When someone like Vern Poythress talks about Spiritual Warfare and demonic activity, I’m inclined to pay close attention. You see, Poythress is a sober Reformed scholar and apologist, with a background in mathematics. Among other things, he’s written a book titled Logic – A God Centered Approach to the Foundation of Western Thought.
You can read his full bio HERE.
Charles Spurgeon once wrote:
Satan’s object in hindering us is to prevent our glorifying God. If anything has happened to you that has prevented your growing holy, useful, humble, and sanctified, then you may trace that to Satan. If the distinct object of the interference to the general current of your life has been that you may turn from righteousness to sin, then from the objective you may guess the author. It is not God who does this, but Satan.
Yet sometimes satanic-demonic activity can oppress Christians in ways our modern minds might attribute to archaic or superstitious beliefs. While it is wise to not go looking for demons whenever our car doesn’t start, it is also wise to recognize demonic attacks when they occur. And we need to learn how to deal with them.
Occasionally I come across important materials when wandering along rabbit trails. The Three Video lectures by Poythress are such gems. Poythress isn’t afraid of acknowledging the problem of demonic activity – but like Charles Spurgeon and Chip Ingram, he puts it into its proper biblical perspective.
In the First Video (starting around the 12 min mark) he begins with chapter one of the book of Job. In line with the Reformed solid grasp of God’s sovereignty, Poythress notes that Satan cannot afflict Job without God’s permission. He goes on to discuss 1 Sam 16:14 where God punishes Saul by sending him a harmful spirit.
Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him. 1 Sam 16:14
Later on Poythress refers to 2 Thess 2:9-11. These verses are often a stumbling block for people who want to attribute autonomy to the activities of the Lawless One and Satan. But as he points out, it is God who is sovereignly driving these entities. This is the judgment of God at work. I’ve blogged on this HERE and HERE.
And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 2 Thess 2:11-12
If God is sovereign over all things (and He is), why then do Christians sometimes become the target of demonic attacks? Even more importantly, how must we deal with such circumstances? The First Video by Poythress lays the background of the subject and sets the foundation for the answers to these questions. I strongly recommend watching them all in sequence:
Maranatha!
Sharing is caring!
