By REV. TIMOTHY L. MELTON, PASTOR
CHEROKEE PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS CHURCH
Read Luke 10:18-20
“I saw satan fall from heaven like lightning!” Jesus had shared with his 72 new disciples in their enthusiasm in having helped others overcome demonic influences. It resulted in satan and the evil demons’ having to obey commands given to them by these disciples. They had also been told that nothing evil could harm them. Deliverances from satan’s grip resulted, and Jesus also told them to ‘rejoice’ that their names were registered in heaven.
Each believer has now been given authority over all the power of our mutual enemy, satan, and all spirits of demons and demonic forces. (They are fallen angels, kept under strict orders, and under devil’s authority.)
We have been warring with satan since Adam and Eve first fell from God’s Grace at their disobedience and treasonous behavior in listening to God’s enemy, satan, and his lies. It caused their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. It’s so wrong and dangerous for any believer, or anyone else, for that matter, to be calling someone derogatory names. It’s known to be a sin since name-calling is being judgmental of a person, a beating heart, which we are told not to do. It could even be a lie that destroys people or their lives and reputations. God calls that a murder, actually.
It is considered to be an evil practice and a tool for satan’s own deceptions which he holds in his ‘quiver full of poisonous darts’. He can aim them directly at anyone’s heart. It is also known to bring in the outward demonstration of the demons’ actions. Called ‘strife’ and ‘contention,’ they come into any human situation which he can mess up. Such untrue diabolical words are meant only to hurt and influence everyone’s fiery emotion of ‘anger.’ All people should work to defeat or deflect his well-placed aim, by keeping their own emotions and mouths under good self-control, or by asking for God’s help, as necessary.
Whenever anger is demonically-influenced and enhanced, it can bring an explosive anger to the inside of a person or it can come out of any person and continue in its ever-multiplying paths of destruction. Anger must be kept under self-control by the targeted person, or it can soon escalate into actually serving satan in his desire ‘to steal’ each person’s peace, even those surrounding the differing factions, or to ‘kill’, and can even ‘destroy’ all hopes and dreams of each person getting in their way. (John 10:10)
As someone tries to use the hateful, ugly, political method of lying, they bring shame and suffering upon any other fellow human-being with these kind of despicable lies, and there may still be consequences, public and/or legal. Even with a humble and sincere repentance, and a fervently sought-after forgiveness while still on Earth. Nothing else can help the offender to repair the damages that have such eternal repercussions, needing changes to be permanently made by Almighty God. That person must, in sincere and complete humility, total honesty, petition God through prayer. He is our Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent God. Our Father God is the Holy and Final Judge, and the only One Who knows and can see the real and true heart of each person.
It can, for either sinners or so-called Christians, having done such a shameful, cowardly act, require true repentance by them, seeking forgiveness before leaving Earth and having to face God’s Great White Throne Judgment. They may otherwise find themselves standing guilty before a Holy God. Being judged by God, for their own wrong statements (lies) and in their forbidden judging (“Judge not lest ye be judged”) of any fellow human being, is definitely not advised. All people who name-call are considered to be highly foolish and can seriously be bringing themselves under God’s Final Judgment. Repent, ask for His Forgiveness, NOW. If not, by having done so, they really are only serving satan and his nefarious schemes to try to bring down all humanity by their sin.
By satan having been already judged by God, we should, at least, place satan under our feet, overcoming him and his awful plans for humanity while he is still here. God is allowing him to be here only for each of us to pass God’s loyalty test given by Him. Repenting and asking His Forgiveness, sincerely receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior, is our best way to live and speak. Leave judgment of others to God and stop sinning.