Go to Menu

What Does CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY Mean?

To understand what the phrase “Christ in you, the hope of glory” means, let’s read it in context of Paul’s letter to the believers at Colossae:

I have become its [the Church’s] servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

Colossians 1:25-28

“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (verse 27) is the “mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations” but now is revealed to people through the awesome Christian message (verse 26). It refers to the Lord being in the believer through spiritual regeneration via the seed of Christ (1 John 3:9; 1 Peter 1:23; Titus 3:5; James 1:18), as well as the permanent indwelling Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9), which is the seal and hope of all glorious things to come (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14). What glorious things are these?

Related Topics:

What Is the MYSTERY OF THE AGES?

The Basics of Christianity

The Fountain of Life Within (video)

How to Walk FREE OF THE FLESH by being Spirit-Controlled

Did PAUL’S MESSAGE Contradict Jesus & James’ Gospel?

Are Believers Only to Receive From THE EPISTLES OF PAUL?

God Deals With People ACCORDING TO THE LIGHT THEY HAVE

The LORD deals with people according to the light they have. Once we have revelation of a certain truth we are responsible for living according to it (or living in light of it). This can be observed in a few key passages, like these:

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

John 9:39-41

“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.”

John 15:22

If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.

John 15:24

Christ wasn’t talking about physical blindness in the first passage, but rather spiritual blindness. The Pharisees & other Judaic leaders were very learned in the Holy Scriptures that existed up to that point (John 5:39), but they had unfortunately allowed the spiritual disease of legalism to infect them — aka dead religiosity — and, as such, they were arrogant, rigid know-it-alls who couldn’t see the forest for the trees, spiritually speaking. The very Scriptures they diligently studied pointed to Christ, but here he was on Earth ministering with God’s powerful anointing and yet they rejected him due to their hateful jealousy and, worse, wanted to murder him (John 5:36-40 & John 8:31-47).

Here are a couple other supportive texts:

“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

Luke 12:47-48 (here’s the whole passage)

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

James 4:17

This obviously isn’t an excuse to stay in ignorance, but it does show that God handles people according to the light they have. For instance, the LORD deals differently with a believer who is in his or her first few years of salvation as opposed to someone who’s been a believer for 37 years and is very versed in the Scriptures along with much experience in the things of God in general.

Our Creator takes into consideration things like the person’s stage of spiritual growth, talents, calling and access to knowledge, as well as understanding of that knowledge. A new believer who grew up in a godless, lawless culture might not know a certain sexual activity is a sin, like fornication, and so God deals with him accordingly. As the believer grows, however, he’ll soon learn truth in regards to sexual propriety thru God’s word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit; the LORD then holds him accountable to what he knows and understands.

As Yeshua said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48). You could put it this way: If you’re a half-pint, live up to being a half-pint; if you’re a gallon, live up to being a gallon; if you’re a two-ton tank, live up to being a two-ton tank.

Let me close by emphasizing that God is love (1 John 4:16) and therefore is greatly compassionate & merciful with his children:

8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

    slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The Lord is good to all;
    he has compassion on all he has made.

Psalm 145:8-9

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:14-16

Related Topics:

Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages

SPIRITUAL GROWTH Is Like Climbing a Mountain

The Basics of Christianity

What Does THEY SHALL TAKE UP SNAKES Mean?

When the Lord gave the Great Commission he noted that certain signs would accompany believers:

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Mark 16:17-18

To properly understand what Christ meant by the statement “they will pick up snakes with their hands,” just look to the rest of the verse where he says “and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them.” So the Messiah was talking about being accidently exposed to something poisonous and not being harmed. A good example is when Paul got bit by a deadly viper on the island of Malta after being shipwrecked:

Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

Acts 28:3-5

This is the obvious meaning of our text: Believers will not be hurt by deadly snakes or poison, assuming they’re walking in faith (see this article for details). The rest of the account shows that this sign was a powerful witness to the inhabitants of the island along with the sign that “they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well”:

The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

Acts 28:6-10

What Christ said in Mark 16:17-18 was hypothetical, but we see here two of these actual signs in real life on Malta, as well as the effect it had on the unconverted.

Does this sign of picking up snakes warrant having “snake-handling ceremonies” where poisonous snakes are brought into an assembly and the believers handle the serpents to prove that they are true believers? Obviously not. It would be like bringing deadly poison to the fellowship, such as drain cleaner, and encouraging the believers to drink it to verify their authenticity.  This is idiotic fanaticism that “puts the LORD God to the test” (Matthew 4:7; Deuteronomy 6:16).

Speaking of “snake-handling rituals,” I’ve been a believer since the age of 20 and have been to myriad assemblies in the last four decades, but I’ve never run across this kind of dubious ceremony, not even close, even though I’ve attended numerous varied Pentecostal/Charismatic services, including in Appalachian areas. However, I have seen snake-handling rites depicted in a couple movies. So, while there have been cases of this peculiar rite occurring in a small number of isolated churches, typically in Appalachia, it’s more of a cinematic myth than reality. I bring this up because Carol, my wife, worked with a woman a few years ago who kept referring to “snakebite churches,” which Carol & I found amusing. For the most part, they don’t exist except in the minds of Hollywood scriptwriters.

In any case, “they will pick up snakes with their hands” should be taken in the obvious sense relevant to Acts 28:3-5.

However, there is…

A Deeper Interpretation

Sometimes Scripture has a straight-forward meaning as well as a subtextual one. A good example would be Paul’s figurative interpretation of two historical people, Sarah and Hagar (Galatians 4:24).

