The biggest threat that ever existed is sin. It began with the Fall of Satan, the first catastrophe in Creation, and led to Angelic War. It continued with the Fall of Man, the second great catastrophe, and contaminated the whole world. It resides in every cell of the body with affinity to the Cosmic System. It is the reason man was created and the issue that shapes human history. It is the cause of suffering and shame, dying and death. Although it was paid for on the Cross, its consequences linger and lead to the grave. Sin is a much more pervasive problem than even imagined by some of the best pastors and teachers. Man is not only not the master of it, much of it is far beyond his control. He may not even get a vote or see it coming.
Introduction
Definition
Origin
The Fall of Man
The Adamic Covenant
The Lord Jesus Christ Pays for Sins
New Covenant to the Church
Sin after Salvation
Grace and Sin
Personal Sin
Old Sin Nature
Suffering for Sin
Satan's Attack on a Person
Defense Against Sin
Testing the Spirits
Consequences of Sin
Ignorance is bliss. Those charged with dealing with the problems of sin, namely the pastors, are hopelessly ill-informed and ill-equipped. They don't realize the universality of the problem and the genius of its perpetrator, who is Satan himself. And they don't believe the warnings of God. They don't understand the magnitude of the problem – that sin is such a big problem that the only solution is through the Grace of God. There is no solution to sin other than the divine solution, and until man gets serious and accepts that solution, he is damned and doomed to deadly consequences.
After the Fall, mankind became Satan's slaves and received the divine Judgment, "dying you will die." The sin of Adam was transmitted into the entire human race. The problem was so big that only God could solve it. The Son of God was sent to Earth to bear the sins of the world. Only the impeccable Son of God could satisfy the Righteous demands and Justice of Almighty God to handle the sins of man. The Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross and paid for the sins of the entire world to propitiate God. The only hope for man is to accept the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ in order to receive Eternal Life.
God in Grace provided the only solution to sin. The only hope for anyone is to accept God's solution of Salvation. And after Salvation, the only hope for the believer is to accept the Grace solution to avoid the consequences of sin. The divine operating assets of the Spiritual life contain provision for living in a world of sin. When a believer sins after Salvation, the use of Rebound (1 Jn 1:9) can restore the Filling of the Holy Spirit and fellowship with God. Walking in the Spirit is extremely important. There is no way to live the Spiritual life without it. However, it is only the tip of the iceberg of the sin problem.
Sin is not just a personal problem. It is a universal problem. Whereas, personal sins can be handled with Rebound, this cannot stop the infiltration of sin from the Cosmic System. Nor can it stop attacks by Satan and his demons, who are full of sin and evil. Man, as a created being, is not the master of his destiny or captain of his soul. The popular feeling that sin only comes from within is not true. Man is under assault from sin from all directions. Satan's organization to destroy him is pervasive, and God has him under the sentence of death because of sin. Even though Salvation delivered him from Eternal condemnation, he is left with its consequences in the form of an Old Sin Nature in his body. With Satan's Cosmic System on the outside and the Old Sin Nature on the inside, the believer is on the battle front in the war against sin.
Sin as a state or category may refer to:
a. The state of unrighteousness
apart from God (1 Jn 5:17); residing in Satan's Cosmic System.
b. The state of carnality under
the power of the Old Sin Nature and the Cosmic System.
c. The Old Sin Nature (the flesh),
which resides in the cells of the body.
d. A category of sins, such
as Lawlessness or Legalism.
The Fall of Satan was the first catastrophe that shook the heavens. The sin of Satan led to rebellion among the angels. The Fallen Angels of Satan made war against the Elect Angels of God. The suffering was reflected in the Universe. The end result was the destruction of the Earth in which it became a wasteland. This was called the Ice Age, which included the destruction of dinosaurs, plant and animal life, and prehistoric man. The courses of the heavens were also altered.
God's holiness (integrity) must reject sin. He cannot have fellowship with sin and must condemn it. After giving Satan and the fallen angels an opportunity to accept the divine solution, those who rejected the divine solution were sentenced to the Lake of Fire (Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10). Note, since Satan and the angels already had Eternal Life, it was only a matter of where they would spend eternity.
