Original artwork for today's post done by the incomparable Stephen Hesselman. Thank you again dear brother for blessing the body of Christ with your gifts and talents--we are blessed to be the recipient of your work here at COT.
There is so much confusion about spiritual warfare today that many of the accepted techniques and practices resemble more of a superstitious Christianity than a biblical Christianity. For example: binding and losing Satan through prayer; shouting to Satan, commanding his hellish minions to leave a church or place of worship where any Christian gathering is taking place; seeing spiritual battle as a "cosmic dualism" between good and evil; attributing anything negative in our lives to the work of Lucifer; and most disconcerting, saying that Christians can be demonized (i.e. Neil Anderson).
Believers tend to forget that Satan maybe mighty, but Jesus Christ is Almighty--and the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Lord and His church. Satan, though supra-natural, is not a free agent; he still operates under the Sovereignty of God (consider Job 1).
Praise the Lord for men of God like Watson whom never bought into the TBN Word/Faith "theology" of spiritual warfare. Watson speaks "from the grave" and points us back to Scriptural reality. This simple, biblically rich quote from Thomas is lucid, succinct, and spot on target on resisting Satan and living holy for the Lord. The "steal of righteousness" is the greatest resistance against our "ancient foe."
Praise the Lord for men of God like Watson whom never bought into the TBN Word/Faith "theology" of spiritual warfare. Watson speaks "from the grave" and points us back to Scriptural reality. This simple, biblically rich quote from Thomas is lucid, succinct, and spot on target on resisting Satan and living holy for the Lord. The "steal of righteousness" is the greatest resistance against our "ancient foe."
May his words encourage you to "submit yourselves to God; resist the devil and he will flee" -James 4:7. IOW, the emphasis is never on battling demons, but on living for Christ. Soli Deo Gloria! "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." -1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV)
For Further Study:
"Another subtlety is to draw men to evil, sub specie boni, under a pretence of good. -- The pirate doeth mischief by hanging out false colors; so does Satan by hanging out the colors of religion. He puts some men upon sinful actions, and persuades them much good will come of it. He tells them in some cases that they may dispense with the rule of the Word, and stretch their conscience beyond that line, that they may be in a capacity of doing more service. As if God needed our sin to raise his glory." -Thomas Watson
For Further Study:
