Listening to Whisperings

As promised, today's post is about Bible examples of foul spirits influencing Christians. This relates only indirectly to a "lesson from a runaway bride." It did not take a runaway bride to teach me that dwelling on ideas first whispered in the ear by the devil can quickly lead to confusion and blindness. I learned that long before I met KatieLyn. But some of the runaway's staunchest supporters haven't learned it yet, and they tend to get quite indignant over a suggestion that KatieLyn might have been "listening to the devil."
To which I must say, "Pfft! Your problem is not with me. Take it up with the Bible."

I'm not as cold-hearted as that last statement might look in print. I have sat under teachers who have been quite adamant that Christians can't "have" a demon. I am not going to nit-pick over semantics today; I am simply going to list Bible examples that indicate that Christians can listen to demons and be influenced by them. Some might find the suggestion appalling, whilst others find it terribly embarrassing, but it is what it is. Here's the list: 

#1 - Acts 5. This is the story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. They sold some property, and decided to keep some of the money for themselves while passing off a fictitious story that they were giving the entire amount of the sale to the church. Those who say that Christians can't have a demon often claim that this couple weren't "true believers." Well, the text does not explicitly make a claim one way or the other, but it is apparent that the couple wanted the other church people to think they were very good believers. Peter calls them out on conspiring to lie and they drop dead. Peter asked, "Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?"  Peter is clear that Satan filled their heart. He gives some details in verse 4:  "While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." The emphasis is added to underscore that they took Satan's suggestion to heart, made a plan, and acted on it.

#2 - Acts 8:9-24. This is the story of Simon from a city in Samaria. Verse 13 clearly states he became a believer, and he was even baptized.  Simon continued working with Philip because he was amazed at the signs and miracles he was seeing. One day, when Peter and John come to town to check on Philip's ministry, Simon asks Peter if he can buy the power to lay hands on people and bestow the Holy Spirit. Peter tells Simon that his heart is not right in the sight of God, and that he should repent of his wickedness and pray for forgiveness. Peter said, "For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity." (verse 23) Simon quickly and wisely asked Peter to pray with him! Before he was saved, Simon had been a sorcerer; it is hard to know whether this thought of his heart was a leftover from his former life or if Satan was still working on him trying to get him back. Either way, it is an example of a Christian being attacked and influenced by evil.

#3 - Mark 1:23. "And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit" This is an example from Jesus' ministry. Jesus had not risen from the dead at this point, so technically we cannot call this person a "Christian," but he was a member of the synagogue, not just some random person, and he was in need of deliverance from an unclean spirit.

#4 - 1 Timothy 4:1. "The Spirit clearly says that in latter times some will abandon the faith and follow seducing spirits and things taught by demons."  One would first have to have faith in order to abandon it.

#5 - 3:15. James, who is writing specifically to the faithful of God's people who have been scattered in the dispersion, says, in reference to things that were causing arguments and confusion, "This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic." Good people were listening to evil ideas.

This isn't an exhaustive list. But more examples are really not necessary in order to show that it is possible for Satan to influence believers, and that once they begin listening to and thinking the devil's thoughts, he can then confuse and blind them.  When KatieLyn's defenders cry that she was not listening to the devil, it is a legitimate response to ask, "How do you really know?"


The Lesson
KatieLyn's actions indicate that she listened to and considered the whisperings of evil spirits because even though she (a) had known the plan of God, and (b) had wanted to get married since her mid-teens, in the end, she ran away she fled from BOTH God's plan and her own hopes. If she wasn't listening to God's desires, and she wasn't listening to her own, then the only ones left are the devil's.