Satan appealed God's decision, and God granted him an appeal trial. Man was created to resolve Satan's Appeal.
The only way man could sin was by eating of the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Man was a created being with no knowledge of the Appeal Trial or of Satan. He was given a perfect home, with a perfect mate, perfect environment, love, happiness, and fellowship with God. The animal kingdom was tame and friendly. Fruit was abundant for food. There was no work to be done and no problems. Adam ruled the world and enjoyed a perpetual honeymoon.
However, Satan was allowed to cross examine the human witnesses. He handled the job personally without any assistance from his demon hoards. He indwelt the serpent, out-smarted the woman, and convinced her to sin by eating the forbidden fruit. Then the woman gave the fruit to the man, who willfully ate of the fruit and sinned. The decisive victory undoubtedly left Satan thinking that he had won the Appeal. In sin, the man and woman became slaves to Satan and his Cosmic System. Satan took over the rulership of world from Adam (Matt 4:8; Lk 4:5-7; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 1 John 5:19).
The Adamic Covenant was God's promise that the Lord would return as a man and die as a sacrifice for their sins. Adam and the woman chose to believe in the Lord along with His promise, and they were saved. An animal was sacrificed to seal the covenant, and the man and woman were clothed in the animal's skin (Gen 3:21).
At Salvation, the man and the woman received a new human spirit along with Eternal Life. However, they were still contaminated with sin (the Old Sin Nature). In their new Spiritual life, the man and woman could choose to obey God or Satan. When the woman bore children, the Original Sin of Adam was imputed to the child at birth, and it was Judged with real spiritual death. Through imputing sin to all men, God insured that man would have no merit in Salvation (Rom. 3:9; 11:32; Gal. 3:22). A person would be able to choose Salvation by faith in the Savior upon reaching the age of accountability. Some of the children chose the Savior and others chose Satan by default. Thus, sin and its consequences spread into the entire human race (Rom 5:12, 14).
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and spiritual death through that sin; so death spread into all men, because all sinned when Adam sinned— (Romans 5:12)
He (Father) made Him (Jesus Christ), who knew no sin, to be sin as a substitute for us, that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)On the Cross, the sins of the world were imputed to the body of Jesus Christ and Judged by the Father (1 Pet 2:24). He paid for all the sins of mankind (Unlimited Atonement) and thus, fulfilled the Adamic Covenant (1 Jn 2:2). After paying for the sins, the Lord dismissed His spirit and died physically (Jn 19:30). On the third day, the Lord was Resurrected with a new body that would never die. Having paid for all the sins of the world under Satan's power, the Lord was victorious over Satan and reclaimed the rulership of the world.
The Good News was proclaimed in all the world that man's sins have been paid for and the door is open for Salvation to all who will believe in Jesus Christ. Salvation is appropriated in Grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Jn 3:16; Eph 2:8-9).
But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a people for God's possession, that you may declare the excellencies of Him who called you out from darkness into His marvelous Light. (1 Peter 2:9)The new Royal Family would be Gentiles (Rom 9:30). The New Covenant to the Church established the Church as the new Royal Family on the basis of the "blood of Christ," which is His substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross for the sins of the world.
Church Age Believers (CAB's) still have sin in their bodies after Salvation just as Adam and the woman. However, as Royal Family, they are also indwelt by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can fill their souls and empower them to withstand the power of sin in their flesh. The Church Age Believer is like the Lord Jesus Christ in Hypostatic Union with a body, soul, and spirit along with the divine nature (indwelling of God).
When man chooses to sin, he becomes the slave of Satan (Jn 8:34). However, since the sins have already been Judged, solutions are available. The unbeliever can have his sins forgiven when he believes in Jesus Christ and receives Salvation (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14). The believer can have his sins forgiven by acknowledging his sins to God (Rebound, 1 Jn 1:9). When the believer acknowledges his post-Salvation sins to God, he is forgiven of all his sins, purified from all unrighteousness, and restored to fellowship with God.
