COMMANDS CONCERNING SPIRITS AND FALSE PROPHECIES



1 John 4:6 (NIV) WE ARE FROM GOD, AND WHOEVER KNOWS GOD LISTENS TO US; BUT WHOEVER IS NOT FROM GOD DOES NOT LISTEN TO US. THIS IS HOW WE RECOGNIZE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH AND THE SPIRIT OF FALSEHOOD.


Last week we talked about this Scripture. And we determined that when you try to speak a particular 'truth' into someone's life - and that person becomes offended that you would think they have need in that specific area - the “the Lying spirit” becomes evident.

After that lesson, someone came to me and requested that we RE-visit some of the information we’ve learned over the years concerning ‘spirits’.


I believe it was a valid request since the eternal aspect of our existence is “spirit”; and the spirit-man is that facet of humanity that is eternal!

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So, first of all, turn to:

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NKJV) "THERE SHALL NOT BE FOUND AMONG YOU ANYONE WHO MAKES HIS SON OR HIS DAUGHTER PASS THROUGH THE FIRE, OR ONE WHO PRACTICES WITCHCRAFT, OR A SOOTHSAYER, OR ONE WHO INTERPRETS OMENS, OR A SORCERER, 11 "OR ONE WHO CONJURES SPELLS, OR A MEDIUM, OR A SPIRITIST, OR ONE WHO CALLS UP THE DEAD. 12 "FOR ALL WHO DO THESE THINGS ARE AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD, AND BECAUSE OF THESE ABOMINATIONS THE LORD YOUR GOD DRIVES THEM OUT FROM BEFORE YOU.


 What the Entertainment Industry calls "innocent fun" in the way of Harry Potter, etc., the Lord God calls detestable! I plead the Blood of Jesus over my family and Eagle's Flight Ministries; and ask the Lord to forgive us for involving ourselves in any way with this Abomination.

Another area of concern right now is a popular woman on television who talks to the dead on behalf of idiots who request that she speak to their dead loved-ones who, then, relate information to them THROUGH her! She’s becoming very relevant because she has actually brings up ‘factsunknown to her; and it impresses the people she’s talking to!


Verses 10 and 11 of Deuteronomy 18 tells us specifically to STAY AWAY FROM this type of activity. And what this tells us is that it IS a very REAL un-Godly force in the world!

Listen to the NLT’s take on this:

Deuteronomy 18:9-22 (NIV) WHEN YOU ENTER THE LAND THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GIVING YOU, DO NOT LEARN TO IMITATE THE DETESTABLE WAYS OF THE NATIONS THERE. 10 LET NO ONE BE FOUND AMONG YOU WHO SACRIFICES HIS SON OR DAUGHTER IN THE FIRE, WHO PRACTICES DIVINATION OR SORCERY, INTERPRETS OMENS, ENGAGES IN WITCHCRAFT, 11 OR CASTS SPELLS, OR WHO IS A MEDIUM OR SPIRITIST OR WHO CONSULTS THE DEAD. 12 ANYONE WHO DOES THESE THINGS IS DETESTABLE TO THE LORD, AND BECAUSE OF THESE DETESTABLE PRACTICES THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL DRIVE OUT THOSE NATIONS BEFORE YOU. 13 YOU MUST BE BLAMELESS BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD. 14 THE NATIONS YOU WILL DISPOSSESS LISTEN TO THOSE WHO PRACTICE SORCERY OR DIVINATION. BUT AS FOR YOU, THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS NOT PERMITTED YOU TO DO SO. 15 THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM AMONG YOUR OWN BROTHERS. YOU MUST LISTEN TO HIM. 16 FOR THIS IS WHAT YOU ASKED OF THE LORD YOUR GOD AT HOREB ON THE DAY OF THE ASSEMBLY WHEN YOU SAID, "LET US NOT HEAR THE VOICE OF THE LORD OUR GOD NOR SEE THIS GREAT FIRE ANYMORE, OR WE WILL DIE." 17 THE LORD SAID TO ME: "WHAT THEY SAY IS GOOD. 18 I WILL RAISE UP FOR THEM A PROPHET LIKE YOU FROM AMONG THEIR BROTHERS; I WILL PUT MY WORDS IN HIS MOUTH, AND HE WILL TELL THEM EVERYTHING I COMMAND HIM. 19 IF ANYONE DOES NOT LISTEN TO MY WORDS THAT THE PROPHET SPEAKS IN MY NAME, I MYSELF WILL CALL HIM TO ACCOUNT. 20 BUT A PROPHET WHO PRESUMES TO SPEAK IN MY NAME ANYTHING I HAVE NOT COMMANDED HIM TO SAY, OR A PROPHET WHO SPEAKS IN THE NAME OF OTHER GODS, MUST BE PUT TO DEATH." 21 YOU MAY SAY TO YOURSELVES, "HOW CAN WE KNOW WHEN A MESSAGE HAS NOT BEEN SPOKEN BY THE LORD?" 22 IF WHAT A PROPHET PROCLAIMS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD DOES NOT TAKE PLACE OR COME TRUE, THAT IS A MESSAGE THE LORD HAS NOT SPOKEN. THAT PROPHET HAS SPOKEN PRESUMPTUOUSLY. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF HIM. (Please notice the Word does NOT say that the messenger was a FALSE prophet; it said he spoke brashly and assumptively!)

God takes seriously the prophets who say they've heard Him speak. If they say "The Lord Told Me....", they'd better make SURE it WAS Him Who spoke in their ear! Otherwise, there's an awfully expensive penalty to pay! They WILL answer to God for the brazen words of their mouths!

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Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) 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.

Here we see the separation of a soul - which is that part of man that thinks, reasons AND dies; and the spirit which is that part of mankind that is eternal, and that final judgment is enacted upon.

This verse delineates these two parts of man by associating one as a “thought” processor (which is the soul) and the other as resolute determination (the heart) which determines eternal consequences!

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Now!

This is what we know about the demonic:

Satan is NOT everywhere ALL the time! He has -in his power - diabolical entities (commonly known as ‘demons’) who

1. Are organized

2. They’re too numerous to count

3. They have supernatural powers

4. Demons are knowledgeable of God

5. They roam the earth

6. Demons can inflict possession upon those who give themselves over to the very things we’ve just spoken about that God abhors and will NOT tolerate!

7. Demons know that Jesus Christ IS God (Mark 1:23, 24)

8. They tremble before God (James 2:19)

9. They oppose God’s people (Ephesians 6:12)

10. Demons attempt to destroy the Kingdom of God (1 Peter 5:8)

11. Demons are UN-SAVABLE! Their judgment has already been pronounced and it is eternal!

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NOW FOR SOME GOOD NEWS:


As Blood-bought children of God, we have POWER OVER THE POWER OF THE ENEMY!

Knowledge and Truth are the two components that have ALWAYS armed God’s people for the combat that overthrows and defeats the plan of the enemy!

The Church of Almighty God possesses the authority and power to expel the forces of the Devil and to cast out his evil spirits. The enemy of our soul gets in ONLY when we refuse to exercise our Divine rights as Believers (John 10:10).


Hebrews 2:14 (NIV) SINCE THE CHILDREN HAVE FLESH AND BLOOD, HE TOO SHARED IN THEIR HUMANITY SO THAT BY HIS DEATH HE MIGHT DESTROY HIM WHO HOLDS THE POWER OF DEATH--THAT IS, THE DEVIL--

The Amplified Version says it this way:

JESUS PARTOOK OF THE SAME NATURE, THAT BY GOING THROUGH DEATH, HE MIGHT BRING TO NOUGHT AND MAKE NO EFFECT HIM WHO HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, THAT IS, THE DEVIL; AND ALSO, THAT HE MIGHT DELIVER AND COMPLETELY SET FREE ALL THOSE WHO THROUGH THE FEAR OF DEATH WERE HELD IN BONDAGE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE COURSE OF THEIR LIVES!


Jesus’ ministry on earth invaded demonic territory. But it wasn’t only a temporary 3-year ministry! It lasts FOREVER! Hallelujah!!!

And WE are called to continue Jesus’ work! WE are the ones, now, who - through the power of the Holy Spirit - are to make Satan’s work ineffectual!

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Yes - there is power in the demonic world. But we are instructed NOT to fear; but to BREAK the powers of witchcraft and demonic control through the Word of God! The Word must penetrate deep within our spirits so that when Satan comes to try to unsettle us and cause defeat, we aren’t overtaken - but STAND FAST on God’s Word!

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THIS BECOMES CLEAR:

1. The soul dies - the spirit does not.

2. We are not to embrace demonic spirits in any fashion (i.e. - ‘trick-or-treat’, seances, medium consulting, Yoga, etc.).

3. Prophets are of God. Actually, God referred to Jesus as a Prophet in Deuteronomy18.

4. False prophecies - we judge!

5. False prophets will be judged by God

6. A false prophecy doesn’t necessarily mean the “delivery person” is not a bonafide prophet. It DOES mean, however, that the person delivering a presumptuous message will answer to Almighty God!

7. We are not to believe everybody who says, “the Lord told me....”

8. We can’t throw out the REAL messengers just because we’ve been afflicted by unsavory ministry people who will be held accountable before God!

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BOTTOM LINE:

a. seek the Lord

b. use discernment when presented with a “Word”

c. never ‘assume’ YOU have all the answers and you don’t ‘need’ the Body of Christ for ministry, defense, and camaraderie. Fellowship is extremely important in our day-by-day living!

d. remember your Pastor’s favorite Scripture:

Proverbs 3:5-7 (NKJV) TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING; 6 IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATHS.


And the 7th verse says this:

7 DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES; FEAR THE LORD AND DEPART FROM EVIL.