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[OBrenda]

I have a weird question for you?

Matthew 16:23 (NIV)
23Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Does Ray explain anywhere how Satan spoke through Peter?
Another question can Satan read our Minds?

I've been helping a young women who has a Pentecostal Mom interfering with raising her children to understand God! I'm stumped here, and could use some help. Even if just to confirm the scriptures are silent on these things.

Thanks,
Brenda

[sansmile]

Hi Brenda,

I don't know if satan can read our minds  but i do know that His word says;

Ephesians 6:11-18. There is not need to be afraid of Satan and his angels when one knows that the name and authority of Christ can always be called on to help us in times of need.


Amen
Gods peace
Sandie

[Kat]

Hi Brenda,

Here are a few things I found in Ray's articles.

http://bible-truths.com/lake9.html ------------------------

"and when the devil had ended all the temptation [Gk: testing], he departed from Him for a season [Gk: until an opportune time]" (Luke 4:13).

So Satan left our Lord only for the moment. However, Satan would be at the heels of Jesus wherever He went. After attacking Jesus, Satan attacked His head Apostle, but only Jesus recognized whom it really was talking through His apostle:

"But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, SATAN..." (Matt. 16:23).

And again, Satan leaves, but only "for a season." Some might wonder why Jesus wouldn’t just command him to leave and never, ever return again? Because, Satan is needed. Satan was created for the very purpose that he fulfills.

Jesus tells us in a parable that wherever His Word is heard, Satan is there to do his dirty work:

"And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown, but when they have heard, SATAN comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in the hearts" (Mark 4:15).

I have no doubt but that this is happening right now to some who are reading this Series on the Lake of Fire. Some will see in their heart that these things I am teaching from the Scriptures must be true, but quickly Satan plants doubts and visions of persecution in their minds, and so some will immediately reject these grand truths because of Satan’s influence over their carnal minds. Satan is a very powerful spirit being.

This is not a ‘one time only’ parable by Jesus. This parable is true every single time that God’s Word is preached. Satan is always there to "take away" God’s words of Truth from the heart of the hearer. This parable is just as true today as it was two thousand years ago when Christ first gave it. Wherever the Word of God is being heard, there will be Satan also.


http://bible-truths.com/lake15-C.html --------------------

“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan [referring back to Beelzebub introduced by the Pharisees] cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?”  (Matt. 12:25-26).

Satan never was a cherub possessing free will; neither does he now have free will. Satan is a creature that obeys the commands of his Creator and never talks back. Whenever Jesus told Satan to “get thee behind Me,” Satan got behind Him (Matt. 16:23, Mark 8:33, Luke 4:.   When God said he could go so far and no further in the trial of Job, then that’s precisely how far he went and no further. When Jesus told Satan “get thee hence… then the devil leaves Him…” (Matt. 4:10). Satan has no “free will” to resist.


http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,6904.0.html ----------

Ray,
        Who is the Devil; is he out there?where?  I hear a many teachers speaking of the devil 'out-there' can you please tell me where is 'out-there'...?
        Thank you....
        
        Dear Liz:  "Out there" is up and down in the earth:

        Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

        Satan was with Christ in the wilderness. Satan was influencing Peter. Satan entered Judas, and he is "like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour" (I Pet. 5:.

        God be with you,
        Ray
------------------------------------------------------------

Think about Satan as a spirit being, traveling about in the heavens of our minds.  I do not know of any Scripture that says Satan can read our thoughts, but he knows if he has been sucessful in influencing us by our words or actions.  You know how you get a bad thought out of the blue, where do they come from?  I think it is Satan purpose to sway/influence us and bring out our carnal nature, that then can be judged.  See how this Scripture speaks of Satan;


Acts 5:3  But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

We have to be aware that we have to guard our thoughts, as that is where it all begins.  If we do not nip it in the bud it will ultimately lead to words or actions.  It is indeed a spiritual battle of the mind we are in.

2Cor 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
v. 4  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
v. 5  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

When the disciples reported back to Jesus that they could cast out demons, He said "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."  Isn't he talking about them casting out demons from the heaven of their minds?

Luke 10:17  And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
v. 18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

Well this is just some thoughts I put together from what I could see in the Scriputure, hope it helps.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[AK4]

Hi all,

Just a quick thought without really thinking about it---

When the disciples reported back to Jesus that they could cast out demons, He said "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."  Isn't he talking about them casting out demons from the heaven of their minds?