After Salvation, the believer's biggest problem is still sin. Should he continue living in sin after Salvation? Absolutely not!
Romans 6:1-2Paul uses strong language to emphasize the sin problem after Salvation. Our sins were poured out on Christ and Judged at the Cross. Therefore, we should no longer continue to live under the power of sin. The word, sin, is in the singular. It refers to the general category of sin - not just to the Old Sin Nature as some of the best Greek exegetes have erroneously taught. To limit sin in this passage to the Old Sin Nature minimizes the problem at hand and leads to false doctrine.
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in the sphere of sin in order that Grace may increase? 2 May it never be so! We who have died from sin, how shall we any longer live in its power?
Romans 6:3-5At the moment of Salvation during the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we were baptized into Christ's death. That means our sins were Judged in Christ on the Cross. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit entered us into union with Christ at the Cross, in His burial, and in His Resurrection. Christ died as a substitute for us. He died for our sins. Therefore, we should advance in the new Spiritual life apart from sin.
3 Or do you not know that all who have been baptized into Christ Jesus, into His death have been baptized? 4 Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised out from the realm of the dead through the glory of the Father; thus, we also, by means of the new Spiritual life may strategically advance. 5 For you see, since we have been permanently united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly, we also shall be united with Him in the likeness of His Resurrection.
Knowing this: that our old man has been crucified together with Him in order that our body of sin might be rendered inoperative, with the result that we no longer be slaves to sin. (Romans 6:6)Our "old man" refers to our old, unregenerate self before Salvation, when we lived in sin. The old man was crucified with Christ in order that "our body of sin might be rendered inoperative." The "body of sin" is the human body with the Old Sin Nature. We are no longer to operate in the power of the Old Sin Nature. The result is "that we no longer be slaves to sin." The last word, "sin," does not just refer to the Old Sin Nature. It refers to sin in general, which includes sin from the world (Cosmic System), the OSN, and the devil. This is a much bigger problem than the Old Sin Nature.
The believer has three enemies, the world (the Cosmic System along with people in it), the flesh (OSN), and the devil (including demons). All three attack through sin. Even though the Recovery Procedure (Rebound) is available, sin attacks from all directions to choke out his new life (dying) and take him to the grave (death). Sin attacks from within (OSN, Eph 2:1) and without (Cosmic System, Eph 2:2) and meets in the battlefield of the soul.
The three enemies reveal the extent of problem of sin.
Level 1 – the OSN attacks the self.
Level 2 – the people in the world
attack self from all sides.
Level 3 – Satan, his demons, and Cosmic
System attack from the spiritual realm.
Therefore, the sin problem is not just a matter of trying to stop sinning, it is a pervasive problem that even includes the power of Satan, the most powerful super genius that God ever created.
Since man is a created being, he can be lured into sin without understanding it, just as the woman in the Garden. When God gives Satan permission to cross examine, the believer will never see Satan coming unless the Lord reveals him. Man is not the master of his fate or the captain of his soul. He has a volition, but his volition may not understand the choice. The devil is a master of deceit, who is out of man's class. Only by the Grace of God does man ever get a glimpse of Satan.
Man is a created being. God creates man in Grace to fulfill His purpose (Rom 9:18-24). God does not create evil. However, God does create men like Esau, who are given the opportunity to fulfill their evil desires (Rom 9:13). Created beings in Grace do not choose their destinies. God does (Rom 9:20-21). God may have mercy and create a person like Jacob. Or God may create a person like Esau and harden his heart to allow him to choose evil. The created being only has the choices God gives him. He cannot choose his parents, his children, or his destiny.
Man was created to bear witness in the Appeal Trial of Satan. Man is not the star performer in this life. The major issues are what God is demonstrating and what Satan is arguing in the Appeal Trial. It was God's idea to turn Job over to Satan and to throw Daniel in the Lion's den. Neither Job or Daniel had a choice. And neither case had anything to do with personal sin. Satan was allowed to cross examine in both cases in the Appeal Trial. If the positions of God and Satan are not understood on any issue of life, the believer is probably in the dark.
