The Spirit of Perdition

Rebellion is the sin of witchcraft. This evil spirit exploits the
offences we have perceived in others. Intimidation, manipulation, and
sensuality are all techniques applied to relationships that are likened
to these principles. Many expressions that are used as irony are ploys
that are deliberately contrary to common knowledge and are used to
manipulate the minds of others. A tool where the very thing we hate
we become: a reaction to fear that controls the predictability of others
because they have lost the ability to trust. A perverse spirit that seeks
to alter the minds of others to the satisfaction and benefit of itself.

Stubbornness is the sin of grossly unfair behavior. It is akin to,
and many times applied with, rebellion. As a result of this evil spirit,
many elevate their own personal status and importance above that of
others. It is a source of compromise with the spirit of ambition where
the name of one is placed above the many. As a result, this demonic
influence permeates the human nature of all mankind. And I heard
another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest
you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins
have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.1

In the spirit realm, the name of an entity always corresponds with
its nature. Some entities are given many names where each name
reveals a distinct deeper part of its nature. This principle between the
name of a spirit and its nature helps us to understand its activity in
and out of the spiritual world. To be able to defeat the darkness that
these creatures use to rule over us, we must be able to discern their
nature, which in turn exposes their tactics and how they apply these
tactics to our weaknesses.

We find a good example of this in the gospel of Mark where we
have a demon-possessed man who lived among the tombstones in the
region of the Gadarenes. He had superhuman strength where he could
break the chains and shackles of those who tried to bind him. When
he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out
with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son
of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not
torment me.” For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean
spirit!” Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered,
saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”2

In Revelation 9:11 we see John describe the fallen angel who is
king over the demons in the bottomless pit, whose name in
Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. In
English these names mean destruction and destroyer respectfully.
Once we know the nature of the beast, we can wage war against it.
We can expose it for what it is and use the blood of Christ to destroy
it. And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by
the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the
death.3

It is important to understand that simply reading the Bible will not
prepare us for the fight we are about to undertake. We must consume
it, permitting the Holy Spirit to have a work inside us or we may very
well end up like the disciples who tried to expel a demon. After the
disciples confronted the evil spirit, it turned on them and beat them.
We read in Matthew, “And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out
of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the
disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it
out?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly,
I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this
mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing
will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except
by prayer and fasting.’ ”4

It just goes to show that a little knowledge can be dangerous when
dealing with the unseen. Satan will use your sins and your ignorance
of spiritual matters to counterattack you every turn of the way. There
are stages of deliverance from our own evil spirits that must be
accomplished before we can successfully remove the evil spirits of
others. The deliverance of our soul is different from the liberation of
the evil spirits of another. It is our personality, our intellect, and our
emotions that we must search out for all things that are counter to
Christ. Our spirit lies in silence as it evaluates our every thought. It is
the “lamp of the Lord” searching the innermost parts of our being,
exposing the thoughts that are contrary to the way of Christ. Once we
receive deliverance from the spirit of deception we can proceed to the
deliverance of others.

Our souls must experience a renewal of the mind where unwanted
thoughts are removed and replaced with the mind of God. This
process is equivalent to a time spent in the desert where our thought
life is cleansed, and our memory retains the word of God. Even our
own personal evil thoughts have a survival instinct that will
perpetuate in our minds until we hold it captive to the obedience of
Christ. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to
the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in
God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every
high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing
every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being
ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.5

The spirit of witchcraft is especially difficult to remove because
its sensual behavior and its deceitful charms have many lustful
rewards. This spirit dresses itself in attire that exposes the lusts of the
flesh. Its eyes are seductive, and its soft voice allures many to its
pitfalls. If we are rebellious, we must become submissive, if we are
proud, we must become humble, and if we are aggressive, we must
become lowly and meek at heart. Its wiles attempt to control its victim
so we must be gentle and willing to yield to a crucified life in the
purity of Christ. This is the only way to secure victory.

We must allow the Holy Spirit to expose our thoughts that are
sympathetic to the ways of Satan. We will not be successful in our
war against evil if we are not successful in the battle of the control of
our mind. We do not “go” to church, we are the church twenty-four
hours a day, seven days a week. What authority God gives us is
simply His way of delegating responsibility. Evil occupies the areas
of our minds where we are tolerant to it, even though our mental
structure is primarily intact. The authority where God trusts us comes
from divine love and it is essential that we set forth His divine agenda
in our lives, our minds, and the example we set for others to follow.

Presumption is the downfall of many, where God does not punish
them for their sin but soon to follow, the tempter of evil will destroy
them. This is the demon of homosexuality. I will give you the answer
before we explore the question. The reason for this is that it is
important for all of us to understand where we stand with God. The
Bible says, “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are
who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself;
for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the
judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such
things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing
such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of
God?”6 The same thing that Paul is speaking of is sexual sin. We are
all guilty of one type of sexual sin or another. We are told not to judge
other people regardless of their shortcomings, but we are to set a
Christian example for them to follow. There are many people who do
not believe that homosexuals should be allowed in the church. If that
is the case, according to these Bible verses, then none of us should be
allowed. However, I believe that every precaution should be made to
protect the children.

It is very interesting that the chapter directly preceding the Bible
verses above talks about the sin of homosexuality. For this reason,
God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged
the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men,
leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one
another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving
in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as
they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them
over to a reprobate mind [A morally unprincipled person] to do those
things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness,
sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of
envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil
things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,
unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of
God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not
only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”7 It is
amazing how fast the lifestyle of homosexuality has spread
throughout the world. It is the popular sin of the times and is probably
a continuance of the sexual revolution that started in the sixties.
Where it goes from here, I have no idea, but I believe that sexual sins
will continue to grow in popularity. A sexual sin is one where you sin
against yourself.

