Chapter Twenty-one
Christians and Demons
When asked if a Christian could have a demon, one great Christian leader answered, “A Christian can have anything he has faith for!” Although his answer might seem to be a bit humorous, it really seems to “hit the nail on the head.” The main problem we might have in understanding what he was saying is that most of us don’t really realize what level of faith we have and what it is that we are using our faith to obtain. It doesn’t matter how loudly we preach about healing, if we run to the doctor and the pharmacy as quickly as our unsaved neighbors do – we don’t have any more faith than they do. Regardless of how many Bible verses we may quote about prosperity, if we worry about money as much as our secular friends do – we are at the same level of faith with them. The bottom line is that if we think and act like unsaved people (as Romans 12:2 said, are conformed to the world), we actually have the same kind of faith that the world has. If this is the case, we will get the same rewards for our faith that they get for theirs.
Although the Bible doesn’t make a distinction between possession, oppression, and other varying degrees of demonic activity, it does speak of those who were vexed (Luke 6:18, Acts 5:16), sore vexed (Matthew 17:15), and grievously vexed (Matthew 15:22) – indicating that there are various intensities of demonic activity. However, all these cases use the same word in Greek, which could be literally translated as “demonized,” meaning “under the influence of a demon or demons.”
As long as we inhabit planet earth, we are literally living in the devil’s front yard. He is the god of this present world (II Corinthians 4:4), the prince and power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), and the prince of this world (John 15:11). Furthermore, we are in constant confrontation with the elaborate array of enforcers he has throughout his regime. (Ephesians 6:12) Therefore, as long as we share this planet with the devil and his hosts, we will experience some degree of demonization – we will, to one degree or another, be under the influence of demons. Even the Apostle Paul acknowledged that the devil had a certain amount of control over his life. Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. (I Thessalonians 2:18) He wasn’t in sin or rebellion; he wasn’t sick or deranged; but he was controlled by the devil in that he could not do what he had determined to do. The force was external, but it still was a determining factor in his life. Because of the devil’s influence, he could not do what he wanted to do and what was apparently the will of God for him. In the strictest sense of the term, he was demonized!
However, just because we live in the devil’s territory does not mean that we live under his jurisdiction. We are given numerous admonitions that we do not live under his authority; on the contrary, he is under our authority:
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.(Romans 8:37)
I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. (I John 2:14)
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (I John 4:4)
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. (Matthew 10:1)
As we have already mentioned, the book of Job provides us with a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the spiritual struggle that is going on over the lives of believers. Satan presented himself before God to do what he does best – accuse the brethren. In this case, God taunted Satan by challenging him to examine the life of one of His servants that He knew would not waver no matter how severely he might be attacked. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 1:8) Satan’s response was that he had seen Job, but he couldn’t touch him because there was a hedge around him. Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. (Job 1:10) Even though the Lord permitted Satan to penetrate the hedge, he was not able to dissuade the righteous servant. Not so easily defeated, Satan pressed the Lord for permission to penetrate even further into Job’s life. Even though he was permitted to attack Job in every way short of taking his physical life (Job 2:6), Satan still was not able to overcome God’s trophy servant. The truth is that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34); He doesn’t put a hedge around one and leave the others unprotected. He has left us just as well protected as He did His servant Job with a shield of faith with which to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (Ephesians 6:16)
The Christians at Galatia experienced a level of demonization which Paul called being “bewitched,” literally meaning “under the spell of a witch.” O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? (verse 3:1) The striking reality of this passage is that Paul addressed them as foolish and as not obeying the truth. The reason they came under such dramatic demonic control was because of their foolishness in not obeying the truth. Since these Christians had acted so unwisely and rebelliously, it is no wonder that the enemy attacked and overpowered them! It is only when we – like the Galatians, through foolishness and rebellion – put down that shield and invite the open attack of the enemy, that we come under the debilitating influence of the devil.