So is Ray saying that Satan is not to be taken literally?  Meaning we all know he's real but not as a fallen angel though.  but more as part of our minds, our carnal mind.  i.e caranl mind equals satan?

Just thinking off the top of my head without thinking,

Anthony

[Kat]

Hi Anthony,

That was my opinion.  I was not saying Satan was our carnal mind, no, Satan is a real being that influences our minds.  Ray makes this clear in several emails, here is one.

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,6300.0.html --------

 Was it "the carnal mind" that presented itself to God in the opening chapters of Job?  Did Jesus tells HIS OWN "CARNAL MIND" to "get behind Me, SATAN?" (Luke 4:08)?  Did Jesus have a "carnal mind?" A "satan" within Him?  Is God going to chain the "carnal mind" in the abyss for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-2)?  Is He then going to release  the "carnal mind" for a little season?

        I await your reply.

        God be with you,
        Ray
---------------------------------------------------------

We can understand how we are influenced by things that people tells us everyday.  Satan speaks to our minds also, but we can not see him, because he is spirit and invisible.  We have to be aware that Satan is trying to influence our minds and fight not to allow it.

Eph 4:26  Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
v. 27  and give no opportunity to the devil.

This spiritual battle we are in is against "the prince of the power of the air."

Eph 2:2  in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
v. 3  among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

But this is not a battle that we must fight alone, Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit indwelling will delivered us from the power of darkness.

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
v. 13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:

So we should not fear Satan, but knowing it is Christ in us who will have the victory and put our faith and trust in God.

Php 4:6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
v. 7  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[OBrenda]

Thanks Everyone.........So does this sound correct to you guys...?

The scriptures tell us that Jesus knows our thoughts.“
And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation

Satan is a spiritual creature (though not angelic) Satan can speak into our mind or heart to appeal to our carnal nature.  It can appear to be our own thoughts. But he is not our Carnal mind.  And we can act on those thoughts through this deception?  Is this Where "Familiar Spirits" come into play to deceive us? and also beliefs of things like fortune telling, reading minds etc. 

The book of Job shows us he also (with Gods permission) can bring sickness and calamity to us in the natural.
And like with Judas, he can actually enter someones (posses).  I don't get the difference yet of influence vs possesion?


But as the Chosen we will learn the different voices?

John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.
...................................................
John 10:5
They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognize the voice of strangers."
.....................................................

P.S.  Sandie, good scripture to memorize!

[Samson]

Hello Brenda,

                   It's clear that Kat presented most, if not all the Scriptures pertaining to Satan, also describing What he can and cannot do. He can only do the things that God has planned and permits him to do. He can't read our minds, but works on observation, he has much more experience than we have, he's observed Mankind for thousands of years and knows what works best in tempting us. He has sucessfully used illicit sex to get Humans to displease God. Of course, God can correct and disipline us leading to our benefit after we get involved in sin. With all Sin, their are consequences and we learn from those consequences, maybe not the first, second or third time, but eventually we will. Satan was a Murderer and a Lyer in the beginning(John. 8:44). He is very effective at using falsehood and especially half-truths as shown in the Religions of the World. He is the Ruler of the World, but he had no hold on Jesus. John. 14:30; 12:31.

                   Re-read Kat's Post, I know that I'm going to and take note of the account in Job chapter one regarding the confrontation between God and Satan regarding Job.

                                          Kind Regards, Samson.

[Kat]

Hi Brenda,

I don't get the difference yet of influence vs possesion?

Here are the definitions of the words.

possess - to enter into and control firmly

influence -  the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways; sway

Satan is a single being, so he is limited in that he can only be in one place at one time.  We can see how he tries to influence with the temptations of Christ in the wilderness.  But he can actually possess someone also, as with Judas.

John 13:27  Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly."

But Satan does have many demon comrades that are working with him and these demons can possess a person as Scripture indicates.  It seems as though it is their desire to possess a living body, to find "rest."

Mat 12:43  "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.
v. 44  Then he says, "I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
v. 45  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation."
   
Just a few things to help us get a better understanding 

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[ciy]

The following verses are good ones to meditate concerning Satan who is the dragon or serpent.  The beast, as Ray has said many times, is us

Revelation 13

2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
 3And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
 4And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

CIY

[OBrenda]

Thanks Kat....for helping me sweep out all those cob webs out of my head! 

And everyone else who brought in the windex, paper towels, dust pans, trash can.....

P.S.  CIY...after reading everyones coments, I understood those scriptures you shared much better!