A few years ago there was a series of movies that came out called "The Matrix." This story was about mankind becoming dominated by computers. The computers needed to exist by using humans as batteries, so they were forced to sustain a human's life. To do this they had to let the humans live in a comatose state and being fed intravenously. They also created a program called the Matrix that each human was plugged into. To the human living in the matrix was reality, but in actuality it was a facade created to control mankind. As people became unplugged, they saw the true reality, which was far more scary than the facade they were living in.
Many Christians are like the characters in this movie. They walk around in this multi-dimensional world, but only one dimension (the natural) is real to them. In reality a war rages in the heavenly (spiritual) realm all around them. I mean isn't this what the bible teaches us? The bible is our final authority as Christians, but just for extra measure let's look at other evidence aside from the bible for just a second...
As Christians we should certainly not join the skeptics when it comes to dismissing the supernatural. As far as the traditional view of ghosts goes (disembodied spirits wandering the world after death), I've written about this subject in the past, stating a biblical perspective in my blog, "Ghost Stories & Satan's Agenda" and I would also recommend that you read this as it lines up with this subject.
A Christian, simply put, should believe what the bible says about the spirit realm and consider the word of God to be the final authority. I mean either He is God or He is nothing. likewise, either his word (the bible) is TRUE, or He is not God. So with this in mind let's ask the most basic question - Is there a spiritual realm?
Nehemiah 9:6 says,
This verse describes both a natural and a spiritual realm. Likewise, in the New Testament we see another one of the many glimpses into the spiritual realm being described during the birth of our Lord Jesus.
Luke 2:13-15 says,
According to the verses above and many others we can conclude that there are angels in it. The word "Angel" means messenger, and this is what we see them doing often. Delivering messages to people in the bible. There is also verses that support that angels also protect God's people from harm. ( Psalm 91:11, Matthew 18:10, Hebrews 1:14 )
These are all positive aspects about the spiritual realm, but not everything living in the spiritual realm wants to help us. In fact, the bible describes an enemy we call Satan, who is a fallen angel. He has other fallen angels in his army, and they have declared war on God's people. In the end he and his angels (demons), will lose ( Revelation 20:10 )
In the meantime however angels and demons are not visible to our natural eyes, but on occasion they do manifest. At least there have been both biblical and modern day documented sightings. Also, many of the sightings we cannot explain in the natural - ghosts, ufo's, etc... could possibly be something from the supernatural realm that manifested into the natural. We know angels help us, so the next question should be, "What can demons do to us?" - Should we be afraid of them? Jesus certainly wasn't afraid of them.
I like how pastor Mark Driscoll puts it,
A can of Raid will kill roaches, a box of D-Con will kill rats, and reminding Satan that you belong to Jesus Christ and that you speak by His authority will get rid of demons. Yeah, I pretty much equate them to this - a pest, and with Jesus as your exterminator then you have the authority to throw them out of your home, your family, and your life.
After you do this you don't need to go out and start some kind of new deliverance ministry. you are simply doing what a Christian (follower of Jesus) should do! Take charge over you and your home in the name of Jesus and let the enemy know he cannot enter in.
1 Peter 5:8 tells us,
2nd Corinthians 2:9-11
This may mean renouncing some practices that take place in your home, or it may simply mean not watching a television show or going to websites that are displeasing to the Lord. The truth is anything that is "ungodly" could become a magnet for attracting demonic activity. We should take the admonishment above seriously "lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices."
Finally, if you belong to Christ - meaning He is your Lord and Savior, then you need not worry about Satan or his demons. Everything God expects from you can be summed up in two verses.
Romans 12:1-2,
That's right, God wants a 100% commitment from you. After all, He gave us 100% when He left everything in Glory, then came to this disgusting world to be born as a man?
Furthermore, He then chose to die for our redemption so that we could live once again as God's children and spend eternity with Him in Heaven. I'd say Jesus was 100% committed to us wouldn't you?
Verse 1 above tells us what we need to do - become a living sacrifice to God. Verse 2 is where we can find the key to overcoming our enemy. the answer is to abide in the One who has already defeated Satan.
Not being conformed to this world means to not conform to the Satanic influences in the world - whether it be something in the media, a relationship we need to severe, an addiction, or any other sin that is in our life.
Then to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" is our instruction on how to do this. This means putting Godly things into our life instead of evil, but even more it means reading the word of God regularly and getting it deep into us.
Psalm 119:11 says,
Also remember the words of James 4:7,
Apparently, there is enough activity being manifested in the spiritual realm these days to keep season after season of "Ghost hunter" reality shows buzzing on the air. Yet there is a skepticism in the world that there is no supernatural realm, and that only what we can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste in our natural realm is our reality. So how can we explain this then? There are countless documentations of supernatural activity that cannot simply be explained away by natural means.
As Christians we should certainly not join the skeptics when it comes to dismissing the supernatural. As far as the traditional view of ghosts goes (disembodied spirits wandering the world after death), I've written about this subject in the past, stating a biblical perspective in my blog, "Ghost Stories & Satan's Agenda" and I would also recommend that you read this as it lines up with this subject.
