CHAPTER 7
|
ACTIVITIES OF SATAN'S AGENTS
|
|
“Put on the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:11-12).
|
|
This book would not be complete if
the different methods of operation of these powers are not exposed. Also it
is important that the different forms in which they manifest themselves be
exposed.
|
One thing is clear and that is,
THE DEVIL WOULD EITHER ENCOURAGE YOU TO BELIEVE THAT HE IS A MYTH OR SIMPLE
EVIL THOUGHTS, OR WOULD MAKE YOU SEE MORE OF HIS POWERS AND LESS OF THE POWER
OF GOD. While the Bible says: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” the Bible also says
that the weapons of the Christians against the devil and his agents “are not
carnal but MIGHTY THROUGH GOD to the PULLING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS, CASTING
DOWN IMAGINATIONS AND EVERY HIGH THING that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God, and BRINGING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE
OF CHRIST” (2 Cor. 10:4-5). Again the Scriptures clearly declare: “For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the
devil” (1 John 3:8). And Jesus having spoilt principalities and powers, He
made a show of them openly, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM.
|
“Thou art SNARED with the words of
thy mouth, thou art TAKEN with the words of thy mouth” (Prov. 6:2) say the
Scriptures. Therefore the child of God must be careful to confess the Word of
God, which God has promised He will hasten to perform. There are three
confessions stated in the Word of God:
|
1. Confession of the Lordship of
Christ.
|
2. Confession of faith in the
Word, in Christ and in God the Father.
|
3. Confession of sin.
|
When we hear the word
“confession,” we easily think of sin. The dictionary definition of confession
is:
|
1. Affirming something we believe.
|
2. Testifying to something that we
know.
|
3. Witnessing of a truth that we
have embraced.
|
It is therefore to be regretted
that whenever we use the word confession some minds run to sin. The author is
here encouraging the child of God to start today to confess what God has
said.
|
You who were dead in trespasses
had God quickened together with Christ and He has raised you up together and
made you sit in heavenly places (far above all principalities and powers) in
Christ Jesus. Christians should therefore realize where they are seated. They
should know that they are operating from that height, above Satan and all his
agents. The Lord Jesus Christ has given you ALL POWERS and AUTHORITY just as
He has given you ALL THAT PERTAINETH TO LIFE AND GODLINESS (2 Peter 1:3). God
never intended that circumstances should control His children, rather that
the Word of God in the mouth of the Christian should control his
circumstances. God spoke in Jer. 23:29 saying: “Is not my word like as a
fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”
Christians, I mean born again Christians, should realize that when the name
of Jesus is pronounced, what comes out of their mouth is fire. When a
Christian stands on the authority given him by Christ and gives a command in
Jesus name, fire pours out of his mouth and any demon controlling the
circumstances must obey. Jesus is alive today to see to it that every word of
His comes to pass.
|
Again, I want to highlight an
important fact many Christians overlook, and which Satan is using. Jesus,
after Peter pointed out to Him the dried fig tree cursed by the Lord, said:
|
(Matthew's account) “Verily
I say unto you, if ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only do this
which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain,
BE THOU REMOVED AND BE THOU CAST INTO THE SEA, it shall be done. And all
things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, YE SHALL RECEIVE (Matt.
21:21-22).
|
(Mark's account) “Have
faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall SAY unto this
mountain, BE THOU REMOVED AND BE THOU CAST INTO THE SEA, and shall NOT DOUBT
IN HIS HEART, but shall believe that THOSE THINGS WHICH HE SAID shall come to
pass, HE SHALL HAVE WHATSOEVER HE SAITH” (Mark 11: 22-23).
|
Here the Lord points out to us the
power of the spoken word and also encourages the Christian to be specific in
his prayers and in exercising his authority. Some Christians ask the mountain
to move but do not tell the mountain WHERE to go. Jesus said if you shall say
to the mountain: “Be thou removed and BE THOU CAST INTO THE SEA...” Let us
take the case of casting out demons for instance. Some Christians bind and
cast out demons without sending them to specific destinations. This is
dangerous. When you bind a demon IT IS BOUND. If you cast it out without
sending it to a specific destination, it remains within the vicinity. If the
demon is only rebuked out of a man, it will hang around and it may later come
back or enter into anyone around who is not a Christian. Therefore Christians
should be careful when dealing with demons. Make sure the demon is BOUND,
CAST OUT and SENT to a specific destination.
