Demon Possessed

“When the unclean spirit comes out of [a]a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it then says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’  And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.  Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than…

Full Bloom

And a command has gone out from the Lord against those who dwell upon the dry ground that this must be their end. For they have learnt all the secrets of the Angels, and all the wrongdoings of the satans, and all their secret power, and all the power of those who practice magic arts,…

The Devil Made Me Do It

having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.  Colossians 2:14-15 NASB The rulers and authorities – The Midwestern Baptist…

Deliberate Ignorance

Now there was a day when the [b]sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and [c]Satan also came among them.  Job 1:6 NASB Sons of God – Some authors have made a lot of the idea that there are multiple divine beings in the biblical account.  With verses like this one from the book of…

Essenes, Rabbis, and Christians

For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us.1 Thessalonians 2:18  NASB Satan– What was the first century Jewish view of “Satan”?  Why does Paul refer to Satan when he writes to the Thessalonians?  Where did the idea come from? For most contemporary believers, Satan is as real as it gets.  He and…

Blind Spot

“But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”  Job 1:11  NASB Your hand– yadeka.  Your hand.  The pronoun carries a lot of weight here. This isn’t just any external force.  This is the hand of God.  That is uncomfortable. Do we ignore the bad in order…

The Lucifer Myth

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!” Isaiah 14:12 NASB Star of Morning – In an important research article, Roy Blizzard exposes the pagan origins of our usual concept of Satan. It’s worth reading:…

The Other Story

And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. Luke 22:3 NASB Satan entered – Most of us think that Judas conspired with Satan in the betrayal of Yeshua. Somehow the Devil made him do it. Of course, we ignore the human side of the story because it…

Rebuking the Devil

But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. 1 Kings 5:4 Adversary – As I travel the world, I am privileged to observe first-hand the incredible diversity of culture. From Asia to Africa, from Europe to Central America, each group seems to have a…

The God Mugging

“You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride; and You dissolve me in a storm.” Job 30:22 NASB Dissolve – Ever heard the expression, “God is my co-pilot”? The truth is that God is the pilot and I am just along for the ride. That means sometimes He flies where I…