraternal orders are based upon this, like you hear about a 33rd degree mason, while he has climbed through the various levels. The Church of Latter-day Saints of Jesus Christ have a similar kind of set up of the enlightened ones who go back to the highest level of enlightenment. Satan is the author of Gnosticism. He lied to Eve. He told her that if she eats the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, her eyes will be opened, and you will be as gods, knowing good and evil. This is Genesis 3, verses 5-6, along in there. Your eyes will be opened, you shall be as gods, knowing Gnostic and Greek, knowing good and evil. Prior to that, Eve had said, we cannot eat of every tree in the midst of the garden. If we eat of that, we will die. Satan said, oh, you shall not surely die. God knows that when you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will be as gods, knowing good and evil. So Satan is the master, author of Gnosticism. Satan is the master of challenging people with some new thing or some old thing in a new uniform. Some new thing or some old thing in a new uniform. Throughout the ages and in the Church of God, people have been susceptible to new things and to various winds of doctrine. Satan cannot be happier when that happens. Of course, we live in an age and time in which it is fertile for that kind of thought, because, as I've said many times, the only commandment of the day is, you shall not be intolerant. That you should accept all things. Let's look at Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4, beginning in verse 7.

In Ephesians 4, verse 7. But unto every one is given grace that is divine favor according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore, he said, when he ascended up on high, he has led captivity captive and given gifts unto men. He has led captivity captive. Satan has held and still holds those who have not escaped from the pollutions of this world captive.

I know Mr. Armstrong wrote books about Satan as kidnapped. He has captivated the whole world.

And so he has. He is an oppressor, as we'll read. He is a tyrant. And he has captured the world. See, Jesus Christ has overcome Satan the devil, and in essence, he has cast him out and made him captive. And so can you. He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also ascended first into the inner parts of the earth? He was in the grave for three days and three nights. God the Father raised him from the dead. He that descended in the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill or fulfill all things. And he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying, the building up of the body of Christ, till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, and of the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That's where God and Christ want us to go, to the measure, the fullness, the stature of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and cared about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Oh yes, Satan would love to deceive you. He would like to get you off on some tangent, some branch. You know where they say curiosity kills the cat. And human beings are so susceptible, Eve was in the Garden of Eden, just wanting to know, thinking people want to know, I think it says, but speaking the truth and love may grow up in him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. Now back to the above verse. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and cared about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But, contrary to that, speaking the truth and love may grow up in him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly framed together and compacted by God, which every joint supplies according to the effectual working in the measure of every part makes increase of the body into the edifying of itself in love. Of course, that is the goal and a part of the mission statement of the United Church of God.

So are we doing our part in teaching and preaching and manifesting the way of God by the way that we live? So Satan, the master of challenging people with some new thing or some old thing in a new uniform, Paul writes in 2 Timothy for the time, will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but will be turned to fables, having itching ears be turned to fables. In reality, instead of being an angel of light, what is Satan in reality? In reality, Satan is a liar. In reality, he is a murderer. Look at John 844. Jesus Christ Himself said that, and I quoted it. We'll read the verse John 844 with regard to what Satan really is. This is a great summary verse. In John 8, verse 44, You are of your father the devil, and the less of your father you will do, speaking to the detractors of the day. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks, it is a lie. He speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. See, why is he a murderer? Because the wages of sin is death. And of course, we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. Look at Isaiah 14, in the parable here of the king of Tyre, Babylon, which is a type of Satan the devil. In Isaiah 14, and we'll begin in verse 4.

Isaiah 14, verse 4, That you shall take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How has the oppressor ceased the exactorist of gold?

The golden city ceased.

The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked and the scepter of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke. If you look at this world today, Satan's world, the god of this world, the prince of this evil world, what do you see? The prince of the power of the air that now works in the children of disobedience. You see famine, you see disease, you see starvation, you see people against each other. You see strife, you see misery on every hand. You just go on and on with the descriptive adjectives of the way the world really is.

He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted and non-henders. Of course, God is going to intervene. The whole earth is at rest and is quiet. They break forth into singing. What a wonderful and rejoicing time that will be when Satan is rendered of non-effect.