So is there a deeper meaning to Christ’s statement “They shall take up serpents” in Mark 16:18? Yes, there is a viable symbolic interpretation. Consider when the LORD gave Moses & Aaron the assignment to appear before Pharaoh when the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt:

Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”

2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

He said, “A rod.”

3 And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), 5 “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Exodus 4:1-5 NKJV

And here’s what happened when Moses & Aaron actually went to Pharaoh:

So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

Exodus 7:10-12 NKJV

Summing this up, Moses & Aaron appeared before Pharaoh and, as a sign to the Egyptians (aka the world), cast a staff to the ground and it became a serpent. Pharaoh’s sorcerers cast their rods to the ground as well and they also became serpents thru their black arts, yet Moses’ serpent consumed the other serpents and their black arts couldn’t prevent it. Then Moses & Aaron took up the serpent and it became a staff once again.

This account can be interpreted symbolically when you grasp the symbols:

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

Isaiah 11:1 (NKJV)

This reveals that the family tree of David’s father, Jesse, would produce a “Branch” out of its roots, which refers to the Messiah (Romans 1:2-4).

Christ, the Righteous Branch, become sin and this is represented in Moses & Aaron’s staff becoming a serpent. The Son was “cast” to the Earth by the Father in order to be sin on our behalf when crucified (2 Corinthians 5:21), but was then taken up (to Heaven) to become, once again, the Righteous Branch. He’s no longer sin on the cross, a figurative serpent, but rather has been raised for the justification of all those who believe (Romans 4:25).

This helps make sense of the Old Testament account in which the Hebrews grumbled in unbelief after escaping slavery in Egypt and so were attacked by venomous snakes (Numbers 21:4-7). In other words, their sin — represented by the snakes — was going to kill them, but they humbly repented and thus the LORD gave them the means of salvation from the deadly bites, thus escaping the wages of their sin:

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

Numbers 21:8-9

This obviously foreshadows Jesus’ crucifixion:

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:14-16

Now let’s apply this to believers “taking up snakes” in a figurative sense as a sign to the world during the current Age of Grace…

As we share the awesome news of the message of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), the people who are behaving like serpents — that is, lost in the world and living in sin — have the opportunity to believe and die to the flesh as they are raised righteous in Christ through spiritual rebirth, thus giving their lives over to the Lord (Romans 4:24; Titus 3:5; Romans 12:1; Mark 8:35).

The New Testament teaches that believers are raised to life in Christ and have the “gift of righteousness” (John 5:24; Romans 5:17). We are like the Egyptian sorcerers’ snakes that are swallowed up by Moses’ serpent and enter the work of the crucified & resurrected Christ. This work of the Anointed One who became sin for us yet was raised from that sin & death to righteousness & life by the hand of God.*

* Jesus didn’t sin, but became sin on our behalf (Hebrews 4:15).

All those who believe are taken in Christ just like the Egyptian snakes were taken into Moses’ serpent. The Lord became sin itself and took our sins; then was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25 & 5:17). In short, those who believe, receive Christ and are taken in Him and raised to life together with the Lord as new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17).

As such, this sign “They shall take up serpents” is how:

They are no longer “serpents” — hopeless, unredeemed sinners — but are now in Christ, the Righteous Branch. Amen.

Related Topics:

What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?

“Holy water” and “Saying Grace”

ARMOR & WEAPONRY of God

Baptism of the Holy Spirit (“Tongues”) and It’s Benefits

What Is GLORY in the Sense of God’s (Shekinah) GLORY?

God’s glory is linked to the LORD’s presence. When you hear a minister pray “God, show us your glory” it’s referring to the LORD manifesting glory to the people thereof. This is where we get the phrase God’s ‘manifest presence.’ The Almighty is omnipresent, of course — present everywhere at the same time in the sense of knowing what’s going on everywhere and nothing can be hidden from the Creator (Jeremiah 23:24 & Proverbs 15:3) — but this does not mean that God lacks a central presence and form (Psalm 11:4), it just means that the LORD manifests his presence and the corresponding glory to people at a certain time/place.

Some refer to this as shekinah glory, a phrase coined by Hebrew rabbis in reference to a visitation of the LORD on Earth and the corresponding glory. ‘Shekinah’ literally denotes the dwelling or settling of the presence of the Almighty, such as on the lid of the Ark of the Covenant (Leviticus 16:2). Although this Hebrew term doesn’t technically appear in the Holy Scriptures, the concept of shekinah glory does (Ezekiel 43:2-5).

One of the meatier passages on God’s glory pertains to the time when Moses was leading the Israelites through the Sinai wilderness after escaping Egypt:

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 11The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

12Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

14The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

15Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

17And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

18Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

19And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

21Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

Exodus 33:7-23

When Moses went to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” To explain, the Ark of the Covenant was housed in the Tent of Meeting and God’s shekinah glory dwelt on the top of the lid of the Ark (Numbers 17:4). “Face to face” in this context is a metaphor for intimate communion between God and Moses “as one speaks to a friend.” It’s not a literal statement, but rather refers to experiencing God’s spiritual presence and the relationship thereof, not physical presence. We know this because the LORD plainly says in verse 20, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

Forms of God’s Manifest Presence

Someone asked me if God’s glory is a cloud, likely due to the pillar of cloud mentioned in verses 9-10.  The LORD’s glory manifested as a cloud on this occasion perhaps because this cloud pillar was used to guide the Israelites through the desert wilderness for 40 years during the day and as a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21). God’s glory also manifested as a cloud at the Temple on another exceptional occasion (1 Kings 8:10-11 & 2 Chronicles 5:13-14), which we also observe in the heavenly Temple in John’s vision (Revelation 15:8).

