Stoning the Devil?
Should we "Stone" the Devil?"
Ro 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Prophet Ntemfac Nchwete Ofege - Cameroon
Friend:
Year in and year out we hear reports of people dying in their numbers; a mayhem of sorts, as a religious organization (Islam) leads out its members for a macabre and make-belief exercise called "Stoning the devil."
The Islamists do not actually stone the devil:
They pebble the devil.
Christian churches teach their members to BIND and LOOSE the devil every day!
Meaning that he was bound yesterday, the creature somehow got loose and we have to look for him and bind him again today and tomorrow!
This surely is madness!
How did the creepy fellow escape when we bound him the first time?
The other questions then arise:
What do you make of these make-belief (hence fake and false) religious rituals wherein members of some religions actually go out and "STONE" the devil?
Is there any gain (spiritual or otherwise) to be made from the physical act of stoning the devil or is this, again, a mere act of washing the outside of the cup?
Matthew 23:
The Lord Jesus speaking:
Mt 23: 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity
What does the Bible, the Word of God himself, say about our attitude when it comes to Lucifer and his demons?
Is it advisable for every Christ-ian to engage demons and Lucifer himself in physical and spiritual battle?
Well, let us look for answers to these questions from the Bible itself
Come with me to Jude, this one Chapter book of the Bible, from verse 6:
Jude 1: 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Let us expound on this for a minute, will you?
As short as Epistle unto Jude is it is packed with revelations.
From the above we learn this.
That some of the fallen angels - those who joined Lucifer in rebelling against the Lord God - are so powerful that they can only be restrained in everlasting chains in the abyss until the final judgement.
These can in no way come close to the Children of God.
Verse 7 to 11 has the essential warning to those the Word of God calls, "filthy dreamers" who "defile the flesh (of), despise the dominion of and speak evil of dignities." That is those who "stone the devil" as they pretend.
Believe it or not, they are under a curse!
They open themselves to being victims.
They open themselves to death!
The Word of God makes that very clear.
Verse 11: these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
They perish.
Moreover you do not stone devils.
You cast them out in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Mr 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
The devils do not come out of the possessed because YOU are powerful
They came out because of the power in the Name of Jesus.
Php 2: 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Friend, a tremendous power is given unto the Christ-ian church, the ecclesia or the called out ones – the ability to cast out devils in the name of Jesus. It is not to be abused by unbelievers and the ignorant because then such people open themselves to retaliation and retribution. The children bread cannot be given to dogs.
Friend:
I pray for you that your understanding may be flooded with light to katalambano or grasp these things.
And to harness; and to know when (and how) to wield the devil whipping power in Jesus Name.
Eph 1: 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Who told members of a religion that is either totally ignorant of or repudiates the very existence of the Holy Spirit and the dunamiv (dynamic power to cause changes) inherent in the Holy Spirit that they were equipped to take on the devil?
The things of God are given to the children of God, not unto the gods and the hogs.
We, the believers, have the power and the authority to cast out devils but only when we say IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
That power is given unto the saints i.e. the born again, bona fide, regenerated children of God who are the body of Christ while the Lord Jesus is their head.
It is not given unto every Tom, Dick or Mohammed.
Friend:
Pay attention.
Arch-angel Michael is the Captain of the Heavenly hosts.
That means that none of the angels and archangels, principalities, dominion, etc. can be like unto him for power and might and splendor and glory.
Yet.
Yet.
Arch-angel Michael showed a lot of deference to Lucifer when he confronted the devil at the funeral of Moses.
The Lord rebukes thee, is all Arch-angel Michael could muster before the one, who, Arch-angel Michael knew, has been his boss.
Why?
Why then do the puny men in Islam and the same puny men in Christ-ian churches create and indulge in these dangerous rituals thereby putting themselves in harm's way?
Ignorance, as stated by the passage above.
These are the Last Days or the End Times of Eschatology.
These are the times when religion, organized religion, churchianity will be misconstrued for godliness.
Read Matthew 23 and 24.
The Bible admonishes believers to FLEE religion (rituals) and its activities that seem to be godly but have no power and are completely powerless before the Lord God.
2Ti 3: 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Friend:
So nu?
We call the name of the devil every day and we blame him for everything even stuff that we know that we know that we know that we are directly responsible for.
Man is like that. We would rather blame someone else for our own errors than accept responsibility for them.
In blaming others; and the devil, we are in good company.
