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XI.
Life Only In Christ
Chapter 116
:
The Dark Ministries of Bad Angels
1. AGAINST whom do we
wrestle?
"For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness
[margin, wicked spirits] in high places
[margin, heavenly places]." Eph. 6:12.
NOTE.-"The facts of history concur with the
statements of revelation in forcing upon us
the unwelcome conviction that the human race
is subject to the malevolent influence of an
organized and all-pervading demonism. Alike
in the career of nations and in the
phenomena of personal destiny the presence
of demoniacal skill and power is often
prominent, frequently dominant, always
evil."-
"Footprints of Angels in Fields of
Revelation," by E. A. Stockman, page 2.
2. To what place were
the angels that sinned cast?
"For if God spared not the angels
that sinned, but cast them down to hell
[Greek, tartarus, a place of darkness], and
delivered them into chains of darkness,
to be reserved unto judgment." 2 Peter 2:4.
3. What is Satan
himself called?
"The god of this world." 2
Cor. 4:4. "The prince of this world."
John 14:30. "The prince of the power of the
air." Eph. 2:2.
4. How numerous are
these wicked spirits, or fallen angels?
"And He asked him, What is thy name?
And he answered, saying, My name is Legion:
for we are many." Mark 5:9.
5. What is the chief
occupation of Satan and his angels?
"And He was there in the wilderness
forty days, tempted
of Satan." Mark 1:13. "Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he
may devour." 1 Peter 5:8. See Rev. 12:9,12;
16:14.
NOTES.-"In undiminished possession of their
intelligence and strength, they constantly
assault us in every weakness, through every
avenue, by every means, by methods foul or
fair. . . . Whom they cannot destroy they
cease not to worry, torment. They inspire
evil tempers; arouse dark passions; instill
ill will; beget malice, envy; impose care,
fear, distrust; suggest deceit, fraud, and
all the forms of crime." "Supremely do they
revel in the criminal domain. They foster
falsehood incite revenge, fan jealousy,
beget quarrels, help on thefts, robbery, and
arson, further divorces, plan defalcations,
instigate murders. They run the saloons and
edit the Police News."-
"Footprints of Angels in Fields of
Revelation," pages 9,10,22.
6. What are we
admonished not to do?
"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not
the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give
place to the devil." Eph. 4:26,27.
NOTE.-Those who give vent to anger or retain
old grudges, who parley with temptation or
tamper with vice, who indulge in
intemperance, pride, foolishness, or levity,
or give way to any other weakness, give
place to the devil; that is, they give the
devil an opportunity to work through them-
give him an advantage over them. We should
therefore close every avenue to Satan and
his angels. We should suppress anger, be
sober and watchful, and nip in the bud every
prompting to sin.
7. What spirits stand
ever ready to deceive and ruin those who are off
guard or bent on going astray?
"And the Lord said, Who shall
persuade [margin, deceive] Ahab, that he may go
up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? . . . And there
came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord,
and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord
said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will
go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the
mouth of all his prophets. And He said, Thou
shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth,
and do so." 1 Kings 22:20-22. See 2 Thess.
2:10,11.
8. With what were many
possessed in Christ's time?
"And they brought unto Him all sick
people that were taken with divers diseases and
torments, and those which were possessed with
devils." Matt. 4:24.
NOTE.-Vampire-like, evil angels take
possession of, and make their abode with,
all over whose minds and bodies they can
gain control. Only through Christ can this
demoniacal captivity be broken. Until this
is done, one in this condition is led
captive by Satan "at his will." His
self-control and power to resist temptation
are gone. See 2 Tim. 2:26.
9. How do evil spirits
sometimes treat those thus possessed?
"And as he was yet a coming, the
devil threw him down, and tare him." Luke
9:42.
NOTE.-Those under demoniacal control are
simply the sport and plaything of the evil
spirits possessing and controlling them.
10. As we near the
closing scenes of human probation, why may we
expect an increase in demoniacal manifestations?
"Woe to the inhabiters of the earth
and of the sea! for the devil is come down
unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth
that he hath but a short time." Rev. 12:12.
NOTE.-Acquainted, as they are, with the laws
of nature, Satan and his angels raise storms
and scatter disease and death as far as lies
within their power; and, as enemies of God,
they likewise pervert the truth and
disseminate error as far as possible. Far
better, also, than the inhabitants of the
world, do they know that the end of all
things is fast approaching, and that their
time to work is short.
11. Concerning what
have we been definitely informed?
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,
that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils." 1 Tim. 4:1.
12. What class of God's
servants have evil angels, through wicked men,
seemed to make special objects of attack?
"Which of the prophets have
not your fathers persecuted?" Acts 7:52.
NOTES.-"Of all classes of men employed by
the Heavenly Father in the work of
redemption, none are more fiercely hated by
the wicked angels than the whole line of the
prophets; for from the first to the last
they foretell the final and eternal
overthrow and utter extinction of the
'powers of darkness,' the 'spirits of
disobedience.'" - "Footprints of Angels
in Fields of Revelation," page 14.
Evil angels also incite men and nations to
war, and by this means divert their
attention from things pertaining to the
kingdom of God, and so take peace from the
earth. Rev. 16:14. This will end in
Armageddon.
"Familiar with the laws which govern mental
conditions, the fallen hosts ply all their
specious arts to excite personal suspicions
and animosities, and to create national
resentments and bloody conflicts, their
chief delight being to compass the
destruction of peace and the banishment of
concord from the earth, to embitter the poor
children of sin and sorrow against each
other, and turn our world into an arena of
strife and crime."-
Id., page 22.
13. What will be the
final doom of Satan and his angels?
"Then shall He say also unto them on
the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels." Matt. 25:41. "And the day that
cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of
hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor
branch." Mal. 4:1. See Rev. 20:9.
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