Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20001224.htm

THE BELIEVER AND ANGELS
Part I: The Believer's Biblical Relation To Evil Angels, The Demons
(Isaiah 8:19-9:6 et al.)
  1. Introduction
    1. Our world faces the subject of the angelic world in increasing degrees: (1) J. M. Smith, editor of Jerry Falwell's National Liberty Journal (Dec.-Jan. 2001, p. 10) notes the "wildly entertaining" Harry Potter books for children have as their main character a student at a school for witchcraft and wizardry. (2) A TV show, "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer" shows the dark side of the supernatural while (3) another deals with conversations and interactions between humans and "good" angels.
    2. Scripture is instructive on the subject, and we begin a two-part series by examining believers and demons:
  2. The Believer's Biblical Relation To Evil Angels, The Demons, Isaiah 8:19-9:6 et al.
    1. As to their origins, all of the angels were created by God (Colossians 1:16) as sinless (Jude 6) before the creation of the world (Job 38:6-7), cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, p. 1846; Ibid., ftn. to Job 1:6.
    2. Angels have personalities with intellect (1 Pet. 1:12), emotion (Lk. 2:13) and will (Jude 6), Ibid., p. 1846.
    3. They are spirit beings (Heb. 1:14) lacking any power to reproduce (Mark 12:25) that never die (Luke 20:36) and that have power far superior to those of us humans, 2 Peter 2:11; Dan. 10:4-11; Ibid.
    4. When Satan, who was the most gifted of the created angels (Ezekiel 28:12-15) sinned, he led a rebellion of one-third of the created angels, Revelation 12:3-4 with Ez. 28:15. These with Satan were removed from their abode in heaven, and form the fallen angels group known also as demons.
    5. With such beings, believers are never to seek to communicate or relate in any affirmative way to gain success, guidance, power or future insight for success (as many try to do); rather, they are to focus on the written Word of God and its insight for all of these things instead, Isaiah 8:19-9:6; 1 John 2:14b:
      1. In the prophet Isaiah's era, the people of Israel sought to fill the vacuum they felt of lacking fellowship with God by seeking help, direction and strength through mediums and spiritists, Isaiah 8:19a implied.
      2. This seeking after demonic spirits not only violated the Mosaic Law (cf. Leviticus 20:6, 27), but replaced one's fellowship with God with the false gods of demonic beings, Isaiah 8:19b:
        1. Mediums and spiritists claim to consult deceased people.
        2. However, from the record of Saul's seeking to consult the deceased Samuel through a medium, Samuel's actual arrival terrified the medium, 1 Samuel 28:7-12. This reveals mediums never bring up the actual deceased, but consult with demons who mimic the dead through them, cf. Rev. 1:18b.
        3. Thus, seeking mediums and spiritists is to traffic with the demons behind them, and that is spiritual prostitution that replaces fellowship with God with a false, destructive fellowship with demons.
      3. Indeed, Isaiah wrote that unless the people were saying, "To the law and to the testimony!", a phrase that refers to seeking written Scripture instead of mediums, there was not even the light of dawn in them, Isaiah 8:20 (in the Hebrew text, cf. Kittel., ed., Biblia Hebraica, p. 620).
      4. After describing the devastating darkness that would come on his generation for its turning to mediums (Isa. 8:21-22), Isaiah predicted God would one day flood this very land with a Great Light, Isa. 9:1-2.
      5. This Great Light would shine predominantly on the people living in the Hebrew tribal territories of Zebulun and Naphtali, Isa. 9:1: since New Testament Capernaum is in Naphtali and Nazareth and its environs are around ancient Zebulun, Christ, the Word Incarnate (John 1:1-18), was that Great Light!
      6. As that Great Light, Jesus Christ would fulfill where evil spirits through mediums could not: (a) As the Supernatural Counselor, He would give effective counsel, Isa. 9:6a; (b) As the Mighty God, He would supply the power men needed for salvation and living, 9:6b; (c) As the Father of Eternity, He would provide the timeless security man needs, 9:6c; and as (d) the Prince of Peace, He provided the hope of a coming Kingdom of blessing, a hope so greatly needed by all oppressed people, Isaiah 9:6d.
Lesson: Evil angels, demons, are NOT to be consulted for counsel, power, security and hope, but are to be shunned in favor of seeking all of these things offered by God as revealed through His written Word.

Application: Since the RISE in a preoccupation with demons comes from of a spiritual VACUUM for God's advice, power, security and hope supplied in Christ as revealed in God's written Word, we are to resist all demonic ideas or acts in the world by heeding and using God's Word, 1 John 2:14b!