Starting with Adam:
When the Lord God brought the woman that he had made unto the man, Adam, the man said: "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." (Ge 2:23).
But in the day of trouble like the visitation of Satan, Adam blamed God.
Ge 3:12. And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
It is called shifting the blame or passing the buck.
We do it and then blame the devil whereas I can prove to us that Satan neither knows our address nor is he permitted to visit.
See something:
There are less than five people in the Bible whom Satan actually visited.
The Lord Jesus (twice directly), Eve (directly when he was only a serpent, one of the cows and not a vicious dragon), Job (indirectly).
Satan visited Jesus during the Temptation.
Mt 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Luke 4.
Lu 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Meaning Satan was to return.
Another time, Satan wondered why he was losing to the Lord Jesus whereas he, Lucifer, had all the kings and queens and princes of the world in his column.
He looked and behold, all he found on the Lord's side was this ragtag bunch of tatterdemalion fishermen...like Simon Peter.
On this trip, the account goes; Satan implored the Lord Jesus to give him one minute with this Simon Peter.
Then he would teach Peter the what about the who is who in the kingdom of greatest evil – sift him like wheat!
The Lord Jesus held Simon Peter firm bin prayer and by prayer.
Lu 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
We call the name of the devil every day and we blame him for everything even stuff that we know that we know that we know that we are directly responsible for.
Man is like that. We would rather blame someone else for our own errors than accept responsibility for them.
So nu?
In blaming others and the devil we are in good company.
Starting with Adam:
When the Lord God brought the woman that he had made unto the man, Adam, the man said: "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." (Ge 2:23).
But in the day of trouble, like the visitation of Satan, Adam blamed God.
Ge 3:12. And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Listen, Satan and his demons are not permitted to walk the streets and perturb the affairs of men with their foulness by, for example, striding into the nearest pub for a drink.
No, sir!
They only do this when some men let them in.
Our Authority and Our Hedge
Friend:
We have the power and the authority to tread over serpents (demons) and over all the power of the enemy - Satan.
Lu 10:19. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
The devil cannot hurt us.
The Lord Jesus emphasized our power and authority at his resurrection.
Mt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
All the POWER in heaven and on earth and in the whole universe is given unto him. The Lord Jesus turned around and gave us – Christ-ians - the POWER to wield the POWER and deal with the devil and his demons.
The man said, Go!
I am with you always until the end of the World.
The power of God to deal with the devil is the inheritance or birthright of the born-again, regenerated, tongue-speaking, fire-breathing, devil whipping, and new creature believer.
It is called the unction to function.
How come a religious organization which repudiates the very existence of this POWER; the anointing as well as the giver of the anointing is not only clueless but also fidgeting with the devil and his demons?
It is unfortunate but members of this religion will take a beating.
Remember the sons of Sceva?
This bunch of happy-go-lucky fellows who thought they could cast out devils from a possessed man because they had heard that Paul could do it.
Acts 19 from verse 11.
Ac 19: 11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
The devil then proceeded to beat the living daylights out of them and sent them home sore and bruised and shamed.
Friend:
There are several verses of the Bible (Job, the Gadarene Madman) that shows us that Lucifer and his demons are not permitted to approach us (especially the born-again, regenerated Children of God), without permission.
The Book of Job teaches us that Satan is often unaware of the issues of our lives and depends on the Lord God to reveal some of those things to him.
And that Satan cannot touch us until the Lord God gives him permission for the Lord God has built a HEDGE around us and we are protected by the hedge and the angels on a daily bases.
See the Book of Job.
Job 1: 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
The devil, Lucifer by name, is very much aware that the Lord God has built a hedge around and about every one of his children.
Reason why he cannot touch us.
He would know that, wouldn't he?
He has tried to get it many times and he has failed.
He has tried to touch us many times and failed.
Woefully.
The Bible account of the Mad Gadarene teaches us that the Devil and his demons even need divine authorization to enter swine.
Mt 8:31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
Mt 8:32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
Mr 5:11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
Unfortunately, oftentimes, we break our own hedge.
We say and do stupid things that put us at the mercy of Satan after the Order of Job.
Despite the glowing tributes from the Lord God about him, the man Job became a victim of the devil because he manifested and actually spoke out his "fear."
Hear the Lord God.
Job 1. 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
But while the Lord God was speaking so highly of Job and the devil was denouncing God for building a hedge o protect Job, the man Job lived in fear and said he was "not in safety."
Job 4: 24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. 25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. 26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
Job, the protected one, was afraid!
