The Dangers of Disobedience

I'd like to talk to you about the dangers of disobedience.  Sometimes we need to be reminded of the very serious dangers of disobedience, in order to wake us up and get us to turn away from sin.  I'm not just talking about sins you consider serious.  Even the small sins are just as bad.  They are all serious.

So let's look at five examples in Scripture of those who disobeyed and what happened to them.

Naïve ones and Fools

Let's start with the naive ones and fools.

"How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? "Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. "They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. "For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil." (Pro 1:22-33)

Their sin:

• I called and you refused
• I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention
• You neglected all my counsel
• You did not want my reproof

The consequences:

• God says, "I will also laugh at your calamity."
• "I will mock when your dread comes"
• "They will call on me, but I will not answer"
• "They will seek me diligently but they will not find me"
• "They shall eat of the fruit of their own way"
• "They shall be satiated with their own devices"
• "The waywardness of the naive will kill them"
• "The complacency of fools will destroy them"

The Israelites
Now let's look at the nation of Israel.

"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! "Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. "I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. "But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. "So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices. (Psa 81:8-12)

"Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, SAYING TO AARON, 'MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT--WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.' "At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. "But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, 'IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, WAS IT, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? 'YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.'  (Act 7:39-43)

Their sin:

• My people did not listen to My voice
• Israel did not obey Me
• Unwilling to be obedient to the Lord
• Demanded that Aaron make idols for them
• They made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol
• They worshipped a foreign god
• They were rejoicing in the works of their hands
• They offered human victims and sacrifices for forty years
• They took along the shrine of Molech and the star of the god of Rompha

The consequences:

• The Lord said, "I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices."
• The Hebrew word for "gave over" is "shalach," which means "to send away, for, or out, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out)."
• God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven
• The Greek word for "delivered them up" is "paradidomi," meaning "to surrender, that is, yield up, intrust, transmit: - betray, bring forth, cast, commit, deliver (up), give (over, up), hazard, put in prison, recommend."

Atheists, Idolaters, and Immoral People
Next let's look at the atheists, idolaters and immoral people throughout the ages.

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." (Rom 1:20-32)

Their sin:

• For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks,
• They became futile in their speculations
• They professed to be wise
• They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures
• They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.

The consequences:

• Their foolish heart was darkened.
• They became fools
• God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
• God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
• God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, evil, etc.

Adulterous Christian Man & Corinthian Church
Next let's look at the Corinthian Church and the immoral man in their midst.

"It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."  (1Co 5:1-5)

Their sin:

• He had his father's wife (immorality)
• The Church became arrogant and did not mourn over this sin
• They did not remove this adulterer from their midst

The consequences:

• Paul said, "I have decided to deliver (give over) such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."

Hymenaeus and Alexander
Lastly, let's look at Hymenaeus and Alexander.

"This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme." (1Ti 1:18-20)

Their sin:

• They did not fight the good fight against evil
• They did not keep the faith
• They rejected a good conscience 
• They blasphemed

The consequences:

• They suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith
• Paul said, "Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme."

Putting it All Together
In each of these biblical examples, you can see the same pattern.  Each time people neglected God's counsel and rejected His reproof, they ate the fruit of their own ways, and became satiated with their own devices. They called on the Lord for help, but He would not answer. They sought Him diligently but they did not find Him. Their own waywardness killed them, and their own complacency destroyed them.

The Israelites did not listen to the Lord's voice.  They did not obey Him.  In fact, they were unwilling to be obedient to the Lord. They demanded that Aaron make idols for them. They worshiped a foreign god, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. They offered up human sacrifices to idols.   So God gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices. God turned away and delivered them up to serve the sun, moon, and stars.

All mankind has been given the opportunity to know God.  His fingerprints are all over everything in creation.  But even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks. They became futile in their speculations. They professed to be wise. They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.  Their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts.

Whenever people do this, their foolish heart are darkened, and they become fools. God gives them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  God gives them over to degrading passions; and they receive in their own persons the due penalty of their error.  God gives them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, evil, etc.

Do you see how the Lord gives people over to their own sin?  He gives them over to evil, since they prefer that over Him.  This is what Paul did with the immoral brother in the Corinthian Church, who had his father's wife.  Since the Church became arrogant and did not mourn over this sin, and did not remove this adulterer from their midst, Paul took action.  He administered discipline, by delivering the immoral man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Paul did the same thing with Hymenaeus and Alexander, who had professed faith in Christ at one time.  They did not fight the good fight against evil, and did not keep the faith.  Instead they rejected a good conscience, and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.  So Paul handed them over to Satan, so that they would be taught not to blaspheme. 

The pattern in the same throughout all of Scripture, both Old and New Testaments.  If you refuse to listen to the Lord's voice, look out!  He uses many means to speak, including the general revelation of Himself in His creation, as well as the specific revelation of His will in His Word -- the Holy Bible. He has revealed his love for you through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross for you.  He will use His people to speak to you, too.  He will speak to your conscience, and let you know that what you're doing is wrong.  It will bother you.

