What's Lurking In The Dark?

0:00 Hey, what's in the dark? What's out there that you cannot see? What authority, by the way, is in play over your life and mine? Are you aware of it? Listen, we're going to be talking about that very, very thing right now, and we can only just scrape the surface of what is a topic that fills libraries, and that is not an exaggeration. I was in Oxford not too long ago and walked into one of the many universities there. Do you know? I think you do know, right? That Oxford is actually the culmination of about 30 plus universities or colleges that make up Oxford University.

0:48 In some degree, Harvard's the same way, but nothing like Oxford. But I was there, had an opportunity to be there, and in one of the libraries, I based on topics in this theological setting. There was this vast, awesome library, and there was an area just in the theological realm of soteriology, which is the study of salvation from the scriptures. And there were thousands and thousands of books, as you can imagine. But equally so is a topic that people don't often think about because I'm wondering if they're just a little too fearful.

1:31 to talk about it, even though everyone's thinking about it, and that is the realm of the unseen world, the spirit realm of evil, specifically evil. I'm not going to be talking about so much, maybe a little bit, but not so much about the unseen realm of what is good, but the unseen realm of what is evil. And so let me just lay this out to you. Let me put this, first of all, up front and foremost, is that... As a believer, there's the authority of Jesus Christ over the life of a believer. Now, granted, theologically, the authority of Jesus Christ, period, is intact, not being threatened, everything's working out fine, even in the midst of a very demonically insane world in which we live in.

2:21 Murder, wars, evil, all the things that are happening, injustices, Jesus Christ is the ultimate authority. And you say, well, I don't like that. I understand, but things are playing out. This is all part of the fall, folks. And by the way, don't panic because he has already taken care of the sin issue and he's going to come back soon to set things right. Read your Bible. You'll see how it ends. It's awesome. Read the back of the book. That said, the authority of Jesus Christ is supreme. Under that, Satan cannot do anything in his dark realm without the permission or the fact of his antics being filtered in the believer's life.

3:06 I like to put it this way. Everything that happens in my life and in your life as a Christian has got to first be father filtered. How do we know? We do know, first of all, from Scripture, but there's a beautiful event where Jesus said, hey, Peter, guess what happened last night? Satan came and asked me if he could have you. He wants to sift you as wheat. He wants to knock this... Snot out of you. He wants to drag you. He wants to sift you. That is, by the way, not a... Sifting is a brutal word to use. And Jesus used it. Satan wants to rake over your life like a farmer rakes over the hard soil and tear it up.

3:46 And Jesus said something shocking to Peter. Peter, when you return, strengthen your brothers. What? I would have rather have Jesus say, I told Satan to go pound sand. No, Jesus approved. He approved of it. He even told Satan when Satan, Peter, when you recover from it, make sure you tell your brothers and sisters all about it to strengthen them. Wow. The authority of Christ rules supreme. It's not Satan warring against Jesus. It's not Satan. That's ridiculous. Never think that. Why would you think that? In fact, Jesus is the creator, according to Colossians, the book of Hebrews.

4:29 Jesus is the creator of angels. Now, some of them have fallen since they were created. Lucifer is the chief among them. But Jesus is not battling it out with Lucifer. There's not a war between Jesus and Lucifer. Like they're somehow equal. Not at all. Jesus is uncreated. Satan is created. So number one at the top, Christ's authority rules supreme. But some things I want to throw out to you. Are there limitations to the power and the authority of the dark realm? Are there limitations? The Bible says that there are limitations. Number one, cheer up for this. Satan's ability is limited when it comes to the life of a believer.

5:12 In other words, Satan can only go so far in our lives. In fact, God will use Satan's antics to strengthen us as he weakens Satan's strongholds. Proof text, Daniel chapter 9. Daniel chapter 8, Daniel chapter 9. Daniel, a mere mortal, is praying and praying. And there is a war that breaks out in the atmosphere in the spirit realm. The light realm and the dark realm collide because Daniel's praying. And as Daniel prays, The demonic activity suffers violence, suffers defeat.

