The US Library of Congress has a list of about 27 categories of Supernatural beings (https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/tgm010399/) and the list included Centaurs Fairies, Ghosts, Ghouls, Mermaids, Monsters, Vampires, Werewolves, and so on. And on that page (where they list all these creatures) they noted that the word Supernatural was “Used For: Imaginary beings; Mythical creatures”. In other words, the creatures that are supernatural DO NOT EXIST! The problem (of course) is that - in their list – they also include: angels; demons; and (of course) Satan.
But why? Of all those creatures mentioned by the Library of Congress, why would angels, demons and Satan be listed as being imaginary OR mythical?
Well (according to the Oxford Dictionary) “Supernatural” means: a manifestation or event attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. In other words, the people who created this list for the Library of Congress believed that anything that could not be understood “scientifically or easily observed in nature must be imaginary. Of course, that makes sense because the term “SUPER-NATURAL means “That which is SUPER (or beyond) that which is NATURAL (what we’d expect).”
But by that standard, the entire Bible is filled with supernatural stuff. Every miracle recorded in Scripture is supernatural. Everything about Jesus – including His death, burial and resurrection - is supernatural. And we believe that our God is beyond our understanding (He’s Supernatural), and, because we believe in God, we also believe what He tells us about angels and demons – and even Satan – is true.
And we make no apologies for that!
ILLUS: Years ago, I had a conversation with a member of my family who thought that she could trip me up by asking me to defend the idea demonic activity. To her, anyone who believed in demons was - putting it kindly – naïve. The very idea of accepting that demons existed, conjured up visions of exorcisms and religious mumbo jumbo such as casting out demons from those who were “possessed.” And she may have even wanted to get me sidetracked by steering me into a conversation about the Salem Witch trials and the demonic possession that was the basis of that travesty. And I didn’t want to do that! I didn’t want to get into an argument I probably couldn’t win. So, when she asked me “Do you believe in demons?” I thought about that for a couple of moments and then said: “Well, I believe in angels, and the Bible tells me that demons are fallen angels. And while I’ve never seen a demon - I believe they exist because the Bible says they exist.”
And the Bible teaches us that demons were angels that work with Satan. Here in Matthew 25:41 we’re told that “the eternal fire (was) prepared for the devil and his angels.” Demons are Satan’s angels. In fact, Revelation 12 seems to say that shortly after Jesus rose from the grave, there was a war in heaven where Satan fought against God, and was defeated and thrown out of heaven. After he was defeated, the devil took a 1/3 of the angels with him. “Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon (Satan). And the dragon and his angels fought back” Revelation 12:7
Now, why should I care? What difference should that make to me whether or not demons are real? Well mostly, because the Bible says they are real, and they are our enemies. Ephesians 6:12-13 We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”
There’s a spiritual battle taking place whether we want to admit it or not. And that spiritual battle involves spiritual forces of evil. That would be the demons. And God says “BE READY for that battle. Put on your full armor… and stand firm, because this is not a game. This is reality.
Throughout the Bible we read stories of demons troubling or possessing people. In the Old Testament there’s the story of King Saul who was troubled by an evil Spirit that led him to fits of rage and severe depression.
Then, in the New Testament, we see that Jesus confronted and CAST OUT demons from numerous people. One of the most dramatic was when Jesus was met by a demon-possessed man …. “For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!" For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission." (Luke 8:27-32) "Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid." Luke 8:35
In the book of Acts we find that Peter and John cast out unclean spirits (Acts 5:16); So did an evangelist named Philip (Acts 8:5-8); And so also did the Apostle Paul (Acts 16:16-18).
So, here’s the deal - Demons are real. This is not a game. This is reality! It is a supernatural conflict, but it is not imaginary. If demons are real we ignore them at our peril, because their objective is to damage, hurt and destroy people.
Now, that said, I’ve got some good news… and I’ve got some bad news. The good news is this:
1. Satan and his minions can’t HARM serious Christians. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and THE EVIL ONE CANNOT HARM HIM. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 1 John 5:18-19
If you’re walking with Jesus, Satan may be able to sidetrack you but he can’t hurt you.
2. Christians have more power than Satan or demons have. “Greater is he that is in you (that’s the Holy Spirit), than he that is in the world (Satan & his angels). 1 John 4:4
3. In fact, Hebrews 1:14 says we have angels who minister unto us. Angels are “sent to serve (us) who will inherit salvation”. And, according to Rev. 12, Satan has ½ as many angels as God does. In other words – we have Satan is outnumbered 2 to 1.
Now, that’s cool! THAT’S GOOD NEWS.
The bad news is this - there are a lot of Christians who take Satan lightly. They don’t take him seriously. And because they don’t take Satan seriously they give him a foothold in their lives. Satan has no power over us … unless we allow him to.
Now, the most obvious way Satan can get a foothold in our lives is thru the occult. God hates it, and Christians who engage in it are playing in Satan’s backyard. God warned Israel: “Let no-one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.” Deuteronomy 18:10-12
DON’T DO THOSE THINGS – God despises it, and Satan WILL use it.
