Many get on the road that leads to demon possession at an early age. Those Satan would destroy he first tempts and deceives. Like the fruit that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, the world is filled with enticing morsels that appeal to man’s depraved nature. Like the fruit in the garden, some of it is forbidden. Satan and his demon host are fully aware of this forbidden fruit and they are still tempting and deceiving men with it, and it still brings forth death both spiritual and physical to those who are deceived into partaking of it.
Forbidden fruit consists of anything that leads us away from the plan and purpose of God for our lives. Any business endeavor, way of life, pleasure, vice or even religion, that puts us in an untenable position in the eyes of God is forbidden fruit.
In Satan’s plan to take full control of a human life this is the first step in his strategy: tempt and deceive, and he uses many good and beautiful things to trap the unwary. Although Satan can use almost anything to lead human beings into situations where they become subject to demon possession and control, I would like to point out a few common pitfalls that lead so many in this direction.
Ambition directed into the proper channel and controlled by sound principles is good. But ambition that puts us in bondage mentally, physically, and spiritually can only lead to trouble. Ambitious obsession to succeed at any cost is often the influence of a demon upon the mind. The spirit behind this becomes a mania that will not be denied. After going so far, the person is willing to sacrifice home, family, and moral principles for success.
Once a person is caught in the web of this satanic conspiracy only a miracle of God can deliver him. In some cases the God of all grace will bring such individuals down through a heart attack, nervous breakdown, bankruptcy, or other tragic means so he can deliver them. Still others resist divine help and ultimately come to the end with great shame and tragedy. We particularly have reference to those who belong to Christ and cannot live their lives as they please.
But this is also true of many business men, political figures, musicians, actors, singers, and just plain people. A dirt farmer could be driven to despair and suicide by the same demon that would drive a business man to a nervous breakdown and insanity.
According to an article by Reader’s Digest, more preachers and their wives suffer nervous breakdowns than any other class of people. This is caused by mental pressure put upon them by demon forces that take great delight in destroying anyone who is a symbol of God and righteousness.
Then too, many of these people are trying to succeed in a place and calling that is not of God. Many have bartered their life and talents to some apostate religious system and have unwittingly become the servants of men and Satan rather than God. Remember, Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Spiritual ambition that puts us in such bondage not only doesn’t serve the cause of Christ nor the church, but it offers ideal situations for demons to cause strife, division, mental breakdowns, and possession. Demons are responsible for suspicion, jealousy, hatred, and pride that leads to church fights, splits, and confusion.
This, no doubt, is why Paul said, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members -- one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:3-8).
Truly, we must find our places in Christ’s body and be content to serve there, and it is up to the body of Christ to counsel and help the individual find his place in the body. Let’s remember the gift and calling of God will be manifest to Christ’s body. To aspire beyond this is folly and can only lead to trouble. The spirit of this age, especially in America and other more advanced countries, is to succeed at any cost. This is a cunningly devised conspiracy that Lucifer himself is behind to literally drive the human race mad. Truly, the insane desire to forge ahead in politics, science, education, sports, industry, arms, and just plain keeping up with the Joneses is breaking men down so they become an easy prey to demons.
The next pitfall we mention is the spirit that drives so many in their quest for material things. Today’s world, and especially America, is a literal vanity fair that offers humanity almost every conceivable gadget and luxury to make life easy for the natural man. Perhaps no other single thing is used as much by the enemy to bring men into bondage and destroy them.
Everything in today’s world is against most of us escaping this satanlc dragnet. In addition to there being an abundance of these things on every hand, you don’t have to have any money to start enjoying them -- just charge it and pay later. Anything from toothbrushes to split-level homes can be bought on credit. With billions of dollars spent on advertising, the human mind is saturated night and day with glamorous and deceptive pictures designed to make us want these things.
Modern man is literally brainwashed into thinking he must have them if life is to be worthwhile. To be otherwise minded, would be completely out of step with everyone, including your friends, neighbors, and loved ones. In fact, you would be a square of the oddest sort, if you didn’t believe in keeping up with the Joneses.
To do this we must go in debt and spend the rest of our mortal lives making installment payments on things that are worn out, or obsolete, before we get them paid for. With many things, we go into debt for a new one as soon as our last installment is paid and the vicious circle continues.
These things demand more money, which means an extra job, or the wife going to work or both. All this leads to tense nerves, sleepless nights, dissension between husband and wife, and sometimes mental breakdown. This is also responsible for many separations, divorces, and broken homes.
These conditions also work a hardship on children who cannot live normal lives in such an atmosphere. It is such situations as this that are ideal for demons to work in destroying marriages, homes, and children. It is no wonder that children without moral or spiritual strength are pressured by demons into becoming rebellious delinquents, dope addicts, and hippies who are disgusted with everything.
Men out of divine order and harmony with God are like a planet out of orbit and careening through space. Destruction is always at the end of the way. May God help his people to realize that this materialistic concept with the installment buy now and pay later system is part of Satan’s great conspiracy to tempt, deceive, and destroy them. It is part of the Babylonian system of bondage that we must come out of if we are to be set free.
Of all the natural drives and inherent weaknesses of man that Satan has taken advantage of, this is perhaps the greatest. It is one of the most common things affecting the whole human race, yet it remains the most intriguing and captivating of all. It is at the center of all human society.
Take sex away from the natural man and he would become a listless drone with little ambition or purpose in life. Of all the physical urges built into the bodies of man and beast by an all wise creator, sex is one of the most powerful. Satan is fully aware of this and from the garden of Eden to this day he has invaded the lives of men and women through this means.