The two angels arrived at Sodom (this is where we get our English
word sodomy) in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of
the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down
with his face to the ground. “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to
your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and
then go on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we
will spend the night in the square.” But he insisted so strongly that
they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for
them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. Before they had gone
to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young
and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “Where are the
men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can
have sex with them.”

Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and
said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Look, I have two
daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to
you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything
to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”
“Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a
foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse
than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to
break down the door. But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot
back into the house and shut the door.8 Then they struck the men who
were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that
they could not find the door. Lot had lived in this city of sin for many
years. He raised his family in Sodom. He had a business in Sodom.
He learned over the years to tolerate the sin that was there. I believe
we do the same thing. When you are around something every day you
get used to it and it doesn’t seem like such a terrible thing anymore.
This behavior is appalling to God. He destroyed the city of Sodom
and the city of Gomorrah, where similar things were occurring.

People say things have changed now. That we have a right to pursue
any lifestyle we want. I guess that is true. We have free will so we can
decide for ourselves how we want to live, but I can tell you this: God
has not changed. If you are living in sexual sin, regardless of whether
it be homosexuality, adultery, or having sexual relations while not
being married, God does not approve of this behavior. Every single
one of us can continue in the lifestyle of our choice while we are still
alive on this earth. However, if we do not choose to follow God’s
advice (He is not forcing anyone to follow Him), then life ends here.

There is a new tolerance for sin these days. People will just walk
by someone who is getting mugged and not help. We are wrapped up
in our own worlds so tightly we are willing to overlook what is going
on. The church has compromised its standards so much that I think
this is why so many people have left. Pastors are afraid to speak out.
The idea today that you can be a Christian and continue in your sinful
ways is not true. God says that is impossible, and I believe the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed to set the example that God
will not tolerate this behavior. Paul asks the question: What shall we
say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly
not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

People have failed to grasp how important Bible study is to their
continued relationship with God. In simple terms, the mind is a
storage system of knowledge. There are different bits of knowledge
coming and going to and from the brain all the time. When you stop
reading your Bible every day, devotional knowledge takes up less and
less space. Whatever is in your mind that is not faith, it is sin, and
when sin takes control of your mind you are no longer living in the
will of God but are living in the will of Satan.

Now there is another definition for a reprobate mind I am
reluctant to use. The dictionary defines it as one who is predestined to
damnation—rejected by God and without hope of salvation—to
abandon to eternal damnation. There come some serious
consequences with this sin. I urge you to consider your actions, and if
you can remove yourself from the association of this behavior, do it
now. I want to believe in my heart that if you turn away from this type
of relationship that your heavenly Father will forgive you and bring
you back into the fold. I have prayed very hard for this and I believe
this to be true. I know that the quality of His love is undeserved by all
of us and the quantity of His love is unlimited. However, He has
proved in the past that He will not tolerate this lifestyle.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many
wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never
knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”9
The power of our imagination is what establishes a reality for
every one of us. According to our free will there is a false
understanding of the essence of life. Reality can either be defined
through the word of God or by the illusions of the present age. There
is a personal side of reality that is rooted in our beliefs, attitudes, and
feelings. From this perspective our focus is on our needs of survival
and our desire to sustain the species; our outer reality is primarily
established by the society in which we live. It is their compromise and
consent which is so easily transformed into our own lifestyle so that
whatever they imagine, we follow suit.

The ability of our imagination is endless, and where one can
imagine greatness, they can get many to follow and believe in the
spirits they have manifested. Satan wants us to accept the world as it
is—a place where rape and murder are normal, a place of spiritual
impotency where God’s reality is dismissed as a deception and church
is a place of fantasies where people go to imagine a different
outcome. We are treading on dangerous ground because the church is
the vision of the greatness of God. Christ loves the church and gave
Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the
washing of water by the word (the Bible), that He might present her to
Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such
thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.10
Our greatest weapon against the lies of Satan is the word of God.
It is referred to as the sword of the spirit and exposes our sinful
condition. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and
spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight,
but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom
we must give account.11 The word is spirit and is life—it represents
the true reality of the heavens and is the living spirit of the kingdom
of God.

The word reality in the New Testament is translated “truth.” If we
look at the true meaning of reality in the Bible, it is the work of the
Holy Spirit. This great Spirit has been sent to establish the true reality
of God’s kingdom. For us to become one with the Spirit of truth, we
must fully embrace the word of truth and it is only then that we are
brought into the reality of God. As we have been characterized by
flesh and blood, so Christ Himself likewise shared in the same so that
through death, He might destroy Satan, who has the power of death,
and release us from a lifetime of bondage. He doesn’t give any aid to
the angels, only us. He has been made just like us so He can be a
merciful and faithful High Priest in the things that pertain to God.
Through His death He appeased God for our sins because He was
tempted just as we are, so He can aid those of us who have been
tempted.

We use the name of Jesus and the word of God to break through
the power of the lies of Satan. Behold, I give you the authority to
trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not
rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice
because your names are written in heaven.”12 Each time we speak to
someone about Christ and share our faith, we are establishing our
freedom as part of God’s true reality.

1.) Revelation 18:4-5
2.) Mark 5:6-9
3.) Revelation 12:11
4.) Matthew 17:18-21
5.) 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
6.) Romans 2:1-3
7.) Romans 1:26-32
8.) Genesis 19:1-11
9.) Matthew 7:21-23
10.) Ephesians 5:25-27
11.) Hebrew 4:12-13
12.) Luke 10:18-20