The Psalmist said:
“For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.”
Psalms 11:2-5 NKJV
If the foundational doctrines of the word of God are destroyed, in the lives of those who had once tasted of the goodness of the Lord God; the only thing that can be done to restore them back to the Father, is for the righteous ones to be praying for them.
God, the Father sees their plights in the hand of the evil one. His heart is longing to save and deliver them. But how else can God intervene in rescuing them, when He had already given up His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ?
He is the only Man who can stand in the gap on behalf of the ensnared before the Father, until they are restored back into fellowship with Him.
And since Jesus is no longer on the earth today but sitting at the right hand of the Father in Heaven; the only people He can depend on to intercede on behalf of these weak ones, are His brothers and sisters who are still on the earth.
The Lord God is not able to do anything more, apart from what He had already done in Christ Jesus on the earth. Anything we ask God, the Father to do is only possible when we ask in the name of Jesus.
He said:
“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
John 14:13-14 NKJV
A Christian who has wandered away from living by faith in the promises of God, has been ensnared by Satan. He is using all kinds of false doctrines these days, to entice Christians away from believing in the sound doctrines of Jesus Christ, with the aim of eventually ensnaring them.
And as the return of the Lord Jesus Christ approaches, this type of enticement by the devil is increasing among Christians worldwide. The enemy is stepping up on his end time agenda before he will be finally judged.
Now, there are three stages by which Satan can get anyone ensnared. He cannot come against the faith of the believer in Christ Jesus, without first of all undermining it through an enticement that comes with vague and meaningless thoughts.
These evil thoughts will always question and contradict the promises of God to us, as God’s people on the earth. But if you’re constantly meditating on those promises, then you’re able to cast those demonic thoughts down into the obedience of God (2 Corinthians 10:5).
We do know from the scriptures that Satan from the beginning had disguised himself before as a serpent, so as to entice Eve into disobeying God. He had told her that if she would eat of the fruit in the midst of the garden of Eden, her eyes would be opened, and she would be like God (Genesis 3:4-5).
Becoming like God is a powerful delusional thought and temptation, which can make anyone feel pompous. It was the first step of man in his rebellion against God. The serpent deceived Eve and set her up against God. Satan is still doing the same thing today. He has not changed his tactics against the people of God.
Any minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ can testify to this, after a successful ministration by the Holy Spirit in which many people get saved, healed and delivered from the power of the devil. Someone may walk up to you after such a meeting to tell you how powerful and anointed you had been. They will often say such things to make your head swell up and make you pompous.
It’s meant to make you think highly of yourself, whereas your Father in Heaven wants you to stay humbled. This is what an enticement from these satanic forces does to entrap Christians.
But we do know that it’s the anointing of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, working and flowing through our yield vessels that’s doing His work. It’s better to ignore and reject such enticements from people. Many times, people don’t realize that it’s the devil who is giving them such demonic impressions, to make you pompous about the work of God.
After the enticement has become successful, the next step of the devil is to seduce people with the lust of their own flesh. And if he is not being resisted at this stage, he will become aggressive with the seduction, until the final stage of getting his captives ensnared takes place.
These three stages take place in the mind, and if there is no commitment on the part of a Christian to the renewal of the mind on a daily basis with God’s word; then there is the vulnerability of being ensnared by the enemy.
Satan doesn’t care about how spiritually strong or even anointed a Christian is. He will go after anyone with the same tactic so as to get them ensnared.
There’s nothing new about the devil
The Bible tells us about Jehu who had been anointed by the Prophet Elisha, as King over Israel in place of Ahab. Jehu had been killing everyone who was aligned with his predecessor.
King Ahab was a wicked man who was not governing God’s people by the standards of His word. He had been ensnared by the devil through his marriage to Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, King of the Sidonians. Baal worship plagued the nation of Israel during the reign of Ahab as King.
Jehu was therefore anointed as King for the very purpose of eliminating anyone, who was related to Ahab. He was on an assignment from God to destroy every single one of them.
