War against...
The Kingdom of Satan
Johan Malan
August 2012
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV), unless otherwise noted. References from the King James Version are designated KJV, from the New International Version NIV, and from the Amplified Bible AB.
Kindly edited by Grant Swart of Pretoria.
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1).
Contents
Preface
1. Satan’s Fall
2. The Kingdom of Satan
3. Different Spiritual Environments
4. Demonic Attacks on Believers’ Faith
5. Slaves of Sin
6. The Modus Operandi of Demons
7. Thirteen-point Plan to Seize Control of the World
8. Rise of the Antichrist
9. The False Prophet
10. Spiritual Warfare
References
About the author
Preface
Demonology has become a controversial and widely debated subject in the secular world as well as within various churches and Christian movements. On the one hand there is the biblical account of an evil kingdom under the leadership of Satan. Many Christians have a literal understanding of this description, and realise the importance of resisting the devil and his works. On the other hand, is a growing number of theologians and church members who interpret biblical references to Satan metaphorically, and therefore they reject the literal existence of such a kingdom. To them, there is no devil, evil spirits or hell, and they ascribe all forms of evil to human misconduct for which social, political and psychological explanations should be sought.
Among those who do believe in the biblical account of a satanic kingdom, there are diverging views on exactly how this kingdom functions. Some believe that only the spiritually unregenerate can become demon-possessed, while others are of the opinion that saved Christians who show signs of being bound by certain sins, are demon-possessed and therefore in need of exorcism. There are various “deliverance ministries” who allege that they are able to cast out demons from Christians and also break so-called “generational curses”. Claims of this nature will be examined in the light of Scripture as there are various erroneous beliefs in this regard.
The most extreme form of apostatising, darkening of people’s minds and destruction of moral values is a result of the worship and honouring of Satan as a rebellious and lawless world ruler. People who are involved with activities such as these are described as Satanists. They manifest an uncontrolled inclination towards evil, violence, extreme forms of immorality, occult activities such as the summoning of demons, as well as ritual murders and blood sacrifices to Satan.
The devil applies a broad spectrum of hard and soft methods by which he tries to achieve his purpose of gaining control over humanity. As a result of the Fall, all human beings are inclined towards the evil works of the devil. “There is no one righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). “Sin” refers to all attitudes and acts which are contrary to God’s holiness and righteousness. The devil is the origin and author of sin, and for this reason the great adversary of God. To do his works amounts to collaborating with him in his struggle against God.
All people are involved with sin, to a greater or lesser degree, which is the consequence of the direct or indirect influence which Satan’s kingdom has on all of humanity. In fact, virtually the entire world has been ensnared in the slavery of sin, and that alone renders firm and irrefutable proof of the existence of Satan’s alternative kingdom of darkness, which operates from a mysterious, spiritual sphere.
To deny the existence of this kingdom amounts to the denial the existence of all evil. That fact that in all cultures and religions there is a clear concept and explanation for evil, is ample proof that virtually all people are aware of one or other form of evil, and account for it in terms of their own views and traditions (cf. Wikipedia 2012c).
From a Christian point of view it is not hard to discern that there is an evil power in the world which is intent on destroying God’s creation, and determined to make all people slaves of depravity and followers of “the god of this age” (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4). We are commanded to give no place to the devil (Eph. 4:27), and that calls for our commitment to resist, even to the point of bloodshed, in our struggle against sin (Heb. 12:4).
John says: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning” (1 John 3:8). Those who continually live in sin are under the power of Satan and manifest his evil character in their actions. The devil is intent on strengthening his grip on his victims.
In this book, the origin, strategies and objectives of Satan’s kingdom are reviewed. Sin, which emanates from this kingdom, is the very first matter of which the Holy Spirit convicts us, when we are led to Jesus Christ for salvation. The righteousness of Christ is offered to us, which comprises a completely new life which replaces our former sinful life (John 16:8).
The Lord Jesus has come to the world to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). He “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of God our Father” (Gal. 1:4). How can we be delivered from the darkness of a spiritually lost state if we do not realise the full extent of our problem, and if we are not even aware of the existence of the deceiver of the nations? (cf. Rev. 20:3).
All people are born with a sinful nature and therefore develop and mature with an innate inclination towards sinning. If this tendency is not broken, it may lead to a larger degree of dominance by sin as well as addiction to additional sinful habits. In certain cases it may also give rise to becoming obsessed with occult activities. We are warned not to proceed along the way of sin or to probe “the depths of Satan” (Rev. 2:24). The NIV refers to “Satan’s deep secrets” which we should avoid as far as possible and at all costs.
Apart from the more general forms of spiritual and moral depravity, there are also deep mysteries and powers of Satan which should not be explored by people in order to obtain occult powers, or to satisfy their curiosity. Satan can indeed empower his followers to perform certain supernatural acts, but after he has bound and used them he usually destroys them. His followers are gambling with death.
The command to resist the devil and give him no place (Jas. 4:7; Eph. 4:27), applies to all Christians. We are engaged in a lifelong war against him and his kingdom, and only through Jesus Christ can we emerge as victors from this battle. To be able to do so, we should be thoroughly conscious of the enemy and his plans, in order to strengthen our spiritual defences.
Paul and his companions took the necessary precautions, “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). We should always expect demonically inspired opposition when we engage in the Lord’s work, as Paul also experienced: “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Cor. 16:9).
Take note of the full extent of this battle, so that you will be able to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). Jude admonishes us “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). In Christ we can be more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37) since He is the great Conqueror over the devil and his powers.
Maintaining an ignorance of this battle is a sure way for us to bow down before Baal. Unfortunately, relatively few people realise that we have an adversary, and that we have to put on the full armour of God to remain standing against his wiles. They do not fully comprehend how Satan operates and they are consequently unable to properly defend themselves – particularly when he presents himself in an innocent guise as an angel of light. It is to the glory of the Lord and also in the interest of our own souls to take note of this struggle and to not give any place to the devil and his works in our lives.
This book will help you to do exactly that.
Johan Malan