Satan the devil. We'll look now at 1 Peter 5 and verse 8. Remember what we said about one of the reasons that Satan is so against the church of God and against you if you have God's Spirit and a member of the church of God, is that you, the church of God, will be, along with the two witnesses, among those who expose Satan for what he really is.

1 Peter 5 verse 8, Be sober, and it means watchful. Be watchful. Be on guard. Be vigilant. Because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. One of the things that I told this man who called me about the spirit world, of course I quoted from James, it says, resist the devil and he will flee from you. And this next verse goes hand in glove with that. Whom resists steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, divine favor, has called you into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered awhile, make you perfect, establish you, strengthen, settle you to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Yes, ultimately God is in control. God and Jesus Christ have power over the devil, but allowing him to go to do what he's doing at the present time.

Satan, as we've already said, is the author of death. The author of death, because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, Satan is the father of sinners, and Satan is the ultimate enemy of each member of the body of Christ. Paul writes in Ephesians 6, which we all should be able to quote, 10, 11, 12, that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against wicked spirits in high places. Wicked spirits in high places.

As we see every day and almost every way, those who profess to believe in God, I'm talking about the whole professing world.

Those who profess to believe in God are persecuted, made fun of, and in some cases killed in China, in Egypt, in Iraq, in different places in the world. Today, in so-called modern times, they're being killed because they profess to believe in God. And more and more, from Bill Maher to whomever you want to name, in our country, making fun of the people who actually believe in God.

As the members of the body of Christ increase their witness and testimony against Satan, and those who have been deceived by him, those whom, I guess, have been deceived by him, these men and women will become more the object of persecution and scorn by the world. I told you we'd turn back to this. Matthew 24 and verse 4. The setting of the Olivet Prophecy is that the disciples came to Jesus saying, What is the sign of your coming in the end of this age? And then we have what is called the Olivet Prophecy, which consists of Matthew 24, 25, and one or two verses in 26. But here we want Matthew 24, and we'll start in verse 4.

Matthew 24 and verse 4.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, They answered this question, Sign of your coming into the age. When, how? Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And you shall hear wars and rumors of war. Or they see that you be not troubled. For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Of course, we've been seeing and hearing this for decades now. Nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in different places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Why will you be hated? Because you're proclaiming the truth. You're exposing Satan and his world for what it is.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another. I would imagine largely to save their own hide, or flesh, as they say. It happened quite often in Germany, as the Nazis would come and knock on the door, and many betrayed their very flesh and blood. Betrayed one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, iniquity, lawlessness, because lawlessness shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Everybody else is doing it. I might as well do it, too. I'll join in the crowd. No, Satan knows his fate. In Matthew 8 and verse 29, back a few pages, or several pages, Matthew 8-29, Jesus has an encounter with the demons. And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you son of God? Or you come here to torment us before the time? They know the time is coming. So in the meantime, Satan and the demons will try to destroy as many potential sons and daughters of God as possible. The irony of our age is that it seems that people are less and less aware of or concerned about or knowledgeable of what his devices really are. What his goal, what his motives are. Make no mistake about it. Satan is relentlessly at work seeking to destroy you in the Church of God. In any kind of warfare, what we're about to talk about now, you better really consider, in any kind of warfare, one of the main strategies is to divide and conquer. For a period of time, Satan will be able to divide and scatter the Church of God. And eventually, it'll be scattered. You look at Daniel, chapter 12.

Daniel, chapter 12. Remember Daniel? One of the young Hebrew children that was taken into captivity by the hands of the Babylonians. Of course, those Gentile nations would take into hand and send these young people. Those were so great a promise to what was tantamount to what we would call graduate school. Daniel went through it. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego went through it.

And they would be oftentimes promoted to high offices in the government, as Daniel was.

In Daniel, chapter 12.

You see, this is in response to this long prophecy in Daniel, chapter 11, of what is going to befall the people of God. And at that time, shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of the people. There shall be a time of trouble, as it never was, since there was a nation, even to that same time. And at that time, your people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book.

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting. Contempt.

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Of course, we've all heard about that. And now you can take a little, what do they call it, thumb drive, or something like that, and put many of the libraries of the world on it. Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, there stood other two, the one on the one side of the bank of the river, and the other on the other side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, how long shall there be till the end of the time? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he had held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by him that lives for ever, that it shall be for three and a half years. And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not. Then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed and sealed until the time of the end. That word end is gets, it literally means the time of the end. Maybe a cue instead of a gee, I'm not sure I forgot. Many shall be purified and made white and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly and none shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

And we ask ourselves, are we among the wise?