But if you refuse His voice when He speaks, and reject His counsel, He will eventually give you over to the thing you really want most.  He'll let you have it, and your mind will become darkened.  It's a type of judgment.  He'll let satan and the demons have their way with you, since you preferred their presence to the presence of the Lord. Your conscience will no longer work properly.  And you will end up shipwrecking your faith.  Eventually, if you do not turn from your sin, it will destroy you.  Those who die in this state end up in hell for eternity.

My friend, I don't want this to happen to you.  If that's what you've been doing, turn from your sin today!  The Lord does not want you to perish.  He loves you, and wants you to be with Him in heaven for eternity.  But if you continue on your way, then you forfeit that gift.  Turn back to Him today, before it's too late, and cry out with tears of repentance.  You will find Him, if you search for Him with all your heart.  He will forgive you, if you sincerely repent; and sincere repentance will be evidenced by the fruits of repentance.

I hope this lesson has helped you to understand the ways of the Lord better, and especially the dangers of disobedience.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Your Move" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's Note: You may also want to see my other blogs, Sin and Consequence,  Is Obedience Optional?,Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian,  Demonology 101, Demonology 201 and Demonology 301. I invite you to visit the Home page for this blog, and you can also find my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Evil Nephilim Giants

Dolmen in Johfiyeh Irbid north of Jordan

I’d like to explore a topic that seems on the surface to be extraneous and far-fetched, but that actually has far reaching implications, if it is true.  I’d like to explore the topic of the Nephilim.  Who were they?  Were they real or mythical? Where did this race come from?  What archeological evidence do we have of their existence?  What are the implications for our world today, if they did exist? We’ll explore all of these questions and more.  So let’s get our Bibles out and open them to see what the Scriptures say about this.

The relationship between the Nephilim and the sons of God
We begin with the first book of Moses, the book of Genesis.  In the passage where he wrote about the condition of the world in the days of Noah, just before the flood, he wrote: “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”  (Gen 6:4)

To put this into context, let just do a quick verbal timeline sketch.  Moses, the inspired writer of the book of Genesis, died around 1400 BC and the flood happened at least six hundred years earlier, perhaps around 2400 BC.  So Moses was writing this passage several hundred years after the flood took place. And at that time, he wrote that the “Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward…” This is the first mention of the Nephilim in the Scriptures, and it helps us understand where they came from.  They are directly connected with the sons of God, because in the same sentence where Moses introduced the Nephilim, he referred to the sons of God coming into the daughters of men and the offspring produced by this union.  Therefore, it’s important to determine whom he referred to as the sons of God.

But before we do that, let’s just note that the next time Moses mentioned the Nephilim was in his fourth book, known as Numbers.  In his account of the spies sent into Canaan, he wrote: "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." (Num 13:33).  We’ll return to this later in more detail.  But now back to the matter of determining who the sons of God were.

If the term “sons of God” simply refers to “sons of men,” then there was nothing special about that.  The sons of men had been marrying the daughters of men since the beginning.  But when Moses wrote this, he was drawing attention to something out of the ordinary.  There is a contrast between the two expressions, “the sons of God” and “the daughters of men.”

Let’s just observe the differences between the two expressions:

The sons of God – sons are male offspring; God is the Divine Being.  This implies they were supposed to be serving God.  They had a place of honor.  They were meant to obey God.  They were angels.

The daughters of men – daughters are female offspring; men are God’s human creations, made in God’s image.

Right at this point in the Bible, we see that men were becoming evil. God made the decision that he would not strive with men forever, and He reduced the human life span to 120 years.  Prior to that time, men were living for hundreds of years.  The Nephilim are clearly connected with the children produced by the union of the sons of God with the daughters of men.

“Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’" (Gen 6:1-3)

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.’"  (Gen 6:5-7)

The Lord God decided to destroy the whole earth, because it was filled with violence. “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.’” (Gen 6:11-13)

In the Numbers passage, God told Moses to choose a leader from each of the twelve tribes of Israel and send them into Canaan to spy out the land. 

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying, ‘Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, every one a leader among them.’ So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the sons of Israel.” (Num 13:1-3)

These men were not wimpy.  They were heads of the sons of Israel.  But when they returned from their spy mission, they were afraid of what they saw.  Here is the account of the report they brought back to Moses:

“When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. Thus they told him, and said, ‘We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.’" (Num 13:25-29)

When they came back from their spy mission, they reported that they had seen giants that were much bigger than they were.  They were afraid of the giants. They reported, “we saw the descendants of Anak there.” "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." (Num 13:33)

Not only did the spies feel like little, tiny insects compared to these giants, but when the giants saw the spies, they viewed them as little insects, too.  They said, “we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

So all but two of the spies strongly advised against attacking the people in the land of Canaan.  “But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.’ So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.’" (Num 13:31-33).  Note that the men they saw were of “great size.”

The only ones who were not afraid were Caleb and Joshua.  These men had faith in God and believed that they could go up and take the country.  “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, ‘We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.’" (Num 13:30)

“Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, ‘The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us--a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.’" (Num 14:6-9)  In spite of the great size of the giants who inhabited the land, Caleb and Joshua firmly believed that if the Lord were pleased with the Israelites, He would give them the victory over these giants and cause them to possess the land.