Let’s take a quick look at the lives of some biblical characters who through their foolishness and rebellion let down their shields and suffered severely. Samson was repeatedly tempted by Delilah to give her the secret of his strength. Each time he tried to trick her, he woke the next morning to find that she had attempted to take his strength by following the deceptive plan he had presented the evening before. It could be called the personification of foolishness when he finally told her the true secret to his superhuman power. Only the densest mind would not have figured that she was going to shave his head since she had already tried all the other methods he had presented to her. The end result was a spiritual demise that he did not expect. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. (Judges 16:20) When King Saul had a similar spiritual calamity because of his rebellion and lack of wisdom, the scriptures are even more explicit that not only did he lose his connection with God but that the void left in his life was immediately filled by a harassing demonic spirit. But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. (I Samuel 16:14) King David, Saul’s successor to the throne, also came dangerously close to experiencing the Holy Spirit’s departure from his life because of his rebellion against God and society through his adultery with Bathsheba and the murderous plot he executed against her husband. The prayer he prayed for restoration after these heinous sins reveals how close he had come to slipping over the edge. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Psalm 51:11-12)
In trying to bring the church of Galatia into correction, Paul instructed them how to live wisely and avoid further rebellion by simply saying that they should stand firm in their liberty and to walk in the Spirit.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (verse 5:1)
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (verses 5:16-21)
Many of these sins – called works of the flesh – are dentified in the scripture as being associated with demonic spirits. Adultery, fornication, and lasciviousness would be associated with the spirit of whoredoms we learn about in Hosea 4:12 and 5:4. Unclean spirits are the most frequently mentioned demons in the New Testament. Witchcraft and idolatry are constantly associated with pagan spirits throughout the Old Testament. Emulations is the same as the spirit of jealousy discussed in Numbers 5:14 and 30. Heresies are certainly the doctrines of devils that Paul mentioned in I Timothy 4:1. Though drunkenness is never specifically listed as a spirit, it is set in deliberate contrast to the influence of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18 suggesting its spiritual nature.
It is interesting that the apostle did not insist that they needed a deliverance session in which a demon spirit would be cast out; he simply said that they needed to get out of the flesh and into the spirit. In a sort of the-best-defense-is-a-good-offense approach, Paul advocated that there was great deliverance and freedom available to them by taking positive action. When writing to the Romans, he advised them that the process by which they would escape from their worldly level and advance to the divine nature was to renew their minds. Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12: 2)
Paul had already learned this lesson in his own life when, harassed by a tormenting spirit, he cried out to the Lord for deliverance and was answered that he did not need external divine intervention. In fact, the authority he needed to combat and overcome his demonic foe was already inside him.
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (II Corinthians 12:7-9)
Although the Apostle Paul gave the explanation of his metaphor of the thorn in the flesh in the same line in which he mentioned this affliction, there has been a lot of confusion and controversy among those who would try to interpret the passage. As we saw in the Galatian passage, these demonic influences are associated with the results that take place in our fleshly personality; however, when Paul spoke of his thorn in the flesh, many people get confused and fail to follow the logic that the real problem is demonic. The difficulties are based on several misconceptions which people hold in their minds when they read the scripture.
The first difficulty arises from the word “exalted.” Many Bible scholars assume that the apostle is saying that there was a danger that he might get too proud because of the revelations he had received – that he would become, as a mother might say of a little boy who was getting a little too cocky for his age, “too big for his britches.” They think that Paul was suggesting that he might fall prey to the same trap about which he warned the Corinthians in his first letter to them: being puffed up through knowledge. (I Corinthians 8:1) In answer to this question, we must remember that our heavenly Father is the giver of all good and perfect gifts (James 1:17), that He is a perfectly wise God (Romans 16:27, I Timothy 1:17, Jude 1:25), and that the blessings He gives us add no sorrow with them (Proverbs 10:22). Let’s stop and think about things on a natural level for just a minute: would any wise parent who has the well-being of his child in mind give him a pocket knife before he learned the Boy Scout rules about how to hold the knife and the stick while whittling? If we, as humans, are smart enough to know how to pick age-appropriate gifts for our children and only give them gifts when they are old enough to handle them, isn’t it much more true about our Heavenly Father who is perfect in wisdom. It would seem that there must be something else implied in the term “exalted” in this passage; however, we must first move to another issue before we can fully grasp what this word must be intended to communicate.
The second misconception centers on the source of Paul’s thorn. Many scholars assume that it was God who put this thorn into Paul’s life. However, we need to step back from the passage a bit and look at it in a broader scope to get a clear understanding. Consider the logic – or rather, lack of logic – in the assumption that God gave Paul this thorn. If God knows that the revelations He is giving Paul are possible sources for him to fall into error, certainly He would not correct the situation by inflicting some sort of difficulties. Although we do find many examples in the Old Testament of when God brought calamity upon His people as judgment and correction when they were in rebellion and idolatry, there is no biblical precedent for God’s having put bad things in His people’s lives as a preventative. God’s pattern for preventing His people from going astray is through the written word, His messengers such as prophets, and the personal direction of the Holy Ghost. Paul, as a mature believer and leader in the Body of Christ, would certainly have been able to hear and follow the voice of God without some sort of painful thorn being inflicted in his life. The whole idea that God placed the thorn in Paul’s life is against the very nature of God as the giver of good gifts. It also contradicts the pattern by which He leads His children.
