Episode 137: The Schemes of the Devil (2 Cor 2:11, Eph. 6:11)

Awareness of & Standing Against  “the schemes of the devil”2 Corinthians 2:11 - 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.Ephesians 6:10-12 - 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.1 Corinthians 12:10 – “to another the ability to distinguish between spirits”“He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit.”“…the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the Spirit and those that do not”A Vision for FreedomLuke 6:17-18  - 17 When Jesus had come down from the hill with the apostles, he stood on a level place with a large number of his disciples. A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon; 18 they had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled by evil spirits also came and were healed. ROCK OC = A PLACE FOR ALL TYPES OF HEALING!!Origin of Demonic Realm - SatanSatan’s Fall – Who? When? What?Ezekiel 28:13-15 – 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God… 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God.  15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. Isaiah 14:12-14 - “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star/shining one/O Lucifer, son of Dawn!“...When he saw man made in the image of God, he [Satan] broke forth into jealous and malevolent envy. ...How great an evil it was, beloved brethren, that caused an angel to fall!” Cyprian (AD250)The devil was one of those angels who are placed over the spirit of the air. ...However, becoming envious of man, he was rendered an apostate from the divine law. Irenaeus (AD180)Origin of Demonic Realm - Fallen Angels & Demons•Fallen Angelic Beings – “Sons of God”/ “Watchers” / “elohim” - embodied•Nephilim - LXX –γίγαντες (gigantes) = Demons (disembodied spirits)Genesis 6:1-4 - When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.Psalm 82:1, 6-7 – 1 God [elohim] has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods [elohim] He holds judgment…6 I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 7 nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.”Origin and Schemes of the Demonic RealmThe angels transgressed this appointment and were captivated by love of women. And they begat children [the nephilim], who are those who are called demons.  Justin Martyr (AD 160)These angels, then, who have fallen from heaven, and haunt the air and the earth, and are no longer able to rise to heavenly things, and the souls of the giants [nephilim], who are the demons who wander about the world, perform similar actions.  Athenagoras (AD 175)Furthermore, we are instructed by our sacred books how from certain angels, who fell of their own free will, there sprang a more wicked demon brood, condemned of God along with the authors of their race. ...Their great business is the ruin of mankind. So, from the start, spiritual wickedness sought our destruction. Accordingly, they inflict upon our bodies diseases and other grievo(continued)