The term “sons of God” in the Scriptures
Let’s look at the Scriptures where the term “sons of God” is used.

"The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.” (Gen 6:2)

“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” (Gen 6:4)

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.” (Job 1:6; also see Job 2:1).  Since Satan came to present himself to God at the same time that the sons of God did, and we know that Satan is a fallen angel, then it would be reasonable to understand the “sons of God” to be angels.

“When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
(Job 38:7).   In this passage, God is speaking about the time when He created the earth.  So the sons of God who shouted for joy were the angels, since man had not yet been created.

We see this expression, “sons of God” again in the New Testament.  Jesus was declared to be The Son of God (Jn 3:16; 11:4; cf. Mat 1:23; 4:3,6; 8:29; 14:33; 16:16; 26:63; 27:40; 27:43, 54; Mar 1:1; 3:11; 5:7; 15:39; Luk 1:32, 35; 4:3, 9, 41; 8:28; 22:69, 70; Joh 1:34, 49; 3:16-18, 36; 5:25; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; 20:31; Act 7:56; 8:37; 9:20; 13:33; Rom 1:4, 9; 5:10; 8:3; 1Co 1:9; 15:28; 2Co 1:19; Gal 2:20; 4:4; Eph 4:13; Heb 1:8; 4:14; 6:6; 7:3; 10:29; 2Pe 1:17; 1Jo 3:8; 4:9,10, 15; 5:5, 9-13, 20; 2Jo 1:3,9; Rev 2:18;). 

Jesus, the Son of God, said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Mat 5:9)  Why would peacemakers be called “sons of God?”

The apostle Paul also used this term to refer to those to whom God gave the right to become His children. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:26). In other passages he wrote: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Rom 8:14). “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” (Rom 8:19)

In the Old Testament, the term “sons of God” had referred to supernatural beings that were higher than humans but lower than God.  In other words, it always referred to angels, which are created beings.  But in the New Testament, we find that humans could now be called sons of God.  Adam was referred to as the son of God, since he was a direct creation of God.  And as I just mentioned, Jesus used the term sons of God for the peacemakers.  Elsewhere He described the future characteristics of the sons of God, saying, “for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” (Luk 20:36).  Jesus was talking about what human sons of God will be like in the resurrection.  Specifically he was referring to the righteous who rise to eternal life.  He said that we would be like the angels and would not die anymore. He also said we would no longer marry.

Left their estate
Jude clarifies the matter further and tells us, “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” (Jud 1:6-7)

In this passage, Jude speaks of angels who did not keep their own domain.  In order to understand what that means, we should look at the rest of the sentence.  It goes on to say that they abandoned their proper abode.  They left the place where they were supposed to be.  But what sin did they commit when they did so?  Jude says their sin was sexual immorality.  He says that these angels are kept in chains for the judgment, just as Sodom and Gomorrah.  Jude taught that the angels indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, in the same way the people of Sodom and Gomorrah did.

We know that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was homosexuality.  Paul described it like this: “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” (Rom 1:26-27)  God did not created Adam and Steve.  He created Adam and Eve.  But these men “abandoned the natural function for that which is unnatural.” 

Likewise the angels who sinned left the heavens and used earth as a colony.  They left their celestial abode for a terrestrial one.  They descended to the earth, and revealed what was hidden to the children of men, and seduced the children of men into committing sin, and united themselves with human women, and committed gross acts of immorality with with them, and married some of them, and begot children by them.

In addition to the heavens being their dwelling, the body is considered a tent or dwelling.  The apostle Paul wrote: “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2Co 5:1) Therefore the fallen angels transgressed beyond the limits of their own dwelling, their own bodies, by engaging in intercourse with humans. 

Characteristics of the Nephilim
Those who have seen angels always note how huge they are.  They stand eight or nine feet tall.  Their bodies are immortal.  As Augustine wrote, "Like the gods they have corporeal immortality, and passions like human beings." Aurelius Augustine, The City of God (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1949), Transl. Marcus Dods.

So at some point, some of the angels sinned by leaving their proper domain and had intercourse with human women.  The offspring these women gave birth to were giants called Nephilim.  They took after their fathers genetically in size, strength, and probably in other ways.  We can only imagine what other ways they shared characteristics of their angelic fathers.  Some of those possibilities would include intelligence, emotional characteristics, and physiological ones that would include paranormal abilities.  This would mean they would have a superior intelligence and ability to do things that humans could not do – supernatural acts.  They were basically a superhuman race.  This extraordinary character and prowess accounts for how they became mighty men, men of renown.  But the Nephilim were also known for their extreme wickedness.  They were the evil villains that Noah reproved during his lifetime.

Noah alone had preserved a godly pedigree, and kept it from corruption from the fallen angelic beings.  He kept his family pure and undefiled by all of the evil that prevailed on the earth at that time.  His bloodline remained free of genetic contamination. -- The Gospel Truth Magazine, Vol. 18, (June 1978), No. 7.