The next thing we must consider in determining the source of Paul’s thorn is the text itself. Paul clearly told us that it was a messenger of Satan. Since it was Satan’s messenger, why should we assume that it was sent by God? In order to answer this question, some Bible students have turned to a couple passages from the Old Testament (I Kings 22 and II Chronicles 18) where a lying spirit was sent to deceive King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah. However, careful examination of these incidents will reveal that these kings had already resisted the counsel and direction God had tried to give them; therefore, they – unlike Paul who was receiving and living by the revelations God had given him – were living in sin and rebellion. Furthermore, it must be noted that the lying spirit actually asked God’s permission to go and deceive the kings. Therefore, it was not a case of God’s having sent the evil spirit; rather, it was a case of His permitting it to go. A very similar scenario is played out in the life of King Saul in I Samuel 16:14. Since Paul’s case does not parallel the cases of these rebellious kings of the Old Testament, we have no reason to try to equate the passages. The simplest way to interpret this passage is to read it as it is written – that Satan inflicted this thorn.
Having addressed the issue of the originator of the thorn, now we can go back to the first question as to why it was sent. Seeing Satan as the originator of the thorn makes it readily obvious: it was sent to keep Paul from being exalted – or brought to a place of prominence in the church and world – because the Satanic kingdom suffered great losses every time Paul preached on the revelations he had been given. Even until today, the truths Paul brought to the Body of Christ are some of the most liberating principles ever taught. The devil desperately wanted to silence Paul. If he could keep people from receiving the apostle’s message, he could keep them in his clutches! This thorn was not God’s way of protecting Paul from pride, but Satan’s way of trying to prevent Paul from gaining a place of advantage in his assault against the kingdom of darkness.
One other thing to remember when contemplating Paul’s thorn would be that Paul specifically addressed the issue of those in the Body who begin to feel self-important and inflated. In Romans 12:3, he warned them not to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. If, indeed, Paul knew that this sort of self-exaltation would result in receiving a thorn in the flesh, isn’t it likely that he would have incorporated a warning about such a result in this admonition about our personal evaluations of ourselves?
The next issue to consider would be the determination of the exact nature of Paul’s thorn. Many teachers have proposed the notion that it was actually an eye disease. They, of course, draw upon the fact that Paul was blinded for three days at the time of his conversion on the road to Damascus. Added to this is Galatians 4:15 that we interpret to mean that he was having some sort of eye problem when he first preached in this city. However, such interpretation ignores the fact that Paul was healed of the blindness when Ananias laid hands on him and the fact that the Galatians passage does not specifically mention eye disease or blindness. Any conclusions drawn from this verse are based totally upon inferences and implications, not on specific factual information. However, we do have direct information and explanation concerning the nature of this thorn given in the text itself.
Paul says that his thorn was a messenger from Satan. The English term “messenger” is translated from the Greek word aggelos that can also be translated “angel.” Paul recognized that his thorn was one of Satan’s angels (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 12:9) that we know as demons. His thorn was not a physical ailment at all, but a demonic attack upon his person in general and his ministry in particular. It was Satan’s attempt to keep him from being established in a place “above measure,” or above the capacity of the devil’s forces. By simply reading the story of Paul’s life, we can easily see that he was harassed on every side by zealous Jewish opponents who considered him a heretic and wanted to stop his evangelistic work, by jealous Christians who mistrusted him or thought that his acceptance of the gentiles without their having to abide by the Jewish law was in violation of the faith, and even by the tempestuous forces of nature. In a passage in the preceding chapter, Paul spoke – as he does in the passage we are studying – of the infirmities in which he is determined to glory. In this section, he gave a compilation of these obstacles that have been thrown across his path as he ventured out to advance the kingdom.
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. (II Corinthians 11:23-28)
This dark cloud that seemed to be following Paul around was actually a demonic force that manifested itself through various avenues – sometimes through the forces of nature, sometimes through the Jewish religious leaders, and sometimes even through Paul’s Christian brothers.