And, O glory, the devil did not even know that Job had taken down his own hedge; had now become vulnerable because he had spoken fear until he Lord God revealed that to him.
Verse 11:
12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Behold!
Look, devil, the man Job is now in your hands but you must not kill him.
Let me show us why Job was afraid and why the devil attacked only his vulnerable under belly - the objects and the subjects of his fear?
Fear versus faith.
When fear comes in through the door, faith goes out through the window.
Casting out devils is an art, practiced and learned and following spiritual laws.
Read the bible.
The Lord Jesus taught us how to cast out devils by example.
Friend:
I am saying something:
If you break your hedge, a serpent or the devil will bite you.
This is a natural and divine law.
Ec 10:8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
The Lord God has indeed put angels to keep guard over us. That does not mean that we must do stupid things like jumping from the top of high buildings just to prove to ourselves and the Tempter that we can.
Ps 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
That does not mean we should indulge in stoning demons and devils because we think we can.
The Lord Jesus masterfully taught us in the Temptation that it is not because the Lord God has given angels to watch over us that we should go jumping from tall buildings. Or stoning devils. This is putting the Lord God to the test which test he is not interested in. The devil himself deceives many to indulge in such things so that the victims can transgress the word of God and open themselves to danger and death.
Mt 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Lu 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: (KJV)
Friend:
The battle against Lucifer is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.
He is committed to make the devil and his demons our footstool.
If only we would sit still.
Heb 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
It is ordained for the Lord God to bruise Satan under our feet…shortly.
Ro 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Until that happens, prudence demands that we bask in the powerful seal and strength of the Lord God over our lives than indulge in gainsaying rituals that add nada value to our spirituality and instead puts us in danger.
The Devil as God's Workman
Friend:
Diabulos est dei sismia.
The devil is God's monkey.
The devil is God's workman, recruited for free (commandeered) and paid no salary so that he might help out in the tasking of molding, fashioning, training God's children in exercising kingship and divinity.
The Lord God is the potter and we are the clay.
When the Lord God said:"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth" (Ge 1:26) he was not talking about creating man. The man was already created. The El Elyon was sitting in Eternity and bringing together the entire executive of heaven - the Son and the Holy Ghost – to participate in the prophetic future task of remolding, reincarnating and re-making the fallen man into the express image and having the exact nature or character of God. That task is present, continuous and ongoing. It has started for some, it is yet to start for others but God is committed.
The Bible exhorts us to be confident that the Lord god who has started the good work of making us divines must finish it before the perfect day of Jesus Christ or the Second Coming of Christ.
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
God is committed.
Why?
Because he is a covenant-keeping God.
He will do what exactly he says he will do.
Ps 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
The battle is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.
He is not only committed to discomfiting the devil for our sake but he is committed to freeing us when, through negligence, we are taken captive by the devil.
Hear what the man himself says about the matter:
Isa 49:25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
The devil is desperately wicked. He knows but he has a short time so he is out to do his worst. There is none like the devil to be incensed against man but the Lord God himself watches. Thither shall thou come, devil, and no further.
Isa 41:11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
Moreover, when it comes to the children of God, the devil can only roar - make noise.
The devil is not a lion.
He roars like an old lion as he looks for whom he may devour.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Not so unto the unbelievers who are taken captive at his every will.
Friend:
Now, this is very interesting:
The Lord God will need a rod of iron a fist of steel or the devil himself to mold some of us but he is committed.
Ps 2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Isa 29:16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
Isa 41:25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Jer 18:2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
The potter's house is your local fellowship wherein you are remolded everyday by the word of God which liveth and abideth.
Jer 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. {of clay...: or, was marred, as clay in the hand of the potter} {made it...: Heb. returned and made, etc}
Jer 18:6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. Ps 2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Isa 29:16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
Friend:
The Ezekiel Prophecy is very clear as to the pattern of making us divines, regenerated children of God.
Ex 36:24. 24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. 31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
The "hardships" that we go through every second, every minute and every day are just part and parcel of activities that purify and refine us like silver and/or gold.
Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Have you seen it?
"I have chosen thee in the furnaces of affliction?"
What has the devil to do with this?
What has the devil to do with what we are passing through?
We are girded.
Isaiah 45: 5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things. ()7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. 9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? 10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? 11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
In sum, we seem to have this fixation with the truly fallen devil, that inconsequential old dragon. What about seeing some angels and the very hand of God in most things that we pass through?
Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
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