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The devil, satan, and evil

The spirit-being called the "devil" originally was a beautiful, bright and glorious angel. However, he rebelled against God and became an evil spirit-being and he continues to be in total opposition to the only true God and all the things of God.

The devil was the first spirit-being that rebelled against God; he wanted to take God's position (Genesis chapter 3). He is the chief of the devil-spirits, which are the other evil spirits in subordination to him; they fell from the position that God had given to them and they are referred to as devils (devil-spirits, demons, evil spirits, unclean spirits, etc). Genesis chapters 6-10, I Peter 3:19 and 20, and Jude 6 and 7 also refer to angels that sinned and they are cast down to prison. These angels left their own habitation in like manner to the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. The time of their fall took place in the days of Noah. These angels are kept in prison awaiting their final judgment (II Peter 2:4) - they are not in gravedom because they are not dead, nor are they in some place called "hell."

The name "devil" is only one of the many names used in the Bible to describe his characteristics, attributes, qualities, activities, etc. It is the Greek word diabolos which comes from the words: "through" and "throw/cast" – the devil throws (casts) things through people, like stabbing a person from outside through the person and out the other side with an accusation, slander, etc.

"Satan" is the name that emphasizes the devil's opposing and adversarial attributes. 

The word "evil" is a translation from the Greek word poneros - active malignancy, extreme badness - in other words - "evil" is that-which is in total opposition to the only true God, exercising badness by actively going against and contrary to God and His Word.

The devil and the other angels that follow him are evil because they willingly, actively, and malignantly went against and continue to go against what God says and does. God has judged them, and the complete fulfillment of His judgment will come to pass at a future time.

The originating occurrence of evil was performed by the devil involving idolatry and then mankind performed likewise - as recorded in Genesis chapter 3. At that time the devil, the man (Adam), and the woman were located in the garden of Eden (towards the east).

Genesis 3:1-6: (KJV)

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

The word "serpent" is used as a name to describe the devil/satan in this particular situation. The literal serpent (snake, reptile) was made on the sixth day along with the man and the animals, etc, which God made on that day, and when the Book of Genesis was written a serpent was known to be thoughtful, sensible, intellectual, and perceptive in its activities.

Verse 1 says that the serpent (figuratively referring to the devil, satan) was more subtle (prudent, wise, crafty) than any beast (living being) of the field, and he approached the woman and began to talk to her. There is no record of the woman being shocked or frightened that he would speak to her and she could understand him. 

The devil spoke a statement questioning what God had commanded Adam in Genesis chapter 2 which was: "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." However, the devil's stated outcome of both the man and woman doing what God said not to do, is not the same as God's stated outcome to Adam. God said, "Thou shalt surely die" – but the devil said, "Ye shall not surely die." One is a direct contradiction to the other. The devil's lie is the foundation of spiritism or spiritualism and the wrong traditional thinking as regards sin and death.

The devil also said (concerning the outcome of doing what God said not to do) that the man's and the woman's eyes would be opened, and they would become as gods, just like he was making himself as a god - rejecting the only true God and making their own judgments, putting themselves in God's place as far as they were concerned - idolatry. 

We should note that the Hebrew for the word "God" and "gods," which the devil used in Genesis 3:1 and 5, is "Elohim" – the word which God used to describe Himself as the Creator in Genesis 1:1 and following!

The devil knew his own evil plan and was offering access to his evil, doing the same as what he was doing in total opposition to God. The result of what the devil did that day to/for the man, Adam, and the woman was that they also committed sin of idolatry. 

Continuing in verse 13:

Verses 13-15:

And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou has done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

As soon as the woman told God that it was the serpent/devil who beguiled her, God did not ask him any question – but He spoke to the devil as recorded in verses 14 and 15. All 3 (the devil, the man, and the woman) were still there in the garden of Eden in the presence of God while God was speaking to them.

God pronounced sentence on the being described as the "serpent": the devil was cursed even more-than all cattle and more-than every living-being of the field - this is in contrast to his description in Genesis 3:1. He would go upon his belly and eat dust all the days of his life – literally as a snake described in verse 14, but figuratively referring to the fact that the devil would be utterly-humiliated and constantly disappointed and experience failure, always reminded of what he did against God and against mankind, and never being able to stand and rise above or away-from it (refer to the figure of speech also in Psalm 44:25 and 72:9).

In Genesis 3:15, while God was still speaking to the devil, God made it known that He (God Himself) will put enmity (opposition, hostility)...

This is the first mention God made of the coming savior (the Christ) - this seed of the woman (Christ, the son of God) would bruise/crush the head of the devil, which figuratively emphasizes that Christ will destroy him permanently, complete destruction. Christ will put an end to the devil’s plans for himself and his purposes of hindering the only true God, the Lord Jesus Christ, God's children, and all the things of God.

God also foretold that the devil would hurt the promised seed, the Christ, and referred to it in the figure of speech as bruising his heel – he would hurt him but not permanently – only temporarily. We know now that the devil had Jesus Christ crucified, but we also know now that God raised him up from the dead giving him his spiritual-body, never to die again. Now the devil is under his feet, and at a future time Christ will bruise the devil’s head, he will destroy him and it will be permanent.

Continuing in verse 19:

Verse 19:

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

God told Adam of the physical death that was going happen to him – he would return to dust (refer to Genesis 2:7; Psalm 103:14; Ecclesiastes 12:7; I Corinthians 15:45-49). This is the first mention of natural death, the death of the man's flesh (soul-life and body). Adam's sin against God allowed the devil to gain the power of death over mankind (refer to I Corinthians 15:50-58; Hebrews 2:14; plus Adam is not listed in Hebrews chapter 11).

The results or consequences of Adam's willful transgression of a direct commandment of God were and are numerous. The greatest consequence was that Adam and Eve died that day - they no longer had the holy spirit-life which God had given them. They no longer had that close spiritual connection and relationship with the only true God. They died in the spirit category (refer to Genesis 3:22-24).

Also, the physical part of man would return to the dust/earth from whence it came, the same dust/earth upon which the devil was cursed to move upon and eat. The earth was cursed, and so all the other living-beings (animals, birds, fish, etc) that live on the earth would have adverse and bad physical consequences. The man would have consequences and the woman would have consequences and the devil would have consequences.

So, we see very clearly that the devil had indeed issued his lie (refer to Romans 1:25; II Thessalonians 2:11). He attempted to put himself as the one to be believed, that he was the one to give them wisdom, knowledge, life, the power not to die, that he would give them the ability to be gods, receiving their direction from him and thereby making himself "the God" in the place of the only true God!

However, God carried-out His words in order to protect mankind and preserve the future availability of the redemption of mankind from the power of the devil/satan back to God. If God did not do what He said He would do upon Adam’s eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then mankind would have lived from that day forward never gaining all that God had planned in Christ Jesus regarding mankind (refer to Genesis 3:15), and the devil would have conquered all the purposes of God pertaining to mankind both in the spirit-realm and in the physical-realm.

 When God raised Jesus up alive from being dead, He gave the Lord Jesus Christ the position of being at God's right-hand side, the bright and morning star. Relative to the spirit category - his position is above/over all the angels (including authority over the devil and the other angels that follow him). Relative to the realm of mankind - he has redeemed all of what Adam lost, his position of being God's man on earth. Christ is the image of God and in the future he will finalize to completion God's intention regarding all things (refer to I Corinthians 15:20-28 and 45-57; Ephesians 1:19-23; Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 1:15). 

The devil does not want people to know the truth about...

The following records describe some of the devil's activities:

Matthew 4:1-4:

4:1Then Jesus was led-up by the spirit into the desert-place to be tempted by the devil .2and having fasted forty days and forty nights afterwards he hungered .3and the (one) tempting having come-towards (him) said to him, "If you are son of God you must say (words) in order that these stones may be caused-to-become breads." .4But the (one) having answered said, "It was written2: 'The man will not live on only bread but on every spoken-matter journeying-out by means of (the) mouth of God'."

At that time the holy spirit that Jesus had just received (recorded in Matthew chapter 3) directed him up from the Jordan valley into the desert (desolate) place to be tempted by the devil.

The verb "to be tempted" means: to be made trial-of or tried in the bad sense of being put to the test with evil and ill-intent being enticed to do wrong, to fall-aside from the truth of God's Word, being enticed to disbelieve what God says during that specific situation. The devil is the one who tempts with/by evil.

After Jesus had been fasting (not eating) for forty days and forty nights (40 x 24-hours) he was hungry. And, the one tempting (again referring to the devil, but with another name that emphasizes the fact that he tempts others), having approached Jesus, said to him: if/since you are God's son you must say definite words for the purpose and result that these stones would become loaves of bread for you to eat so that you will not be hungry and you will live.

From an unaware viewpoint, it could seem that the tempter/devil was offering Jesus help by giving him advice on what to do in order to keep himself alive without having to rely on someone else, or on God, to get what is needed to live. This was similar to what the serpent/devil did to mankind as recorded in Genesis chapter 3.

But Jesus judicially replied to the questioning statement made by the one tempting. He did not respond by saying, "Of course I'm the son of God!" – because this was not in question. Nor did Jesus argue or deliberate on what the one tempting said as to how to use what God had made available to him. But Jesus answered by referring to what was previously written as part of God's Word, which had not changed, in Deuteronomy 8:1-3 that Moses spoke and wrote.

Jesus answered saying: it was written and continues written:

A "spoken matter" is a portion of the whole of God's Word, each one containing a specific discourse. All/every spoken matter which mankind should obey must originate from God in order for him to live spiritually, which is to have God's holy spirit life.

The devil continued tempting Jesus at that time as recorded in Matthew chapter 4 and you may read those additional details in that study.

In Acts, Peter states the difference of activities and lifestyle between Jesus and the devil:

Acts 10:38:
.38Jesus the (person) from Nazareth, as-that God anointed him with holy spirit and with ability, who went-through working-good and healing all the (people) being oppressed by the devil because God was with him;

The following verses record what Paul said regarding the time of his traveling to Damascus (also refer to Acts chapter 9):

Acts 26:15-18:

.15And I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you persecute; .16but you must stand-up and you must stand on your feet for into this I was seen by you to hand-pick you (as) an assistant and a witness both of-which-things you saw and of-which-things I will cause-to-be-seen by you, .17taking you to-myself out-from the people and out-from the Gentiles into whom I apostle you .18to open their eyes: (for them) to turn-back from darkness into light, and the authority of satan on God, (for) them to receive dismissal of sins, and a lot among the (people) having been made-holy2 by belief, the (belief) into me.'

