No Sympathy for the Devil

As Jesus taught the Jews, as we see in John 8, he taught about the power of the enemy to challenge
and influence their - and our - thinking:
43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

The devil - is a liar - and he desires to fill our minds and our hearts with ideas and ideals that are in stark contrast with the truth of God's Word.  The enemy will distort our view of God our Heavenly Father, about the sufficiency of Christ and our identity in Him, and plant thoughts in our consciousness that, if acted upon, will cause damage to our walk with God.  We have to make up our minds to resist the enemy and renew our minds to the truth of the Scriptures.

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In 1st Peter 5, the devil, the enemy of our souls, is identified, and we are given instruction on how we are to respond to him:
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

In a Front Room commentary back in April, I talked about plans to build a replica of the arch of the Temple of Baal in New York City and London.  Well, the New York City replica has now been erected, not at Times Square, as originally announced, but in City Hall Park.

A WND story sets up the background of this structure:

The arch erected in City Hall Park recently was a recreation of the Arch of Palmyra, destroyed in August 2015 by ISIS when it took control of the Syrian city, once a Roman settlement. The arch was re-created by the Institute for Digital Technology and UNESCO. It was created by robots following a 3-D model constructed from photographs taken of the original arch before it was destroyed. After being displayed in London and now New York City, the arch is going to be displayed in Dubai as part of a worldwide tour.

New York City Mayor William de Blasio called it an act of “solidarity” with those “lost in Syria,” and Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen said the arch was “a symbol of freedom.”

In the article, Messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn, a recent guest on my radio show, The Meeting House radio show, said "it was anything but a symbol of freedom. He noted the Arch of Palmyra originally led to the Temple of Baal."  The story points out, "It fits precisely into what Cahn calls 'The Harbinger' template of a nation consciously turning away from God despite warnings. And just like the ancient Israelites, the United States of America honored Baal."

Cahn says it is particularly shocking to see the monument in the same city where the 9/11 attacks occurred. He told WND, “When I spoke on Capitol Hill I was led to speak of Baal as the incarnation of America’s apostasy,” adding, “So now to see the actual manifestation of Baal on American soil is stunning.”

Another WND story highlights an embrace of Satanism in our nation and it quotes Cahn as saying, 

"In the judgment template of ‘The Harbinger,’ when ancient Israel turned away from God, it turned to the god Baal. One of the names of Baal was ‘Baal Zevuv,’ or ‘Lord of the Flies.’ When that Hebrew name was translated into Greek and then English, it became ‘Beelzebub’ – the name of Satan. So it is no accident that we are now seeing in America the same thing. When one drives God out of one’s life, when a nation drives God out of its national life – it opens the door to the devil.”

Pastor Carl Gallups is also quoted in the article, which states that, "Gallups says there is a link between the increasing secularism of American culture and the rise of demonic activity." He is quoted as saying, “As the culture of the United States, the largest Christian nation the planet has ever known, becomes increasingly secular, and as much of America’s church slips progressively into apostasy, the intensity of demonic activity will only increase,” adding, “This is not only a biblical prediction, but also a current reality that, with growing frequency, is reported upon practically every week.”

The pastor also says: “There can be no doubt that the Word of God speaks of a demonic outpouring occurring in the days just before the return of the Lord...The implication of those prophecies is that the deluge will be on a global scale. Although we have always had the influence and impact of the demonic realm to deal with, never before has that sphere of existence had such a platform from which to manifest itself and to so boldly proclaim its seductive message. The intense focus given to this ‘Satanic Temple’ is just another example."

Now, the article points out that the Satanic Temple says it does not literally worship the devil, but that Satan and demonic imagery are used as a “formidable weapon to fight for separation of church and state.”  The so-called "Temple" has attempted to establish after-school clubs to counter legitimate Christian clubs at schools, and it has established a headquarters in Salem, MA, site of the famous witch trials.

We have to recognize that we are engaged in a spiritual warfare, and as the Scripture teaches, the devil is real.  He is called the "father of lies" by Jesus, and his ambition motivated him to rebel against the person and plan of God.  If we don't admit the reality of the devil, then we cannot effectively wage war against Him.  And, if we don't have the power of Christ in our hearts and put on the full armor of God, he will destroy our Christian witness.

Not only is the devil real, but we know from 1st Peter 5 that the devil is roaming.  In his state of denial, he has his sights set on the throne of God, to wrestle the authority over the world away from the God who created it.  And, he does operate in the dominion of the world, activating the flesh and attempting to thwart the plan of God by adversely affecting the people of God.

So the devil is real and he is roaming.  Finally, we acknowledge that the devil is roaring.  And, he and his cohorts, the demons are attempting to infiltrate our consciousness by speaking lies into our minds, presenting tempting scenarios in the effort to get us off track in our relationship with God.  If we are not pressing in to Christ every day, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the devil's schemes.  We have to resist him by meditating on God's Word, calling on Him, availing ourselves of His resources, and taking every thought captive to the authority of the Word of God.