THEM BAD BOYS Part 1

image courtesy photobucket.com

Jesus used illustrations to teach and to make a point more clear.

Such was the case in; Matthew 12:43-45 When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when the demon doesn't find a place, it says, "I will go back to the home I left." When it gets there and finds the place empty, clean, and fixed up, it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and the person ends up in worse shape than before. That's how it will be with you evil people of today.

Had I been in that crowd I would have thought "WOW".

It my personal belief that we should not give over our minds to thinking about the devil and demons.

However the scripture validates their existence.

A close reading of the scripture above makes demonic character self explanatory.

One might surmise that the reason the demon left was because the person wasn't cooperating with him but since the picking elsewhere was sparse he returned with an entourage.

While I reject the notion that a Christian can be possessed by a demon spirit but I can't deny that Christians are motivated by something that causes them to flat out sin.

While I would like to dismiss the idea of demonic temptation Jesus spent much of his ministry dealing with these unclean spirits;

Matthew 4:3 And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. Jesus said; (paraphrasing) get out of here Bad Boy,

This is a good pattern to follow when tempted.

Perhaps I'm getting too far out for some people's taste but humor me a little.

Suppose you are tempted to commit the sin of stealing an item. It is just laying there all you have to do is reach down and take it. Beyond just wanting it there is something prodding you to act that isn't you.

I would submit that their communication is on a spirit to spirit basis. When you are tempted an idea comes to mind seemingly out of nowhere and you must deal with it.

image courtesy photobucket.com

The cartoonist have pictured this scene as being the good angel on one shoulder and the bad angel on the other with the person in between the two who are both giving instructions.

This may be more viable than we want to admit for there is a certain strangeness about these temptations, that we wouldn't want to be open about.

If there is any truth in the premise that these Bad Boys exist then we would understand why giving in to them once makes it easier to yield to them next time. It’s a case of familiarity where we are more familiar and comfortable with them, hence their name "familiar spirits".

Francis Barrett, in his book The Magus (1801), offered this classification of demons, making them princes of some evil attitude, person or thing:

Beelzebub: idolators

Pythius: liars and liar spirits

Belial: vessels of iniquity and inventors of evil things

Asmodeus: vile revenges

Satan: witches and warlocks

Merihem: pestilences and spirits that cause pestilences

Abaddon: powers of war and devastation

Astaroth: inquisitors and accusers

Mammon: tempters and ensnarers

The best solution is to give them no place and the way to do this is to be obedient to GOD'S word, and be led by the Holy Spirit.

The next time you are tempted to sin (which will be soon) just say no and get lost Bad Boys! Having to say no is always a struggle that can be won.

Check out the song and see the battle of temptation in action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjL1IzM2oGQ

This post has been linked to Michelle’s Thought Provoking Thursday