When the believer sins, Rebound will solve the immediate problem of personal sin, but it will not necessarily solve the bigger problem of what God and Satan are doing with him in the Appeal Trial. The result of sin from the Garden is "dying (spiritually) you will die (physically)" (Gen 2:17). That has never changed, even for the Church Age Believer, even though Jesus Christ was Judged for all sins. Just as Jesus Christ suffered death for the sins of the world on the Cross, the Christian will also suffer for sins in the body until he eventually succumbs and dies physically (Rom 8:17; 2 Cor 1:5; 4:10; Phil 3:10; 1 Pet 4:13). Sin can attack the body from the world (the Cosmic System and people in it), the flesh (OSN), or Satan and his demons.
Personal
sin is committed by a person who chooses to sin from his own volition.
A person may be motivated to sin from the desire of the Old Sin Nature,
from the temptation of the world, or from the influence of Satan and his
Cosmic System. All personal sins begin with Pride (or arrogance),
which links to Jealousy. Jealousy divides and feeds Self-Righteousness,
Worry, and Bitterness. These are the big-five sins that form a crow's
foot.
The solution to personal sin for the believer is Rebound (1 Jn 1:9). When a person sins, he loses the Filling of the Holy Spirit and becomes the slave of sin (Jn 8:34; Rom 6:16). Slavery to sin means slavery to the OSN as well as Satan (1 Jn 3:8).
The result of personal sin is the state of spiritual death, separated from God. The person in sin is in the Cosmic System at the mercy of Satan to the extent that God allows him access. The person in sin is grieving (Eph 4:30) and quenching (1 Thess 5:19) the Holy Spirit with trends toward Lawlessness or Legalism.1
The believer in sin will be subject to the punishment of God, not for his personal sins, but for his rejection of Rebound and the Spiritual life. That is because sins were Judged on the Cross. Divine punishment for continued failure to Rebound and recover includes demotion into the stages of Reversionism where the believer develops capacity for evil (Rom 1:24-28). The end result of living in sin is the sin that leads to death (1 Jn 5:16-17). Satan is allowed, with God's permission, to administer the sin leading to death (Job 2:6; 1 Cor 5:5; Heb 2:14).
The
Old Sin Nature contaminates the cells of the body. It is passed down
through the 23 chromosomes inherited from Adam (Rom 5:14-18; 1 Cor 15:22).
The OSN produces the desire to sin. However, a person must use his
volition to choose to sin. The desire to sin may be lust or temptation
(James 1:14-15).
James 1:14-15When the person sins, he loses the Filling of the Holy Spirit and dies spiritually.
14 But each person is tempted when he is carried away and enticed under the control of his own lust. 15 Then after lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; but on the other hand after sin is finished, it brings forth death.
The Old Sin Nature has:
a. An area of weakness, which motivates to sin (Matt 26:41; Mk 14:38; Rom 6:19; 8:3; Heb 12:1). The five basic sins are Pride, Jealousy, Self-Righteousness, Bitterness, and Worry. The polarization of sin leads to Lawlessness and Legalism. There are mental attitude sins, sins of the tongue, and overt sins.
b. An area of strength, which motivates human good (Isa 14:14; 64:6; Rom 8:8; 1 Cor 3:12-15).
c. A lust pattern (Rom 13:14; Gal 5:16; Eph 2:3; 1 Pet 2:11; 1 Jn 2:16-17).
d. An affinity for evil. Evil is the policy of Satan and wickedness and degeneracy in man (Prov 6:18; 21:10; Rom 1:29-30; 2:9; 7:19, 21; Col 3:5; 1 Tim 6:10; Heb 3:12; 10:22).
The OSN is called the flesh, which identifies it with the human body. The person under the influence of the OSN is called carnal. The OSN is also called the old man, who was crucified with Christ (Rom 6:6). The heart, which is the right lobe of the soul, can be taken over by the OSN in Emotional Revolt of the Soul (Jer 17:9; Matt 15:19; Mark 7:21-23).