However, Ahab’s wife (Jezebel) who had introduced him into witchcraft was hiding at Jezreel. Jehu had to get rid of this evil woman, who had become a source of suffering to God’s people. Her works of witchcraft was visible all over the nation.
And as Jehu approached the tower into the town of Jezreel, it became clear that she was bent on casting her witchcraft spell on Jehu also. Her plan was to seduce and ensnare Jehu, so that she could continue practicing her witchcraft in the country.
The Bible says:
“Now when Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she put paint on her eyes and adorned her head and looked through a window. Then, as Jehu entered at the gate, she said, “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?”
II Kings 9:30-31 NKJV
Jezebel had painted her eyes with a black paint liner, which many Middle Eastern women still often use today to seduce their men.
This type of painting on the eyes is very distinct. It’s only a foolish man who will not understand what it means, whenever he sees the women with it on their eyes. It’s meant to seduce any man who they like. There is a strong seductive spirit that is behind such type of painting for the eyes. It’s not like the ordinary eyeliner that women normally use these days.
Jezebel had painted her eyes for the purpose of getting Jehu ensnared, just as she had ensnared her dead husband (Ahab). Jehu only had to dare to look straight into her eyes, and he would have been seduced with a wink of her eyes at him.
She had also adorned her head for this purpose, because she had heard about what Jehu had done to her husband. She knew that without being anointed by the Lord God of Israel, Jehu would not have been successful against her dead husband. The adornment of her head was meant to target the anointing that was on Jehu. It was meant to seduce Jehu while under the anointing to do whatever she said.
She purposefully targeted her words by attacking and accusing Jehu of the murder of her husband. This was an evil tactic in an attempt to get Jehu to become fearful of her.
If Jehu had succumbed to this tactic of intimidation, she would have easily succeeded. Jehu apparently knew what she was doing. He was no stranger to this type of witchcraft. So, he addressed the issue at once before him without wasting time in response to her words of accusation.
The story continues:
“And he (Jehu) looked up at the window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” So, two or three eunuchs looked out at him. Then he said, “Throw her down.” So, they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses; and he trampled her underfoot.”
II Kings 9:32-33 NKJV
It’s important to note that Jehu never even directed his response to her. There is no point in talking or engaging in a conversation with a witch. If he had engaged in any conversation with her, she would had manipulated her way into getting him ensnared easily. Witches are normally good at that.
That’s why the Bible tells us plainly:
“You shall not permit a sorceress to live.”
Exodus 22:18 NKJV
The practice of witchcraft in any form or shape is forbidden among Christians. But that doesn’t mean that some people are not practicing it today. For example, any form of rebellion or disobedience to God and His written word is witchcraft.
As Samuel once told Saul:
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”
I Samuel 15:23 NKJV
By talking to the eunuchs who were there at the tower with Jezebel, Jehu was able to address her witchcraft without any delay. Since the eunuchs knew what God’s word says about witchcraft, all they had to do was to obey Jehu. By obeying Jehu, they were obeying the God of Israel who had anointed him.
Today this type of practices is still common among certain women all over the world. It’s the reason why there is so much rebellion against God and the teachings of the Bible, from the women who are practicing such forms of witchcraft today around the world.
The Bible also gave us another example of a man who was practicing sorcery to entice, seduce and ensnare people in high political positions of authority.
This is still very rampant and common among politicians in the world today. They will consult secretly with sorcerers so as to cling on to their political powers, over the people under their political authority. These politicians are governing their countries under the influence of dark powers. And that pretty much explains why many of them are making insane and demonic decisions, to ensnare the people who are under their political influences.
Poverty is common in many countries where the politicians are involved in witchcraft. It’s the people who are suffering as a result of their evil deeds.
The scriptures says that while Paul was preaching with his missionary team at Paphos:
“Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.”
