The dark side. Here’s a topic that scares some people half to death. And while it is serious business, it is not something we (Christians) should be afraid of. Some are in complete denial (or naive) choosing to be believe this realm doesn’t exist (or at least not in our religious circle) while others are convinced we need to be slugging it out with Satan and his forces on a daily basis. Some are afraid to even mention his name, while others literally yell at him in an attempt to bind him up or drive him off. So who has it figured out? Well I believe once again, the truth is somewhere in the middle.
So why such different interpretations for how to deal with the enemy? Well it hinges on experiences. A person who was into devil worship before getting saved, is not going to believe you for a second if you try to tell them he’s not out there. They’ve communicated with him and his underlings, and they know how real he is (at times it is difficult for a person with this experience to accept the fact that Satan was totally defeated when Jesus was resurrected, because they’ve seen his power).
On the other hand you have those who were raised in a perfect world. No major traumas. No voices in their head, no poverty, etc. A person with this experience could almost be convinced that Satan isn’t even a factor. In a sense, he isn’t a factor because he is totally under God’s authority. He has already been judged, and we know what’s coming for him, but there’s a catch. His sentence has been handed down but not yet carried out, because God still has a purpose for him being here. I see him as a man who received a death sentence but is currently out on parole. He knows his time is short, and is Hell-bent on taking as many souls with him as he can.
Until God Himself binds, confines or eliminates the devil (such as in Revelation 20:1-3), he can and will access a person wherever lies and deception exist in their soul. You can yell and scream at Satan until you’re blue in the face but you’re not going to eliminate his very existence. You can kick him out of your own soul and life, but you will not rid the world of him. Only God can do that and eventually He will. “Eventually” is the key word here. I wish it would happen right now. I don’t appreciate how much rope Satan has been given, but I’m not the boss. In the meantime personal, internal freedom should be a top priority for everyone on Earth. Can you imagine a world where every single person would pursue and attain inner peace? This world would be very different, and the devil (because no one would be a willing host through which he could operate) would be far more limited in what he is able to accomplish.
Here are two main reasons why healing is such a rare thing today. Number 1 — Some people don’t want to be healed (because they enjoy being and doing evil). Number 2 — Some people are afraid of Satan and the ugly, painful and shameful things they’ll need to face in order to be healed. So they abandon a part of their soul and in a very real sense just hand it over to the devil. They wall it off never to return again, that is until they are on their deathbed where it all comes flooding back. We don’t have to wait until then! If Satan was given some ground during childhood (especially before we were consciously awake), shouldn’t we have a desire to figure out how that happened and take it back? What’s wrong with asking a few questions even if it is a little fearful? What is it that we’re so afraid of?
Fear is a spirit in and of itself. Isn’t it an oxymoron to be afraid when Satan shows up in some form or fashion? Jesus didn’t think it was strange when he appeared to test Him in the wilderness. There was a purpose in his visit, and Jesus came out on top. Now you might be thinking, “But that was Jesus. He had the power to overcome the enemy.” Well guess what? So do you. That’s what the cross is all about. If Satan is bringing something to your attention, deal with it! Repent, cover the issues (whatever they may be) in the blood of Jesus, and be freed from things like fear, shame, depression, perversion, pride, etc, and walk in the light. Every time we give God another closet of darkness, the devil has less room to operate and we move to an exciting new level of freedom. Jesus promised to give us rest. Too many of us are wrestling, instead of resting. If you truly submit to God (getting close enough for Him to heal you), then you’ll resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
To be clear, Satan shows up in different ways, at different times, to different people. The possibilities are endless, ranging from a nagging perverted thought, to a personal visit. A scary dream, to a demonic ritual. A twinge of jealousy over a neighbor’s car, to a desire to rule the whole world. Some deal with a little bondage, and some with a lot. The bottom line is, you can be free from your bondage regardless of the size and/or matter.