Descendants of the Nephilim
One of the questions raised by this study is whether any descendants of the Nephilim are recorded in Scripture.  We do know that Og, King of Bashan remained of the remnants of the Rephaim (Deut 3:11).  Rephaim is the Hebrew word for giant. Deuteronomy says that his bed was "an iron bedstead; it is in Rabbah of the sons of Ammon. Its length was nine cubits and its width four cubits by ordinary cubit." (Deut 3:11).  That means it was 13.5 ft long by 6 ft wide.

Goliath was also a giant.   He was nine feet, six inches tall.  “Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor, which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him.” (1Sa 17:4-7)

The giant descendants of the Nephilim were sometimes treated liked gods, because of their size and abilities.

No survivors of the deluge
As we’ve already seen in this study, the Nephilim were on the earth prior to the flood.  Moses wrote, “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward.”  (Gen 6:4)

We also know that God intended through the flood to destroy all living things. He said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me.”  (Gen 6:11).  And God did, in fact, destroy all living creatures on the earth in the flood, except for Noah and his family.  “Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark.” (Gen 7:23)

What is truly amazing is that remnants of this race of Nephilim also existed after the flood.  We learn this from the account of the Israelite spies, who reported, “There also we saw the Nephilim,” to which Moses added the parenthetical comment “the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim.”  (Num 13:33).

Since the flood destroyed all living creatures upon the earth, we would expect that the pre-flood Nephilim were wiped off the face of the earth.  So that leaves us to wonder where the Anak (remnants of the Nephilim) came from.  They certainly did not come from Noah’s family or from any living Nephilim survivors of the flood, since there were no survivors.

The only explanation would be that some of the fallen angels once again copulated with female descendants of Noah after the flood, restoring a remnant of this race to the earth.  We could see this as a second eruption of the Nephilim.  If this is true, then it would explain two things.  First, it explains what Moses meant when he wrote, “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward…” (Gen 6:4)  In other words, the Nephilim were on the earth in the pre-flood days of Noah, and they were on the earth after the flood, as well!  Secondly, this also explains why the Lord required the Israelites going into the land of Canaan to completely exterminate the Canaanites.  The Lord could not tolerate these wicked people at all.  Their race was corrupted completely.

Linguistic roots of Nephilim and related words
In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, the word Nephilim comes from the root "naphal," meaning "fallen ones." Later “When the Greek Septuagint was made, ‘Nephilim’ was translated as ‘gegenes.’ This word suggests ‘giants’ but actually it has little reference to size or strength. ‘Gegenes’ means ‘earth born.’ The same term was used to describe the mythical ‘Titans’ -- being partly of celestial and partly of terrestrial origin.” -- Unger, Biblical Demonology (Wheaton: Van Kampen Press, 1957), p. 48. 

It’s also interesting to note that the English word nephrology means the study or contemplation of clouds.  It’s a late 19th century word that originates from the Greek word “nephos” meaning “cloud” plus the suffix “-logy.”  If you study the roots of the Greek word nephos, you find that this word “nephos” is used to refer to clouds, such as the fact that Christ will come back in the clouds.  But this word refers to something celestial, or found in the heavens immediately above the earth.   When the angels fell from heaven, the place where God dwells, which was their natural abode, they inhabited the heavenly realms surrounding the earth.

Rephaim
The Rephaim are generally understood to be an offshoot of the Nephilim.  The Hebrews understood that the Rephaim were giants.  For example, Og, King of Bashan was one of the Rephaim.  He was the last survivor of the Rephaites.  “The rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh, all the region of Argob (concerning all Bashan, it is called the land of Rephaim.” (Deu 3:13). 

Prior to that he wrote, "Thus we took the land at that time from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon (Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir): all the cities of the plateau and all Gilead and all Bashan, as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. (For only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was an iron bedstead; it is in Rabbah of the sons of Ammon. Its length was nine cubits and its width four cubits by ordinary cubit.)” (Deu 3:8-11).  So Og was clearly a giant.  He slept in an iron bed thirteen feet long and six feet wide.

Tempting the angels
We need to be careful not to tempt the angels.  Paul taught that women should wear a covering on her head for the sake of the angels.  The assumption here is that angels could be tempted to lust after their long hair. “Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.”  (1Co 11:10)

 Archeological discoveries

Dolmen at Johfiyeh, Jordan. Photo by Ahmed Telfah

Archeological discoveries of large skeletons have been made around the world.  The male skeletons are eight to ten feet tall.  The women were seven feet tall.  But some are much bigger.  Some of the skeletons have horns and some have extra rows of teeth.  The skulls do not have the same plate structure.  A number of mounds in the American Midwest were excavated beginning around 1850.  Giant skeletons were found there.  In some cases they had double rows of teeth.  In some cases they had six fingers per hand and six toes per foot.  But these have also been found in Europe and the Middle East.  They were known in some cases to be cannibals. 

There are also dolmens located all around the world, which are massive stones arranged like a table, which could have been the tombs of these giants.