When the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to Saul/Paul, as recorded in verses 17 and 18 he included:

Paul's assignment was very clear.

In Ephesians chapter 6, Paul addresses all holy-people (true Christians having received the gift of holy spirit). He teaches us how to behave relative-to the spirit category - in what manner we ought to live and carry-out all the activities of our everyday life.

Ephesians 6:10-12:

.10From-now-on, you must be enabled in (the) Lord and in the strongness of his strength, .11you must clothe-yourselves-with the full-armor of God towards (the purpose of) you to be able to stand against the methods of the devil, .12because the wrestling is not for you against blood and flesh but against the rulerships, against the authorities, against the world-strong-ones of this darkness, against the spiritual-things of the evilness in the heavenlies;

Verse 11 says that you must clothe yourselves (envelope yourselves, put-on as a garment by going inside of it) with the full-armor of God - the whole weaponry belonging-to and proceeding-from the only true God, all/every part of it, the complete panoply, the set of tools or implements of war or battle needed for protection, offense and defense, fully armed. Why should you clothe yourselves with the full armor?

Why? Because the wrestling (the swaying or vibrating struggle which you are engaged in, drawing attention to the fact that there are two opposing sides) is not for/with you...

...but on the contrary, the wrestling is for/with you...

What rulerships, authorities, world-strong-ones are being referred to here in Ephesians chapter 6?

And the fullness of the wresting for you (holy-people) is:  

Spiritual things – relative to what spirit?

All holy-people are in the heavenlies – spiritually – and therefore this is our sphere of action (refer to Ephesians 1:3 and 19-23, 2:6, 3:10; Colossians 3:1-4). We have not yet received our spiritual bodies like the Lord Jesus Christ has already received and he has already ascended into the heavens - but we have received the spirit of Christ in us and this is our spiritual standing with God and our Lord Jesus Christ, and we are against all that is against God.

In the papyrus P.46, verse 12 has the word “methods” as in verse 11 (the systematic ways or procedures) instead of “rulerships, against the authorities” and it omits the words translated "in the heavenlies." Therefore P.46 verse 12 reads: because the wrestling is not for you against blood and flesh but against the methods: against the world-strong-ones of this darkness, against the spiritual-things of the evilness.

Verse 13:
.13because-of-this you must take-up the full-armor of God in order that you may be caused-to-be-able to stand-against in the day, the evil (day), and, having rendered all-things-together to-work, to stand;

The "evil" day refers to this time-period when the devil and his followers are still able to move around the peoples of the earth and actively, adversely, and malignantly affect them if those people allow the spiritual darkness to affect them.

Paul continues by explaining in detail about this full armor of God and how we are to stand during the everyday living of our lives. We can know clearly and exactly regarding this, and so there is no legitimate excuse to claim that "I didn't know" or "nobody told me" or some other excuse. We are in this spiritual battle, and Paul uses the words describing physical pieces of armor to help us to understand the spiritual full-armor of God that is available for us to utilize.

Verses 14-18:

.14therefore you must stand having girded your loin around in truth, and having clothed-yourselves-with the breastplate of the righteousness, .15and having bound-under (your) feet in (the) preparation of the good-message of the peace, .16in all-things having taken-up the shield of the belief in which you will be able to quench all the missiles of the evil-one having been set-on-fire2, .17and you must accept the helmet of the salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is (the) spoken-matter of God, .18by means of all prayer and supplication praying in every time in spirit; and with-a-view-to (this) same-thing being sleepless in all strongness-towards and supplication concerning all the holy-people,

Verse 16 tells us to take up the shield of the belief - in which...

In I Timothy, Paul writes about a holy-person who reaches to attain the position of being an overseer and he lists many points:

I Timothy 3:6 and 7:
.6not newly-planted in order that having been conceited he may not fall-in into judgment of the devil, .7but it is necessary also to have a beautiful witness from the (people) from-outside in order that he may not fall-in into reproach and trap of the devil.

Paul includes:

We should understand reading this passage that a holy-person (a Christian, one in whom the spirit of Christ lives, a son of God) cannot lose his holy spirit-life. Therefore if a newly-planted holy-person was given the position of overseership within the church and he would fall down into the judgment and reproach and trap of the devil – it would only be in the behavior and flesh category. This would have no effect on his holy spirit and he would remain a son of God - but he would be behaving badly and receiving the consequences.

Paul also writes about the trap of the devil in II Timothy:

II Timothy 2:25 and 26:

.25in meekness training the (people) being throughly-antithetical lest-perhaps God may give to them repentance into full-knowledge of truth .26and they may sober-up out-from the trap of the devil having been caught-alive2 by him into that-one’s intention.

He teaches Timothy to be meekly training those who thoroughly put (place, set) themselves in positions of being anti/against the truth of God and the things of God...

We should notice the three ways that Paul refers to the devil here in this short phrase in verse 26: “the devil” and “his” and “that-one” – there is to be no doubt as to where the antithesis comes from – the devil.

The devil is the source of all that is against the only true God, no matter who actually carries out the devil’s intention for him. The only reason the devil would not kill someone under his control in the behavior category is for that person to carry out the devil’s intention/will during his life.

There are many ways that people carry-out the devil's intention - satan's will - for example:

Acts 8:9-11:

.9But some adult-male, Simon by-name, was-beforehand in the city practicing-magic and bewildering the nation of Samaria saying himself to be someone great, .10to whom all-people had-attention, from small until great, saying, "This-person is the ability of God, the (ability) being called great," .11and they had-attention to him because-of the sufficient time (which he had) with the magical-things to have bewildered2 them.

Acts chapter 8 tells us about a certain man named Simon who had been practicing magic (enchantments, using sorcery). As a result he was striking the people of Samaria with awe, totally puzzling their minds, and causing them to be out of their normal senses - plus he was telling them that he himself was some great person.

It was to Simon whom all the people had turned their minds (thoughts, attention) saying that he is the ability of God, emphatically and specifically the ability called "great." They thought that this Simon was sent by the only true God to them as their savior, their deliverer bringing and manifesting God’s able-power among them! Was he? No!

The people had continued to be intent upon him because he had been with them for a sufficient length of time performing his magical tricks (his enchantments and sorceries, his involvement in devil-spirit operations, demons controlling and dominating him).

Verses 12 and 13:

.12But when they believed Philip good-messaging concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both adult-males and women were baptized – .13and Simon himself also believed, and having been baptized he was being strong with Philip, viewing-with-attention both signs and great abilities coming to pass he was bewildered.

However, when these men and women believed (had faith in, trusted) what Philip was evangelizing to them concerning…

…they were baptized (immersed, surrounded) into everything that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ includes - all of his power and ability and authority, etc. They became children of the only true God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ by receiving the gift of holy spirit-life within them.

Simon himself, the man who had been practicing magic, also believed what Philip was evangelizing concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ - and therefore he also received the gift of holy spirit.

Simon was viewing with attention (contemplating in his mind) both the signs and great abilities that were happening as Philip ministered among the people - but he was awestruck and totally puzzled in his mind. Simon knew how he had done his devilish magical sorceries in the past - but he did not yet understand how Philip was able to do all he did.

God’s Word calls the abilities (able-powers, capabilities) that Philip was doing “great” – these were done by the power of the only true God.

It is noteworthy that...

...Simon's mind did not yet comprehend everything. He didn't know and understand everything regarding God and the Lord Jesus Christ whom Philip had been speaking about! This shows us that the changing of a person's physical mind or thinking-pattern is not automatic, and that God and the Lord Jesus Christ do not force themselves upon anyone in any way.

There is another record in Acts about devilish behavior performed by a man described as a son of the devil:

Acts 13:6 and 7:

.6And having gone-through the whole island continuously-until Paphos, they found an adult-male, some magus, a Judean lying-prophet, Barjesus by-name, .7who was together with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an understanding adult-male, this-person having called Barnabas and Saul towards-himself earnestly-sought-after to hear the word of God.

In Paphos, the main city of Cyprus, there was a magus (singular of “magi”) in that location. Magi were men knowledgeable and wise either in true astronomy or in devilish enchantment from Media, Persia or Babylonia. Here in Acts, this magus was a sorcerer, a magician using enchantment to deceive. He was of Judean descent named Barjesus, a lying prophet who worked with the proconsul. A lying prophet is a false prophet, one who claims to speak God's words being revealed to him concerning the past, present and/or future - but he does not speak the only true God’s words to the people - instead he speaks lies, false statements.

The proconsul named Sergius Paulus was a member of the Roman senatorial governmental rule, like a deputy, the second-in-command to the governor or military commander of that Roman province. He was an official appointed by the Roman senate to reside in a foreign country or province to represent the commercial interests of the citizens of the appointing country. He was a man of understanding and he invited Barnabas and Saul to come to him because he was earnestly searching (intensely looking) to hear the word of God.

Verses 8-12:
.8But 'Elymas' the magus, for thus his name is translated, stood-himself-against them seeking-after to throughly-turn the proconsul away-from the belief. .9But Saul, also (called) Paul, having been filled of holy spirit, having gazed-intently into him, .10said, "Oh full of all deceit and all recklessness, son of (the) devil, enemy of all righteousness, you will not stop throughly-turning the ways of (the) Lord, the straight (ways); .11and now look!, (the) hand of (the) Lord (is) on you and you will be blind not observing the sun continuously-until a time." And with-that a mist and darkness fell on him, and leading-around he sought-after hand-leaders. .12Then the proconsul, having seen the-thing having come-to-pass2, believed being shocked on the teaching of the Lord.

Barjesus, the Judean lying/false prophet who was close to the proconsul, is called in verse 8 by the name that denoted his greatness in operating and being operated by the devil's spirit power:

This Elymas the magus withstood (resisted) Barnabas and Saul's teaching of God’s Word to Sergius Paulus. He was actively in the process of...