|
Some Christians while praying would
say: “I arrest you demons in Jesus name.” In the spirit world you really see
the demons standing erect waiting for the next command. But if the Christian
stops at that point, he has not helped the victim. Do not play around with
the devil. You don't play around with your ENEMY. God has sent you out on a
ministry of deliverance and reconciliation (reconciling men to God).
Therefore you must be careful to do a thorough work. I repeat, when you bind
a demon, it is bound. When you cast it out to any destination it is so. As
long as you do not meddle with sin but live in the will of God, whatever
command you give the devil or his agents in the name of Jesus Christ MUST be
obeyed. God has promised to back every word of His.
|
As we go on to the next phase, manifestation
of Satan and his agents, I want you to have the following passages on your
mind:
|
1. “Ye are complete in Him which
is the HEAD of ALL principalities and power” (Col. 2: 10).
|
2. “Behold, I give unto you power
(authority) to TREAD upon serpents and scorpions, and over ALL THE power of
the enemy, and NOTHING shall by ANY MEANS hurt you.” Luke 10:19
|
3. “Behold, they shall surely
gather together but not by me. Whosoever shall gather together against thee
shall fall for thy sake. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper:
and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment THOU SHALT CONDEMN.
This is the HERITAGE of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is
of me.” Isaiah 54:15,17.
|
I had mentioned earlier in this
book that these evil forces operate mainly in churches, market places,
graveyards, jungles, hotels, sea and air.
|
|
In the Churches
|
|
We are witnesses today that there
are many possessed persons in the churches. Some speak in tongues and even
prophesy. Only those with the Spirit of God can discern these fellows. But we
are here discussing the agents of Satan in the churches. Again, we are not
discussing the secret cult members who are in the churches (some are even
leaders), we know they are there.
WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT IS THOSE
WHO COME IN AS AGENTS OF SATAN:
|
1. To cause quarrels and confusion
in the churches.
|
2. To scatter the churches.
|
3. To make men and women sleep
while the sermon is on.
|
4. To cause distractions of
various sorts when the service is on.
|
5. To win souls for Satan.
|
Since I had already said a few
things on the above in chapter three, I will only give you a testimony of
what happened in the recent past. Christians should abide by every Word of
the Lord Jesus Christ, because when they disobey or compromise they are prone
to fall at the slightest attempt of Satan or his agents.
|
Christians have been called OUT
from darkness into God's own marvellous LIGHT. Christians have been called to
TOTAL SEPARATION from the world and what it offers. “COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM
AND BE YE SEPARATE,” says the Scripture.
|
There was this sister, sister J
(name withheld). She was born again and was a full member of one of the
'living' churches. She later transferred her membership to my own denomination.
She partook in all the activities in the church and was very active in them.
But her character at a point became suspicious. So a few of us decided to
visit her at her house and to find out what was really wrong with her. While
interviewing her, the spirits in her were provoked and began manifesting, and
then told us she was their agent in the church. These demons were cast out of
her and deliverance was ministered to her. “Sister, how come you are an agent
of Satan, yet a full member of the church?” we asked. What she told us was
the following: It all started one day, after a Sunday service, a 'sister'
(female believer in Christ, so she thought) came to her and expressed her
desire to be close to her because, according to this 'sister,' she admires
sister J's Christian life. She accepted her friendship without reservations.
The two went to sister J's house and the so-called 'sister' brought out
bananas and groundnuts, which they both ate. She stayed with Sister J for a
while and later left. Her visits became regular, and on each visit she
brought gifts to sister J. The gifts ranged from dresses, shoes, money, etc.