5:53 It's remarkable to realize. So there's limitations to the realm of Satan. This is why Christians cannot be possessed. If you say right now, I know some Christians who are possessed. Well, either A, they're really not Christians and they think they are and they're possessed. Or you're wrong because they're real Christians and they cannot be possessed. So what is going on? Christians cannot be possessed, but Christians can be oppressed. Oppressed by the world of demonic activity, meaning Satan can launch at us confusion. He can launch at us temptation. He can launch at us emotions, feelings, some attack against our soul, which is our psuche, our psychology, soul.

6:40 Our solology, where we are unexplainably depressed. There's no reason why. Or... We have this sense. We feel out of joint, out of sync. What's going on? Or how about this? Man. Have you walked into someone's home or walked into some town or city or some place and just got the heebie-jeebies like your hair stands up? You don't even know what's going on. It's like, well, this is weird. Why do I feel this way? That's called discernment in the Bible. That's the Spirit of God because you're sensitive to the Spirit of God, letting you know, hey, you're, by the way, you're in the vicinity of darkness.

7:25 Right? You can watch Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, the rendering of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Watch the movie. It kind of plays that out beautifully in illustrative form where you can sense that there's dark. That's discernment. You can sense oppression. You can sense... Suppression, suppression is even more difficult, difficult meaning where a Christian can experience unexplainable encounters with dark forces that seek to hinder work in that Christian's life for the kingdom of God. Suppression is when the enemy throws out the kitchen sink and hammer and chainsaw and everything out, everything else at you to derail you from the mission.

8:15 Paul the Apostle went through this. The apostles went through this. Many saints of God have gone through this. Martin Luther went through this. A lot of people have experienced bizarre, unexplainable manifestations. I've gone through this where things have shown up and it's like, what the heck? What's going on? bizarre things where you can't catch your breath in the middle of the night. You go from a dream that is demonically crazy into being awake, and that dream is still, it's not a dream anymore. It's actually happening. And the number one thing to that is Jesus. Here comes his authority.

8:55 There's limits to the dark realm you need to be aware of. But because there are limits, listen, that's true for the believer. I don't know if it's true for the unbeliever. If you go outside without an umbrella, you're either going to get rained on or you're going to get too much sunshine. You pull up an umbrella and you're going to be protected from that. Think about Christ as your umbrella. The unbeliever, according to my understanding of Scripture, is only kept by the grace of God, the God that they don't even believe in. He allows them each day's mercies to continue on without him.

9:36 So if you're not a believer, I do not know how much or if there's limitations to the dark realm coming after your life and your family. You're uncovered. Think about that. Who's affected in the dark realm in this warfare? Well, as I said earlier, Daniel was affected. Jesus was affected in the flesh when he walked the earth. All the apostles. Who can be affected? Nations can be affected even in the realm of the dark. When evil forces move. Look, I'm not saying this because I have to say it. I don't have to say it. I just see things differently maybe than you do.

10:18 But Sacramento, they're making demonic decisions. Really, I'm telling you for real. I'm not being, I am not exaggerating. They are capitulating to everything right now that the Council for American Islamic Relations is dictating up in Sacramento because they've got—they dangle the money in front of the politicians. And the politicians just go— Tell me what to do. Tell me how to vote. I see money. And look, they're smart. They lobby. Yeah, we'll give you this money for your campaign if you just vote for this bill that advanced Islam into the public school system.

10:58 Okie dokie. That's demonic, man. Okay? Behind the people are the invisible dark forces manipulating minds and hearts to advance the cause of Satan. And so everybody's affected to some degree, but to be not affected in the way of stopping you from living your life is be a believer. Yeah. and the limitations the enemy is constrained by. You'll be affected as a believer in a way that advances the cause and all the while teaches the enemy the authority of Christ. What about the authority, or what if?

11:39 Do they have any authority? The fallen angels. Yes, they do, according to the Bible. According to the Bible, angels and fallen angels have realms of authority, principalities and powers, rulers in the dark realm, have been granted areas, open doors we call them. And again, I mentioned cities and townships and villages, families, places. There's a reason why areas have almost...