But when Saul/Paul fixed his eyes intently directed to Elymas, he was filled with enough information about this situation from the holy spirit-life within him. Paul was the one who was taking care of this situation and he now knew exactly what was going on. He said to Elymas that:

    1. he (Elymas) was a person filled with all/every deceit (guile or bait as used to catch people by stratagem, by subterfuge),
    2. and he was filled with all/every recklessness (levity or mischief in doing things in the bad sense of wickedness);
    3. he was a son of the devil (he had willingly chosen the devil as his god in the place of the only true God and thus he had willfully received a devil-spirit, a demon, to permanently reside within his own body so that he could never change from being a son of the devil; he was being controlled by that devil-spirit within him, which took its orders from the devil/satan);
    4. he was an enemy of (one who opposes and exhibits enmity and hostility towards or against)
      • all/every righteousness (justness, justice, being and doing what is just/right);
    5. he was not willing to stop (to make an end, cause himself to cease, quit)
      • from actively turning 180 degrees (from completely twisting, perverting or distorting)
      • the ways of the Lord which are the straight ways (the right-on-course purposes, the Lord's progress, the Lord's manners of actions or methods of proceeding).

Following Paul's detailed description of Elymas, he gave further information to him and others listening regarding what was about to happen (true prophecy):

And immediately a mist (which shrouds objects from view) and darkness (the absence of light, no light received by the eye - blindness) fell down on Elymas. And he was going about looking for people to lead him by the hand because he was blind, just as Paul had foretold.

Then the proconsul Sergius Paulus believed when he saw (perceived, knew) what had happened as he watched these events taking place in front of him. He believed (had faith, trusted) what Paul was saying even though he was exceedingly struck in his mind based on the teaching of the Lord (the authoritative instruction, the doctrine, the contents of what is taught issuing-from and regarding the Lord) as spoken and acted-upon by Paul in that circumstance. Sergius Paulus received the gift of holy spirit when he believed regarding the Lord Jesus Christ (refer to Romans 10:8-10).

The devil and his devil-spirits (demons) propound their own teachings opposing the truth of God's Word:

I Timothy 4:1:

4:1But the spirit speaking says that in times afterwards some-people will depart-from the belief having-attention to wandering spirits and teachings of devils,

Paul tells Timothy the information that the holy spirit-life within Paul communicated to him. The spirit says that during periods of limited-time which will come later (after the time of writing this letter)...

The word translated "devils" in verse 1 is the Greek word daimonion, which was used in Greek mythology (falsehoods) to describe supernatural intermediary beings between false-gods and men. In reality, these are the lower-ranking demons, evil spirits like 'privates' which take their direction from the higher-ranking evil spirits (daimon) in the devil's "army" which take their orders and direction from the chief or top-ranking devil-spirit himself who is the devil/satan.

The following verses from Hebrews explains that the devil caused death to/for mankind - but the Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the devil and death:

Hebrews 2:14 and 15:
.14therefore since the young-children shared-in-common2 of blood and flesh, also he being-near-beside shared of the same-things in order that by means of death he may render-ineffective the (one) having the strongness of death, that is the devil, .15and he may remove these-people from (it), as-many-as with fear of death through all of life used-to-be liable of slavery;

Once during a past time, Jesus shared in common (partook) of blood containing soul-life evidenced by breathing, and flesh being the physical body...

The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished his goal when God raised him up alive from being dead. Jesus Christ was dead but now he is alive. The spirit of holiness is the spiritual essence of the resurrected Christ Jesus. He has his spiritual body. God his Father caused him to rise up alive out from the rest of the dead people who remain dead until their resurrection. The risen Christ is still alive.

However, everybody else who dies remains dead until the time of their resurrection. The dead holy-people (Christians) remain dead until the time when the Lord Jesus Christ will gather all holy-people together with him in the air away from the earth. Dead people are dead - they are not floating around somewhere in some spiritual body or on a cloud, nor are they in Paradise (which does not exist at the present time), nor are they in heaven, nor are they in some place called "hell"! References regarding this topic are: Genesis 3:14-19; Job 21:13; Psalm 6:5, 16:10, 49:12-15, 89:48, 146:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6 and 10; Matthew 12:40; Luke 14:14; John 5:28 and 29, 11:25; Acts 2:30-32; 13:34-36; 24:15, 26:23; Romans 1:3 and 4; I Corinthians chapter 15; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 1:18; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Thessalonians chapter 2; Hebrews 9:27 and 28; Revelation 2:7 and chapters 20-22. 

Paul wrote to the Corinthian holy-people so that they will know and understand the details regarding death, resurrection, life, etc. All holy-people will be permanently removed from death at the time of resurrection:

I Corinthians 15:51-54:

.51Look! I say a mystery to you: we will not all be caused-to-sleep but we will all be changed: .52in an atom, in a sinking of an eye, in the last trumpet, for it will trumpet and the dead-people will be raised-up incorruptible and we will be changed; .53for it is necessary (for) this corruptible-thing to clothe-itself-with incorruption, and this mortal-thing to clothe-itself-with immortality .54but whenever this mortal-thing may clothe-itself-with immortality then the word, the (word) having been written2, will come-to-pass, "Death was swallowed into victory."

We holy-people will not all be caused to sleep - we will not all have to die first before we can receive our new spiritual bodies. All of us who will be alive when Christ will come to gather us together with him in the air, will all be changed.

…in truth, there is no doubt but that the trumpet of God will make its trumpet-sound…

In truth, it is necessary for...

The dead holy-people cannot be raised-up in the same physical bodies which they had before they died because that kind of body was corruptible. Corruption does not inherit incorruption, therefore the dead holy-people must be caused to stand-up (be resurrected) in an incorruptible state.

Also, it is necessary for...

The living holy-people cannot be gathered-together with Christ in the physical bodies that we now live in, because flesh and blood are not able to inherit the kingdom of God.

But at whatever future time, when Christ comes to be present to gather the church of holy-people together with him, this mortal-thing will clothe itself with immortality (i.e.: changed directly into having our spiritual bodies without first having to die)...

The word is that death was swallowed into or resulting-in victory (death was drunk-down into conquest). God's living holy-people (Christians) will not die at all, but we will be changed directly into having new bodies with its spirit-life. This reference is taken from Isaiah chapter 25:8.

Whenever this mortal-thing may clothe itself with immortality - then the word which is written will come-to-pass, "Death was swallowed into victory." This will happen once for the holy-people who will be alive when Christ comes to gather all holy-people together with him because once it is done – it is done – death was swallowed into victory!

Verses 55 and 56:

.55"Death – where (is) your victory? Death – where (is) your point?" .56But the point of death (is) the sin and the ability of the sin (is) the law.

Paul asks these questions as though he were addressing death itself: death, in what place do you have conquest? Death, in what place do you have a point (a prick, a sting which hurts so as to eventually gain your victory)? This is a reference to what has been written in Hosea 13:14.

He gives the explanation as to how death came to pass in an attempt to gain the victory:

Without God's law there could not be sin against it, and without sin there could not be death as a consequence of sin. Thus the devil (satan, the serpent) used Adam's sin against God to gain access to mankind in order to kill him and thereby attempt to thwart the purposes of the only true God.  

Verses 57 and 58:
.57But thanks to God, the (One) giving to us the victory by means of our Lord Jesus Christ, .58so-that, my loved1 brothers, you must become seated, un-removed, always exceeding in the work of the Lord, having known2 that your labor is not empty in (the) Lord.

Paul gives thanks to God Who is the One giving us holy-people the victory (conquest) by means of (through) our Lord Jesus Christ, the Master of every holy-person.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is interposed between God's giving - and our receiving - the victory.

During the everyday living of our lives as we await the gathering together, James writes that we should stand against the devil:

James 4:7:

.7Therefore you must be subject to God – but you must stand-against the devil and he will cause-himself-to-flee away-from you.

You must be in subjection to God (be submissive to, be arranged in the position of being underneath God and what He says) - but...

The devil is an adversary:

I Peter 5:8 and 9:

.8You must be sober; you must wakefully-watch; your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks seeking-after to swallow, .9whom you must stand-against, solid-people with the belief having known2 the same-things of the sufferings to be fully-completed by your brotherhood in (the) world.

Peter encourages the holy-people:

...why?...

Behavior is important to God and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the following records we read that people have freedom of will to behave correctly or to behave in a devilish or satanic manner:

Matthew 16:21-24:
.21From then Jesus began to point-out to his learning-disciples that it is necessary (for) him to go-away into Jerusalem and to suffer many-things from the elders and chief-priests and scribes and to be killed and to be raised-up the third day. .22And having taken him towards-himself Peter began to censure him saying, “(God is) propitious to you, Lord – this will never be to you!” .23But the (one) having been turned said to Peter, “You must go behind me, satan, you are an offense of me because you do not think the-things of God but the-things of men.” .24Then Jesus said to his learning-disciples, “If someone intends to come behind me he must deny-from himself and lift his cross and follow me;

Jesus started to indicate to his learning-disciples (students) that it is necessary for him...

Then Peter took Jesus towards himself aside from the others and...

To better understand what Peter said you may refer to Romans 3:24 and 25; Ephesians 1:6 and 7, 2:8 and 9; and Colossians 1:13, 14, and 27.

But Jesus who had been turned in the direction of Peter said to him...

We must notice that Jesus spoke to Peter (not to the devil/satan). Peter was not satan nor did he have satan or any devil-spirit (demon) within his body. Also, Jesus used similar figures of speech when speaking to his learning-disciples and others to describe their attributes and activities in certain situations (for example refer to Matthew 12:34).

Peter was thinking the-things of men, mankind excluding the only true God’s will or words regarding the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Jesus the promised Christ (the Messiah).

After Jesus’ words to Peter, Jesus spoke to all the learning-disciples - thereby all could learn and Peter would have the opportunity to better understand what Jesus had just spoken to him in response to Peter’s censure.

Then Jesus said to his learning-disciples, “If someone intends to come behind me (if someone wills, has active volition and desire, to come/go behind me, backwards, after me – which is where Jesus told Peter that he must go) he must:

Paul teaches Timothy that people can behave in a devilish manner:

II Timothy 3:1-3:
3:1But this you must know: that in (the) last days fierce times will stand-in, .2for men will be lovers-of-self, lovers-of-silver, imposters, arrogant-people, blasphemers, people-un-persuaded by parents, unthankful-people, unholy-people, .3people-without-affection, people-not-entering-into-treaty, devilish-people, incontinent-people, untamed-people, not-lovers-of-good,

Verse 3 includes the word "devilish-people" - people who behave in a manner that is on a par with the devil throwing, casting things through people, like stabbing a person from outside through the person and out the other side with an accusation, slander, etc.