Origin of evil spirits

According to Enoch, the seventh from Adam, whom Jude quoted in his inspired epistle, the Watchers, who were angels that had been assigned to watch over the earth, sinned against the Word of the Lord by uniting themselves with human women. Enoch said the giants were the sons born to the women who were impregnated by those fallen angels.  Enoch also said that evil spirits are the spirits from the deceased giants. Enoch wrote extensively about this, but I will quote a couple short passages that specifically speak about the evil spirits:

“And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon 9 the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; 10 they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. [As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling.] And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, but nevertheless 12 hunger and thirst, and cause offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded from them. – Book of Enoch, 15:8-12

This next excerpt from Enoch says that after the destruction and death of the giants, their disembodied spirits will go forth on the earth to destroy, just as satan comes to destroy: 

“From the days of the slaughter and destruction and death of the giants, from the souls of whose flesh the spirits, having gone forth, shall destroy without incurring judgment - thus shall they destroy until the day of the consummation, the great judgment in which the age shall be 2 consummated, over the Watchers and the godless, yea, shall be wholly consummated." - Book of Enoch, 16:1-2.  Their destructive activity will continue until God’s wrath on evil is consummated on earth at the great judgment. Our Lord Jesus often cast out evil spirits, who had been afflicting people, which further confirms this (Mat 12:43; Mar 1:23; Mar 1:26; Mar 3:30; Mar 5:2; Mar 5:8; Mar 7:25; Mar 9:25; Luk 8:29; Luk 9:42; Luk 11:24; Rev 18:2).  He called them unclean spirits, and in Acts they are also referred to as evil spirits (Acts 19:15-16).  We also see the destructive activity of evil spirits in the Old Testament, as in the case of King Saul (Jdg 9:23; 1Sa 16:14-16, 23; 18:10; 19:9).

Although the Book of Enoch is not considered part of the canon of Scripture, Enoch was quoted by Jude in his epistle, which is the Word of God.  So in this article, I have also quoted from Enoch.  From him we learn that not only demons are called evil spirits, but also the spirits of these deceased human offspring, who were once born from the union of demons with human women.

Putting it all together
In this study, we’ve learned that the Nephilim were on the earth before and after the flood, and that they were the offspring produced by sexual union between angels and female human beings.  These hybrid beings possessed superhuman characteristics like great strength and intelligence, as well as a terrible propensity for evil.  It was because of this evil corruption of the human race that God decided to destroy the earth with a flood.  Only Noah and his family remained pure (both spiritually and genetically), and survived in the ark to repopulate the earth.

It is clear that since no one except Noah’s family survived the flood, and since remnants of the Nephilim existed after the flood, that the human race must have been infected once again by the same kind of sexual union with fallen angels.  This explains why God commanded that the Jews completely exterminate the Canaanites living in the land. 

There are many archeological discoveries that provide evidence of the existence of the Nephilim and their descendants, also known as Rephaim in Hebrew.  These include giant skeletons with anomalies like six fingers and toes, as well as abnormal skull bone structures.  There are also many architectural structures that have been discovered, such as Stonehenge, which can only be explained by the existence of giants.

This gives us a clearer understanding of history.  Some may baulk at the idea of angels impregnating human women.  But this was the way the Jews understood it when they read the Scriptures.  And if we believe that the incarnation of Jesus Christ occurred through the Holy Spirit overshadowing the virgin, Mary, then why should it be so hard to believe an evil incarnation of darkness could also occur?

This did in fact occur, and the implications are significant.  Evil spirits are not only demons (fallen angels), but also the disembodied spirits of the giants, and they continue their destructive work on earth until God’s judgment is finally consummated.  Could one of their destructive works be that of corrupting the human genetic code through continued seduction and sexual union with women?  There are prophetic disciples of Christ, who testify that the Lord has revealed to them that this is in fact happening today.  They state that it is extremely widespread around the world.

Jesus said that in the days before His return, the world would be like it was in the days of Noah.  To what extent will it be like those days? Are we seeing evidence of this infection of the human race today?  We know that the world is becoming much more evil each decade, and to what extent is that connected with this issue of the Nephilim? 

One thing is for sure: the days are evil and disciples of Christ are called to be salt and light in this world.  Just as the Israelites were commanded to go up and take the country, we are to make disciples.  We can surely be victorious in our mission with the Lord’s help and through faith in Him.  It was always by faith that the Israelites conquered their enemies, including the giants like Goliath.  And the victory of God’s people today will continue to be through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Jesus said that anyone who has faith in Him would do greater works than He did. He cast out evil spirits and demons, and so can we (Mar 3:15; Luk 4:36).  He gave us authority over all demons (Luk 9:1). Now more than ever we need to trust Him and pray as He taught us, “Deliver us from evil!” and “Deliver us from the evil one!”

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's Note: You may also want to see my other blogs, Demons Disguised as Humans,  Demonology 101, Demonology 201, Demonology 301and Oral Account of Creation from Adam to Abraham. I invite you to visit the Home page for this blog, and you can also find my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

References
Enoch Chapters 6-12 and 64. And the judgment on the fallen Watchers is explained in Chapter 13-21.

