Spiritual Cleansing

Spiritual Cleansing Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth reveals that he was appalled by the lack of spiritual discipline in that body of believers (see 1 Corinthians 5:1). A man was living an incestuous relationship with his father’s wife (see verse 1). He...

Loss of Control

Loss of Control Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat” (Luke 22:31, NASB). On what basis could Satan have demanded this right? The context indicates that pride may have been the grounds for Satan’s request. “A dispute...

Spiritual Bondage

Spiritual Bondage There are two critical reasons why we must acknowledge our spiritual vulnerability. First, if we adopt the attitude that Christians are somehow immune to Satan’s attack, we actually become defenseless. There would be no need to put on the armor of...

Demon Possession

Demon Possession The story of the Gadarene demoniac (see Mark 5:1-20) is the worst case of demon possession recorded in the New Testament. No person was able to physically control this man, but spiritually he was no match for Jesus, who demonstrated his authority over...

Testing the Spirits

Testing the Spirits Jesus said, “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16). To bear fruit, we have to abide in Christ and walk by the Spirit. John said, “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who...

Counterfeits Within the Church

Counterfeits Within the Church Federal agents who are assigned to catch counterfeiters spend the bulk of their time studying real currency, not counterfeit currency. The more familiar they are with the real thing, the easier it is for them to spot the counterfeit. In...

Signs and Wonders

Signs and Wonders Jesus performed many miracles during His public ministry, and “the apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people” (Acts 5:12). The occurrence of a sign or wonder reveals supernatural presence, but that presence may not always be God....

False Prophets and Teachers

False Prophets and Teachers Every true prophet of God in the Old Testament was similar to a New Testament evangelist. The genuine prophet drew people back to God and His Word, and this call to righteous living separated him from the false prophet. Through the prophet...

Confronting Self Deception

Confronting Self Deception Satan tempts us to sin and stops us in our tracks by accusations, but his most insidious weapon is deception, because we don’t know when we are being deceived. Through deception, the father of lies has led the whole world astray (see...

The Coming Apostasy

The Coming Apostasy The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The Church is apostolic because she is founded on the apostles, in three ways: (1) she was and remains built on ‘the foundation of the Apostles, the witnesses chosen and sent on mission by Christ...

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