Also in Titus, Paul includes the word "devilish":

Titus 2:1-3:

2:1But you must utter-forth the-things-which become the teaching being sound: .2elderly-men to be sober, reverential, sound-thinking, being sound with the belief, with the love1, with the patient-endurance; .3likewise elderly-women (to be) in constitution becoming-sacred-women, not devilish, nor having been enslaved2 with much wine, beautiful-teachers,

In I Timothy, Paul warns about the influence of the devil in his adversarial attribute as satan:

I Timothy 5:11-15:

.11But younger widows you must refuse, for whenever they may act-wantonly-against the Christ they intend to marry .12having judgment because they rejected the first belief .13and unitedly also they learn (to be) workless-people going-around the houses, and not only workless-people but also prating-people and around-workers, uttering-forth the-things not being necessary. .14Therefore I deliberately-determine younger (widows) to marry, to bear-children, to be house-master, to give not-one starting-point to the (one) adversarying for-the-grace of revilement, .15for already some have been turned-out behind satan.

To gain an understanding of what Paul means by a "widow" you may refer to I Timothy 5:1-12. Verse 13 says that...

The fact that a young widow would marry again is not a problem since Paul instructs young widows that they should marry in verse 14. The problem was that if young widows were enrolled into the church assistance it evidently gave some of them the idea that they could behave badly and that a “way out” would be to get married after they had already acted wantonly against the Christ.

Paul continues: following-on logically from what I have just written above, I deliberately determine (purposefully will) younger widows…

…for by this time some widows have been turned-out behind satan (they have already been turned from where they should be, they have dislocated themselves backwards after satan, which is the name emphasizing the devil's opposing and adversarial attributes).  

Galatians includes details of works that are against God and His words to/for people:

Galatians 5:19-21:
.19But the works of the flesh are manifest, which-things are: fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, .20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, rages, works-for-ambitious-purposes, dissensions, sects, .21envies, drunkennesses, revelries, and the like-things to these-things which I say-beforehand to you according as I said-beforehand that the (people) practicing the things-of-this-kind will not inherit (the) kingdom of God.

The works (deeds, the effects produced, having acted expending energy) proceeding from the flesh are manifest (evident, brought to light, shown-forth). The flesh's works can be seen and known, and they are:

Paul also writes that the people who are practicing (habitually doing and in the process of accomplishing) the things of this sort will not in the future inherit the kingdom of God. We must recognize that Paul is listing the works of the flesh, that flesh which rejects God and His words, and so the people doing these things to which Paul is referring are those who have not believed what God has said and thus have not received holy spirit-life from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. These people will not inherit God's kingdom.

All holy-people (Christians) are presently belonging to the kingdom of God in the spirit category, and we will all inherit the totality of the kingdom of God because that is part of God's promise to Abraham and his seed. But, if a holy-person chooses to behave during his everyday life in accordance with the people who do not have holy spirit-life within them, then he/she will still be gathered together with every other holy-person when Christ comes to be present, but he/she will not receive any benefit for the works done in accordance with the flesh. Therefore there is no good reason for any holy-people to do the same things as those who are dead from God's point of view!

In I Corinthians, Paul writes of some of the evidences of how he was being treated by those who did not know and/or agree with God's purpose by means of himself and Apollos.

I Corinthians 4:13:
.13being badly-spoken-against we encourage, as refuse of the world we were caused-to-become, scum of all-things, until now.

Paul uses the present tense of these verbs emphasizing that it was still true even while he was writing this letter to the Corinthian church:

…how long? – until the present time.

Similarly, everyone who is intending to live reverentially in Christ Jesus will be persecuted:

II Timothy 3:12 and 13:

.12But also all-people, the (people) intending to live reverentially in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. .13But evil men and enchanters will advance on the worse (state) wandering and being caused-to-wander.

All who will (with active volition and desire) to live their everyday lives...

...will be pursued with hostility as enemies by those who do not intend to live reverentially in Christ Jesus.

But…

…will advance on the worse state (they will beat or drive forward cutting down everything out of their way so that nothing can impede their progress, they will advance – where? – downwards in direction and motion to a condition and quality that is more bad than previously attained by them)...

They do it themselves and they allow others to do it to them.

John also wrote about the devil and his activities among mankind:

I John 3:8:
.8The (person) doing the sin is out-from the devil because the devil sins from (the) beginning. Into this the son of God was manifested in order that he may loosen the works of the devil.

The person who is performing the sin…

For this objective…

Jesus Christ, the son of God, was manifested in order that he would undo the devil’s works – which includes both the spirit category and the resulting effects of the devil’s works on mankind (the physical, flesh category).

Satan will use situations in the church to cause problems:

II Corinthians 2:10 and 11:

.10but to whom you graciously-forgive something I also, for that-which I also graciously-forgave2, since I graciously-forgave2 something, (it is) because-of you in (the) face of Christ .11in order that we may not be covetously-claimed-as-more by satan, for we do not not-know his mindful-devices.

Paul assures the holy-people (Christians) that...

Paul explains that forgiveness is the right or correct thing to do in that situation for the purpose and result that...

The verb translated “covetously claimed as more” by satan means: caused to be taken advantage of by the active-power of satan, whereby he gets more of something than he is rightfully due in the form of some so-called 'gain' for himself - whereby satan attains his covetousness, his constantly wanting to have more, his greediness, always intentionally grasping and reaching out to get something else. In this context, satan is grasping to take control and make a prey of as many holy-people in the walk/behavior category as he can!

We must understand that satan (the name emphasizing the devil's opposing and adversarial attributes) cannot take control of the holy spirit-life within any holy-person. But, if any holy-person allows satan to do what he wants to do (his will), then he can claim that holy-person as more of his covetousness during the everyday of living of that holy-person's physical life in the walk/behavior category.

The devil or any of his devil-spirits (demons) cannot possess, cannot go-inside-of the holy-person’s body because every holy-person is already filled with the spirit of Christ in him/her – but the devil or his devil-spirits can influence us by using various methods – only if we allow them to do so.

Paul continues teaching as to why holy-people ought to graciously forgive others who are genuinely sorry for their misbehavior agreeing that indeed it was wrong:

Those to whom Paul was writing were not ignorant of satan's stratagem because Paul had told them what they were doing and what they should do instead to get out of their wrong behavior. He taught them God's Word, God's intention, God's will for His children which included how they were to manifest Godly-love towards one-another in that situation.

In II Corinthians, Paul writes that satan can make himself appear as though he were an angel of light.

II Corinthians 11:12-15:

.12But that-which I do also I will do in order that I may cut-off the starting-point of the (people) intending a starting-point in order that in that-which they boast they may be found according as also we (are), .13for the-people-of-this-kind (are) lying-apostles, deceitful workers, changing-their-outward-figure into apostles of Christ – .14and no marvel, for satan himself changes-his-outward-figure into an angel of light, .15therefore (it is) not a great-thing if also his ministers change-their-outward-figure as ministers of righteousness, whose completion will be according to their works.

What I (Paul) am doing at this time...

They are intending this starting point for the purpose and result that...

However, the truth is that such people are:

These lying-apostles who are also deceitful workers are changing their outward figure into Christ's apostles. They are altering their external figure (schema) including their demeanor, deportment, their expressed personality - into Christ's apostles! Looking at the outside, surface-level, they appear to be apostles of Christ, but the truth is that they most definitely are NOT sent-forth by Christ!

But this is not a marvelous thing - there is no reason to be astonished or look-on this with wonder and amazement. Why not?

The only true God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, is the originating source of all true light (refer to I John 1:5). But contrary to this - the devil/satan is darkness and he abides in darkness.

Part of satan's deception is to change his outward figure to portray that he is an angel consisting of light! The truth is that he is complete darkness.

Verse 15 states that therefore it is not a great-thing (no big deal, nothing large in measure, magnitude or estimation)...

Yes, presently there are spirits and people who serve satan in a ministerial capacity. They have been given the duty of service to "benefit" others, the day-by-day ministerial duties, the functions of service - for satan. These ministers take their direction from the devil, so from his point of view it is a benefit/profit for him and for those who belong to him.

However, the completion (the ending-issue, complete-thing, the fulfillment) of satan and all of his ministers will in the future be in accordance with their works which are against the only true God (refer to Revelation 20:7-15).

Satan can send one of his angels to hurt people:

II Corinthians 12:7:
.7And with the super-throw of the revelations, in order that I may not be super-lifted, there was given to me a thorn by flesh: (which is) an angel of satan in order that it may buffet me in order that I may not be super-lifted.

Paul explains that...

Who or what was this "thorn"? It was an angel of satan – one of satan's angels! Satan sent one of his messengers specifically pointed at Paul. Why? Paul explains:

If satan's angel could discredit Paul in the minds of himself and other people, then what Paul spoke or did would not be believed. Satan continues to try to hinder and put a stop to the purposes, the words, and works of the only true God.

Satan could only hurt Paul in the flesh category, because the holy spirit-life within Paul could not be hurt or damaged in any way by anyone or anything. Satan so hated the way Paul was walking with and for God and the Lord Jesus Christ, that he commissioned one of his angels pointed at Paul to buffet him. However, Paul knew exactly what was going on in the spirit realm, which affected him in the flesh/physical realm.

The visions and revelations referred to in II Corinthians 12:2-4 were for Paul’s knowledge only - satan would not have known what the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to Paul when he revealed it to him. Paul continued to receive revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ throughout his lifetime as we know from Luke's Book of Acts and the letters that Paul wrote after that time.

Now we can more-fully understand why so many terrible things used to happen to Paul while he was traveling throughout that area ministering and doing the work which God and the Lord Jesus Christ asked him to do. Satan had sent one of his angels to buffet Paul by/via his flesh in many different ways (by provoking people, or by causing something to happen, weather related disasters, etc), as recorded in II Corinthians chapter 11:

…in labors more-exceedingly, in prisons more-exceedingly, in strikes super-throwingly, in deaths often, .24I received five-times forty aside-from one (lashes) by (the) Judeans, .25three-times I was beaten-with-a-rod, once I was stoned, three-times I shipwrecked, I have done and continue to do a night-and-a-day in the deep, .26journeys-on-the-way often, dangers of rivers, dangers of robbers, dangers from genus, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in a city, dangers in a desert-place, dangers in (the) sea, dangers among lying-brothers, .27labor and travail, in sleeplessnesses often, in famine and thirst, in fastings often, in coldness and nakedness….