Yet God’s glory doesn’t always manifest in the form of a cloud or “holy smoke.” You might even call such manifestations exceptions. For instance, when the LORD passed before Moses and the prophet saw God’s back parts there is no mention of a cloud (Exodus 33:18-23). Furthermore, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, after he had communed with the Creator for 40 days, his face was radiant with splendor, but there was no cloud wrapped around his face.

Moreover, when the LORD passed by Elijah on the mountain, God’s glory manifested as a gentle whisper or “still small voice” rather than a powerful wind, earthquake or fire (1 Kings 19:11-13). This shows, by the way, that we can experience God’s glory without some great spectacle occurring, like a pillar of cloud or fire. You can be sitting in a field and quietly experience shekinah glory.

Jesus Christ often went to solitary places in the wilderness to pray “as was his habit,” as shown in Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23 and Luke 22:39-41. Do you think he experienced the Father’s presence & corresponding glory on these occasions? It’s a rhetorical question in light of the exceptional anointing Christ walked in during his earthly ministry.

The Result of Experience God’s Presence (Glory)

There are a lot of wonderful things we can get from this passage — Exodus 33:7-23 — such as the fact that Moses’ aid, Joshua, would linger in the LORD’s presence after Moses left the Tent of Meeting, and guess who God chose to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land after Moses’ passing? Joshua! So anyone who wants to be used greatly of the LORD, spending time in God’s presence is a prerequisite, which is linked to praise & worship.

What we want to focus on here is simply how God’s shekinah glory is linked to the LORD’s manifest presence. Both the Greek word and Hebrew word for ‘glory’ bespeak of God’s splendorous intrinsic substance or essence. Since praising God naturally attracts the LORD’s presence and worship (adoration) is the natural response to being in God’s presence, a spirit of praise & worship are key to experiencing shekinah glory (Psalm 95:1-7 & Psalm 100).

Also, since the Living Word said that his words “are spirit and life” (John 6:63) it stands to reason that you’ll be filled with spirit and life if you fill yourself up with the LORD’s word. In other words, the more you spend time with the Lord and soak in the things of God in general, the more glory you’ll experience, but you’ll have to recognize & avoid the life-stifling pitfall of legalism, a horrible spiritual disease.

It is said that we become like those we hang around. For instance, if you spend a lot of time with a certain person, you’ll tend to pick up his/her traits. If you hang around smokers you’ll have an aroma of smoke. The same principle is at play with the LORD and the things of God in general. This can be observed in Moses’ hanging out with the LORD:

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 30When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

33When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.

Exodus 34:29-35

Spending intimate time with the LORD on the top of Mount Sinai and experiencing the glory of God’s presence had a noticeably effect on Moses. His face was radiant with God’s glory, which caused the Israelites to separate from him because they were uncomfortable, even afraid (verse 30).

The New Testament brings up this occasion (2 Corinthians 3:13-16) and ends with this thought:

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Those who “contemplate the Lord’s glory” are transformed into God’s image with ever-increasing glory. In the Greek, “ever-increasing glory” literally means going from glory to glory. In other words, there are levels of glory that we will experience in our earthly pilgrimage corresponding to our spiritual growth. But we have to make sure we’re exposing ourselves to the LORD’s glory on a regular basis, not to mention soaking up the things of God in general. I’m talking beyond trips to your local assembly once or twice a week, although that’s good too of course (assuming the fellowship is biblical & godly and not legalistic).

All of this explains the idea of ministers with a high level ‘anointing.’ It’s the result of soaking up the presence of God & the corresponding glory, not to mention the things of God in general.

Several years ago we had a neighbor who regularly smoked. When Carol went to visit her I could always tell when she came back because she smelled like smoke. The same principle applies to those who regularly “hang out” with God. They’ll have the Lord’s light & aroma about them (2 Corinthians 2:15-17). It’s an anointing of glory.

 

One last thing, which is only for those interested in details…

Experiencing God’s Glory Is Distinguished From Having an “Altar Experience”

You can experience God’s manifest presence and the corresponding shekinah glory on a regular basis as you enter into the LORD’s presence (Psalm 95:1-7 & Psalm 100). This is different from having an “altar experience,” which is an encounter with God wherein you receive a potent revelation and make the necessary sacrifices. Such encounters are separate from – and should not be confused with – one’s daily fellowship with the LORD where the believer has (or, at least, can have) a 24/7 rapport with God by the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:17), which you can read about here.

Again, altar experiences are distinguished from entering into the Lord’s presence during Praise & Worship. How are they different?  Simple: altar experiences occur infrequently and naturally involve a fresh directive and the appropriate sacrifice, physical or mental. That said, one can certainly have an “altar experience” during praise & worship when encountering God’s manifest presence. If you are not familiar with altar experiences, you can read about the topic here (or see the video).

Related Topics:

DRINK UP from the Fountain of Life (video)

Is Christianity a “RELATIONSHIP With God”?

Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages

Spiritual Growth is Like Climbing a Mountain

Believers Who Believe in SPIRITUAL GIFTS vs. Those Who Don’t

I just read a long rant by a minister who rebuked some Pentecostals/Charismatics for their arrogance and stressed how the fruits of the spirit are the true evidence of spiritual maturity. He had some corrective things to say that the body of Christ needs to hear, particularly fleshly believers in the Pentecostal/Charismatic camps, but other things he said showed a very limited understanding of the topic of glossolalia and spiritual gifts. Worse, he came across as looking down on Pentecostals/Charismatics, which is not good as shown in this passage:

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Romans 14:1-4

You could insert any non-essential doctrine or practice into this scenario and it would apply. It corresponds to the wise saying:

In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity

The topic this minister was addressing happened to be glossolalia and gifts of the Spirit. Believers who believe in spiritual gifts must not look down on those who don’t and vice versa. In other words, do not treat people with contempt if they don’t believe in spiritual gifts and don’t treat people with contempt if they do embrace them. The principle applies both ways.

Now let’s consider what was good and not good about this brother’s rant.

He was right to stress the importance of the fruit of the spirit as evidence of genuinely walking with the Lord (Galatians 5:16-26). He was also right to rebuke the arrogance of some Pentecostals/Charismatics who make the gift of speaking in tongues out to be the sign of a true believer. It’s not; the fruits of the spirit are — as Christ plainly said: “by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:15-23). Notice he didn’t say “by their spiritual gifts you will recognize them.” A good example of immature believers flowing in charismatic gifts while glaringly walking in the flesh can be observed right in the Bible at the assembly in Corinth, which explains Paul’s open correction to them:

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ… 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

1 Corinthians 3:1,3

This minister was right to confront this issue in his rant and correct it.

However, he was in error concerning his understanding of the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. From what he said, it didn’t seem like he has spent much time studying this gift or charismatic gifts in general beyond what he understood of Acts 2. More specifically, he argued that the only purpose of glossolalia is for believers to reach unsaved people on the mission field who speak a different language. Actually there’s WAY more on speaking in tongues in the Scriptures as shown in:

I am so thankful for receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit 2.5 years after I was initially saved as a young man. I can’t tell you how much it has blessed me and empowered my walk with the Lord. I encourage every believer to learn of this awesome gift and receive it. However, I don’t look down on those who are ignorant of it or reject it for one reason or another. That’s their call.

The brother stressed Christ’s words in John 14:23 “if a man loves me, he will keep my word,” but what about keeping the Lord’s word in Holy Scripture on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts in general? Or should we just pretend like those many passages aren’t there? Or write them off somehow?

He argued: “They (Pentecostals/Charismatics) are more or less striving for special callings, ministerial power and gifts.” Yet doesn’t the Bible plainly instruct us to “eagerly desire” spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1, 31, 14:1, 39)? This is why believers should stay away from the false doctrine of cessationism because it encourages believers to eagerly deny spiritual gifts, which is the very opposite of what the Scriptures instruct us to do.

Paul plainly said in Scripture: “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you,” which certainly smacks of spiritual boasting (notice I said spiritual boasting, not fleshly). Yet he quickly followed this up with “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:18-19). This shows wise balance on his part.

 

When it comes to non-essential doctrines & practices we have to be careful not to treat believers with contempt just because they disagree on some issue that we have a conviction. By “non-essential” I don’t mean that these doctrines/practices are unimportant, just that they’re not essential to salvation or being a genuine Christian.

By “not treating believers with contempt” I don’t mean that you shouldn’t teach/preach what the Bible says on any topic thru rightly-dividing the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15). Please do so, by all means, but be prepared to prove your case from several passages. Anyone who can’t do this is probably in error. However, if the person you’re trying to convince rejects it due to sectarianism or what have you, please don’t pester them or look down on them. Grant them the liberty to reflect on the matter and make their own decisions. Then pray for them. It’s their spiritual walk, not yours or mine. As the Scripture passage says at the beginning of this article: “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand” (Romans 14:4).

Allow me to close with a fitting passage:

1If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13

Related Topics:

What Is CESSATIONISM and Is It Biblical?

Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages

What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?

SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT — Is It Biblical?

HANDING an Unrepentant Believer OVER TO SATAN (?)

The apostle Paul gave a curious instruction to the Corinthian believers, an assembly that he started. It concerned a foolish man in their midst who was having sexual relations with his father’s wife. In other words, this was a practicing fornicator in the fellowship. The man was obviously confronted and corrected, but remained stubborn and impenitent. Thus Paul advised the believers to “hand this man over to satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5).

What did the apostle mean by this? Simply that the man must be excommunicated from the assembly since he was unwilling to repent of his sin (1 Corinthians 5:12-13). The hope was that he’d eventually be spurred to repentance whereupon he’d be forgiven and warmly welcomed back. Thankfully, this is precisely what panned out, as revealed in Paul’s subsequent letter (2 Corinthians 2:6-11).

Paul was in essence instructing the believers at Corinth to hand the impenitent man over to a Discipline-Intended Trial. Nine or ten years later the apostle wrote about handing a couple of other unrepentant believers over to satan so that they’d learn a lesson (1 Timothy 1:20). To explain, there are three types of trials that believers will undergo during their pilgrimage on Earth: Self-Inflicted Trials (SITs), Discipline-Intended Trials (DITs) and Maturing-Intended Trials (MITs). Here’s an explanation of each:

How was handing the unrepentant man in Corinth over to satan synonymous with a DIT? Simple, a dis-fellowshipped believer is removed from the protective covering of the church assembly and placed outside where the “god of this world” is at liberty to have his way with him/her, so to speak (2 Corinthians 4:4). The enemy will thus assault the individual with one or more of the curses of the Law because this is how satan & evil spirits attack people. They don’t manifest as spooky boogeymen with cloven hooves and pitchforks, they’re invisible spiritual beings who attack through one or more of the curses of the Law.