When Paul asked the Lord to remove this demonic attack, the heavens were silent on his first two requests. On the third approach, the Lord answered that the grace that Paul had already been given was sufficient for him to deal with the attack himself. God said that He didn’t need to intervene because He had already made provision for Paul to deal with his adversary. The same is true in all our lives; if we know the weapons that God has placed into our hands, we can become invincible in the face of any demonic attack!
One significant truth that we know about the devil is that he is a liar. (John 8:44) Not only is he a liar, the truth is not in him; therefore, it is impossible for him to tell the truth – even if he wanted to. Even when he says something that really is the truth, it comes out in a distorted manner. Since he is a liar, we have no reason to even listen to him – much less believe him – when he tries to tell us something.
Another thing that we know about the devil is that he is a slanderer. (Revelation 12:10) His very name, if we translate it directly from the Greek meaning, tells us that. A slanderer is an individual who says destructive things about another person. Maybe the things he says are outright lies, maybe they are exaggerations of the truth, maybe they are half-truths, or maybe they are the plain and simple truth but spoken in an inappropriate way or within a negative connotation.
Another fact concerning the devil is that he is a murderer and a destroyer (Revelation 9:11). Everything he does will eventually result in the death and destruction of those he influences. I think we all have heard the stories of the man who sold his soul to the devil. He was given great wealth and prestige for a few years, but eventually had to face eternal destruction. Maybe we don’t make such conscious pacts with the devil, but all who are involved with him wind up being killed by him. He may offer some alluring benefits for a time, but he will eventually demand his payment in the form of your very life. For some, the payment comes quickly in the form of debilitating drug dependencies, AIDS, alcoholism, bankruptcy, and premature death through suicide, violence, or disease.
Of course, the devil isn’t omnipotent, omniscient, or omnipresent; so, it is impossible for him to produce widespread havoc in the human family single-handedly. However, he has a massive entourage of assistants called demons who share explicitly in his evil and destructive nature. These creatures are not, as some suppose, the spirits of the dead come back to haunt the living; rather, they are the rebellious angels who were cast out of heaven along with their leader Lucifer (now known as Satan or the devil). This fact is very significant in that it helps us to understand that they once knew the pleasures of heaven and once had fellowship with God Himself and once had free access to the very person and nature of the Almighty. Having rejected this unspeakably beautiful relationship with divinity, they must have become totally depraved in their nature, mentality, and person in order to continue to exist in their rebellion. Therefore, it is natural that their character would demand such activities as listed in the Bible: kill, steal, destroy, lie, vex, torment, make blind, make deaf, make dumb, make epileptic, cause foaming at the mouth, cause convulsions, cause to seem as dead, cause to cut oneself, cause to be wild, cause to live in graveyards, cause to be naked, cause to be insane, give wrong doctrines, produce lust, oppress, and eventually possess.
The passage we have begun to study told us that Jesus dealt with human captivity, and we have learned that it is also our job to do the same. Therefore, it would be good to ask the question as to the identity of the areas in which humans can be taken into captivity. The answer is far-reaching. Perhaps the first area is in the thought life. Many people become captive to negative, erroneous, or limited thinking. I once had a friend whose dog was notorious for chasing cars. To remedy the problem, my friend chained the dog so that he couldn’t get to the street. The first few times that a car came down the road, the dog charged after it and was thrown for a flip in the air when he suddenly came to the end of the chain. Eventually, the dog recognized his limits and learned to stop before somersaulting at the end of the rope. Finally, my friend removed the chain, but the dog had become so accustomed to his limitation that he never ran any further than the spot where his chain once terminated. He would bolt after a car with full steam and bark as fiercely as any savage dog on the planet, but he would suddenly screech to a halt at the imaginary boundary. His thinking overruled reality. So it is with those who are under demonic captivity; they cannot live in the truth and freedom of God because they are held by chains that exist only in their minds. These limits imposed by Satan and his messengers make these people think of failure rather than success; they make the subjects feel inferior rather than normal; they make the captive see the dark cloud and miss the silver lining.
Another area in which people are held captive is the physical arena where disease and addictions can partially or totally debilitate the one under attack. In addition to the physical realm, captivity can operate in a person’s spiritual life producing such compulsions as lust, anger, and hatred. These actions or attitudes may be totally foreign to the normal nature of the individual; but because of the diabolic captivity, these compelling forces overrun the person’s natural personality. The emotional arena can also become a prisoner through worry and fear.