However, no matter how much buffeting this angel of satan (devil-spirit, demon) caused Paul by using the environment, the weather, people, animals, etc, which caused hurt and damage to him in the flesh category - Paul still had holy spirit-life within him which could not be hurt or damaged or removed, and by-which he communicated to/with God and the Lord Jesus Christ. No devil-spirit or anything else could put a stop to the holy spirit that Paul had or cause him to lose it!

People accused Jesus of being associated with the devil:

Matthew 12:22-24:
.22Then a blind and dumb (person) was carried-towards him being devilized, and he attended-to him so-as-for the dumb to utter-forth and to observe. .23And all the crowds used-to-be bewildered and used-to say, "This-person is not the son of David, is he?" .24But the Pharisees having heard said, "This-person does not throw-out the devils except in Beelzebul ruler of the devils."

In verse 22, the root of the verb translated "devilized" is the Greek word daimon, which was used in Greek mythology (falsehoods) to describe supernatural intermediary beings between false-gods and men. In reality, these are the high-ranking evil spirits in the devil's "army" because they take their orders and direction from the chief or top-ranking devil-spirit himself who is the devil/satan. These devil-spirits (daimon) can direct the lower-ranking devil-spirits (daimonion).

At that time, when that blind and dumb man who was being devilized (demonized) was carried (brought) to Jesus, Jesus attended to him. Jesus treated him, was therapeutic towards him, took care of him as necessary, which would have included throwing/casting out a devil/devils which were in him controlling him - in this particular case causing him not to be able to see or speak. After Jesus had thrown/cast out the devil(s) from that man's body, the consequence and result for that man was that he spoke and saw.

All the crowds were continuing to be bewildered (the throngs of people were awestruck, standing out of their normal senses caused by this inexplicable occurrence to their mind's thoughts and comprehension) and they kept saying, "This-person is not the son of David, is he?" They asked this question in such a manner that they expected the answer to be "no, he is not the son of David" - even though he did something that they expected their promised Messiah, the heir to the throne of King David, born of the seed of David, to perform in accordance with what was previously prophesied about the promised savior.

But after the Pharisees heard what the crowds were asking, they said, "This-person does not throw/cast out the devils (demons, lower-ranking evil spirits) except in Beelzebul ruler of the devils."

The religious leaders told the people that the only reason that Jesus was casting out devils was in Beelzebul - within his sphere of action, using his power and authority, etc. Beelzebul (sometimes spelled 'Beelzebub' etc) was one of the contemptuous and derogatory names made to refer to the devil/satan or a ruling high-ranking evil spirit under satan's command, a derivation of the false god/idol referred to in II Kings chapter 1. Here in Matthew the Pharisees describe Beelzebul as "ruler of the devils" - chief or first-placed devil over other devils (daimonion).

Verses 25-33:

.25But having known2 their thinkings-within he said to them, "Every kingdom having been distributed against itself is deserted, and every city or house having been distributed against itself will not be caused-to-stand, .26and if satan throws-out satan he was distributed on himself, how therefore will his kingdom be caused-to-stand? .27And if I in Beelzebul throw-out the devils, in whom do your sons throw-out (devils)? Because-of-this they will be judges of you. .28But if in spirit of God I throw-out the devils, consequently the kingdom of God went-ahead on you. .29Or, how is someone able to go into the house of the strong-person and to throughly-catch-away his vessels except firstly he may bind the strong-person and then he will throughly-catch-away his house? .30The (one) not being with me is against me, and the (one) not gathering-together with me scatters. .31Because-of-this I say to you: every sin and blasphemy will be dismissed from men, but the blasphemy of the spirit will not be dismissed; .32and who if-ever may say a word against the son of man it will be dismissed from him, but who ever may say against the Spirit, the Holy (Spirit), it will not be dismissed from him neither in this age nor in the (age) being about to (come). .33Or, you must make the tree beautiful and the fruit of it beautiful, or you must make the tree rotten and the fruit of it rotten, for out-from the fruit the tree is known.

Jesus was receiving information from God via the holy spirit within him and so he knew what they were thinking (the revolving or fermenting of their thoughts, their minds’ intensely passionate considerations). He said to them:

Jesus does not give an answer because it is obvious that satan's kingdom could not stand if that were the case – which it is not!

Satan is very much in control of his spirit kingdom, and even if sometimes different evil spirits may seem to be fighting against each other, they all take their direction ultimately from the devil himself. It is like two 'opposing' athletic teams being owned by the same owner - the game is carried-on as though they were against each other, but in reality the strategy is that in the end the owner comes out the winner!

The holy spirit power belonging-to and proceeding-from God’s kingdom had arrived. Jesus had holy spirit from God within him and he was saying and doing things accordingly - and it was plain to see by everyone present, including the devil-spirits.

Jesus is explaining what was happening in the spirit realm by using this analogy that people would understand:

We should recognize that at the time of this record in Matthew, Jesus had not yet accomplished redemption and salvation for mankind and therefore nobody could receive the permanent holy spirit-life that was first made available on the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2).

Today when a person believes what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9 and 10), that person receives the gift of holy spirit which is the spirit of Christ in him/her. It is this holy spirit that makes that person a holy-person (a true Christian). A devil-spirit (demon) cannot enter into the body of a holy-person (a person who already has the spirit of Christ within him/her). However, a holy-person can of course be influenced adversely by the devil/satan if the holy-person allows himself to listen, and see, and do what satan propounds via his beguiling methods and schemes used by those who work for him (spirits and people).

Even during the old covenant times, including when Jesus was carrying out his ministry before the day of Pentecost, no person could have an evil spirit within his/her body at exactly the same time as having God’s temporary and conditional holy spirit (example: King Saul, etc).

Jesus continues in verse 30:

They had accused Jesus of having a devil-spirit and exercising the devil’s power and they were teaching this lie to others. But Jesus had received holy spirit from God and he had exercised God’s power via the spirit within him.

Jesus is emphatic about referring to the Holy Spirit, Who is God Himself, but he does not say “God” because he is emphasizing the holy and spirit essence of God.

Both of these sins - blasphemy of the spirit and say a word against the Holy Spirit - will not at any time be dismissed. Any person committing these sins will pay the consequences - they will receive the appropriate punishment.

Jesus continues to explain by using a physical analogy so that people can understand the spiritual truth that he is teaching them:

What the Holy Spirit (God) produces is beautiful, and therefore what Jesus was saying and doing in accordance with the holy spirit which he had received from God was also beautiful. But contrary to that, satan/the devil is rotten and what he and his devils produce is rotten.

In verses 43-45 Jesus continues to explain about devil-spirits:

Verses 43-45:
.43But when the unclean spirit may go-out away-from the man, it goes through waterless places seeking-after a resting-up and does not find (it). .44Then it says, ‘I will turn-back into my house from-where I came-out.’ And having come it finds (the house) being-convenient, having been swept2 and having been orderly-arranged2. .45Then it journeys and takes-beside with itself seven different spirits more-evil-than itself, and having gone-into (the house) it dwells-down there. And the last-things of that man become worse-than the first-things. Thus also it will be with this generation, the evil (generation).”

Jesus was referring to those who willingly believed and did what satan wanted to be done – which is evil. Jesus was not talking about those who willingly believed and did what the only true God wanted to be done – which is good.

Reading the context of all that Jesus was saying to these particular men who accused Jesus at this time, gives depth to what Jesus told them. Jesus had holy spirit within him, which he had received from God, and that’s how he said and did what he said and did - but these men had unclean devil-spirit(s) inside of them and that’s how they were saying and doing their blasphemies, etc.

In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul calls the devil "the ruler of the authority of the air":

Ephesians 2:2:

.2in which at-some-time you walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit, the (spirit) now in-working in the sons of the un-persuasion,

During a past time, you walked (behaved, conducted your lives) within the sphere of action of sins, which is:

The devil/satan is the chief-spirit who refused to be persuaded by what God said, and actively went against Him. The devil currently energizes his evil among his devil-spirits and among those people who are willing to follow his direction instead of following God's direction. These spirits and people are "the sons of the un-persuasion."

In II Corinthians chapter 4, Paul calls the devil "the god of this age":

II Corinthians 4:3 and 4:

.3But if our good-message also is having been covered2 it is having been covered2 among the (people) being destroyed .4among whom the god of this age blinded the mindful-devices of the unbelievers with-a-view-for the lightness of the good-message of the glory of Christ who is (the) image of God not to light (among them),

Paul explains...

Those who willingly refuse to believe what God says allow the god of this age to place a covering as a veil between them and the good-message, and this covering is blinding their mindful-devices.

The devil/satan is called "the god of this age." What age? This specific age or duration of life in-which we currently live. This age only lasts until Christ will come to gather all the church of holy-people together with him and carries-out what God says which includes the destruction of the devil and all the spirits and people who reject the only true God and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The time of this age is limited; it will come to an end (refer to the Chart).

The word "god" is used of one who has power, executes judgment, and emanates what he is – but in this case Paul is referring to the devil/satan who presently has power during this age and he carries out his own decisions, judgments, and he emanates what he is by causing things to happen under the guise of being "light" but what he makes and sets-up is darkness!

The lying god of this specific age has actively blinded the mindful-devices of the people who do not believe (who do not have faith-in, do not trust) the good message. What is the devil's motive? He does this for the purpose that…

…does not light among these unbelievers (as not allowing the light of dawn to shine in, within, or among them).

In the physical realm, the break of daylight is the time when the sun rises in the east and introduces its light on a specific area of the earth, and this daylight hitting the vision receptors in the physical eye allows the person in that area to see what is around him/her. In this context, the god of this age has blinded the mindful-devices of the people who previously had made their own decision not to believe what God says about Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The devil does this for the purpose that their receptors to the true light of the good-message of the glory of Christ, who is the image of the only true God, do not receive this lightness, and so they do not see and cannot walk in the true light - even though it is gloriously shining with Christ's glory.