Any curse of the Law falls into one of five categories: physical ailments, mental illness, human attack/defeat, the threat of premature death and financial attack (again, see Deuteronomy 28). For a biblical example of this, read Job 1-3 wherein the devil struck righteous Job with these five curses after the Sovereign LORD gave permission to attack him.

Let me emphasize: The ultimate purpose for “handing a person over to satan” is to win him/her back. Paul’s goal was in line with God’s love, in this case tough love. The hope was that banishment from the community of believers and suffering one or more of the curses of the Law would humble the man, provoke desperation, and ultimately shock him back to his spiritual senses, at which point he would be warmly welcomed back into the fellowship, just like the prodigal son humbly returned to his father and was received with open arms (Luke 15:11-32).

So handing a person over to satan is one-and-the-same as handing him/her over to a Discipline-Intended Trial (DIT). These kinds of trials may be challenging, but they’re good in that they provoke a person to positive change.

If this article raises as many questions as it answers, it is because it’s meant to “wet your taste” and go deeper in God’s Word on the topic of spiritual warfare, which you can do by studying & applying the material in  this article.

This article was edited from chapter 20 of…

Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.

Related Topics:

What Is “BACKSLIDING”?

Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled

Handling Personal Offenses vs. Handling Criminal Acts

How to CONFRONT & CORRECT (and How NOT to)

What if You KNOW a Confrontation Will Turn UGLY?

False Grace — “Hyper-Grace Cotton Candy”

Judging—When SHOULD You Judge and When SHOULDN’T You Judge?

Forgiveness—Should You Forgive EVERYONE for EVERYTHING ALL of the Time?

Are Angels Strictly Male… or Male AND Female?

The question we want to answer here is: Are there male and female angels or are they all male? Or are they genderless? This topic is somewhat interesting, but relatively inconsequential. For those interested, however, let’s honestly consider what the Bible says…

Angels are consistently referred to in the Bible in the masculine sense (he, him, his) rather than the feminine (she, her, hers). Actually, the Greek word for angel—angeles (ANG-el-os)—is masculine and there is no feminine form.

There is one exception, however, where Zechariah sees two female spiritual beings with wings carrying out a service in a vision (Zechariah 5:5-11). While Ezekiel doesn’t technically call them angels, what else are spiritual beings with wings conducting a service, if not angels? We’ll examine this passage momentarily.

Another thing to consider is that on every occasion when angels appeared to people in human form they were male (Genesis 18:1-3,10, 16-17,22-23 & Ezekiel 9:1-2). This obviously includes the evil spirits—the “sons of God”—who transgressed when they adopted human garb to have intercourse with women, which gave birth to the infamous Nephilim (Genesis 6:1-4), as covered here.

Something else to consider is that the only three angels named in Scripture are male—Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer—as detailed here.

While all this is true, there are several things that need kept in mind on the gender of angels…

1. Just because angels are shown appearing in human form as males doesn’t mean an angel couldn’t appear as female, particularly if the angel is female.

Consider, for example what the writer of Hebrews instructed believers:

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2

 This shows that angels can appear to believers in human form without us discerning that they’re angels. The verse describes them as “strangers” and does not distinguish whether they’re male or female. Notice that it doesn’t add something to the effect of “But if the strangers are female they can’t be angels because angels only appear as male.” Actually, it’s assumed that some of the “strangers” would be female.

Incidentally, the phrase “hospitality to strangers” is one word in the Greek—philoxenia (fil-on-ex-EE-ah)—which means “love to strangers; hospitality.” It doesn’t mean “love to strangers, but only male ones.” It refers to hospitality to people, whether male or female.

I said above that there’s no reason to assume that angels couldn’t appear in human form as female, particularly if the angel is female, which suggests, of course, that some angels are female. This brings up the next two points…

2. Christ said that people—male and female—would become like the angels at the time of their bodily resurrection.

Let’s read the text:

Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.”

Luke 20:34-36

This passage shows that people will become “like angels” at the resurrection in two ways: A. they “will neither marry nor be given in marriage” and B. “they can no longer die.”

Concerning the first point, people—male and female—will become like the angels in the sense that they won’t marry. This doesn’t mean that they will become genderless or that females will morph into males. It just means that marriage as an institution shall cease, perhaps because we’ll all be genuinely one in the Lord as the “bride of Christ” and so there will be no need to become “one flesh” with a person of the opposite sex.

The very fact that Jesus said believers—male and female—will become like angels in the sense that they won’t marry presumes that some angels are female. Think about it. Christ did not say “neither will people marry… for they will be like the angels and will all be male in gender.”

Regarding the second point, angels possess intrinsic immortality whereas unredeemed human beings do not. Immortality is only available to people through the gospel of Christ (2 Timothy 1:10 & Romans 2:7).

3. In a vision Zechariah sees two female spiritual beings with wings carrying out a service, which suggests that they’re angels.

Let’s read the passage:

Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”

6 I asked, “What is it?”

He replied, “It is a basket.” And he added, “This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.”

7 Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! 8 He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.

9 Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.