The
OSN has an affinity for the Cosmic System. The affinity, which is
called in the Hebrew lb#h# (hebel) (Eccl
1:2; Jer 2:5) and in the Greek mataiovth" (mataiotes)
(Eph 4:17; 2 Pet 2:18), serves as a gateway through which Satan and his
demons have access to the soul and body. The Hebrew hebel means
breath or emptiness, and the Greek mataiotes
mean vacuum.
The absence of God's Truth on the cerebral cortex leaves an empty spot,
or vacuum, in the soul which sucks in the Cosmic System.
The
body with its OSN has an affinity for sin. Although sin in the body
may be a matter of personal choice and come from the OSN, it may also come
from the world (Cosmic System and people in it) or the devil. The
OSN in the body is actually connected to the world (Cosmic System and people
in it) and the devil. One solution is to separate from the world
and resist the devil (Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 5:9).
However, the Lord allows the world and the devil access
to the believer just as he did to Paul from the thorn
demon. Thus, the world and demons have access to the body, which
is susceptible to spiritual influence from them. Demons can even
implant thoughts directly in the mind or subconscious (Matt 13:19; 16:23;
Mk 8:33; Jn 8:44; Eph 2:2; 4:27; Acts 5:3; 1 Tim 4:1; James 3:14-15).
False teachers (antichrists) get their messages from demons (1 Jn 4:1-3).
Demon influence causes physical weakness, suffering, sickness, and disease
(Job 2:6-9; Matt. 9:32–33; 12:22; Mk 5:2-19; 9:17-27; Luke 8:26-35; 13:11–16),
as well as dreams, visions, and illusions.
Direct
attacks from Satan and his demons include: (1) Attacks on the head
from the Evil King (1 Pet 5:8) and (2) attacks on the body from the Prostitute
of Babylon (2 Cor 12:7). Demon attacks on the body can also come
from Cosmic, Political, and Ecumenical Babylon. Cosmic attacks are
associated with the head. Political attacks target the body.
And Ecumenical attacks are upon the feet and legs.
Sin in the body from any source causes suffering. Just as Jesus Christ suffered death for sins on the Cross, the Christian will also suffer for sins in the body until he eventually succumbs and dies physically (Rom 8:17; 2 Cor 1:5; 4:10; Phil 3:10; 1 Pet 4:13).
After death, the Christian will receive a Resurrection body like Christ's. The Resurrection body does not have an OSN (Rom 6:7).
For you see, the one who has died is free from the power of sin. (Romans 6:7)The word, "died," is the Greek ajpoqnhv/skw (apothnesko), which is used for the process of dying. The prefix apo means away from, and thnesko means to die. Dying is a process that ends in death. Dying to sin is a daily process (Gen 2:17; 1 Cor 15:31). Dying sets a person free from the power of sin. This is Spiritual freedom (Rom 8:2; Gal 5:1). Here again, "sin," does not simply refer to the Old Sin Nature. It refers to the general concept of sin from any source. The principle is that just as physical death frees from the body of sin, then dying to sin frees from slavery to sin.
Relationship with the Resurrected Christ
Paul described the relationship of a believer with the resurrected Christ.
that I may get to know Him, and the power of His Resurrection, and the participation in His sufferings, having become like Him in His death; (Philippians 3:10)The power of Christ's Resurrection makes Him Sovereign Ruler over all Creation (1 Tim 6:15; Heb 1:13). Jesus Christ won the victory over Satan and sin on the Cross. The Resurrected Christ is the victor in the Angelic Conflict (Heb 10:12). The Resurrected Christ is also the Head of the Body of the Royal Family of God and the firstborn from the dead (Col 1:18). So, this is the powerful One with whom the believer has a relationship.
Paul continues, "and the participation in His sufferings." Here the Greek summorfivzw (summorphizo) means participation. It can also mean association, connection with, fellowship with, but the best translation here is participation. The believer participates in, or shares, the sufferings of Christ. The believer who represents Christ on the Earth will share in His sufferings. (Jn 15:18; 17:14; Acts 9:15-16; Rom 8:17; 2 Cor 1:5, 7; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 2:12; 1 Pet 4:13; 1 Jn 3:13). In living for Christ, the believer will face suffering from within and without. He will suffer and be persecuted because he is the representative of Christ.