In Jesus’ first sermon, He identified His ministry as operating in several areas, one of which was to preach deliverance to the captive. (Luke 4:18) His entire life demonstrated that He not only brought the message of deliverance to the captive but He also gave them the deliverance they needed.
Jesus left us with a promise – or should I say “command” or maybe even “warning” or “threat” – concerning our own ministries: we are to do the same works that He did and even greater works! (John 14:12) That means that we, too, are to preach – and practice – deliverance! I guess that whether we perceive such a statement as a promise, a command, a warning, or a threat really depends on our personal faith and commitment levels!
Paul left us some simple instructions concerning this mission of deliverance upon which Jesus directed us to embark.
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (II Timothy 2:25-26)
Here we learn that people who need deliverance are in the snare of the devil. Perhaps it would be good for us to review a few of the facts that we know about the devil as we begin to think about what he is doing.
In trying to understand how we can obtain deliverance by renewing the way we think, let’s begin by remembering who the devil is and how he and his demons work in our lives. According to Jesus’ words in John 10:10, the devil is a thief who comes to kill, steal, and destroy. While God wants to bless us in every area of our lives, the devil and his demonic associates want to destroy us in each of these areas. If it is God’s will that we prosper and be in health, even as our souls prosper (III John 2), then it is the devil’s desire that we meet with financial ruin, suffer with poor health, and live in spiritual poverty. He desires to steal and destroy everything that God gives us until he is eventually able to take our very lives.
Let’s take the area of finances as a simple example of how renewing our minds can bring us deliverance. It is God’s will that we live in prosperity, but the devil desires to steal that prosperity from us; therefore, at any point we find ourselves in debt or financially strapped, we can say that we are demonized because we are under the influence of the devil who has been stealing God’s intended blessing from us. Of course, there are always a variety of reasons why a person may get into debt: accidents, sicknesses, layoffs, and other unforeseen emergencies. However, the main reason that most of us find ourselves in financial trouble is because we are conformed to this world – we think like the rest of the world tells us to think. A wardrobe that is still perfectly good must be replaced because the new styles for the season are out and our clothes are now out of fashion. A designer came up with a new look, an advertising agency put it on TV and in magazines, and a marketing expert displayed it in the local store – and even though we had to purchase it with money we didn’t really have, we rushed out like the rest of the secular world to get it. Being conformed to this world’s thinking brought us under the demonic control of debt. In the arena of our finances, we are demonized! However, as we begin to renew our minds to think like the kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of this world, we realize that we don’t need to “keep up with the Joneses” because our self-esteem is determined, not by what others think of us, but by what God thinks of us. As we renew our minds by reading and meditating upon the Word of God, we learn that we are accepted in the beloved even if our clothes are last year’s styles. As we continue to change our attitudes about ourselves and our possessions, our buying habits will change and our bills will be reduced. The result is that we are less and less under the bondage of debt – less and less demonized!
Apply this same scenario to every area of your life – health, morals, relationships, and attitudes – and imagine how dramatically your life can be transformed. The end result of your deliverance will be that rather than living under the control of the devil’s bad, unacceptable, and imperfect will, your life will demonstrate the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Of course, we all are just like Paul in hoping for a once-for-all deliverance from the thorns in our flesh. Such spectacular divine interventions certainly can and do occur. However, the full story is usually not quite over with the “amen” at the end of the deliverance prayer. Although talking about a physical liberation rather than a deliverance from demonic influence, Paul addressed the issue of once-for-all deliverance versus ongoing deliverance in II Corinthians 1:10 when he says, Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. While speaking of past deliverance in a once-for-all, instantaneous sense, he speaks of the present deliverance as ongoing and progressive. The deliverance yet to come is referred to as a final and complete act. It is possible to receive a dramatic deliverance from a spiritual oppression, but it is most likely going to be followed by a progressive work of renewal until we receive that ultimate deliverance when we give up our residence in Satan’s territory by passing from this life through death or rapture or until the tempter himself is bound and cast into the bottomless pit and eventually into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:3, 10)
One final note should be emphasized above anything else in this study: it is not God’s plan and it is never His will that we be subject to the devil’s captivity.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (I John 3:8)
He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. (I John 5:18)
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. (II Corinthians 2:14)