Taken Captive by Satan

There is nothing more satisfying to the devil than to be allowed to work his evil unannounced and undetected. He’s like a cockroach; He flees when the light is turned on. He imposes himself stealtly on every life when the door is open to him. Give him an inch and he will take a mile. Satan actually has no place, no dwelling, and no rights that he can impose on his own. He has to steal, lie, cheat, deceive, and crook his way into every situation where he operates. That’s the very principle that the Word of God affirmed when the Spirit said, "Neither give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27) If you allow unbelief to reign in your life, you give place to the devil. If you become bitter, fearful, or rebellious; you have just opened the door and said, "Come on, devil, help yourself."

The church world is a sitting duck to Satan because they are mostly ignorant of his devices. "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." (II Corinthians 2:11) The devil must search for the place or the opening; your vulnerable spot or attitude is where he then moves in and starts his destruction. ". The devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (I Peter 5:8) He starts in the mind. He must have your thought life, then he slowly erodes your emotions and takes your will. After that, it’s calamity unless you are delivered from him. He is a mastermind of destruction when you make a place for him to invade. Churches, homes, marriages, children, families, and lives are his place of devilish delight.

Every fallen angel is a demon and there is a multitude of them. Every one of them is unclean, but they are very religious because they were created to worship God. Their present religion is to serve the devil, but they make it look like the opposite while they hate everything that is God-like, pure, Christ-centered, or honorable to God. They look for openings to attack pure and undefiled Christianity. Ultimately, everything Satan or a demon does is to manifest that hatred for the Creator because He threw them out of heaven. They hate mankind because we have taken Satan’s place in the heart of God. Satan used to make God’s music for Him, but in pride he distorted His tunes. Now, it’s the saint that makes God’s music and pleases, even blesses, the heart of God. Music is praise. It was created to be praise. Every time you sing, you praise somebody or something. Never strike a tune unless you strike it to the great creator, our God.

There are many evidences of the multitude that Satan has taken captive. You can recognize your captivity and be free by the name of Jesus and His glorious victory. Do not believe that only sinners are captive to the devil. Sure, they are, often terribly in bondage and being utterly destroyed, but Satan never gives up. He is after every believer and every saint of God to turn you back and destroy your faith. Let me list many signs of captivity to some lie, deception, or bondage that may have occurred or even is now occurring in your life.

Fear: ". perfect love casteth out fear ." (I John 4:18)
Paranoia: The doubtful imagination that you are unloved or that others are attacking you.
Doubt: ". whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Romans 14:23) "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)
Strange dreams and visions: Every thing in life must be judged by the Bible.
Confusion of truth: "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:25)
An undisciplined life: "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." (Proverbs 16:32)
Using others with no regard: "For every man shall bear his own burden." (Galatians 6:5)
Resisting the Holy Spirit whether in yourself or manifest in others: "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." (Acts 7:51)
Attacking authority – secular or spiritual: "Whosoever therefore resisteth the power (authority), resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." (Romans 13:2)
Rebellion is as witchcraft. "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry " (I Samuel 15:23)

You can recognize any effort of Satan to hinder you or to set up strongholds in your life by living in the Word of God. The Scripture is a guard to your mind to protect your thinking. What you think is what you are and what you are becoming. A clean, positive mind that meditates in the Word of God, day and night, will be a happy fountain of praise and glory to the Lord. Refuse all doubtful disputation, reject every harsh attitude, pray for every enemy, and love everybody with a pure heart. Claim His blood and His name as your rightful heritage. You are His and He is yours.