12:20 A stronghold. That's what I was looking for. Where there are strongholds that according to the Bible, the believer has the authority to cast down strongholds. Places where demonic forces have set up camp because they were invited. So watch this. Let's say you live in an unbelieving family. There's no Christians in this family. And then either you or your son or your daughter or your husband, your wife gets saved. And now that you're in that family and a whole amazing war begins to take place because within the dark realm, there is authorities being challenged because the status quo has been disrupted because a believer now has come into that family.

13:03 And there's great light shining in that family. Think about your kid. If your kid's the believer or maybe it's you and your child. It just dawned on me, a non-believer would not be listening to me right now. So it's you and your child. Imagine this. You and your child are in the spirit realm. You guys are just beaming light. Well, there's other members of your family under that roof that are emanating, if that's even possible. They're sucking light. They're dark. They're black holes. They're conducted. Their life is run by the dark forces. Right? They're hateful at times, unexplainably bent on doing evil or lack of will not communicate with you.

13:43 Cannot even understand what you're saying. They don't get it. There's confusion in your home on a constant basis. There's a battle of authorities, fallen angels in the realm of that, manipulating that. Do demons have authorities? Yes, you heard me right. I personally see no scriptural evidence whatsoever that a fallen angel is the same as a demon. In fact, I see the exact opposite. I see scriptures teaching me that a fallen angel is something very different than a demon. Angels, fallen angels can appear and disappear. Fallen angels, holy angels can appear and disappear.

14:26 There's no evidence in scripture that demons can appear and disappear. Demons have to have someone, something, some animal to possess, but they can't. for them to do their antics. But the Bible tells us that even Satan being an angel can appear and become like a minister of light. It's never spoken about a demon. But do demons have authority? I think demons in the hierarchy of a demonic type of leadership structure, I think demons are the base the bottom line, the bucket, the bottom of the barrel when it comes to the dark realm of satanic powers.

15:13 I think demons do the bidding of fallen angels and ultimately, of course, Satan himself. That's a topic for some other time. If you guys care, just let me know. Where will the dark realm wind up? If you read the book of Revelation, the book of Revelation tells you where they'll wind up. they're going to wind up in the lake of fire, in the lake of fire forever. A real place in the spirit realm, and it exists in the spirit realm, which is eternal. And that's where they go. Satan, Antichrist, Lucifer, whatever, the false prophet, those that are never accepted Christ.

15:56 Ultimately, in the end, that's where they wind up. So how to avoid the dark realm? Real quick, how to avoid the dark realm? Well, immediately get saved. So in this coffee cup here, which is my bad, I should have drank it all. There's a little bit of coffee left. Wait, it's just down here a little bit. But let's assume for a moment there's nothing in here. This would be open. So you can see no coffee on my hand. Why? This is vacant. It's open. If you're not a Christian, you're open.

16:38 I can put things in here because there's nothing in it. It's open to be filled. The non-Christian's life, if you're a non-Christian, is... Your life is wide open to be filled by any power that comes your way. And it happens with what in the realm of clairvoyance, in the realm of Satanism, channeling, witchcraft, of all sorts, by the way. Let me say black, dark witchcraft and white magic. White witchcraft. It's all the same.

17:19 spiritism. If you flirt with those things, you magnify the chance of you being filled with the powers of wickedness, of darkness. They'll take over. They'll move in. By the way, people are going to hate this because I know. You might think pornography is some sort of little thing over here that's stimulating whatever, you have no idea. You need to stop looking at pornography that way. It's a trick.

18:00 It's a Trojan horse inside, so to speak behind, behind this, the screen. Think about this, the imagery's on this membrane, this little thin screen here, behind that world. It's like a funnel. I'm looking at the little tiny thing of the funnel right here. Think about that. Man, it's just a hook. Satan knows exactly how we work. The love of money is one of them. Oh, and he uses that.

