A Living Testimony for Jesus
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Sickness is of the devil!
Many pastors teach “Christians can’t have demons.” And that’s the end of it. However, people in their churches are filled with people that have all manner of illnesses. Most believers have adopted the false idea that if they ignore Satan, he will ignore them. According to scripture such a position is indefensible.
l Pet. 5: 8, 9; 8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
Jesus often healed by removing spirits of infirmity which are another method of Satanic attack.
“Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. 41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ,” (Lk. 4:40-41).
Consider Peter, who one moment spoke by Divine revelation, declaring that Jesus was the very Christ and the next moment was reprimanded by Jesus, who rebuked Satan in him.
“Thou savorest not the things that be of God,” (Matt. 16:13-23).
Simon the magician is presented as one who believed and was baptized, but had evidently had not been delivered from his occult bondage and was commanded to repent and pray (Acts 8: 20-24).
(Acts 8:19-24 19 “Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. 24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.”
How did Satan manage to “fill the heart “of the believers Ananias and Sapphira? (Acts 5:3-4. 3). They thought about the sin then Satan filled their heart then they acted on it.
Apostle Paul himself suffered buffeting from a “messenger (angel) of Satan” (11 Cor. 12:7). Paul reproves the Corinthian Christians for receiving another spirit than the Spirit they had previously received (11 Cor. 11:4). Apostle Paul inquired, (Gal. 3:10), “Who had bewitched the believers to draw them away from the truth.” Effects upon them were not just the effects of wrong mental impressions conveyed by false teachers but were the effects of evils spirits imposing false doctrine through false teachers.
In (1Tim. 4:1 and 2), shows how wicked spirits attack the spiritual believer by deception beguile him away from the faith through the use of false prophets.
James 4:7-8 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”