Examples of something similar in the physical realm would be if you deliberately close your eyes even though there is daylight shining in the room; or when it is nighttime and there is no light at all - and if you try to walk around the room you are very likely to hurt yourself because you cannot physically see other people, or the furniture, or the dog, or the cat. The physical eye does not emanate light in order to see, nor can it beam out some special ray of light to see through something, which the authors of some children's books and movies try to propound. With the passing of time it is possible for a physically blind person to learn with his/her other senses how to move about his/her house, etc, but this is not the sense of sight.

However, in the spirit category, if a person decides not to acceptingly believe what God says and therefore refuses to receive God's gift of holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ - that person allows the devil/satan to blind his/her mindful-devices. That person cannot spiritually see the lightness of the good-message of the glory of Christ who is the image of God; this lightness does not dawn in him/her at all. Oh, he might "bump" into something and may even recognize that "something spiritual happened" – but he/she cannot see God's true spiritual details (refer to I Corinthians 2:14; II Corinthians 3:3-18).

In II Corinthians chapter 6, another name is used to describe the devil:

II Corinthians 6:15:

.15But what agreement (is there) of Christ towards Belial, or what part (is there with) a believer with an unbeliever?

What agreement (concord) is there...

Christ is the promised seed of the only true God and since his resurrection he has his spiritual body and gives the gift of holy spirit to all who believe what God says.

The name "Belial" emphasizes the devil/satan's relationship to his seed, who are those people who have believingly accepted that the devil is god and allow him to permanently place one of his devil-spirits (demons) to dwell within their physical body (not a short-term domination). These people then live in worthlessness until they die in destruction.

Or, what part (what divided portion) is there...

The unwritten answer to both of these questions relative-to God's holy and spiritual realm is: none!

Verse 16:

.16But what consent (is there with the) interior-temple of God with idols? For you are (the) interior-temple of (the) living God – according as God said that "I will indwell in them and I will walk-in (them) and I will be their God and they will be My people,"

What consent (what strong assenting in conjunction with one another) is there...

An idol is an image or anything that a person places ahead of God in his/her mind and therefore he/she worships or serves that thing/idol as "god" instead of worshipping and serving the only true God. An idol may or may-not have form and substance. Examples of idols are: books, the people themselves, famous people, devil-spirits (demons), icons, statues, perhaps some agricultural endeavor, the environment, the sun, moon or stars, the web or some other computer-related program, software or hardware, television, video games, eating some particular food, or whatever a person puts above or estimates to be higher in his/her mind and living than the only true God and what He says and does. Anything or anybody placed in higher esteem in the whole of a person's heart and soul and mind process than God is an idol to/for that person.

What consent is there with the interior-temple of God with idols? None! There is no consent between them because one is the antithesis of the other.

Paul continues to teach regarding the interior-temple of God relative-to the present time-period - which is between the day of Pentecost (recorded in Acts 2:1-4) and the coming of Christ to gather all holy-people together with him in the air (recorded in I Corinthians 15:51-57 and I Thessalonians 4:13-17).

In truth, holy-people are the interior-temple of the living God – LIVING GOD. All holy-people (not someone else or some physical place) are the interior-temple of the living God. God is alive. He is not a figment of mankind's imagination, nor has He died, nor has He been updated by a bigger version or a better model or a recent release made by mankind! God is living.

Emphatically you are the interior-temple of the living God, and this truth is according as God foretold:

What God said has already come to pass pertaining-to all holy-people (Christians) in the spirit category!

Prior to the time when Jesus accomplished salvation, the "interior-temple" usually referred to the innermost-part, the most sacred area within the temple in Jerusalem, where the only true God's presence was manifested-forth during the old covenant times, called the "Holy of Holies." Today God's interior-temple is not a stone or brick building or other destructible materials such as a physical temple in today's Jerusalem. God's interior-temple is made up of His people who have received the gift of holy spirit, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation - it consists of all holy-people (true Christians) no matter what location we may live in on the earth. There will again be a temple including an interior-temple area in Jerusalem between Christ's coming to gather all holy-people together with him in the air and the descending of the new Jerusalem as written about in Ezekiel chapters 40-48. However, in the new Jerusalem the interior-temple will be as written in Revelation 21:22. References regarding this topic are: Matthew 26:61; John 2:19-22; Acts 17:22-31; I Corinthians 3:16 and 17, 6:19 and 20; II Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19-22; Revelation 21:22.

In I Thessalonians, Paul writes about a problem he had with satan: 

I Thessalonians 2:18:
.18for-this-reason-that we intended to go towards you, I indeed Paul both once and twice, and satan obstructed us;

Paul writes that...

In this situation Paul recognized where the obstruction was coming from - satan. He didn't blame the weather or the people with him or someone else!

The following is a record where Paul deals appropriately with a devil-spirit (demon):

Acts 16:16-18:

.16But it came-to-pass (during) our journeying into the prayer (for) some servant-girl having a spirit of python to meet us, she-who presented much work to her lords (by) soothsaying. .17She, closely-following Paul and us, shouted saying, "These men are slaves of God the Highest, the-people-who message to you a way of salvation"; .18and she did this-thing on many days. But Paul having been throughly-pained and having turned-back to the spirit said, "I charge to you in (the) name of Jesus Christ to go-out away-from her"; and it went-out the same hour.

While Paul and those with him were still in Philippi, it happened one day that as they were going to the place where people gathered to pray, a servant-girl came to meet them. She moved without prior arrangement with them and she did it with the idea of stealth, wanting to be unperceived and without noise or notice as to the real motive behind what she was doing. She did this because she had a python spirit in her. She had a devil-spirit (demon) and was controlled by this devil-spirit, not a physical python snake.

In Greek mythology (falsehoods)/devil-worship, the so-called god Apollo was said to have destroyed the python and therefore Apollo also had the name of Pythius. The priestess at the well-known temple at Delphi was called the Pythoness and it was through this priestess, who was supposedly-speaking on behalf of Apollo, that information was given to the people! Therefore the word "python" became associated with this kind of spirit activity.

This unsaved young female servant had a similar devil-spirit, and thereby she offered her lords (masters, employers) a lot of work (which is the result of action utilizing energy producing effects) - a lot of business by being the ‘medium’ or ‘control.’

She was soothsaying, which is speaking information received from her devil-spirit to people, uttering responses as from an oracle, giving false prophecies, revealing so-called 'hidden' knowledge, predictions, fortune-telling, practicing divination, etc. People in that community would come to her to hear what the 'spirit world' had to say to them! However, the spirit realm she was connected with is the devil's realm of operation, and thus the people received information from the devil's kingdom which is spiritual but it is unholy and unclean and evil - it is NOT the only true God's holy and good and true spiritual kingdom! This is how so many people today also get tricked by the devil and his host of devil-spirits – yes, it is supernatural but its source is the devil, not God Who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This girl closely or persistently followed Paul and those with him shouting (crying-out, so that everybody could hear what was being shouted), “These men are slaves (men who serve as slaves, bond-servants) of the Most-High God who bring the message to you regarding a way (road, a method of proceeding and access) pertaining to salvation.”

Did Paul and those with him at this time serve as slaves to the only true God Who is the Highest (Most High) God? Yes, but at that time and place the term "Highest God" or "Most-High God" was sometimes applied to false-gods - this is idolatry - Paul and those with him most certainly were NOT serving a false-god! Were they messaging to the people a way so that they could be saved? Yes, but it is the only way, not one of many ways. So, was the girl shouting correctly? No – what this spirit of python speaking through the servant-girl was saying was a lie sprinkled with facts to make it sound true - and therefore from God's point of view it/she was lying and misleading people to cause them to believe falsely. This is similar to the method used by the devil himself, called the serpent, in Genesis chapter 3 when he spoke to Eve in the garden of Eden.

What awesome camouflage used by this spirit of python forcing the girl to shout these things! And, the girl did this for many days. But this caused Paul to feel much pain (a lot of grief and hard labor, worked-up) as he continued teaching the good-message.

The truth of what was happening could only be known spiritually, because from the natural or 5-senses point of view there was a servant-girl shouting out telling everybody and advertising what Paul and those with him were doing – she was a "good PR person" to have around! However, Paul was not tricked; he knew what was really happening via information which he received from his holy spirit-life. Paul received revelation regarding what was truly going on in the spirit realm by means of the manifestation of his holy spirit-life, in this instance the through-judgments of spirits, discerning that the girl had a devil-spirit. [For more details regarding the manifestation of the gift of holy spirit, you may read chapters 12-14 of my study on I Corinthians.]

Paul turned-back upon the direction of the spirit and said "I charge to you in the name of Jesus Christ to go-out away-from her.” Who was Paul talking to? The devil-spirit (demon) within the girl. He was not speaking to the girl herself which somebody looking on with their physical eyes and ears may have thought. Paul turned and spoke directly to the devil-spirit and said: "I, Paul, charge (give a message) to you, the spirit of python, within all the authority and power of the name of Jesus Christ, to go-out away-from this girl!" Paul was not relying on his own physical strength or the loudness of his voice when he charged the devil-spirit to get out and away from the girl. He told the devil-spirit that what he was speaking was in the name of Jesus Christ. What Paul spoke was with the backing of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We should understand that when reading in God’s Word about something being done "in the name of" something or someone else, it incorporates the fullness of everything involved with the one named. Regarding the name of Jesus Christ, it includes all that the name of "Jesus" and the name of "Christ" represent and stand for. "In the name of Jesus Christ" means: within the sphere of action of all the authoritative-power, ability, workings, etc, that God gave to Jesus when he raised him up out-from the dead-people, and gave him the name that is above every other name, designating the resurrected Jesus being Christ (refer to Matthew 1:21; Acts 2:21 and 38; 3:6 and 16; 4:7-12, and 30; Romans 1:3 and 4; Ephesians 1:19-23; Philippians 2:9-11; II Thessalonians 3:6; Hebrews 1:1-4).

Paul did not have a battle of words with this girl, nor did he spend days trying to rehabilitate her, etc. Paul received revelation and carried out what he was told to say and do by his holy spirit-life. And the spirit of python that had dominated and controlled this girl went out of her immediately, right-then-and-there! The words "the same hour" is an idiom and means immediately, forthwith, directly; it does not mean that it took one hour to come out of her. As soon as Paul spoke by revelation in the name of Jesus Christ to that devil-spirit, that devil-spirit had no choice but to do what Paul told it to do. God's holy spiritual power via the Lord Jesus Christ is greater than the devil's spiritual power.