So are we ignorant? Or do we ignore what is written plainly in the Word of God?

I said, in any type of warfare, one of the main things is to divide and conquer, scatter abroad, and that's one of the things that Satan has been very successful at in recent times. Look at 2 Corinthians 2, verse 5. Second Corinthians 2, verse 5. One of the main ways that Satan scatters and divides and all of that is through gossip, through rumor, through accusations. Satan is the accuser of the brethren before the throne of God day and night, dropping little innuendos here and there, trying to get people upset, doing this, doing that. And generally, what is it for? Always for self-advancement. See, there's only one great promoter, and that is God, as it says in the Psalms. Promotion comes not from the east or the west, but from, and I'm paraphrasing, the throne of God from the north, I guess. In 2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 5, 2 Corinthians 2, verse 5.

But if any have caused grief, he has not grieved me, but in part that I may not overcharge you all. See, 2 Corinthians was written to a large degree as a response to the Corinthians after Paul told them to disfellowship the incestuous fornicator. Now Paul is saying, forgive him, take him back, because he is repentant. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrary wise, you ought rather to forgive him, comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up and over much sorrow.

See, there is a worldly sorrow, there is a godly sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him, for to this end also did I write that I might know the proof of you, whether you be obedient in all things. To whom you forgive anything I forgive also. For if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it for your sakes, forgive I it in the person of Christ. Lest, lest, lest what? If you don't do that. Lest Satan should get an advantage of you, for we're not ignorant of his devices. Well, that's very optimistic, Paul, because it seems that the way that people behave, many are ignorant of his devices, and they continue to use the same thing that Cain used with his brother Abel, because Abel's sacrifice was accepted.

Cain's was not, and out of jealousy, anger, he killed his brother. Then when asked, where's your brother, he said, am I my brother's keeper? So that is one of the great signs there. Are we ignorant, or do we forgive and do the things that are contained in Scripture? Time after time, during Jesus' ministry, he confronted demons and cast them out. The Babylonian world system of globalism that we live in is basically controlled and run by Satan and his agents.

Do you believe that? Well, Jesus Christ, who gave the...we could go back with Revelation 1.1. If you would turn to Revelation 18, I rehearse Revelation 1.1, the witness or testimony prophecy. Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him, which Christ gave to the angel, the angel gave it to John, John sent it to the churches. Revelation 18.1, after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven having great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon, Babylon, the grave is fallen, is fallen, has become the habitation of devils and the hold of every...

In other words, the whole of the dwelling place of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean, hateful bird. Unclean, hateful bird, symbolic of evil and uncleanness before God. As we shall see in the sermons two more, the Bible teaches there are different kinds of foul spirits of Satan, foul spirits that Jesus confronted during his ministry. Now, we often speak of the gifts of the spirit.

Which one do we hear the least about or seldom hear about? If you would turn to 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 7. 1 Corinthians 12 verse 7. 1 Corinthians 12 verse 7. This is the chapter about spiritual gifts. But the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit everybody.

And then it begins to list the gifts of the spirit. One is given the word of wisdom, another the word of knowledge, by the same spirit another faith, by the same spirit to another gifts of healing, by the same spirit, the working of miracles to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits. Paul writes in Ephesians which we read that we all walked according to the power of the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.

The discernment of spirits. There are different kinds of spirits which we will talk about in the next sermon. We live in an age of toleration. Now, I think it's the third sermon. We live in an age of toleration. I have said many times the principal commandment is, and we've already quoted it once today, you shall not be intolerant. We are admonished to try the spirits, to see if they are of God.

How do you try the spirits? You try the spirits by comparing the actions and teachings of a person with the Word of God. Isaiah 8, 20. In Isaiah 8 and verse 20, the prophet Isaiah writes in Isaiah 8, 20, If they speak not according to the law and testimony, it is because there is no truth in them.

Do you know that Satan can plant thoughts in the minds and hearts of people? Let's look at 1 John 4 and verse 1 about the trying of spirits.