11 He replied, “To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”

Zechariah 5:5-11

These two women with wings carrying a basket between Heaven and Earth are obviously angels because angels are spiritual beings, often described as having wings, who perform services for God, traveling back and forth from Heaven to Earth. The latter is reminiscent of Jacob’s dream where he saw a stairway (or ladder) to Heaven with angels going back and forth from Heaven to Earth (Genesis 28:12). Thus Zechariah’s vision suggests that angels can be female.

Some disagree on the grounds that A. they’re not technically called angels, but rather “women,” which is translated from the Hebrew term ishshah (ish-SHAW), meaning “female” or “wife”; B. this is the same word used for the symbolic “woman” in the basket, which isn’t a woman, but rather figurative of wickedness; C. this is contrasted by the “angel” whom Zechariah is actually talking to, which is the Hebrew word for angel, malak (mal-AWK), and this angel is repeatedly referred as “he” (verses 6, 8 & 11); and, lastly, D. the two women with wings appear in a prophetic vision and visions do not necessarily illustrate actual beings or items; a good example is the “flying scroll” noted earlier in the same chapter of Zechariah (verses 1-2).

Response: A. this is a God-given vision imparted to one of the LORD’s Old Testament prophets and is included in the Holy Scriptures; B. whether they’re called angels by Zechariah or not, the two women carrying a basket are spiritual beings with wings performing a service “between heaven and earth,” which implies that they are angels (after all, what else would they be?); C. God made a point to distinguish these two spiritual beings’ gender as decidedly female; and D. Jesus himself gave a parable—which is a symbolic story, not reality—where he referenced the angels who carried a dead beggar’s soul to Hades (Luke 16:22-23); while this parable is a fictional story containing symbolism* it presumes that these ‘death angels’ actually function in the spirit realm. Why would it be any different with Zechariah’s vision?

* For details see this article.

A pastor who objected to the existence of female angels argued that the women with wings in Zechariah’s vision are demons. Answer: Demons are fallen angels, so if there are female fallen angels there must also be female heavenly angels (unless Lucifer misled all the female angels, which isn’t likely since he only misled a third of the angels anyway).

4. The Hebrew term adam is used to describe the faces of cherubim in the Bible and this term can denote male or female.

This can be observed in Ezekiel’s two visions where he describes the four faces of cherubs, one being that of a “man” (Ezekiel 1:6,10 & 10:14). This is translated from the Hebrew word adam (aw-DAWM), which means “man” or “humankind” and can refer to male or female, as clearly shown here:

So God created mankind (adam) in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

“Mankind” (or “man”) refers to both male and female and were created in the image of God, which shows that the feminine nature originated with God.

5. The Holy Spirit is referred to with masculine pronouns, but the Spirit’s nature is decidedly feminine.

Before anyone cries “HERETIC” consider the obvious evidence:

God has a “feminine” side in that Scripture gives evidence of his softer traits (feminine), as well as his sterner side (masculine). Some good examples include Psalm 103:8, 1 John 4:8 and Matthew 11:28-30.

Also consider this verse:

As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.

Psalm 123:2

The LORD is compared with both a master (male) and a mistress (female). And the Creator has no problem including such a passage in the God-breathed Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Think about that.

Yet when it comes to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which one especially suggests the feminine nature? (Please understand that this is not a question of sexuality, but of nature). Obviously not the Father or Son because, after all, they’re the Father and Son — both clearly masculine.

I would offer that the Holy Spirit generally reflects the feminine nature. For instance the symbol for the Holy Spirit is a dove, which suggests gentleness and harmlessness (Luke 3:22). Also, the Holy Spirit is referred to as a “Helper” of believers in John 14:16, 26 (also translated as “Comforter” and “Counselor”). One of Eve’s main purposes was to be Adam’s “helper” (Genesis 2:18, 20). In addition, the Holy Spirit is shown to be sensitive — easily grieved — in Ephesians 4:30 and Hebrews 10:29.

The most glaring evidence of the Holy Spirit’s feminine nature can be observed in John 3:6 where the Messiah pointed out that “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” Christ was comparing human birth with spiritual regeneration. Just as a woman gives birth to a child (“flesh gives birth to flesh”) so the Holy Spirit gives rebirth to a person’s spirit when he or she turns to God. Giving birth clearly bespeaks of the feminine nature.

By contrast, in 1 Peter 1:23 believers are said to be “born again” of the imperishable seed of the living Word of God, who is Jesus Christ. This is also conveyed in 1 John 3:9 where “Seed” in the Greek is sperma, the Greek word for sperm. You see, believers are born-again of the sperm of Christ, but given spiritual rebirth by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).

Furthermore, this may spur chuckles, but when the Messiah said, “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:32), I can’t help but think of the way men get irate when someone says something insulting about their Momma.

In regards to being sure not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30 & Hebrews 10:29), I can’t help but think of the saying: “If Momma ain’t happy, no one’s happy.”

It is true that the Holy Spirit is referred to by the pronoun “he” in Scripture (e.g. John 16:13) and Mary was inseminated by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-20), but that seed was the seed of the Word of God, which is Jesus Christ; and the thrust of Scripture points to the Holy Spirit’s feminine nature, as detailed above. Besides, God transcends quaint masculine and feminine associations and there is neither male nor female in Christ (Galatians 3:28).  Also, Jesus is the wisdom of God, as seen in 1 Corinthians 1:30, but wisdom is personified as a woman in Proverbs 8-9 and referred to with a feminine pronoun (e.g. Matthew 11:19).

This shows that just because angels are consistently referred to with masculine pronouns (he, him, his) it doesn’t necessarily mean that there aren’t feminine angels, which is pretty much proven by Zechariah 5:9.