A Christian, simply put, should believe what the bible says about the spirit realm and consider the word of God to be the final authority. I mean either He is God or He is nothing. likewise, either his word (the bible) is TRUE, or He is not God. So with this in mind let's ask the most basic question - Is there a spiritual realm?
Nehemiah 9:6 says,
You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven,So we can see that heaven, then heaven of heavens are described with all their host. It then finishes with "the host of heaven worships You."
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You.
This verse describes both a natural and a spiritual realm. Likewise, in the New Testament we see another one of the many glimpses into the spiritual realm being described during the birth of our Lord Jesus.
Luke 2:13-15 says,
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”Again and again the bible describes the spiritual realm, so I will conclude that YES! - There is a spiritual realm. This leads to the next question. What is in it?
According to the verses above and many others we can conclude that there are angels in it. The word "Angel" means messenger, and this is what we see them doing often. Delivering messages to people in the bible. There is also verses that support that angels also protect God's people from harm. ( Psalm 91:11, Matthew 18:10, Hebrews 1:14 )
These are all positive aspects about the spiritual realm, but not everything living in the spiritual realm wants to help us. In fact, the bible describes an enemy we call Satan, who is a fallen angel. He has other fallen angels in his army, and they have declared war on God's people. In the end he and his angels (demons), will lose ( Revelation 20:10 )
In the meantime however angels and demons are not visible to our natural eyes, but on occasion they do manifest. At least there have been both biblical and modern day documented sightings. Also, many of the sightings we cannot explain in the natural - ghosts, ufo's, etc... could possibly be something from the supernatural realm that manifested into the natural. We know angels help us, so the next question should be, "What can demons do to us?" - Should we be afraid of them? Jesus certainly wasn't afraid of them.
I like how pastor Mark Driscoll puts it,
"There are two erroneous reactions to the topic of demons: the first is to deny they exist, and the second is to obsess over them. Instead, if we know our enemy and understand his schemes, he cannot easily outwit us. Our life is like a house; for Christians, Satan never owns the house, Jesus does, but Satan can influence and oppress. We must recognize the ways in which we could leave doors and windows to our house open (such as through unrepentant, habitual sin). Through repentance and faith in Jesus because of his death, burial, and resurrection, our allegiance to Satan is canceled, and our freedom in Christ is granted. God’s enemy becomes our enemy and Jesus’ authority becomes our authority."Is it a stretch to say that god's enemy becomes our enemy and that Jesus' authority becomes our authority? I don't believe so. In fact, there are occasions in the bible where the disciples of Jesus would cast out demons. Of course they had to do this under the authority of Jesus or else the demons would not have came out.
A can of Raid will kill roaches, a box of D-Con will kill rats, and reminding Satan that you belong to Jesus Christ and that you speak by His authority will get rid of demons. Yeah, I pretty much equate them to this - a pest, and with Jesus as your exterminator then you have the authority to throw them out of your home, your family, and your life.
After you do this you don't need to go out and start some kind of new deliverance ministry. you are simply doing what a Christian (follower of Jesus) should do! Take charge over you and your home in the name of Jesus and let the enemy know he cannot enter in.
1 Peter 5:8 tells us,
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
2nd Corinthians 2:9-11
9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.As Christians, we are not only at an advantage of having authority over the demonic, but God has given us a brain to think with. If you know you have anything in your home that is sinful, or that causes you to sin, then why would you leave such an opened door for the enemy? I'll not go through any kind of list, for each of us must allow the word of God to instruct us, the Holy Spirit to convict us, and then be obedient to Him. This is called cleansing your home.
This may mean renouncing some practices that take place in your home, or it may simply mean not watching a television show or going to websites that are displeasing to the Lord. The truth is anything that is "ungodly" could become a magnet for attracting demonic activity. We should take the admonishment above seriously "lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices."
Finally, if you belong to Christ - meaning He is your Lord and Savior, then you need not worry about Satan or his demons. Everything God expects from you can be summed up in two verses.
Romans 12:1-2,
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
That's right, God wants a 100% commitment from you. After all, He gave us 100% when He left everything in Glory, then came to this disgusting world to be born as a man?
Furthermore, He then chose to die for our redemption so that we could live once again as God's children and spend eternity with Him in Heaven. I'd say Jesus was 100% committed to us wouldn't you?
Verse 1 above tells us what we need to do - become a living sacrifice to God. Verse 2 is where we can find the key to overcoming our enemy. the answer is to abide in the One who has already defeated Satan.
Not being conformed to this world means to not conform to the Satanic influences in the world - whether it be something in the media, a relationship we need to severe, an addiction, or any other sin that is in our life.
Then to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" is our instruction on how to do this. This means putting Godly things into our life instead of evil, but even more it means reading the word of God regularly and getting it deep into us.
Psalm 119:11 says,
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Also remember the words of James 4:7,
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
GOD BLESS!