Transcript of Interview with Klaus Dona

Interview with Klaus Dona

Giant skulls

Skull with horns 

Discovery channel documentary 

Internet article about sons of God and daughters of men

Wikipedia Article about dolmens, which are stone tables, probably tombs of the giants

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

When All Means Fail - Part I

As I read the book of the prophet Habakkuk in the Bible recently, the Lord spoke to me through the first chapter. Let me share this with you in hopes that it will encourage you also.

Violence in the Land
Here is what the prophet saw in the land. He saw violence (Hab 1:2), injustice (Hab 1:3), destruction, strife and conflict (Hab 1:3). He saw the wicked hemming in the righteous (Hab 1:4). This was a heavy burden for Habbakuk, so he cried out to the Lord about it.

(Picture from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.)

God uses wicked nations to bring judgment
The Lord answered his prayer, and here is what He showed him. God uses wicked nations to punish His people. He raised up the Babylonians, who were ruthless and impetuous people (Hab 1:6). They were bent on violence (Hab 1:9). They were a law to themselves (Hab 1:7). They swept across the earth and seized homes that belonged to others (Hab 1:6), and promoted their own honor (Hab 1:7). They gathered many prisoners (Hab 1:9). They scoffed at the rulers of the nations they invaded (Hab 1:10). No matter how strong their enemies’ defenses, they just laughed at them (Hab 1:10). They destroyed nations without mercy (Hab 1:17). They were godless and guilty men, whose own strength was their god (Hab 1:11). Therefore, they were feared and dreaded (Hab 1:7). The Lord appointed them to execute judgment and ordained them to punish (Hab 1:12). He stood silent while these treacherous and wicked people swallowed up other people, who were more righteous than they (Hab 1:13). This was utterly amazing and unbelievable to the prophet (Hab 1:5).

I see much the same thing happening today. God still uses wicked nations to punish His people. He raises up a nation of people who are ruthless and impetuous. They are bent on violence and a law to themselves. They sweep across the earth and seize homes that belong to others. They promote their own honor. They gather many prisoners. They scoff at the rulers of the nations they invade. No matter how strong their enemies’ defenses, they just laugh at them. They destroy nations without mercy. They are godless and guilty men, whose own strength is their god. Therefore, they are feared and dreaded. The Lord has appointed them to execute judgment and ordained them to punish. He stands silent while these treacherous and wicked people swallow up other people, who are more righteous than they. This is utterly amazing and unbelievable to the Lord’s people, who must stand by and watch it happen.

Cry out to the Lord for mercy
All we can do is repent of any known sin in our lives, pray for mercy (Hab 3:1) and ask the Lord to intervene. When Habakkuk complained to the Lord about this, here is the answer he received. The Lord gave him a revelation of the end times and told him to write it down, so that others could run with the message and proclaim it. He said that even though it seems to take a long time to come to pass, it would surely come to pass.

Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay." (Hab 2:2-3)

As we wait, we will continue to see these things unfold. We will see the wicked ruler, who is puffed up. It will be obvious that his desires are not right (Hab 2:4). But the righteous will live by faith (Hab 2:4). Even Paul the apostle reiterated this in his letter to the Romans (Rom 1:17). We need to trust the Lord through all this and live by faith in Jesus Christ.

Make up your mind beforehand
If you are a disciple of Christ, you need to determine in your heart not to give up or give in. You need to make up your mind beforehand that you will rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in your Savior, Jesus Christ, no matter what happens (Hab 3:18). In the day of calamity, you need to wait patiently for Him (Hab 3:16). Even if there is another Great Depression, wait for Him. Even if the trees do not bear fruit, the crops fail, the fields produce no food, and all the animals are dead, you need to determine to rejoice in the Lord (Hab 3:17). He is your strength (Hab 3:19)!

Surely the Lord will bring deliverance
The Lord Jesus surely comes to deliver and save His people (Hab 3:13). When He does, it will cause the earth to shake and the nations to tremble (Hab 3:6). He will crush the wicked leader of the land and strip him from head to toe (Hab 3:13). The tables will be turned on him (Hab 2:7). Those he plundered will plunder him (Hab 2:8).

Afterward, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14). How do the waters cover the sea? The waters of the sea are deep and wide. That’s how the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will be. It will be a deep knowledge and it will be wide. All across the earth, people will know the Lord Jesus Christ in a deep, personal way.

Putting it All Together
Today the world we live in is much like the way it was in the day Habbakuk lived. We see violence in the land, bloodshed in the streets, injustice, strife, and destruction.

The economy has been terrible for years now, and in 2011 the analysts are saying that we could be going into a double dip recession. Others say that it is probably much worse than that. They say it is going to be another Great Depression that exceeds the severity of the 1929 Depression.

Maybe you are already feeling like all means have failed. Maybe you are frightened at the prospects of all this. If you are a disciple of Christ, I want to encourage you today to put your hope in God.

The place to begin is to repent of any known sin in your life. Cry out to the Lord for mercy. Then live by faith in Jesus Christ. Trust Him moment-by-moment and day-by-day. Make up your mind to rejoice in the Lord, regardless of what is happening around you. He is your strength.