Then Paul says, "having become like Him in His death." This refers to Retroactive Positional Truth (Rom 6:3; Gal 2:20) - we died when Christ died. The death of the believer is the death of the body of sin, which will be followed by the Resurrection (Rom 8:17; 6:5-7; 2 Cor 4:17; Phil 3:11).
Suffering in the Body
Paul explains the sufferings in his body for the Church in Colossians 1:24.
I now rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf, and I fill up what is lacking from the afflictions of Christ in my flesh on behalf of His Body, which is the Church. (Colossians 1:24)Rejoicing in suffering is using the Problem Solving Device of divine Happiness, which is always available to the believer. Paul continues, "and I fill up what is lacking from the afflictions of Christ." "What is lacking" means: Christ has already suffered on the Cross and before, but Paul has received additional afflictions due to his relationship with the risen Christ. For example, Jesus Christ did not meet the Corinthians and suffer because of it, but Paul is filling in for Christ and receiving suffering from the Corinthians.
Paul says that his afflictions are "in my flesh on behalf of His Body." Paul's afflictions are for the Body of Christ, the Church. The Christian will also receive suffering in his body because of his relation to the Church. Just as Christ suffered in His body for sins, the believer will also suffer in his body because of sin.
Satan
can attack a person with God's permission (Job 1:12; 2:6).2
The Satanic attack may proceed as follows (Eph 4:17-19):
a. God hardens the heart, which
produces Scar Tissue of the Soul (Rom 9:18; Eph 4:19).
b. The Scar Tissue1
blocks God's Light, which opens up a hole in the subconscious and produces
Blackout of the Soul (BOS) (Eph 4:18).
c. The soul is infiltrated by
the OSN, which has an affinity for the Cosmic System. The desires
of the OSN invite the Cosmic System into the soul (Eph 4:17).
d. Satan and his demons have
access to the soul and body (Eph 2:2).
e. The pressure from the attack
of Satan as the Evil King produces stress in the brain stem, which takes
a person's breath away and chokes the person or causes many other symptoms2
(1 Pet 5:8). See Satanic Attack:
Chronic Gagging, Choking, Coughing Disorder, Child
Respiratory and Limb Weakness Attack, Cramps
in the Feet, Toes, and Calves, and Hay
Fever.
The other Problem Solving Devices must be deployed to deal with external threats from sin. Separation from the world and Impersonal Love for all mankind may be used against attacks from the world (Matt 10:37; 13:22; 22:37; Rom 12:2; 1 Jn 2:15). Grace Orientation and resisting the devil may be used against demon attacks (Jas 4:7). However, Spiritual Growth may be required to develop the strength to overcome the world (Cosmic System).
Only advancing beyond Spiritual Maturity to Spiritual Rapport is effective against Satan's Cosmic System. The believer in Spiritual Rapport is a winner believer who passes Evidence Testing to glorify God and receive special rewards like the Order of the Morning Star (Rev 2:26-28).3 However, sin is still an issue as long as a person is alive on Earth. The ultimate solution is death, which is God's victory. The Christian must suffer death because of sin in his body, just as Christ suffered death on behalf of sins (Rom 8:17).
The believer symbolizes Christ in suffering because of sin and dying followed by Resurrection. The suffering in life is both tactical (Rom 8:36; 1 Cor 15:31; 2 Cor 4:7-18; 6:9) and strategic (1 Cor 4:9; 2 Cor 1:9; Phil 3:10). Being glorified with Him refers to Resurrection (Phil 3:11). Physical death leaves the body of sin behind. The new Resurrection body will be without sin.
1 John 4:1-3The believer in the pew cannot trust any pastor to be speaking from the Holy Spirit. The devil is slick enough to put thoughts in the pastor's mind and have them communicated without it being obvious. How can the believer in the pew know whether the pastor is speaking from the Holy Spirit and not a demon spirit? False teachers, which John calls "false prophets" and "antichrists," get their messages from demons and not from God. The believer must "validate the spirits." This means to determine where the speaker is getting his information. There are only two sources for a created being, God or the devil (including his demons).