ILLUS: Back in 2009, the Barna organization revealed that 73% of today’s youth have been involved in some form of psychic or witchcraft related activity. The most popular of these activities includes playing with Ouija boards and the reading of witchcraft and Wicca related books.
THE OCCULT CAN BE DANGEROUS
ILLUS: My dad told of going to see a palm reader, and several times (as I was growing up) he’d tell me that the woman was uncanny in her predictions. She told him he’d own land near a body of water (he ended up buying a Cabin Court on Silver Lake just west of Angola, IN). She told him he’d have 4 children – 2 daughters and 2 sons (I had 2 sisters & a brother). And then she told him when he would die (which often comes up when we dabble with the occult). From that day on, that death date was on his mind. He lived beyond that predicted time of death… but for the rest of his life he looked toward that date… with dread. Satan gained a foothold that plagued him with fear.
So don’t do occult stuff. God hates, and Satan will use it.
But while I was studying for the sermon I found out there was a more devious way that Satan can get hold of us. In fact it’s something that seems almost natural to us. It’s not nearly as obvious as the occult, but it’s a tool that Satan uses that makes us almost feel justified… righteous… deserving of praise. That tool is ANGER/BITTERNESS.
Ephesians 4:26-27 says “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no foothold to the devil.” In other words, anger is natural, it’s OK to be angry once in awhile. But, if we allow our anger to last for more than a day that’s an open opportunity for Satan and his minions to mess with us. As long as you or I hang on to our hatred of someone who hurt us, Satan will grab hold of us… and he won’t let go. AND HE’LL SMILE… because he’s got us.
He’ll use our bitterness to damage our relationships, destroy our marriages, and make us difficult to be around. And he’ll use it to defile you.
Hebrews 12:15 says “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” The word that’s translated “DEFILE” in this passage means “to pollute”, “to contaminate”, “to stain.”
ILLUS: Think of it this way: Let’s say you’ve bought a loaf of bread. You put it on the counter… and you forgot about it for a month or so. Then you find it again… and you can tell the bread has changed color. The loaf has turned green. Do you open the bag and eat the bread? Of course not. It’s contaminated now. It’s polluted with mold. IT IS DEFILED! It makes you uncomfortable … and so you throw it in the trash.
Ephesians 4:30 says “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all BITTERNESS and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”
Why get rid OF bitterness, wrath, anger, slander, malice. Because if you don’t you’ll grieve the Holy Spirit of God. You’ll be contaminated to the point where your soul will be moldy and useless to Him. Bitterness pollutes our hearts and robs us of God’s grace. It leaves a foothold for Satan to use against you. So, get rid of your wrath, anger and bitterness. It will defile you.
That’s why (in the Lord’s Prayer) Jesus warns us: “If you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others when they sin against you, neither will your Father forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15) That’s how serious this is! If we don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us. An unforgiving heart is the breeding ground of anger, rage and bitterness. It opens you up the power of demonic control of your life, and YOU DON’T WANT THAT!!!
Someone once said: “Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right, it makes you free.” (Stormie Omartian).
CLOSE: During WWII, the Nazis sent 1000s of people to concentration camps, and one of those people was named Corrie Ten Boom. Her parents died in the camps, and she and her sister endured numerous indignities and humiliations at the hands of their captors. But when the war was over, and she was freed, but found she was still imprisoned by her hatred - hatred of those who had hurt her and her family. She realized she needed to forgive those whom she hated. And after much tears and prayer… she finally succeeded. In fact, she was so successful that she began to speak at churches all across Europe trying to help others accomplish the same objective. Over and over again, she would forgive one person, then another of what they’d done to her.
But there was one individual who she had great difficulty in forgiving. In fact, she spent several sleepless nights struggling with her memories of this man. So she went to speak to her preacher and asked for his counsel. He thought about it for a few moments and then pointed to the bell rope hanging in the foyer. “Do you see that bell rope?” he asked. “Every Sunday, the sexton pulls on the rope and rings that bell – announcing to the community that it is time for worship. As he pulls the rope, the bell rings ‘ding’, and ‘dong’, ding and dong. Eventually he lets go of the bell rope… but the bell still swings and rings - ding, and dong - slower and slower until at last it stops ringing. When we forgive, we take our hand off the rope. But if we've been tugging at our grievances for a long time, we mustn't be surprised if the old angry thoughts keep coming for a while. They're just the ding and dongs of the old bell slowing down.”
But the key thing is this: you’ve got to let go of the bell rope. You’ve got quit tugging at your grievances over and over again or you’ll never forgive. And if you don’t forgive Satan’s got you. And he’ll use your hatred against you. It may not be “demon possession”… but it’s mighty close.
So, have you let go of the bell rope? Is there someone you have never forgiven of past sins? Is there someone who – if you met them in the grocery store – you’d walk away – because being around them makes you angry? Is there someone who – if they sought help from you or from the church you’d get upset because these people don’t deserve to be helped? OR, is there someone who – just hearing their name sets your teeth on edge?
Then you need to let go of the bell rope. You need to forgive so that Satan doesn’t get a foothold in your life. And when you forgive others… God can forgive you; and then God can fully bless you and reward you for your faithfulness and obedience.
INVITATION
