14 DAVID continued to succeed in everything he did, FOR THE LORD WAS WITH HIM.
15 When Saul recognized this, HE BECAME EVEN MORE AFRAID OF HIM."
1 Samuel 18:14,15 (NLT)
• If you go beyond what you are assigned to do, you may become a casualty in the devil's hands.
- Take note:
(i) Be serious with and be committed to whatever God has assigned you to do (2 Peter 1:10).
(ii) Do not be sentimental about God's instructions (Proverbs 4:20-22).
(iii) Do not trivialize whatever God has revealed to you about the devil and his workers (2 Corinthians 2:11; Philippians 3:2).
(iv) Simple mindedness and being naive could cause the devil to make mincemeat of you (Proverbs 1:22; 8:5; 22:3). - It is amazing that some people still believe that the devil is not real. All they believe and want to know are things they could see with their physical eyes.
THE spiritual realm is real, and it controls the physical realm. The devil, being a spirit being, operates in the spiritual realm. The effects of whatever he, the devil, does through some humans could be seen in the physical realm or world.
NOTE this Scripture, Ephesians 6:12, in different translations:
"FOR OUR FIGHT IS NOT AGAINST ANY PHYSICAL ENEMY: IT is against organisations and POWERS THAT ARE SPIRITUAL. WE are up against THE UNSEEN POWER THAT CONTROLS THIS DARK WORLD, and SPIRITUAL AGENTS from the very headquarters of EVIL" (Ephesians 6:12 Philips).
"FOR WE ARE NOT FIGHTING AGAINST PEOPLE MADE OF FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PERSONS WITHOUT BODIES—THE EVIL RULERS OF THE UNSEEN WORLD, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness WHO RULE THIS WORLD [2 Corinthians 4:4]; and against huge numbers of WICKED SPIRITS IN THE SPIRIT WORLD" (Ephesians 6:12 Living Bible).
• Those with magical powers, spirit of divinations, mermaid spirit, operate and manifest counterfeit gifts of the Holy Spirit—because the devil is a counterfeiter:
13 THESE people are FALSE APOSTLES. They are DECEITFUL WORKERS who DISGUISE themselves as APOSTLES OF CHRIST. 14 BUT I am not surprised! EVEN SATAN DISGUISES HIMSELF AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT. 15 SO it is NO wonder that his SERVANTS also DISGUISE themselves as SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. IN the END they will GET the PUNISHMENT their WICKED deeds DESERVE" (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 NLT).
- Familiar spirit gives insight into the realms of the spirit for people who possess it. This spirit is also known as spirit of divination, soothsaying, or sorcery (Acts 16:16,17).
- A good number of those who claimed to be prophets are operating with the familiar spirit; Although there are genuine prophets of God:
"NOW when they [Paul and Barnabas with their team] had gone through the island to Paphos, THEY FOUND A CERTAIN SORCERER, A FALSE PROPHET, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus" (Acts 13:6 NKJV). - Where the genuine power of God is not found or present, the spirit of divination would hold people in BONDAGES and CAPTIVES, because the devil is a COUNTERFEITER:
9 BUT there was a certain man called Simon, who previously PRACTICED SORCERY in the city and ASTONISHED the people of Samaria, CLAIMING THAT HE WAS SOMEONE GREAT, 10 TO WHOM THEY ALL GAVE HEED, from the least to the greatest, saying, “THIS MAN IS THE GREAT POWER OF GOD.” 11 AND they HEEDED him BECAUSE HE HAD ASTONISHED THEM WITH HIS SORCERIES FOR A LONG TIME" (Acts 8:9–11 NKJV). - Whoever has the spirit of divination can see into the spiritual realm (Acts 16:16,17).
THE demon behind such Acts or activities is known as power demon. Through the enabling ability of the demon; the human spirits, or inner beings, of those who possess the spirit could leave their bodies and move to wherever they wanted, to carry out any evil operation. - A believer should not underrate those who possess this evil spirit, but at the same time should not be afraid of them. THROUGH the authority you have in Christ Jesus, you deal with the evil spirit, the demon, because you have been empowered to do that:
"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" (Luke 10:19 NKJV).
• Admonishment
(i) Keep the anointing on your life (2 Timothy 1:6,7). Keep away from Sin (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Focus on your assignment (Colossians 4:17). Be patient with God and with the people (Romans 12:12; Luke 21:19).
(ii) Be content with whatever is given you by God (1 Timothy 6:6-8).
(iii) Love of money can open up your life to attacks from the kingdom of darkness:
9 BUT THOSE WHO DESIRE TO BE RICH FALL INTO TEMPTATION AND A SNARE, AND into many FOOLISH AND HARMFUL LUSTS which DROWN men in DESTRUCTION AND PERDITION. 10 FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS A ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL, FOR which SOME have STRAYED from the FAITH in their GREEDINESS, and PIERCED themselves through with MANY SORROWS" (1 Timothy 6:9,10 NKJV).
(iv) Do not use your present to destroy your future, do not be greedy for money:
2 A Bishop then must be BLAMELESS... 3 not given to wine, not violent, NOT GREEDY FOR MONEY, but gentle, NOT quarrelsome, NOT COVETOUS; 8 Likewise DEACONS must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, NOT GREEDY FOR MONEY" (1 Timothy 3:2,3,8 NKJV).
• Meditate on this Scripture, from different translations:
"BE careful too, that none of you FALLS into IMPURITY or LOSES HIS REVERENCE FOR THE THINGS OF GOD AND THEN, LIKE ESAU, IS ready to SELL his BIRTHRIGHT to SATISFY the MOMENTARY HUNGER OF HIS BODY. REMEMBER how afterwards, WHEN he wanted to have THE BLESSING which was his BIRTHRIGHT, HE WAS REFUSED. HE never afterwards FOUND the way of repentance THOUGH HE SOUGHT IT DESPERATELY AND WITH TEARS" (Hebrews 12:16,17 (Philips).
"WATCH OUT FOR THE ESAU SYNDROME: TRADING away God’s lifelong GIFT in order TO SATISFY A SHORT-TERM APPETITE. YOU well know how Esau LATER REGRETTED THAT IMPULSIVE ACT and WANTED God’s BLESSING—BUT by then IT WAS TOO LATE, TEARS OR NO TEARS."
Hebrews 12:16,17 (The Message)
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!