Satan 5

After Lucifer, one of the cherubim, the highest of the seven ranks of angels, became Satan, the most powerful opponent of God, he deceived many of the angelic host into materializing as human males and taking wives of "the daughters of men," so that Adam's dying human race might be given life from these fathers (life-givers) who were not under the sentence of death—and the result was a hybrid race, demigods, "giants," "men of renown" (Gen. 6:1-4).

God wiped out this hybrid race and the contaminated human family in the Flood, saving only Noah and his family, who were not thus tainted (Gen. 6:9; 1 Pet. 3:20); but "the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness [restraints, not permitting them to exercise their powers in the light] unto [until] the judgment of the great day [the Millennial Day, now dawning]" (Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4).

Satan, "the prince of the devils" (Matt. 9:34; 12:24), has closely controlled these evil angels and used them in manipulating circumstances and people to further his original lie, that "ye shall not surely [really] die," but live on, changed into spirit beings (gods), some knowing good, those worthy of it experiencing bliss, and the others experiencing evil, i.e., eternal torment (Gen. 3:4, 5).

Thus, while God sets before mankind "life" contrasted with "death" (Deut. 30:15, 19; Jer. 21:8; John 3:16; Rom. 6:23), Satan and his demons have deceived heathendom and Christendom with his lie that the dead are more alive than the living and are either in Heaven or in a hell of literal fire, to be tortured eternally. But the Bible teaches that the dead are unconscious and that hell is the unconscious condition of the grave: Job 14:21; Isa. 63:16; Psa. 6:5; 115:17; 146:4; Eccles. 9:5, 6, 10; Isa. 38:18, 19; Dan. 12:2; John 5:28, 29; 11:11-14; see our Hell of the Bible booklet.

THE DEMONS' MANY METHODS OF DECEPTION

The demons under restraints of darkness have for centuries operated especially at night, in various manifestations of their presence to people while in bed and elsewhere, as ghosts in cemeteries or in haunted houses, in dreams sand visions, in séances (held in darkened rooms), etc., deceptively palming themselves off as "the living dead." They use various media for ensnaring people and communicating with them, such as wizards, witches (spirit mediums), necromancers, diviners, astrologers, fortune-tellers, tea-leaf readers, crystal-ball gazers, sorcerers, occultism, hypnotism, the black art, conjuration, extra-sensory perception (ESP), clairvoyance, clairaudience, table-tippings, table-rappings, spirit-writing, horoscopes, ouija boards and "flying saucers."

Note God's disapproval of such media in Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27; Deut. 18:9-14; 2 Kings 21:2, 6, 9, 11, 12; 1 Chron. 10:13, 14; 2 Chron. 33:6; Isa. 8:19, 20; 19:3, 4; Jer. 27:9, 10; 29:8, 9; Zech. 10:2; Mal. 3:5; Gal. 5:19-21; Rev. 21:8; 22:15.

Yet in spite of all these and other evidences of God's disapproval and the eventual destruction—annihilation—of all those who after being fully enlightened as to their nature, engage in such occult practices to the end, there is in these "last days" an ever-increasing world-wide interest and engagement in occult and its evil practices such as the world has never before witnessed. This is in fulfillment of Divine prophecy; for "the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Tim. 4:1). Note that these "some" are persons who have previously held to the faith. This is a telling mark of the times, for, sad to say, there are now hosts of people calling themselves Christians who dabble more or less feverishly in matters occult.

This most intensive and extensive upsurge of spiritism, witchcraft, black magic, etc., is not merely the self-engendered product of misguided individuals. It is something far deeper and more shattering than that—nothing less than the final desperate onslaught of the demon hosts of "the prince of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30), as he sees his house divided against itself and his kingdom falling to pieces during the great Time of Trouble, prior to the establishment of Christ's reign of truth and righteousness, for the blessing of mankind (Psa. 2:8, 9; Dan. 2:35, 44; 7:13, 14; Matt. 12:25-29; 2 Pet. 3:10-13).

The Christian should ever be on the alert and keep in mind the clear distinctions between God and Satan, light and darkness, truth and error, righteousness and sin, faith and credulity. No man can serve two masters who are opposed to each other (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13). The majority "love darkness rather than light" (John 3:19-21); but when one becomes a Christian, he turns "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God" (Acts 26:18).

God tells those whom He has called "out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Pet. 2:9) to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them; for it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret [in séances, witchcraft, fortune-telling and other occult practices, the demons further Satan's original lie—Gen. 3:4, 5; John 8:44—and his many other supporting lies, deceptions and sinful practices]" (Eph. 5:11, 12).

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial (Satan, as worthless, wicked; compare Deut. 13:13]? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? … Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you" (2 Cor. 6:14-18; see also 1 Cor. 10:20-22).

It is not hard to understand how Satan and his demons during the Dark Ages were able to keep the masses under their control through the fear, ignorance and superstition that were then generally prevalent. Through Satan's misrepresentations of God's glorious character of wisdom, justice, power and love, and his twisting of death (Gen. 2:17; Ezek. 18:4, 20; Rom. 6:23) into meaning eternal life, and the Bible hell (the unconscious condition of death) into meaning a condition of eternal torture, he deceived many into believing his "doctrines of [fireproof] devils" and scared them into becoming converted to his various Babylonian errors in "the synagogue of Satan" (Rev. 2:9; 3:9). Thus he nourished with deceptions the multitudes of tares he planted among the wheat (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43).

Satan thoroughly organized the invisible phase of his empire, as well as its visible phase. The fallen angel who was the chief deputy of Satan in each country got himself called the god of that country in heathen times and countries, and later the national saint in various Roman Catholic countries of Christendom. Thus the so-called Saint George was the counterfeit patron saint (actually a demon) of England; St. Dennis, of France; St. Michael, of Germany; St. James, of Spain; St. Patrick, of Ireland, etc., while provincial and local gods or so-called saints were actually the demons in charge of provinces, cities and towns of the various countries, as well as of various activities and spheres of control. Thus, as well as in other ways, they got themselves worshiped (Lev. 17:7; Deut. 12:30, 31; 32:15-17; 2 Chron. 11:15; Psa. 106:37; 1 Cor. 10:20-22; Rev. 16:14).

While it is not so difficult to understand how Satan and his demons could deceive the masses during the Dark Ages, it is much harder to see how they can deceive so many Christians and others today, because of the great increase of light now shining upon the teachings of the Holy Bible, as well as upon secular subjects in general. However, with their subtle deceptions and multiplied devices the demons seem quite successful. They use the same old deceptive devices they have used from time immemorial, as, e.g., when the witch of Endor deceived King Saul into thinking he was talking to the Prophet Samuel, when actually it was a demon impersonating Samuel (see our Spiritism is Demonism booklet—a copy free on request).

The Lord's Biblically enlightened people are not ignorant of such old devices of Satan (2 Cor. 2:11), nor of his new, revised and popularized devices (such as psychic research, psychometry, psychic healing, "faith healing," telepathy, ESP, horoscopes, ouija boards, spirit-writing, clairvoyance, UFOs, etc.

Next Chapter

Satan, Satanism, Demonism, and Exorcism:

Would you like more
information on this subject?
Contact us for more details.

satan_satanism_demonism_and_exorcism.pdf
File Size:	352 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Satan, Satanism, Demonism, and Exorcism

About

Connect

Ministries

Questions