Having exploited and magnified sex to such a proportion today, the human race is extremely sex conscious. The psychological build-up concerning sex in the mind of today’s generation is literally driving people into all sorts of unholy involvements. Children and teenagers are also being sacrificed by the millions to the god of sex. With mind and body psychologically prepared, the demon of lust has little trouble leading the average person into illegitimate sex experience. The fervor and frenzy of anticipation is so great in some that the normal sex act does not for long satisfy. In these cases homo-sexuality and various forms of perversion are the end result. Of course, the lowest and most degrading thing a demon can lead human beings into is what they are after.
It is often the power of sex attraction that leads so many people into the wrong kind of marriages. If they are morally and spiritually strong enough to escape pre-marital sex and disgrace, the devil still tries to ruin them through this means.
Wrong marriages are the result of wrong association and courtship. Young people must cultivate the friendship and company of those who are morally clean and strong. To be influenced by physical attraction and the power of sex is to invite disaster.
Born again Christian young people should in no way consider courtship or marriage to an unbeliever. Young people need to know there is more to a person than face, figure, eyes and hair. They also need to realize they marry the spirit of the person as well as their body. Many have discovered, after it was too late, that they have married the devil as well as a human being. When our heart blindly rules our head we are headed for trouble.
That drinking, gambling, immoral, shiftless, and unstable young man with the wavy hair and broad shoulders may be the house several demons live in. That desirable, teasing, shapely, and demanding young thing may also be the dwelling place of evil spirits. Don’t be deceived, you not only marry those beautiful attractive bodies but you also marry all those devils.
And you better not listen to the demon that tells you they will change later on. As for your love changing them that is also a lie of devils. Those demons which have been very quiet and put on a good front during the courtship will begin to manifest themselves soon after the vows are made.
Evil spirits will not respect your love or anything else. They will make life a hell on earth for you and eventually destroy you if they can. I know of many instances where Christians have married unbelievers only to discover later on that they didn’t know what was on the inside of their prince charmings.
In fact, I know of some cases where Christians have actually married people who turned out to be homosexuals. People who blindly follow their own physical urges can get into almost any kind of a situation. Just to marry a plain unbeliever or unconverted church member is to invite trouble. God’s word forbids it. (II Cor. 6:14-18).
Christians only have a right to marry in the Lord. (I Cor. 7:30). My advice to one and all considering marriage is to make it a matter of much personal prayer and ask counsel and prayer of Christ’s Body, the Church. God will definitely lead in this most important matter if we will obey him.
Another thing that is causing havoc today in separating husbands and wives is the practice of women leaving their homes and children and working on jobs. Thrown into close contact with other men for hours at a time many of these disillusioned women are beguiled and deceived even as Eve was. Having to help make the living, these women easily become disenchanted with their own husbands and are led by a demon of lust into an affair with another man.
One such beautiful young woman who had fallen for her boss, an older man, recently came to me for help. Her story was that her husband showed her little attention and affection. After working all day on her job she had to come in, do the house work, cook supper, and prepare for the next day of drudgery while her husband sat around and let her wait on him.
Another case very similar to this brought great heartache and distress to one of our church families. In this case, a weak and careless Christian sister went to work on a public job when she didn’t have to. She being spiritually weak already, a demon of lust entered this woman and almost wrecked her life and home. Thank God, in both these cases the constraining influence of Christ upon the lives of these women kept them back from terrible sin. They were both delivered from these demons and some other spirits and are now serving the Lord. However, there are many cases similar to these where there is no Christ, no church, no prayer, no counsel, and no power to deliver. In such cases, these lives and homes are often broken up and destroyed. This is a common thing in America today.
Sex, in its God given place, is the provision of an all-wise creator for the reproduction and well being of humanity. It should be a sacred, tender, and harmonious relationship between a man and woman who have pledged themselves to each other in holy matrimony. The liberty and privilege of sex is forbidden to all others. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”
According to Paul, I Cor. 7:1-40, it is good, if a person having grace to contain himself sexually, give himself wholly to Christ without marriage, however, verse 9 says, “It is better to marry than to burn” (with passion). Serving Christ is the most important thing in all the world and it would be good if a man or woman could do it without the distraction of marriage. “Nevertheless to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” (Verse 2).
Verses 3 and 5 says, “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”
The above scriptures simply mean that the power or right to the wife’s body belongs to the husband. Paul is saying that husband and wife should be mutually considerate of each other in the sex act. This involves a kind and understanding attitude toward each other.
By nature, the woman is far less aggressive than the man, and more patience and time is required to prepare her for the sex act. Though temperance should be practiced in all things, including sex, husband and wife should not defraud (deny) each other except with consent that they may give themselves to fasting and prayer.
In addition to wives being in the wrong place working on public jobs, inconsiderate husbands help create situations where the enemy can come in and lead them astray. The Bible says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” Ephesians 6:25.
To love our wives as Christ loved the church is quite an order. But husbands need to cultivate and work at the business of loving their wives. They are the weaker vessel and need the kind, tender concern of a strong husband. One who shares, consults, considers, and takes them into his confidence.
Wives must be treated as delicate, sensitive human beings, and not just a piece of furniture, housekeeper, or sexual partner given for man’s personal gratification.
Wives must honor and respect the husband as their head, which indeed they are, according to the word of God. I Cor. 11:3, Eph. 5:22-24, I Peter 3:1-7. Honor the Spirit of these divine principles and there will be no separation, no divorce, but peace, love and harmony.
God’s divine principles in every area of life must be honored if we are to escape the temptation of Satan and his demon host. We invite temptation and deception when we disregard his divine order for our lives. Walk in the light of God’s word and the devil will lose his power to tempt, deceive, and lead us astray. This is walking in the spirit and not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. (Gal. 5:16).