1 Beloved stop believing every spirit, but validate the spirits whether it is from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this, learn to recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. 3 And every spirit that is not acknowledging this Jesus is not from God. Furthermore, this is the spirit of the Antichrist, whom you have heard that he is coming (in the Tribulation), and now (Church Age) is already in the world.
The validation test that John proposes is the test for the Holy Spirit or a demon spirit. It is the test of truth. The Holy Spirit will acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. A demon will never acknowledge Jesus Christ as the God-man in Hypostatic Union. Demons will reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world. They hate Jesus Christ above all else and are not about to admit the truth about Him because to do so would be to give someone the Gospel. So, what John has said is not to believe every pastor, but validate his message to determine if it came from the Holy Spirit or from a demon spirit. The Holy Spirit will bear witness of Jesus Christ, but the demon spirit will not.
So, how do you find out? Do you ask the spirit to answer the question of whether he believes in Jesus Christ? The answer is no. You should not ask a demon anything. The problem is they lie. You must validate the spirits, but how? The answer is by using Bible Doctrine. Listen to the message and determine whether it is doctrinal. If it compatible with Bible Doctrine, then it is from the Holy Spirit. If it is contrary to Bible Doctrine, it is from a demon. If the message is from God, the Holy Spirit will validate it in the life of the believer. If it is from Satan, the Holy Spirit will not honor it, and the believer will not be edified.
This same answer applies to recognizing God's truth from Satan's lies anywhere else in life. Whether a dream, an experience, a message, art, an event, or a sign, validation of whether it is sin or evil requires application of Bible Doctrine. No matter what the issue, it can only be accurately interpreted in light of Bible Doctrine. Without doctrine, it is impossible to please God. The dead works of the world and the lies of demons are both exposed by the Word of God. Bible Doctrine in the soul of the believer must be the basis for understanding the truth about everything in life.
Even the believer faces spiritual death when he sins after Salvation. He loses the Filling of the Holy Spirit, which can be recovered with Rebound. And he will die physically because his body is contaminated with Adam's Original Sin. However, the believer has God's Eternal Life given to him at Salvation. Thus, even with his sin problems, he will never lose his Eternal Life. When he dies, his problems with sin will be over. He will receive a Resurrection Body and live with God forever.
However, as long as the believer is alive in the body, he faces problems with sin from three enemies, the world, the flesh (OSN), and the devil. Although his sins were paid for on the Cross, until he learns to leave them behind, he is his own worst enemy. Every time he sins, he will lose the Filling of the Holy Spirit, become the slave of sin, and be subject to Satan in the Cosmic System. Rebound must be used to restore his Spiritual life. Since the volition must be used to sin, man has some control over his decisions to sin. However, until he grows up and learns to stop living in sin, his personal sins will destroy his Spiritual life. Spiritual Growth is the only answer to overcoming the temptation from the Old Sin Nature.
The world poses a different problem for the believer. The world is Satan's Cosmic System including the people in it. The people in the world are Satan's subjects, although they don't know it. If the believer does not separate from the world, he will be the slave of Satan and will go down with the world when God judges it.
1 John 2:15The world is the Cosmic System and the people in it. Satan has so thoroughly organized and conquered every aspect of the world that it is virtually impregnable. The only hope is to receive Salvation, separate from the world, and press on to maturity while suffering from sin. God's Grace solution is the only solution. Anything else will only lead to more suffering for the Christian. If the believer does not give up the world, he will fail spiritually and become a loser. He won't lose his Salvation, but he will lose his Spiritual life and his rewards.
15 Do not love the world (Cosmic System), nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 Because all that is in the Cosmic System: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the arrogant pattern of life, is not from the Father but is from the Cosmic System.
