An issue I feel I must address at this time is in regards to the idea of the existence of devils and what they can and cannot do. I believe I must address this for two reasons.
The first reason is that many in Christendom take this attitude that Christ has taken all sin upon himself. This is a discussion for another time and I will get into this in further detail, but in summary at this time, Christ’s atonement is meant for those who repent. Repentance requires acknowledging that sin is real. And in acknowledging that sin is real that also means that a counter to Christ, an equivalent opposite also exists that strive to prevent us from repenting.
This leads me to the second reason which is connected to the first. I will go into more detail on this second form because at this time I feel this is what the Lord wants me to bring forward.
There is a growing movement driven largely by people who claim to have met Christ face to face. These experiences range from near-death experiences, open visions, etc. Now to clear the air beforehand I have nothing against such claims as I know for myself that such experiences are real. And to any of my readers who have a problem with this, now might be a good time to stop, since if you don’t believe in personal experiences with Heavenly beings there is no point in proceeding any further.
My second point is to understand this, that not all spiritual experiences are heavenly. In ancient Hebrew you find this term occasionally used. Mastema. What does this mean? Mastema is a plural for devil. It refers to not a singular being but a group or variety of fallen beings. Even though Mastema is plural it is used in a singular sense because these entities are united in one area. They wish nothing more than the overthrow and destruction of all that is good.
Among their skills and tactics is to create counterfeits to truth and right. That is something that will deceive all but the elect. Among these deceptions is that they can pretend to be Christ. These counterfeits Often include principles that are true, but are mixed with lies to twist the meaning into something that does not lead to God.
“So how is one to know the real apart from the imposter?” You may ask. The answer is this and heed this warning well. You must become prepared. Ok, so how does one prepare? Well if I give you the easy answer, the “shortcut”, it bypasses the work and preparation that is required. The answer is very simple. But it also requires a real work and an effort on our part.
So where does one start? One must learn the traits and attributes of Christ himself. In order to learn this, one must study scripture, with the sincere desire to learn these traits, and to apply them to our lives, each and every one of us. Seek out the prophets in the scriptures. Take note of their character traits and attributes. What did they do? What was their motives? What were they trying to teach the people. Look at the Savior when he came in the flesh. What did He teach? What doctrines did he put forth? What was He trying to get the people to understand?
The real Christ and the imposter both have something in common. Both desire to make us like themselves. But the end results look very different. The more you apply Christ’s teachings, the more selfless you become. The more ennobled you become. Your heart and desires will forsake the things of the world and will turn to the things of God. In contrast, the more you apply the deceivers teachings, the more selfish you become, the more proud and vain you become. Those who follow him will turn to the things of the world, the pursuit of wealth and possessions, and will be taught to justify themselves in doing so.
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