Satan does not fear much but he does when you say to him from The word of God “It is written…”

September 18, 2024 Q

The following is for those who are minister of the Christian faith who seem to constantly be “fighting Satan” whom they consider the source of a great many upsets common to the human condition in a fallen world and in their inability to live up to the ministry they claim God has called them to, or their inability to demonstrate the gifts God gave them and in some cases the gifts and offices they do not truly have.

Satan does not fear much but he does when you say to him from The word of God “It is written…”

It is how Yeshua (Jesus) dealt with him, the Archangel Micheal did not bring a railing accusation against Satan when he was fighting with him over the body of Moses, he said “The Lord Rebuke You Not I”

With unclean demonic spirits (Not Satan himself) he (Jesus) did command them and cast them out of people and rebuked them openly. The one time we know that Jesus did command the devil was in response to what Peter has said and Jesus did say with authority “Get behind me Satan”

Matthew 16:21-23

From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Far be it from You, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!”

But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Yet we see among our members, people blaming Satan for every manner of things, if they are in a bad mood, have fear, anxiety, or things are not going as they wanted, planned or desired. Then they start saying “I bind you Satan”, whipping out anointing oil, spraying ” Holy water”, shouting at the devil and calling down fire (even though Jesus told his disciples not to do so and said to them “do you not know what manner of spirit you are” – Luke 9:55-56).

As we know we do have the authority to in Jesus name to cast out devils, to bind unclean spirits and loose one another from them. For some they see the devil in everything that they do not agree with, care for, or for what ever reason are angry about or towards.

At times we need others to come along side us and do as we should for one another, to pray and pray in agreement, to give comfort and wise counsel and walk along side us. There is strength in numbers. I have many times been asked to pray for people who have phoned, texted, in church, on the street you get the idea.

Some people call me up at random times and are frantic, they call because they need prayer, they believe that they are under the attack by the enemy. I for one try my best to take people at face value and not to discount the validity of what they are saying. Some people who come to me for prayer when they are going through such attacks I without a doubt am certain that what they are going through is stress, anxiety and a whole host of other things that they attribute to an attack of the enemy.

Some people use these attacks (real or imagined) to reach out and connect with some one, some one who will listen to them and care for them, to be sensitive to their fear, to have someone who does not have a spirit of fear (For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.) and will lift them up in prayer and in essence chase the devil away. Often times using the premise of a spiritual attack and needing prayer and spiritual guidance is a way some Christians to meet their need for connection , to be heard, and to simply be loved. There are those that use the premise that they are under attack by the Devil to get attention. Some times it is to vent about others in their lives, work, home school what have you. Some times these calls are I am sure to test your christian love, to see if your really vlue and respect them.

As I said some are looking for attention and whether it be conscious or unconscious they bring the imagined boogie man in their mind to get that attention and validation. Some people find it hard to in a healthy way, in fellowship get their needs met. Some are so used to living in crisis and chaos (often times the result of trauma from childhood or abusive relationships) and they either do not know how to get their basic needs for love, acceptance, understanding, fellowship or just to have someone listen to them met any other way. With all due respect I find that sisters in the Lord are more apt then men to have this disposition and turn to men in the faith for strength and spiritual authority and edification, be it their husband, pastor, minister etc. Some time women (and men) develop prayer lives with one another where they turn to each other to share the angst and frustrations we face here on Earth, blame Satan for it all and find comfort and agreement with in that type of relational dynamic. Some people have come to have a victim mindset and they routinely will blame the devil for what ever purposes that re affirms their victim hood.

The Gospel doesn’t endorse laying everything at the Devils doorstep. Not every negative thought, fear, sinful desire and health challenge is demonic in origin. Paul says in 2 Corinthians (CJB),

“This is why we do not lose courage. Though our outer self is heading for decay, our inner self is being renewed daily.” The Bible in Basic English Version says, “… but though our outer man is getting feebler, our inner man is made new day by day.”

We’ve all said something like, “Satan is really working on me right now.” And while this may be a true statement some of the times, it’s not always helpful or the truth.

James 1:14 teaches that “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”

Because we are born sinners (Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:10-18), our flesh already has sinful desires. When demons tempt us, they are appealing to the sinful desires we already have. Our own desires can lead us astray without any help.

You can be at times afraid and full of anxiety and that can be because you have issues going on in your mind and spirit, it could be because you are lacking in faith in the moment and leaning on your own understanding.

Therefore, blaming Satan alone can cause one to lie to ones self about ones own flesh. It can be used as a way to avoid taking ownership of ourselves and excuse any responsibility we might have for sin, including negative or dark thoughts and emotions.

Don’t misunderstand, Satan is responsible for his own rebellion and sin, but that in no way diminishes our own sinfulness.

There are many ways we as people and ministers blame devils / demons for not producing the fruit we think we should or could.

We have all heard others say they blame the devil when where not received well while sharing the gospel, asking someone if they could pray for them and they are told no thanks, or giving someone on the street some food and drink and and they are simply tired, cold, wet, and strung out due to addiction and they need safety, nourishment and sleep before they can really engage with you or any one for that matter in a meaningful way, yet some would dismiss it as the devil does not like me ministering and that means I am doing a good job… That may be the case some of the times but I think it safe to say it is not the case all of the time.

If you are not making disciples, have never been in a position to have people who trust you to be disciple by you it may be that you are not a disciple maker and not that the devil has kept others from your discipleship.

Just because one shows compassion and is in what is called the helps ministry does not make you a church leader or one who is anointed by God with the higher gifts and what are called the offices that come with them, or Satan himself is the source of every fear, doubt, thought, sin or character flaw you have. Does a good Samaritan go around calling themselves a pastor or minister? Should some one who loves there neighbor as themselves think that that makes them as set in the church as an elder or leadership?

The primary mention of the Ministry of Helps in the Bible is found in I Corinthians 12:28 (emphasis added) –

“And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then healings, HELPS, governments, diversities of tongues.”

If you have a tendency to blame Satan because you seem to face years of struggles to build your ministry perhaps it is time to look at what the word of God says. Apostle Paul says clearly “God has set some in the church” he does not have to say the obvious that God does not set all who want or desire to be leaders up in the church.

If you have the gift of helps, that does not make you a pastor, it does not make you an overseer of other ministers such as a genuine Apostle and Bishop are. A pastor is one that looks after a congregation or a flock.

Lets look at the word “Pastor”

Dictionary: pas·tor /ˈpastər/ – noun: pastor; plural noun: pastors – “a minister in charge of a Christian church or congregation.”

Some one in the helps ministry is a minister, not all are called to the church. That does not mean ones gift of Helps is not a gift from God nor does it mean they a Pastor, prophet, Bishop, Apostle, healer, teacher or miracle worker. Furthermore to blame Satan that you are not gifted by the God through the Holy spirit to the roles you position and titles within the church and he is to blame for your ministry not being more than your gift or calling is something that one is best served in confessing as wrong and something to be repented of.

In any event I hope this writing will have been of some benefit to you, and for some that it would bring good and godly conviction and correction.