In the next record we read how others tried to use the name of Jesus - however...

Acts 19:13-16:
.13But some-people also of the going-around Judeans, exorcists, took-on-hand to name the name of the Lord Jesus on the (people) having the spirits, the evil (spirits), saying, "We adjure you (by) the Jesus whom Paul heralds-forth"; .14among whom also (the) sons of Sceva, some Judean chief-priest, intended to do the same-thing having a custom to adjure the things-of-this-kind, and having come towards (a person) being devilized they began to call-upon the name to-themselves saying, "We charge to you in Jesus whom the apostle, Paul, heralds-forth to go-out.” .15But the spirit, the evil (spirit), having answered said to them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I well-know, but you, who are you?" .16And the man, in whom the spirit, the evil (spirit), was, having leaped on them (because of) having lorded-against them, was strong against them so-that (they) escaped out-from that house naked and having been traumatized2.

Some of the Judeans who were traveling from place to place were exorcists. The word "exorcists" refers here to those unsaved people professing to expel devil-spirits from other people by adjuration, using oaths and swearing on something or someone. The verb translated "adjure" in these verses means: to intensely put someone/something under an oath of extraction, exorcise, cause to be under the obligation of an oath, as forcing the recipient to give-out from him/itself what is spoken.

These exorcists set about to impose-a-name on/over the people who were dominated by evil spirits (devil-spirits, demons), but the name they were using was the name of the Lord Jesus! They were adjuring using the name of the Lord Jesus on unsaved people with evil spirits inside of them. They said to these people: " We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul heralds-forth (we exorcise you, adjure to expel, by using the power of the Jesus whom Paul proclaims)." They wanted to make sure that the devil-spirit(s) would know, and anyone listening to them, that their oath was done by the same "Jesus" whom Paul heralds-forth, not a different one.

Verses 13 and 14 above are mostly taken from papyrus P.38 because it includes more details than some of the other Greek texts.

Verse 14 continues that among this group of exorcists were sons of Sceva, the Judean chief (high) priest, a member of the local Sanhedrin at Ephesus. These sons intended (willed) to do the same-thing which the other exorcists were doing because that was their custom (a habit of theirs). However, on/over a person who was being devilized (demonized, being operated, controlled, dominated by devil-spirits), the sons of Sceva started to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus to themselves.

On a person who was being devilized, the sons of Sceva...

But the evil spirit replied in response saying…. Who/what replied to the charge posed? The evil spirit – this devil-spirit (demon) spoke by controlling the vocal-chords and tongue and mind of the man it was inside and forced the man to speak! The evil spirit said to the sons of Sceva:

This evil spirit was not stupid! It knew exactly who Jesus was and in fact the verb it used tells of personal knowledge, not just "I've heard something about him"! Plus, it well-knew Paul and this verb shows that it was aware of Paul's activities and knew what he was doing. This does not mean that this one high-ranking devil-spirit knew everything, but it does show the knowledge that can be known by them and they communicate very well with one-another, from the devil downwards to the lower-ranking devil-spirits.

The evil spirit knew that the sons of Sceva were not connected with the Lord Jesus even though they spoke his name; it knew that there was no power or authority involved in the words that the sons of Sceva spoke to it.

This record teaches us that the sons of Sceva did NOT invoke the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ even though they used his name! The Lord Jesus Christ is not at the beck-and-call of everyone and anyone, and just because we today may hear somebody using the name of Jesus, to somehow bring his power and authority over a certain situation - it does not guarantee that this is happening. These sons of Sceva were not holy-people (they were not Christians) but they still used the name of Jesus in their adjuration.

Then the man, within whom the evil spirit was dwelling, was able to exercise his lordship (mastery) over that situation by the power of that devil-spirit, and he jumped (sprang) on top of the sons of Sceva who did this thing.

This man was strong against them (he prevailed, with the help of the controlling devil-spirit inside of him), so much so that he caused the sons to be naked (without their usual clothing) and traumatized (wounded, hurt, damaged) before they could escape.

This was a case of two sides appearing to be against each other. It is similar to two 'opposing' football teams being owned by the same owner – the game is carried-on as though they were truly against each other, but in reality the strategy is that in the end the owner comes out the winner!

Why would they do this here where Paul was working with/for the only true God, teaching God's Word, healing people, casting out devil-spirits, etc, as described in Acts 16:10-12? The purpose was to discredit the name of the Lord Jesus in the eyes of the people! They wanted the name of the Jesus whom Paul heralds-forth to appear to be at their own beck-and-call via the ‘magical’ powers they wanted to portray that they had, and perhaps that Jesus and Paul had the same powers as they did, as though they were on the same team!

In contrast to the evil spirits being caused to journey-out from devilized people by Paul using the name of the Lord Jesus (refer to Acts 19:12) – the exorcists could not do the same. No person or spirit can use the power of the Lord Jesus without being in agreement with the Lord Jesus.

The devil's plan backfired – the 'owner' (devil) did not come out the winner, as we learn in the following verses:

Verses 17-20:

.17But this became known both to all Judeans and Greeks, the (people) dwelling-down (in) Ephesus, and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was made-great; .18and many of the (people) having believed2 came expressly-agreeing and announcing their practices; .19and sufficient of the (people) having practiced the around-works, having contributed the books, burned-down (those devilish books) before all-people, and they counted-together their prices and they found five ten-thousands of silver. .20Thus the word of the Lord increased and was strong according to strongness.

What happened with the sons of Sceva became known both to all the Judeans (people of the Israeli background) and the Greeks (Hellenists, Greek-speaking people of the Gentile background) who were inhabiting Ephesus…

They understood and appreciated the superiority, authoritative power, etc, of the Lord Jesus Christ, in contrast to the devil's various activities. When Paul wrote a letter at a later time to the people being holy and believing in Christ Jesus, which included the Ephesian holy-people, he reminded them regarding the greatness of the power and name of the Lord Jesus Christ (refer to Ephesians 1:19-23).

Many of the people who had believed and still actively believed (who had faith, were trusting) what Paul taught, were coming to the location where Paul was…

These people had practiced “around-works” – the works which are above and below on the circumference or periphery of work. In this context these “around-works” included the concealed works which the devil and his devil-spirits promote, such as the occult, ouija-boards, séances, tarot-cards, magic, books giving 'spells' or 'oaths' to invoke spirits, etc. These people had worked – but the energy they had previously expended was against the only true God and the Lord Jesus Christ! But now these people could really understand the difference.

A sufficient amount of people who had practiced the around-works contributed (brought together) the books associated with those practices into one place and burned them in the sight and presence of all the people, and everybody could see what was going on. This they did voluntarily to rid themselves of those devilish books.

Then they counted up what the estimated value of those burnt books would have been, and they found the total amount to be five ten-thousand (50,000) pieces of silver – that's a lot of money’s worth they burned! They had previously invested a very large amount into those practices, but now they understood the devilishness of all of it, and therefore they burned what they could to clean up their homes and surroundings.

It was in this manner that the word of the Lord…

Just because someone seems to speak something "spiritual" - this does not mean that it is correct and true - we should always check it against the truth of God and His Word. John wrote:

I John 4:1-6:

4:1Loved-people1, you must not believe every spirit, but you must prove the spirits if they are out-from God because many lying-prophets went-out2 into the world. .2In this you know the spirit of God – every spirit which expresses-agreement (regarding) Jesus Christ having come2 in flesh is out-from God, .3and every spirit which does not express-agreement (regarding) Jesus is not out-from God and this is the (spirit) of antichrist which you heard2 that it comes and now is already in the world.
.4You are out-from God, little-children, and you were-victorious-over2 them because the (one) in you is greater than the (one) in the world. .5They are out-from the world because-of this – they utter-forth out-from the world and the world hears them. .6We are out-from God; the (person) knowing God hears us; he-who does not hear us is not out-from God – out-from this we know the spirit of the truth and the spirit of the wandering.

Loved-people (beloved, truly you are loved by God and by myself with God’s kind of love)…

In/by this you know the spirit of God (you have a truly active and relative knowing of the spirit that God gives, you are personally knowledgeable of the spirit from God) –

Emphatically you are…

…little-children (in the figurative usage being a very tender, affectionate term of endearment)...

…because…

Emphatically they are…

Emphatically we are…

…from this we personally know…

In Matthew chapters 13 and 25, Jesus describes some of the devil's activities still occurring today, and what will occur in the future:

Matthew 13:36-43:
.36Then having left the crowds he went into the house. And his learning-disciples came-towards him saying, “You must make-throughly-clear to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” .37And the (one) having answered said, “The (person) sowing the beautiful seed is the son of man, .38and the field is the world, and the beautiful seed these-people are the sons of the kingdom; but the weeds are the sons of the evil-one, .39and the enemy, the (enemy) having sown them, is the devil; but the harvest is (the) completing-together of (the) age, and the harvesters are angels. .40Therefore wholly-as the weeds are collected and are burned-down with fire, thus it will be in the completing-together of the age: .41the son of man will apostle his angels and they will collect out-from his kingdom all the offenses and the (ones) doing the lawlessness, .42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; the crying and the gnashing of the teeth will be here. .43Then the righteous-people will shine-out as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The (person) having ears must hear.
Matthew 25:41-46:
.41Then (the king) will say also to the (people) out-from (his) left-sides, ‘You must journey away-from me (you who are) having been cursed2 into the fire, the agelong (fire), the (fire) having been prepared2 for the devil and his angels; .42for I hungered and you did not give to me to eat, I was thirsty and you did not give me to-drink, .43I used-to-be a stranger and you did not gather me together, naked and you did not clothe me, weak and in prison and you did not look-intensely-on me (to help).’ .44Then also they will answer saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungering or thirsting or a stranger or naked or weak or in prison and we did not minister to you?’ .45Then he will answer them saying, ‘With-certainty I say to you, on as-much-as you did not to one of these least-people neither did you to me.’ .46And these-people will go-away into agelong curtailment – but the righteous-people into eternal life.”

For more details regarding these verses, you may read my studies of Matthew.]

In II Thessalonians, Paul also teaches about the devil's activities and what will happen at a future time.