6. Jesus is the wisdom of God, as seen in 1 Corinthians 1:30, but wisdom is personified as a woman in Proverbs 8 and 9.

This isn’t to suggest, of course, that Christ is womanly—far from it, as driven home in this article. It simply shows that, although the Son is decidedly masculine, Scripture is flexible in revealing one part of Him—wisdom—as feminine in a figurative sense.

7. The universality of male & female living beings, which are created by the LORD.

Male and female are God-given genders. Both are blessed, yet they’re different. Loony leftists, who claim that there’s no such thing as gender and, secondly, that a person has the right to reject his/her gender and therefore have their body mutilated to switch over to the other side, are blind fools. ‘Nuff said.

8. A few times in Scripture a group of angels is referred to as “the sons of God” and it’s obvious they’re masculine in nature (Genesis 6:1-4, Job 1:6 & 2:1)…

…yet all this shows is that these groups consisted of male angels; it doesn’t prove that there aren’t female angels.

9. In certain contexts “sons of God” obviously refer to both male and female.

This can be observed in Romans 8:14 where it says “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (KJV). While the original text literally says the “sons of God” (the Greek for ‘son’ being masculine*) the context is referring to believers led by the Spirit of God and therefore to both male and female Christians. This explains why the NIV translates “sons of God” in this verse as “children of God.” Luke 20:36 is a similar example. Thus when Job 38:7 cites that “all the sons of God [i.e. angels] shouted for joy” when God created the Earth (KJV) it’s not definitive proof that all angels are male. They could be, but more likely they’re not in light of the overriding evidence. The usage of the phrase “sons of God” in the Bible to refer to both male and female simply reflects the patriarchal nature of Israel & surrounding regions during biblical times.

* Huios (hwee-OS).

In light of all this, I don’t see the problem with the idea that there are male and female angels, although male angels are the emphasis in Scripture and they clearly don’t marry or procreate.

Nevertheless, the issue is trivial in the grand scheme of things and isn’t worth quarreling over, which is why I only include this data as an appendix in my book…

Both links allow you to LOOK INSIDE the book.

Related Topics:

ANGELS — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Evil Spirits (Demons) — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Satan (the Devil) — Liar, Slanderer, Thief, Murderer

Demonic Spirits — How to Deflect Them

How to Enlist the HELP OF ANGELS

Why Do Unclean Spirits Seek Out DRY PLACES?

Women of the Bible / Women in Ministry

Why Is This World So Messed Up?

REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation

An Introduction to ANGELS

The human race seems to be fascinated by angels. Why else do we observe references to these spiritual beings almost everywhere? Angels are in our movies, our books, our songs, our lyrics, our conversations, our graveyards, our ornaments, our greeting cards, our décor and other forms of art, like paintings and album covers.

Speaking of art, Solomon had the Holy Temple in Jerusalem decorated with cherubim, including the walls (1 Kings 6:23-29). Moreover, the lid to the sacred Ark of the Covenant had two gold-sculptured angels facing each other; and it was between these artistic cherubim that the LORD’s presence would dwell on Earth during the Old Covenant.*

* For a couple mind-blowing revelations on the Ark of the Covenant see this article.

This is all fine and dandy, but are angels real? Do they really exist and dwell in the invisible spiritual realm? And, if so, what is their purpose? Why do they exist? Furthermore, do we have control over their activity in some way? In other words, do our actions or inactions determine what they do or don’t do? Also, can angels appear in the physical realm as people? And what about dark angels; that is, evil spirits or demons? What’s the Bible say?

Please notice that the question is “What’s the Bible say?” and not “What’s my sect say?” or “What’s Pastor Jones say?” That’s because we shouldn’t be concerned with what a particular ministry or denomination teaches on angels, but rather what the Bible itself says, which is what Fountain of Life is all about. In other words, this article, my book on angels and the linking articles on this site are a decidedly non-sectarian Scripture-focused examination of the subject.

These materials include longer segments that are dense with info along with shorter ones which drive home simpler points. While I wrote my book on angels to be read front-to-back you’re welcome to jump around to get what you want out of it. Just use the CONTENTS page to zero-in on the topic that interests you. If you come to a section, article or chapter that doesn’t interest you, just jump to the next one. Cross-referencing is provided for your convenience, as are proof texts galore.

Speaking of which, I’m a stickler for proof texts because they place the relevant data at your fingertips. I encourage you to have a Bible handy so you can look up the texts yourself in your preferred translation.

Some important points are reemphasized now and then because 1. I don’t assume that a reader has read the other chapters/articles and 2. I consider the point in question to be indispensable to the body of Christ at this juncture. So I’m not being redundant, I’m just driving something home that needs driven home. The 1st century apostles practiced this, so it’s a God-ordained educational method (2 Peter 1:12-13).

If something is brought up and isn’t elaborated on to your satisfaction, it’s likely because it’s detailed more fully elsewhere in the book or linking articles on this site.

Like most biblical topics, angelology is a complex one and so the answers aren’t always simple or clear cut. Sometimes an answer depends on various criteria and balancing numerous passages, which is mandatory for “rightly dividing” God’s Word. Sometimes we’re compelled to speculate based on the biblical data at hand.

I think you’ll be amazed at what the Bible says about angels and linking subjects. The study will thoroughly enrich your spiritual walk, as it has mine. Now join me to dig into the Holy Scriptures and mine them for answers on angelology. You can start with the article Angels or pick up a special low-priced copy of my book…

Both links allow you to LOOK INSIDE the book.

