Jesus Saves: Hope for the Weary

The words Hell, Devil or Satan, Demons are common words in today's vocabulary. How much of this is real and how much of it is fiction?

Because God is a God of love He has created all beings with free will. He does not want robots for servants. God created Lucifer as the most beautiful and highest ranking angel in Heaven. Lucifer means "light bearer". Lucifer coveted the praises of God and decided that he wanted to be God.

"How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, 'I will ascent to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'" Isaiah 14:12-14

By trying to elevate himself above God, Lucifer made himself a devil. His pride was a terrible sin against God. One third of the angels in Heaven joined with Lucifer; by turning from God their very characters became hellish.

Hell is the eternal tragedy. It was created for Satan, and his demons, but not for people. After sin entered the world people who are not the children of God join these evil ones in Hell when they die on earth.

"The rich man also died and was buried. In Hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side." - Luke 16:23

Hell is described as a place of never ending torment. It is for the hellish, people who do not love God. It is a place of burning fire. God loved the world so much that he gave His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world. If people are so prideful that they think that they do not need God and think that they can live by their own power, then they deceive themselves and suffer from the same sin of Pride that was the downfall of Lucifer. Jesus does not force anyone to believe in Him; we all have free choice.

Hell is isolation. People who say that they want to party in Hell with their friends do not know what they are talking about. Hell will be the loneliest place ever. In Revelation it is described as the second death, a terrible death. Hell is referred to as the place of outer darkness where the light of God does not shine. Does this sound like a fun place to party? Each person in Hell will be someone who rejected the love of God and chose darkness.

Descriptive words of Hell include torture or torment (Revelation 20:10), outer darkness (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30), weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30) and eternal fire (Matthew 18:8; 25:41; Jude 7).

Contrary to popular opinion Satan does not roam about in a red suit carrying a pitchfork. He is a very real person and active. Beelzebub, Belial , Adversary, Dragon, Serpent, Prince of this World, Prince of the Power of the Air, Accuser of the Brethren, Tempter, Fowler, Destroyer, Wolf, Thief, Father of Lies, Murderer, Sower of discord, Satan and Devil are some of the names for Lucifer, the fallen angel. These words describe his character. Satan is not to be mocked, but he is not to be worshipped. He has all of the power of an angel but none of the love or goodness.

Satan is a masterful deceiver. He is called the Father of Lies and the Old Dragon. He has been around since before the foundation of the earth. Unlike God, he cannot see all things at the same time and he cannot be everywhere at the same time. Though he is very powerful, God is more powerful. Satan has thousands of servants around the world doing his work. He prowls throughout the earth seeking someone he can destroy.

The apostle Peter warned us, "Be of Sober Spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." I Peter 5:8

John 8:44 says that "the Thief comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy..." Satan hates everyone, but most of all he hates Christians. His very nature is to hate.

By dying on the cross Jesus Christ conquered Hell and Death; He defeated Satan once and for all. This means that when we die, we have the hope of eternal life in heaven. Because of the penalty of sin everyone was doomed to Hell. Jesus' death enables those who believe in Him to have eternal life. His blood redeems us from all sin. Satan thought that he had won when Jesus was crucified, but Jesus was victorious over death. Jesus was to die as the perfect sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16). It is just a matter of time before Satan will be thrown into the lake of eternal fire. Someday Satan and all unbelievers will have to bow before God and worship Him.

In Revelation 1:18, Jesus said "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

There is only one way to escape hell! Believe upon Jesus. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and to cover your sins with His blood. You will not perish but will have everlasting life with Jesus in Heaven. Click here to pray the sinners prayer and escape Hell.

Demons are fallen angels who are guilty of the great sin of Pride. They are the hordes of Hell. They do all of the work for Satan. They never die; when Jesus comes back again they will be thrown into the lake of fire where they will be tormented forever. Demons can easily attach themselves to people. Generational demons like to stay in family lines. Sometimes you will see a family who suffers from some of the same problems in each generation. This is usually caused by generational spirits. Typical spirits people "inherit" are: fear of the dark, alcoholism, self pity, drug addiction, epilepsy, diabetes, rebellion, pride, fear, inadequacy, nerve conditions, stubbornness, mental illness, and many others.

Demons can possess people, cause diseases, dumbness, blindness, and deafness [Matthew 4:23,24; 9:32,33; 12:22; Mark 9:25].
They can cause lunacy, mania, and suicide [Matthew 4:23,24; 17:14-21; Mark 5:1-8; 9:20];
distribute uncleanness [Luke 4:36],
spread or create lust [John 8:44; Ephesians 2:1-3; I John 2:15-17],
and manifest supernatural strength [Mark 5:2-16].
They will try to get you to worship them instead of Jesus Christ [Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:17; II Chronicles 1:15; Psalm 106:37; I Corinthians 10:20; Revelation 9:20].
They deceive, lie, practice witchcraft and disseminate false teachings [I Timothy 4:12; I John 4:1-6; I Kings 22:21-24; II Chronicles 33:6; I Samuel 18:8-10].
Demons oppress, are jealous, tell fortunes, steal, fight, possess men at will, travel, and imitate the departed dead [Acts 10:38; I Samuel 16:14; I Timothy 4:1; Matthew 12:43-45; 13:10; Luke 8:12; Ephesians 4:27; 5:10-13; Isaiah 8:19; Deuteronomy 18:11].
They fight against Christians, bring sickness on those who they possess, influence people, and have unbelievers on their side [Ephesians 2:1-3; 6:10-18; I Timothy 4:1-5; II Peter 2:10-12; Matthew 12:22; 17:15-18].
Thousands of them can possess a person at one time. [Mark 4:1-18; Matthew 12:43-45].

Every spirit regardless of its rank, including the devil, is subject to the name of Jesus Christ. You can pray firmly, "Satan, I bind you by the blood of Jesus Christ. I command you to shut your mouth, to leave, and never come back in Jesus name!"

The good news is that by the power and authority of the Blood of Jesus Christ we have the power to resist the devil. James 4:7 tells us "Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Do you want to be free from the power of Hell in your life? Click here to pray with us.