In 1 John 4 and verse 1, Beloved, believe not every spirit. Try the spirits. Try the spirits. Can you discern spirits? Try the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Hereby know we the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is, truly in the progressive sense, is coming in the flesh, is of God. Every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist, which you have heard that it should come, even as already at work in the world. We are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He that knows God hears us. He that is not of God hears not us. That is the Word of God. It's not just me today's talk or any other minister. It is in the Word of God. If they speak not according to the law and testimony, it's because there is no truth in them. Hereby we know the spirit of error and the spirit of truth. If they hear us, the apostles, the Word of God, the holy men of old who were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Now, I said earlier, turn to John 13 too. I said earlier that Satan can, according to the Bible, plant thoughts into our minds. We talked about earlier that Satan is a prince of the power of the air that now works in the children of disobedience. We talked about one day you get up and you feel this way. The next day you get up and you feel that way. Some people are subject to moods and swings. Of course, now the whole part about people and thinking is turned over to the world of psychologists. In John 13 too, the supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas's chariot, Simon's son, to betray him.

Obviously, Judas opened himself up to that. Judas could have rejected Satan's influence, but he gave into his own selfish ambition. His thoughts eventually came to fruition and he acted on it.

He protested when a woman was anointing the feet of Jesus with the expensive ointment that could have been sold and given to the poor, feigning himself to be an angel of light. Really, as it says in the scripture, for he was a thief.

James the Lord's half-brother writes about how this takes place. Judas would turn to James 1. Judas had the proclivity. He had the susceptibility to open himself up to the demonic world, to the spirit world, because he thought he meditated on things that were contrary to the word of God. He does not do as you heard in the sermon of meditating on the right kind of things.

And what happens when you do that? You open yourself up to demons, to the spirit world, to the wrong spirit. In James 1, verse 13, Let no man say, when he is tested and tried, I am tested and tried of God. Or you could say, tested and evil, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man. He allows us to be tested and tried. And you remember the sermon I gave about? You have to overcome the three S's, Satan, self, and society.

Let no man, when he is tempted, say, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then, when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin, and when sin has conceived, it brings forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. See, every good thing comes from God. No good thing comes from Satan the Devil. Eve did not understand it, apparently, in the Garden of Eden. So, guard your thoughts and how you respond to them. I'm going to quote here Proverbs 4.23. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life. Proverbs 4.23. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life. Thought is a precursor of action. Thought is a precursor, precursor of action. The truth of God is not an opinion poll. Today, we have so many opinion polls.

In my opinion, even in one of the seminars that I gave, some of the people said, when Dr. Ward didn't really want to hear what I had to say, he wanted to hear what he had to say. I had to say what the Scripture says. It's not my opinion.

If it is my opinion, just take it for that. Psalm 33 and verse 4 says, Psalm 33 verse 4, All of God's works are done in truth. All of God's works are done in truth. On the contrary, it says about Satan, there is no truth in him.

The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5-6, Know ye not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. You can't begin to play around with different ideas and thoughts that are contrary to the Word of God. Make sure that you compare what it is with the law and the testimony, if they speak not according to the law and testimony. If any man says that he knows God and keeps not his commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. And so, what about each one of us? Are we willing to stand for the truth? I got another message this week. It was an email from someone somewhere in the Church of God talking about, what can I do? I'm just me. I'm nobody.

And quoted from Ezekiel 33, that God is looking for men to stand in the gap. And you can say, well, I'm just a woman. I'm not a man. But God has given the challenge to men and women.

Yes, women can stand in the gap the same as men can stand in the gap.

And God has promised eternal life not to any certain gender or any class of people, but to everyone that will humble themselves and follow Him. So, brother, we're living in one of the most trying times in human history. We know that, don't we?

And it is a time that we gird up our loins and realize that Satan the devil does walk about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. And we may be encountering different spirits, and I'm sure we are, throughout our everyday church activities, not church activities, but work activities all around the world. Because Satan is alive and well on planet Earth, and there are many spirits that are going out to deceive the whole world. And as I said earlier, there are different kinds of spirits that we'll talk about as well. So, in view of all of this, we have to put on the whole armor of God, which is described, which you have heard so many times, in Ephesians 6, verses 10 through 18. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand. I would encourage each one of us to read those passages, especially over and over, to the point that we really do understand them, and realize who we are, where we are, and what we have to do, and view the world we live in.