Divine Healing: Destroying the works of the devil, part 3
Is there any difficulty in your life that defies natural causes, reason and normal healthy living?
8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 1 John 3:8
This verse reveals one of the devil’s works is deviating from God’s intended character, behavior and attitudes for your life.
This deviation is called sin.
Jesus came to destroy the devil’s work of sin.
Yet the devil’s works are far more than just sin.
In Luke 2:1-12, the work of the devil is sin (invisible) and paralysis (visible). Jesus healed the visible as proof He has authority over the invisible.
2 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
We may make a loose comparison between The Barna Group’s Life Domains and Jesus’ revelation of His ministry purpose.
| Barna Group Life Domains | Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Luke 4 |
| Finances | Proclaim Good News to the Poor |
| Relationships | Proclaim freedom to the prisoners |
| Physical and Mental health | Proclaim recovery of sight to the blind |
| Vocation | To set the oppressed free |
| Faith | To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor |
We can speak of the health or unhealth of each life domain.
Finances
Unhealthy Mostly Unhealthy Neither Mostly Healthy Healthy
Relationships
Unhealthy Mostly Unhealthy Neither Mostly Healthy Healthy
Physical and Mental Health
Unhealthy Mostly Unhealthy Neither Mostly Healthy Healthy
Vocation
Unhealthy Mostly Unhealthy Neither Mostly Healthy Healthy
Faith
Unhealthy Mostly Unhealthy Neither Mostly Healthy Healthy
Jesus announced the purposes and intentions of the devil. John 10:10
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
In this life domain continuum, the purpose of the devil is to move you from right to left.
It is the purposes of God to move you from left to right.
For our consideration today, I have chosen Malachi 3:8-12.
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
This is a passage about God’s blessings upon those who returnto obedience to His covenant.
In our world dominated by the “prince and power of the air (the devil)” many of processes are influenced against the goodness of God.
John, the Apostle states:
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
In the Malachi 3 passage, for example, God’s intended harmonious creation experiences the negativity of food destroying devourers.
Devourer is a way of stating, “eater.” There are locusts, caterpillars, rodents and any number of plant diseases postured to devour the food sources of God’s people.
Nature would be very different without the influence of the devil and the agreements made between Adam, Eve and the devil.
We understand the eating of the crops and produce in Malachi 3:11 to be both directly and indirectly the work of the devil as allowed by the providence of God.
Jesus’ clearly announced that he has come “to destroy the devil’s works.”
Today, this also includes the direct and indirect works of Satan against you and your:
- Finances
- Relationships
- Physical and Mental health
- Vocation
- Faith.
If you are living in obedience and holiness before the Lord and……
There is a strong underlying resistance to the progress you are seeking to make in these five domains and you are having a difficult time moving from left to right on the continuum, it is most likely a work of the devil against you.
Despite your prayer, wise counsel and best effort you are moving from right to left on the continuum, it is most likely a work of the devil against you.
There is a sudden destruction or reversal of progress, it is most likely a work of the devil against you.
There is a major issue for which no cause or solution is known, it is most likely a work of the devil against you.
Is there any difficulty in your life that defies natural causes, reason and normal healthy living? The Holy Spirit’s discernment is necessary to determine your best way forward.
1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 12:10
to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
Today, by faith in the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, I resist the works of the devil coming against my finances, relationships, physical and mental health, vocation and faith.
With Jesus, in Matthew 4:10, we declare, “Be gone, Satan!”
In the name of above every name, we pray. AMEN
Listen – My Story
- What is the best part of your summer as of today?
- What are your plans for staying active in July and August?
Learn – Digging Deeper
- When you observe our world of today, what evidences do you see that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one?
- 1 John 5:19
- Do you rest peacefully in John’s statement in 1 John 5:18?
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”
- The Christian. “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning.”
- Jesus. “but he who was born of God protects him”
- The Christian. “and the evil one does not touch him.”
- This week’s text, Malachi 3:8-12, connects tithes and offerings to God’s rebuking of those things that devour. Do you see God’s resource protection as a person who tithes?
Life – Taking it Home
- What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this lesson?
- What do you need to do to see God’s rebuking of the devourer of your finances?
Lift – Prayer
- May we join you in prayer for the destruction of the works of the devil in your finances?
- Please pray for the family of Ethel Thomas in their time of grief.