18:40 Pornography, drugs, hallucinogenics, power, authority, all this stuff. It's just a hook. Look at the young generation. Not just, but look at the young generation that's hooked on pornography. Satan has got them. He's got them. He's got them set. Older generation as well. It's as old. Listen, it's as old as Eden. But just know about this. You want to avoid it? Run from that stuff. Don't even allow it in your home. Cut your internet service. Watch this. Throw your computer in the pool.

19:22 Watch how practical this gets. Well, poster, I mean, I just kind of gamble a little bit online. My wife says it's or my husband says it's a problem, but I don't think so. You know, I need to repent of it. I know. You just. Are you a Christian? Yeah. Okay, here's what you're going to do. because you cannot control yourself because you gamble every week or you look at porn every week or you go on a buying spree with money you don't have every week, whatever it is, you're hooked, but you're calling yourself a Christian.

20:09 If you didn't call yourself a Christian, I wouldn't even be talking to you right now about this, but you say you're a Christian. So here's what you do. Take your computer, take your phone, take your phone, If you don't have a pool, you have a toilet. Put it in the toilet. Don't flush, because that's gonna be very expensive to get the plumber out. Let it, leave your, leave the phone in the toilet for, I don't know, a good couple of hours. And then throw it away or whatever. It's gonna be shot. I could never do that.

20:50 Why? It cost me $800 to get that phone. So you care? Ooh, wow. What if Jesus were to say to you, if your phone offends you, cut it off? What if Jesus were to tell you, if your tablet offends you, cut it off? If you today are saying, I'm not going to do that, that's a perfectly good computer, then you love your tricks more than you love God. You may not be a real believer. Because you are now getting all defensive because you could never cut your lifeline off.

21:38 You can't cancel that service because how are you going to go online? How are you going to look at this stuff? You see? So stop calling yourself a Christian. And you'll do all of us a great favor. Pick one. You'll know who's the authority of your life real quick. I'll tell you that. When should we engage into the dark realm? The Christian knows. The Christian knows that they are constantly engaged in the dark realm. Constantly. It's not so much as to when.

22:20 It's when are we not engaged. If Satan can get you to think he's a story, if he is a construct of medieval theologians, if he could get you to be thinking that he's nothing more than relegated to the authorship of Dante's Inferno, maybe this book or that book, that movie or this movie, By the way, regarding this, and we'll wrap it up, regarding this, you should read the book, The Screwtape Letters by C.S.

23:06 Lewis. The Screwtape Letters. He will stress in there like no one has ever done before in literature. No one. The Screwtape Letters. It's about that thick. No one in history has written like this. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. One of the big points to the book is this. Screwtape and Wormwood are discussing the applied tactics as to how to destroy a man's life by finally getting him locked up with his passions, set in them, all the while whispering to him, Satan's not real.

24:11 There is no hell. God loves you. Jesus died for you. He's wonderful. But you don't have to worry about sins and hell and the devil. Those are all spooky things made up. You don't need to believe in the devil. You can be all the religious facets you want to be. Just don't believe in the devil. C.S. Lewis says that's the tactic of Satan, to get you to say, I don't believe in a real devil.

24:53 I don't believe in that at all. And Satan pulls out his little pocket knife and scratches one more notch in the wood. I got one more. If Satan can get you to not believe in his existence, then you don't need Jesus. If Satan doesn't exist, why read the Bible? If there's no hell, then who cares? Right? Think about it. My prayer for me and for you is that we would wake up to the subtleties of how Satan lies and how he uses people to lie on his behalf.

25:44 Which is why Jesus said, all men are liars. All men are liars. All mankind tells lies. That's what Jesus said. And then Jesus said, Satan is the very origin, the father of lies. Friend, don't let that happen to you. I'd love to know what you think. Would love to know. Put some comments in here if any of this has caused you to say, man, I'd love to hear more about this particular thing, the dark realm of his authority or engagement by the believer with the unbeliever or what is there to even exorcism?

26:28 Where is that in Scripture? How does that work? You know, what authority does a believer have over the dark realm? That's a good one to talk about sometime, wouldn't it be? I think so. God bless you guys. Be looking up.