Related Topics:

Evil Spirits (Demons) — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Demonic Spirits — How to Deflect Them

How to Enlist the HELP OF ANGELS

The Basics of Christianity

The DEFEAT of Satan & His Losers

The most important thing you need to understand about the Enemy & his demonic minions is that they’re a defeated foe. They’re stripped of their authority and power as far as regenerated believers are concerned:

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he [Christ] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Colossians 2:15

The “powers and authorities” refer to satan and his sheeple demons. The Bible calls the devil “the god of this world,” but 1. his reign is a temporary one and 2. he’s been “disarmed” for all those in Christ. To ‘disarm’ means to strip or divest. As such, the devil & his filthy angels have been stripped—deprived of their property, rights and power for all those who come to Christ. In other words, the enemy has been dispossessed!

The very reason Jesus came to this lost and dying world was to destroy the devil’s reign:

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

1 John 3:8

This great mission started with the Messiah’s birth, earthly ministry, substitutionary death & resurrection and will culminate with the devil & his filthy angels being cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10 & Matthew 25:41).

How exactly did the Mighty Yeshua “disarm” the devil & his minions and “triumph over them” by his crucifixion and resurrection? By suffering God’s wrath in our place, which is what ‘substitutionary death’ means—the innocent dying for the guilty in order to set them free from their debt of sin and their corresponding bondage to the kingdom of darkness. But—and this is an important “but”—people have to willingly be born-again of the seed of Christ, which is spiritual rebirth (John 3:3,6, Titus 3:5, 1 John 3:9 & 1 Peter 1:23). This regeneration comes through the keys of repentance and faith (Acts 20:21).

What if You Don’t Believe?

If you don’t have faith—belief—then continue to seek it out. Those who seek shall find (Jeremiah 29:13 & Matthew 7:7). “Come near to God and he’ll come near to you” (James 4:8). It’s an axiom!

Let me illustrate from my own life: During my adolescence I heard the gospel from a few people and I also collected several tracts that presented the good news of Christ. I don’t know how, but I instinctively knew I needed some kind of rebirth—a fresh start in life—and so I prayed the salvation prayer at the end of those tracts on a few separate occasions during those dark years. Nothing happened, however, because I simply didn’t have the faith at the time. Simply put, I didn’t believe… yet.

So I carried on in my lost state, but I still genuinely sought the truth—the way it really is—even though some paths ended up being dead ends (like psychology, astrology, etc.). But, years later when I was 20, I was working at a fitness center cleaning the women’s shower room well after midnight when something ‘clicked’ in my mind and I saw the light. All I knew was: “I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25). I was instantaneously saved and drove home that late night with an amazing sense of peace. The next morning I confessed Christ to my mother and sister with a spirit of newfound joy. The rest is His-story. I’ve continued to grow in faith as I sought the LORD and the truth, i.e. reality—the way it really is.

For details on my salvation experience see this video.

Satan & His Loser Angels Are Disarmed and Defeated!

For the spiritually reborn believer, the devil & his filthy spirits are disarmed because we’re born of the seed* of Christ by the Holy Spirit. More than that, God lives in us through the indwelling Spirit and so we are temples of God (1 Corinthians 6:19).

* ‘Seed’ in 1 John 3:9 is the Greek word for sperm; in 1 Peter 1:23 it’s spora (spor-AH).

This is the mind-blowing “mystery” of the gospel—“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). How is Christ in us? Through spiritual rebirth wherein we’re “created to be like God in true righteousness” (Ephesians 4:22-24) and also through the indwelling Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). The kingdom of darkness is disarmed in the lives of all those in Christ; they’re stripped of all their authority and power. Even more, those born of the Mighty Conqueror have authority and power over all wicked spirits. Authority means the right to rule whereas power means the ability to rule. And we have both over the devil & his filthy minions.

We have to get away from this idea that the devil & his loser underlings are these uber-scary creatures. This is only so for the unbeliever who’s subject to them. For believers born of the seed of the Mighty Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit all filthy spirits have been stripped of their authority and power! Remember: They’re spiritual doofuses who foolishly rebelled against the Almighty and lost their glorious place in Heaven and all the blessings thereof. How smart can they possibly be? Not very. Don’t be scared of ’em! The truth is, they’re scared of believers who know and walk in their authority and power.

So it’s of the utmost importance that you understand who you are in Christ—your position, authority and power. Know who you are and walk like it, talk like it! You’ll send the Enemy and his smelly cronies fleeing from you in terror; it’s true (James 4:7). If you want an example straight from the Scriptures see this article.

It’s of paramount importance that you grasp these truths if you want to walk free of the harassment of evil spirits. This doesn’t mean that they won’t attack you but, when they do, you are guaranteed the victory as you “fight the good fight faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). If there’s a fight to faith there are enemies to faith. You’ll never outgrow spiritual warfare; you must simply learn to fight!

‘Spiritual warfare,’ by the way, simply means to defeat satanic attacks through the spiritual weapons God has provided us. For details see these three articles:

This article was edited from chapter 14 of…

Both links allow you to LOOK INSIDE the book.

Related Topics:

ANGELS — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Evil Spirits (Demons) — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Satan (the Devil) — Liar, Slanderer, Thief, Murderer

How to Enlist the HELP OF ANGELS

Why Do Unclean Spirits Seek Out DRY PLACES?

REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation

Menu:

Back to Top