Acts 13:6-8 NKJV
This sorcerer happened to be a Jew, who was using sorcery to mislead people into believing that he was a real prophet of God. And evidently, he had been successful with it, because many people were following him until Paul and his team came to the Island.
The proconsul was however an intelligent man. This false prophet (Elymas the sorcerer) had been doing many things, to influence him politically without any success. His sorcery at this time failed because of the good news that Paul and his team were preaching.
Instead of paying attention to him, the proconsul was listening attentively to the gospel from the mouth of Paul. But in order to prevent the proconsul from being saved, this sorcerer had created some confusion about the message of salvation from the mouth of Paul.
Paul discerned what he was doing in the spirit and by the Spirit. He immediately stopped the sorcery:
“Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.”
Acts 13:9-11 NKJV
These were very strong words from Paul in addressing the sorcery. It’s never to be tolerated at all. The swift judgment of God came on the man, as he became blind immediately.
The end result was that:
“Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”
Acts 13:12 NKJV
The proconsul witnessed the gospel being demonstrated before his eyes. He could not dispute what he had witnessed. He became a follower of Jesus Christ immediately.
But the sorcerer lost his popularity among the people. He became a blind man for trying to prevent people from receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Religious devils are even more dangerous
Religious devils are the most dangerous to deal with, and they are all over the world. They are in all denominations and Churches, and they come in different forms and shapes with the aim of catching and ensnaring, those whose boldness with the anointing of Jesus to save the lost, heal the sick and deliver the captives they cannot withstand.
Spiritually dead and religious people will often try to prevent the salvation of sinners, because they are more interested in getting the lost souls into their own churches and denominations, but not necessarily into the Kingdom of God.
They will deny the power of God to heal the sick and deliver people. And they can be very ruthless in the way that they do operate and persecute, those whose boldness they cannot withstand.
They’ll often claim to be acting on behalf of God; but in actual fact they are of the devil. They are not seeking the establishment of God’s Kingdom on the earth, but rather they are seeking to expand their own denominations and congregations.
As Jesus said concerning them:
“You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.”
Matthew 7:16-20 NKJV
It’s very easy to recognize them by what they are doing. The major thing about them is that whatever they are doing, has no scriptural basis to support it.
They usually operate under the guise of man’s made rules and the traditions of their denominations, so as to ensnare innocent and gullible Christians, while putting them in spiritual bondages, so as to be manipulating and controlling them.
They had persecuted Stephen according to the scriptures, because he was preaching the good news, and they couldn’t withstand his boldness:
“Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him (Stephen) speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;”
Acts 6:11-13 NKJV
Religious demons are always secretive in their mode of operation. They had paid some money to certain people to falsely instigate some charges against Stephen.
The bad thing about them is that they don’t show pity to those who are being targeted by them. They’ll have to do the ultimate bidding of their master (Satan). And this is to totally destroy those who are standing in their pathway, of manipulating and controlling the people.
This was what they did by stoning Stephen to death. But actually, while the devil thought that he was hindering or halting the move of God, he never knew that he was in fact giving the Church a renewed energy, to proclaim the good news to the end of the earth.
The scripture described what they saw in Stephen as he stood before them to defend himself:
“And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.”
Acts 6:15 NKJV
They had seen Stephen’s face as the face of an angel, yet they were not afraid of continuing with their persecution. They were more concerned about losing their high positions and their controlling power over the people.
The fear of God is not in them these days also, because they see themselves as being in the place of God among their followers.
Strengthen your faith with His promises and pray
By praying in the Spirit on a regular basis we are always empowered by the Lord God, to ride above every level of persecution. Spiritual boldness comes to us for miracles, signs and wonders in the midst of persecutions, as we are praying in other tongues on a regular basis.
What the enemy is seeking to do by persecuting the followers of Jesus becomes impossible, when the believers in Christ Jesus are yielded to praying in their individual heavenly languages to God, the Father.
Persecutions will always come and go, but the Christian who is always praying in other tongues, is well prepared to supernaturally overcome them at every level.