Since people in the world are the slaves of sin and Satan, they pose a serious threat to the believer. They are full of sin and living in a state of sin. This makes them the enemies of God. To be friends with the enemies of God is asking for trouble. Furthermore, the people in the world are the slaves, pawns, and friends of Satan. Apostate Christians are the enemies of the Cross (Phil 3:18). Since Satan hates Christians, those who are friends with the world are doing a stupid thing, like being friends with a rattlesnake. Since Satan rules over the people in the world, they have demons with them. They are subject to Satan as the Evil King or Prostitute of Babylon. When a believer is associated with people in the world, he will be open to demon attack. Only the Grace of God can alleviate the problem. And only mature believers will have a clue about the demon or the problem.
Satan and his demons also pose a direct threat that is beyond the imagination. Satan rules the world and will continue to do so until Christ returns. Since most Christians are blind to Satan, they are clueless about his activities. Until they advance into Spiritual Rapport and shift paradigms, they will be oblivious to Satan's devices. Satan and his demons not only have access to people, they exercise that access all the time. They put thoughts in people's minds. They influences the masses, run businesses, control the economy, occupy pulpits, influence education, the arts, and entertainment, give medical treatment, and pass legislation. The best and brightest pastors are subject to their attacks and influence.
Even the Grace-oriented pastor who is filled with the Holy Spirit can receive direct mental input from demons. But doesn't the scripture say, "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world (1 Jn 4:4b)?" Yes, it does. The Holy Spirit is greater, but the Holy Spirit lets Satan have access. He did it to Paul when he was filled with the Spirit (2 Cor 12:7). Those who think they understand Spiritual Warfare apart from Grace will never figure this out. God is greater, but He allows Satan to cross examine the believer. The believer cannot prevent it, but he can learn how to deal with it. Grace Orientation and resisting the devil are available for thwarting the attack.
Satan's attack on Marriage is devastating. After the man and woman sinned in the Garden, the previous love of the century soured and they were at each other's throats. When Satan attacked Job, he turned Job's wife against him. In a time of national degeneracy, Hosea's Right Woman was a prostitute. She was an example of the Prostitute of Babylon. The high divorce rate is evidence of Satan's attack on Marriage.
Satan's demons are most active at night when they interfere with sleep and influence dreams. The hypnagogic state between wakefulness and sleep is the time of greatest susceptibility to demon attack. This occurs about 30 minutes after dozing. Demons may awaken a person suddenly and then reveal their presence. As soon as the demon reveals himself whether overtly or through a dream character, he has paid the price of exposure because the events can be interpreted through divine viewpoint. The same techniques for application of Bible Doctrine work for all that occurs in Creation. God's truth can unravel any mystery.
Sin is totally destructive and brings forth death. It corrupts everything it touches. Sin not only means slavery to Satan, it brings the wrath of God. A Christian in sin faces both the cursing of Satan and the punishment of God. God does not punish the believer for the sins because they were Judged on the Cross, but He does punish him for being in a state of sin, where he is grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit and failing to execute the new Spiritual life. Sin combined with Satan's curse and God's punishment result in many emotional, psychological, and medical problems. Scar Tissue of the Soul causes many ailments, and demons cause many of the illnesses that are prevalent. The medical doctor is usually ignorant of the spiritual causes of the illnesses he tries to treat with his power drugs. Health problems don't just happen. They begin with sin, and until a person deals with his sin problem, he will be subject to all manner of maladies.
Thus, sin is everywhere in the devil's world. Even the mature believer who is filled with the Holy Spirit is subject to attack. Sin is the major enemy of all time. The only way to combat it is to follow God's Grace solution. Only advancing to Spiritual Maturity and Spiritual Rapport will bring relief from the suffering of sin. The believer must remain alert and diligent to keep his eyes on the Lord and execute the Spiritual life. Our sins were paid for on the Cross, and they should be left behind, lest they become a stumbling block. Only the Grace of God can protect a person from sin. Sin will cause great suffering for the believer, and eventually, the sin in the body will weaken it to the point of death. The Christian will suffer for sin in his body, like Christ, until he eventually succumbs to death. Only death can free from sin in the body. A sinless Resurrection Body awaits.
Released July 19, 2010 - Revised Nov. 7, 2015
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