II Thessalonians 2:1 and 2:

2:1But we ask you, brothers, on behalf of the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering-together on him, .2for you not to be quickly shaken away-from the mind-set nor to be caused-tumult neither by means of spirit, nor by means of word, nor by means of letter as (if it were) by means of us - as that the day of the Lord stood-in2;

We (myself and those with me) ask you, brothers…

…for the purpose of you...

…as that the day of the Lord has already begun to stand and is presently standing in-effect, in-force!

The coming to be present of the Lord Jesus Christ and the gathering-together of all holy-people unto him in the air is what begins the day of the Lord - which is the time-period when the Lord Jesus Christ, who is second-in-command to God, will exercise and demonstrate the fullness of his lordship and authority and strength and ability to/before all people and spirits in heaven and earth (excluding God Himself of course).

Verse 3(a):

.3(a) someone must not wholly-deceive you according to not-one manner because (the day of the Lord cannot stand-in) except the departure may come first,

Don't allow anyone to thoroughly beguile (fully delude) you with a false/lying statement, no-matter what mode or direction they seem to be turning. The lying statement being promulgated was that the day of the Lord was already standing-in, that it was now in effect!

But Paul makes it quite clear that the day of the Lord has not already stood-in and cannot stand-in – why not? Because the day of the Lord cannot come and stand in force except/unless the departure would come first. This departure is what will happen FIRST. If the departure has not occurred - then there is no way that the day of the Lord is in effect.

What "departure" is Paul referring to? The Lord Jesus Christ will descend from heaven and all his holy-people will be caught-away unitedly, and we will all be together with him in the air (refer to verse 1 above and I Thessalonians 4:13-17). It will be after this occurs that the "wrath" begins towards those who reject God and the Lord Jesus Christ (refer to I Thessalonians 5:1-11). All holy-people (Christians) will be taken away-from the earth to be with the Lord Jesus Christ and thus all of us, including the Lord Jesus Christ, will be standing away from the rest of those left-behind on earth at that specific time.

God's Word continues to foretell more information about what happens after Christ gathers the church away from the earth:

Verses 3(b) and 4:

….3(b) and the man of the lawlessness, the son of the destruction, may be revealed, .4the (one) adversarying and super-lifting-himself on all being said (to be) a god or an object-of-reverence so-as-for him to sit-down into the interior-temple of God pointing himself out that he is God!

...will be revealed (caused to be uncovered, as removing a veil and exposing what was previously hidden from view).

This same "man of the lawlessness, the son of the destruction" is also the one who is...

God has very clearly made it known by His revealed Word all throughout the years that He is the only true God and that He is the only One Who is to be reverenced in this manner. However, in the earth today there are many different religions and cults which have devil-spirits and idols and icons and people, etc, which they call their "god" and their "object of reverence" and influencing other people to bow-down and reverence this or that as their god. This "man of the lawlessness, the son of the destruction" will lift himself up, he will exalt himself above all of these "gods" using and exercising the unholy spirit-power of the devil/satan.

The consequence or result of this one adversarying and super lifting himself on all being said to be a god or an object-of-reverence is that he will actively sit-down into the interior-temple of God pointing-out (demonstrating, exhibiting, indicating as pointing-out with the finger away-from some other object towards a particular object – in this case: away-from the only true God towards himself) that he himself is God and therefore he is the one to be reverenced!

This one's objective is to replace God with himself thus attempting to make the devil/satan the supreme spirit! He will go into the inner area in a physical Jerusalem temple in his attempt to usurp God's position by trying to make himself "holy" or "sanctified" through/by the fact of being there in that physical place!

The devil's first recorded attempt to do this took-place during Genesis chapter 3. However, his plan did not succeed as we can read about in the Bible and which we can testify to because the seed of the woman, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, was born and he has accomplished redemption - and the Lord Jesus Christ will in the future accomplish everything that God has foretold! Satan continually attempts to usurp the only true God and the Lord Jesus Christ, but all his attempts have and will be defeated as is also recorded in God's Word.

Verses 5-8(a):
.5You remember that I used-to say these-things to you yet being with you, don't you? - (yes.) .6Also you knew2 now the (thing) holding-down with-a-view-for him to be revealed in the time of himself, .7for the mystery of the lawlessness is already caused-to-in-work only until the (one) now holding-down may become out-from (the) midst .8(a)and then the lawless-one will be revealed –  

Paul continues by asking the Thessalonian holy-people, expecting the affirmative answer of "yes":

Consequently that specific time must be still future – it can't be happening now because we holy-people have not been gathered-together with the Lord Jesus Christ yet!

In truth, the mystery (secret) pertaining-to and consisting-of the state of being without God's law is by this time being made to produce effects by being in work (being energized). This is happening secretly only until the one who is at this moment holding-down will not be on earth anymore and then the lawless-one will be revealed (at that time but not before then). The devil will no longer have to secretly energize his unholy spirit power - but this "freedom" of his will only last for a limited period of time during the wrath!

What is it that is suppressing "the man of the lawlessness, the son of the destruction"?

Answer: The fact that the event referred to as the "departure" in verses 1 and 3 above has not happened yet and thus all holy-people with holy spirit within us are still here on earth (refer to also Paul's first letter in I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

Who is the one who is presently exercising his authoritative-power so-that the lawless-one cannot be revealed until he becomes out-from the midst?

Answer: The Lord Jesus Christ.

The truth that holy-people (Christians) were in Paul's time and are still on earth today was and is the reason why the lawless-one was held-down during Paul's time and still today. We holy-people have holy spirit within us; it is the spirit of Christ in us (refer to Colossians 1:27) so that the devil and his host of devil-spirits cannot fully-attempt to take-over the world and those in the world until we are gathered-together with our Lord Jesus Christ.

When Christ will gather the church together with him, he will be taken out of the devil's way here on earth; Christ will remove himself and the church from the scene for a limited period of time.

After the departure has occurred, then the lawless-one will be revealed at his own opportune occasion (specific time). The devil/satan himself knows that he will be able to fully activate his opposition to Christ and God as soon as Christ takes himself and the holy-people out of his way - but the devil does not know when that will happen for he too is waiting. When it will happen, he can uncover the fullness of his evil malignity upon the earth! In the meantime, he is secretly (meaning that he does all he can to disguise himself and his methods) in-working or energizing his lawlessness among those who believe his lies, false statements; he is getting himself and those who follow him organized and ready for the specific time when he can reveal his lawless-one, the one in whom satan will dwell!

After the departure, the devil and his devil-spirits will be free to do as they please on the earth for a certain length of time, and it is during this time that the devil/satan/serpent's seed, as foretold by God in Genesis 3:15 to the serpent in the presence of Adam and Eve, will be revealed and made manifest. But after that time-period ends, Christ will come with his holy-people and his able angels in flaming fire giving vengeance (refer to II Thessalonians 1:7-10 and the Chart).

Verse 8(b):

– .8(b) whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the spirit of his mouth and will render-ineffective with the shining-light of his presence –  

The ending result of this will be the fulfillment of the bruising of the head of the devil (satan, serpent) as God foretold in Genesis 3:15.

Verses 9-12:

– .9whose presence is according to (the) in-working of satan in all ability and signs and wonders of (the) lie .10and in all deceit of unrighteousness to the (people) being destroyed, in-the-place-of which-things they did not accept the love1 of the truth with-a-view-for them to be saved .11and because-of-this God sends to them an in-working of wandering with-a-view-for them to believe the lie .12in order that all-together the (people) not having believed the truth but having considered the unrighteousness good may be judged.

The lawless-one's coming and then being present at that time in the future, after Christ and the church leave the earth, will be in accordance to/with...

What lie? Satan's lie is that he is God, and as such he is the one who gives and maintains life etc to all, and all must reverence, worship and serve him and whom/what he designates! This lie began in Genesis chapter 3, and continues being repeated throughout the centuries by satan and those who decide to follow him as their god in the place of the only true God.

The lawless-one's presence is according to the in-working of satan in all ability and signs and wonders of the lie and...

Why are these people going to be destroyed during the "wrath" period of time? Because instead of the ability and signs and wonders of the lie - these people willingly did not accept (welcome, take, receive) the love of the truth. The Godly-love of the truth is presented to them with a view for them to be saved. God gives them the opportunity to believe what God says and thus to be saved (made safe to/with/by God).

Because of this God sends to them (meaning that He will not stop it because He will not overstep their decision made by the freedom of their will)...

What detailed foretelling, all of which lines-up with the information given in Revelation and elsewhere in God's previously-revealed spoken and written Word regarding the future!

In Revelation, the lake of fire refers to the unquenchable fire of God's judgment which will occur in the future. It is the place where fire will bring to pass the ultimate annihilation of the devil and his hosts.

Revelation 20:10, 14 and 15: (KJV)
.10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
.14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
.15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8: (KJV)
.8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part of the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

In Revelation 20:14 above, the King James Version translated the Greek word ades or hades (Hebrew word shoel) as "hell" - but a better translation would be the word "gravedom" which is the continuing state of death, of being dead (refer to Acts 2:24-33 and Revelation 1:18).

Also, it is worth noting here that the Greek word gehenna is traditionally translated "hell" which is a word derived from "to hide, conceal, hidden" – however, it actually refers to the valley of Hinnom where people used to burn their fires to devils and false-gods but which King Josiah destroyed and the valley was later used to burn all that was against God (refer to Joshua 15:8; II Kings 23:10; II Chronicles 28:3; Isaiah 30:27-33; Jeremiah 7:31 and 32). During Jesus' time this valley was used to burn Jerusalem's refuse/trash and these fires were continuously burning. Jesus used it symbolically, for example in Matthew 23:15 and 33, to refer to the unquenchable fire of God's judgment, including the lake of fire.

The King James Version phrase "for ever and ever" in Revelation 20:10 above would be better translated as "into the ages of the ages" - this does not mean that what is put into the lake of fire will continue to live (exist) forever without any end - but it means that they will never escape from the lake of fire. The life (existence) of those put into this lake of fire will be limited to the length of time from entry until they will be burned completely, destroyed, exterminated, reduced to ashes. Malachi 4:1 says that the wicked will be burned up and be no more. Ezekiel 28:18 foretold this destruction by fire that would bring satan "to ashes."

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