On some occasions sister J's friend would come with many other girls. This
continued for a period and when the 'sister' saw that she had succeeded in
putting out the light of Christ in Sister J, she changed and started visiting
Sister J in the spirit. Sister J was then given a red cloth, a water stone, a
ring for her right toe, and a chain for her ankle and because she had eaten
so much with them and had taken so much from them, there was no chance of
turning back. She entered into covenant with them and started attending their
meetings. She could change into snake, bat, etc. She then became their agent
to win souls for them in the church.
|
Praise God she is now delivered!
All the gifts given her were destroyed and she is now happy again in the
Lord. Dear reader, it all started with an unusual friendship, and because
Sister J lacked the spirit of discernment and was not watchful as is commanded
by the Lord “watch and pray that ye fall not into temptation,” she went
astray and fell deep into the hands of the enemy and her race could have
ended in hell because of carelessness.
|
You can easily identify Satan's
agents with the following:
|
- They wear RINGS on one of their
big toes, CHAIN around the ankle, NOSE-RINGS, UNUSUAL BANGLES, etc.
|
- They could enter into a church
or fellowship and be VERY ZEALOUS in the activities of the group or church,
just for a single Christian they are after. Some behave abnormally, others
are wicked, etc.
|
That is why the child of God
should ask God for the spirit of discernment, to enable him/her identify them
at a glance. The moment they know you have recognized them, they make sure
they do not come near you. The reason being that their master will warn them
about you!
|
|
In the Market Places
|
|
They operate in various forms in
the market. THE MARKET IS ONE OF THEIR MAJOR AREAS OF OPERATIONS, just as the
hotel is where they lay in wait for men. In the market, they pick their
victims, SOME PREGNANT WOMEN WHOSE MISCARRIAGES THEY CAUSE TO ENABLE THEM GET
THE BLOOD FOR THEIR BLOOD BANKS. Some victims they would accompany to their
residence in order to visit such in the nights. This happens to the unbelievers!
Certain fanciful products sold in the market e.g. necklaces, lipsticks,
perfumes, and food items such as sardines “Queen of the Coast” etc., have
strange origins.
|
There are certain actions
Christians have to watch out, for you might see a lady or perhaps a gentleman
who suddenly touches your stomach or any part of your body. Know that this is
done with a wicked purpose – either to cause miscarriage, deposit certain
things in your body or cause sickness.
|
The Christians therefore should,
on experiencing this, give the word of command in Jesus' name, scattering or
destroying the plans of the devil, etc. And sure enough whatever you scatter
or bind here on earth shall be so.
|
|
Cultural activities
|
|
It is also very important to note
that many people get initiated into Satan's activities or get possessed
through most of these cultural ceremonies and dances. MOST OF OUR CULTURES
ARE DEMON ORIENTED. Some through friends, others through reading some
pamphlets or novels. Demons hover in the vicinity of every idol. They
function through idols in the practice of idolatry (Zec. 10: 2). As a
definite part of religion, idolatry ascribes divine power to natural agencies
and pays divine honour to a created object (Rom. 1:18-22). The Scripture
defines idolatry as spiritual adultery (Jer. 3:8-10). Therefore a child of
God should have no connection whatsoever, directly or indirectly, with
idolatry. So called high life, juju and disco music are inspired by Satan and
his demons.
|
I do remember, that before the
Lord saved me, in one of the meetings we had with Satan, he said: “This world
is mine and I am going to rule the whole world in my power, and would destroy
all who believe in the name of the Righteous One.” Satan does not mention the
name of Jesus. If anyone does that in his presence he/she stands the risk of
losing his life. He promised making those of us his agents, governors, etc.
(Satan is a liar and indeed the father of lies). There were also plans to
silence the Christians in Nigeria by restricting importation of Bibles and
Christian literature.
|
He operates through unbelievers in
positions of leadership and authority, to initiate anti-Christian policies
and programmes. He establishes healing centres which would appear very
religious and through them claim souls. These centres usually called
SPIRITUAL HEALING HOMES are all around us. Here many lying wonders are
performed to deceive their clients.
|
Satan is very much aware of the
SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST and constantly urges his agents to HURRY AND BE
ARDENT in their operations, always saying: “We have no time left.”
|
Dear child of God, Satan is not
sleeping, why must you sleep!
|