Jesus is coming back soon! Wait for Him! He will surely bring deliverance. And the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, it is continued in Part Two on my next post. If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page for this blog, and you can also find my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Overcoming the World

You don’t have to look very far to see the injustices happening in the world today. All you have to do is read the news or look out your window. Most thinking people realize that there are plans being carried out by wickedness in high places on our economy, our environment, and many other areas.

I don’t deny these things are happening, and I realize that it can be wearisome trying to cope with these things, when you know about them and cannot do anything to stop them. In fact, some of you reading this blog right now may be in a place where evil plans are being carried out against the disciples of Jesus Christ, and you yourself may even be a target. So I’d like to encourage you with a few insights from the Word of God on overcoming the world.

Recognize it as oppression
The first thing to do is to recognize it as oppression. After all, that’s what it is! This is the easiest thing, in my opinion, because it is so obvious. But what does a disciple of Christ do under oppression? Pray! Just look at the Psalms and you will see how a child of God prays under the weight of oppression.

Asaph, the psalmist, prayed to the Lord: “Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place; They have set up their own standards for signs. It seems as if one had lifted up his axe in a forest of trees. And now all its carved work they smash with hatchet and hammers. They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name.” (Psa 74:4-7)

He continued, “Let not the oppressed return dishonored; Let the afflicted and needy praise Your name.” (Psa 74:21)

“Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die.” (Psa 79:11)

There was often a sense that God had forsaken them, as when Asaph prayed, “Will the Lord reject forever? And will He never be favorable again?” (Psa 77:7) “O LORD God of hosts, How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears, And You have made them to drink tears in large measure. You make us an object of contention to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves.” (Psa 80:4-6)

Look at the Israelites and how they cried out to God when they were under Egyptian bondage. And look what the Lord did in response to their cry. He said to Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.” (Exo 3:7). The Lord hears our cry in the midst of oppression. So the first thing to do is recognize it for what it is and cry out to the Lord about it.

Recognize God’s judgment
God sometimes uses oppression to bring judgment. Although oppression is not always God’s judgment, there are plenty of historical cases where it has, in fact, happened. For example, God did this when he allowed the Midianites, the Babylonians, and the Romans to oppress his people, the Israelites. We can see this in the book of Exodus, when they were under Egyptian bondage for four hundred years. We can see it in the book of Judges when the Israelites endured many repeated cycles of judgment in the form of oppression.

The Midianite oppression is an excellent example. The historical record of Scripture tells us, “Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.” (Jdg 6:1). So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the LORD. Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD on account of Midian, that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel…” (Jdg 6:6-8). Later the Lord spoke to Gideon through an angel and called him to deliver Israel from the Midianite oppression.

Just as in this example, the same cycle was repeated all throughout the period of the judges. The cycle went like this: sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. They would walk in sin, as “every man did what was right in his own eyes,” and God’s people “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Then God, in His righteous judgment, would send their enemies to oppress them. Afterward they would cry out to God in repentance, and He would send a deliverer in the form of a judge. They would be set free from oppression, only to return once again later right back to their lifestyle of sin.

So as we see the oppression in the world today, we need to understand that this is sometimes a form of God’s judgment. We should cry out to Him in repentance. We should ask Him to deliver us from evil, as Jesus taught us to pray. (Mat 6:13).

But I want to be very clear that when disciples of Christ are persecuted, this is not usually God's judgment upon them. In fact, quite the contrary! If we are living a righteous life for Jesus Christ, then it is an honor to suffer disgrace for his name and for the sake of the gospel. Jesus said, "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Mat 5:11-12). As the apostle Paul wrote: "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2Ti 3:12). So this should be the normal experience for a believer.

Recognize our unseen opponent
The apostle Paul lived during the age of Roman oppression. Yet he did not focus on the evils being perpetrated by the Romans. None of his letters spoke about what the disciples of Christ needed to do in the natural to overcome the Roman oppression. On the contrary, he taught that our real enemy is not the one we can see. As he wrote to the Ephesians, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)

Martin Luther, who faced persecution in the sixteenth century, also saw things the same way. He saw a flood of mortal ills prevailing in the world, and our ancient foe seeking to work us woe. He saw the world filled with devils that threaten to undo us. As he wrote in his lyrics to his famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”:

A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

So it’s important to understand that our real enemy is not the people perpetrating the oppression or persecution. Our real enemy is the devil and his hordes of hell. And when Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them and triumphed over them by the cross (Col 2:15). He is a Mighty Fortress, a bulwark never failing.

Set your mind on things above
The Word always teaches us to keep our focus on Him, not the enemy. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col 3:1-4). We should encourage each other to do this, and remind each other, as Paul did, of the future glory that awaits the faithful. This was Paul’s message to the Corinthians when he wrote, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co 4:17-18). He taught them not to look at the things which are seen, but the things which are unseen, because those are the things that last forever. No matter how bad the oppression or affliction may seem here on earth, it’s only temporary.

Again, our focus should always be on Christ, as we keep Him central. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb 12:2-3). When your eyes are focused on something or someone, you are not distracted by anything else going on around you. If we’re focused on Jesus, we won’t be majoring in all the oppression going on in the world.