That was what the early Church did when Peter was being persecuted. He was beaten and told never to speak to anyone again about Jesus.
But the believers in Christ had gathered together not to discuss their next plan of action, in response to this persecution and warning. They gathered together to pray by asking God for the supernatural boldness, to continue preaching the good news of salvation with miracles, signs and wonders accompanying them.
They didn’t ask God to stop the persecution. That’s what the natural or soulish man would have prayed about. The persecution itself had turned out to be a good thing for the Church at the time, because they were seeing amazing growth as a result of it.
But they instead prayed in this way:
“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”
Acts 4:29-31 NKJV
As they prayed, the Lord God answered their prayer with a shaking that supernaturally occurred where they had gathered. Boldness came upon them for miracles, signs and wonders to follow the proclamation of the good news from their lips.
This was what they did in the midst of persecution. The leaders of the Church remained in Jerusalem, while many of the new converts went everywhere declaring and proclaiming the name of Jesus for salvation to all men; with miracles, signs and wonders confirming the words of their testimonies about Jesus.
One important thing that God’s people often forget to be doing in the midst of persecution, is the renewal of their minds with the promises of God. It’s difficult for the enemy to succeed in ensnaring a Christian, if that believer has been committed to the renewal of the mind with God’s promises, as written in the Holy Scriptures.
If you’re really going to inherit God’s promises, you need to be proclaiming it at every given opportunity. It should never depart from the eyes and the lips of every follower Jesus Christ. It’s what we’re confessing consistently that we will eventually possess.
The proclamation of God’s promises on a daily basis helps us to renew the mind, until we are able to see what we’re proclaiming eventually being fulfilled.
We have to be able to bring the flesh into subjection to the word of God. Some Christians do think that this is only done by fasting and praying. But in reality, fasting and praying alone without a strong foundation of the promises of God in the life of a Christian, doesn’t achieve much.
It doesn’t get further as it ought to go without the word of the living God. Satan and his cohorts do not tremble because we are fasting and praying.
In fact, the witches, wizards and sorcerers do fast also. But when we are approaching spiritual matters on the basis of God’s word and promises, we are indeed changing things.
The powers of darkness will only tremble with our application of the name of Jesus, His blood and God’s word against them. They are terrified of us as we are always focusing our attention on God’s word and His promises to us.
And it’s our ability to subject the body to obey God’s word that terrifies them. That’s why Paul said:
“Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
I Corinthians 9:26-27 NKJV
We discipline our bodies to obey God’s word by giving it back to God as a living sacrifice. God’s word can penetrate through our bones and marrows, in other to make us act in obeying what it says.
His word says:
“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 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.”
Hebrews 4:11-12 NKJV
God’s word not only penetrates through every part of our bodies to heal us; but it also has the ability to discern the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. His word has the ability to move our bodies to obey God.
That’s why we constantly have to be renewing our minds with it, so that we can be protected from the wiles of the evil ones. It’s absolutely impossible for the devil to come near you, if you’re dedicated to renewing your mind with God’s word.
He will try to inject a lie here or there into your thoughts, in order to sway you from believing in what God’s word says. But he will fail for as long as you are focused on worshiping God and renewing your mind with His word.
We enter into God’s rest on the basis of His word. We may fast and pray, if it’s the Lord who is leading us to do it. But His word is what brings us the final victory. What His word says cannot change. It’s eternally settled on the earth and in the heavens.
That’s why it’s important that we pay careful attention to this advice of Paul, which says:
“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. 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.”
Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
The Amplified Bible Translation makes it even more plain and relevant to our world today:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”
Romans 12:1-2 AMP
Are you ready to walk in constant victory over the powers of darkness? The enemy cannot ensnare you, if you are truly devoted to loving the Lord God more. He may try to do it; but he will always fail, because your Heavenly Father is on your side. And as long as you have God on your side, you will always win.
So, stay free from the ensnarement of the devil. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and body. Even though the enemy may come against you, but you will surely always triumph.