Instead, we should consider how He endured such terrible opposition against Himself from sinners. He endured it without growing weary or losing heart. In fact, throughout His entire earthly ministry, this is the way He walked. He never focused on the evil Romans, who were oppressing the Jews. Even though one of His own disciples was a zealot, focused on changing the political situation and overthrowing the Romans, Jesus did not approach life that way. He taught people to seek the kingdom of God, to enter the kingdom of God, to see the kingdom of God, and to grow in it, rather than focus on the oppressive kingdoms of this world.

And when He spoke to the authorities on earth, He did not try to bring them down or fight them in the natural with words or actions. In fact, when King Herod interrogated Jesus, the Lord didn’t say a word in response to his questions (Luke 23:9). Neither did He respond to the Roman Governor, Pilate, when asked about the many charges brought against Him by the Jews (Mt 24:14). Nor did he answer the chief priests and elders of the Jews while they were accusing him (Mt 27:12). When Jesus did speak to the authorities, He told them about His authority. He affirmed that He is the King of the Jews (Mt 27:11). And when Pilate tried to intimidate Jesus with his authority, Jesus told him that he would have no authority over Him unless it had been given to Pilate from above. So God does give authority to the rulers of the earth and there are times when He allows them to oppress His own children, just as they did to His Son Jesus. What a perfect example Jesus was for us when He was treated with hostility!

Pray for your enemies
Perhaps one of the greatest hallmarks of faith among those who have been persecuted for Christ is that they prayed for their enemies. We find this in many accounts of people persecuted for Christ in Eastern Europe and Russia, during the period of communist domination, in that they prayed for their cruel captors. This is how our Lord taught us to live: "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Mat 5:44-45).

This is how our King instructed us to cope with our oppressors – with love and prayer for them. So instead of complaining about the world leaders who are oppressing us, we should love them and pray for them.

Have endurance and patience
The Lord showed the apostle John what it would be liked in the last days under the oppression of the final world ruler, the anti-Christ. This is found in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation. It is difficult to read about this coming period when the world will be under the cruel domination of this ruthless dictator. Scripture tell us that “It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.” (Rev 13:7) Not only will he be given worldwide authority to rule, but also he will use that authority to make war with the saints and overcome them! And remember that, just as Jesus said to Pilate, he would not have this authority unless it was given to him from above.

And the part that is so difficult to comprehend is how all those who live upon the earth will worship him, except those whose names have been written in the book of life. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” (Rev 13:8)

During this period, some of the saints will be killed and others will be imprisoned. Scripture says, “If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.” (Rev 13:10). This means that some saints are destined for these things; therefore it will require that they have patience and endurance. Faithfulness will be necessary and they will need to trust in the Lord with all their hearts. Their very faith will be tried, but they should take heart, knowing that God is in control and the end will still come at the appointed time.

Take courage
Finally, Jesus warned us we would have trouble in this world. He said, "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (Joh 16:33)

The Lord wants us to have peace in Him, even in the midst of the troubles we encounter. Because we know that He has overcome the world, we can be courageous and rest in Him. There’s no need to fret. This is the only way to experience the peace He intended for us. It’s a peace that’s found “in Him” – through our relationship with Him.

Putting it All Together
Living in this world, if we have our eyes open, we cannot help but see oppression and injustice, including at the very highest levels. Some oppression and injustice occurs in the economic sector, some in the political sector, some in the healthcare sector, some in the military, and still others in the environmental and religious sectors. There’s no sense in denying that it exists.

But to live an overcoming life, we should first recognize it as oppression, just as we find throughout the records of history. Oppression is nothing new to mankind. And just as God’s people did in days of old, we should cry out to God in prayer about it.

We should also learn to recognize God’s judgment when we see it. Sometimes God allows oppression to come as a form of judgment. In that case, we should take responsibility for our own sin and repent, asking God to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we do so, we can be sure He will be merciful and forgive, and then we should dedicate our lives to Him to live only for Him.

Let's remember that persecution against disciples of Christ is an honor and a blessing, because a great reward in heaven awaits those who suffer for His sake and for the sake of the gospel.

As disciples of Christ, we should recognize our unseen opponent in the world, seeking to work us woe and threatening to undo us. Remember that he is doomed, because Jesus Christ has triumphed over him by the cross, and the devil already stands condemned. Focus on Jesus Christ in the midst of it, not on the oppression itself. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. Look at the things that are unseen, not on the things that are seen, since the things you can see are only temporary and the unseen things are eternal. Keep Christ central in your life. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

Love your enemies and pray for those who despitefuly use you and persecute you. This will have the affect of changing the world from the inside out, one heart at a time.

Be strong and courageous, and walk in the peace that comes from knowing Jesus.

Finally, have endurance and patience to stand in the midst of it with the help of our Mighty Fortress, Jesus Christ. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. The end will come at the appointed time. He will come soon and bring about justice. Then the righteous will shine like the stars in glory with Him. It will all be worth the wait!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page for this blog, and you can also find my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.