Click or Tap Icons to Share! Thank you!

Authored By  :
Published On :
Last Updated :

NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.



Thus, it is because Satan is a liar, deceiver, manipulator, trickster and murderer, that Peter, James and Paul warn us to watch out for subtle lies and tricks, and admonish us to put on the whole armor of God, and to resist Satan's attacks, by submitting ourselves to God, as we see by these verses:

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."


"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"


"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."


"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."


Just as Satan can deceptively appear as a beautiful "angel of light", Count Dracula, Louis de Pointe du Lac, Lestat de Lioncourt, Twilight's Edward Cullen and other vampires are depicted as handsome devils and suave, cool characters who possess a taste for good wine, fine clothes and, of course, pretty women. No one suspects their true nature until it is too late, just like Satan. Through their hypnotic gaze, such blood-sucking fiends hold their victims in a paralyzed state of fear; and in so doing, they facilitate their deadly bite, which will ultimately turn their victims into new vampires.

Nosferatu, of course, was the exception to the rule. Unlike other vampires which would follow later, Nosferatu was given a rather ghoulish appearance. If you have seen the original 1931 silent version of the movie -- I watched parts of it a number of years ago, but I have a difficult time maintaining interest in old silent black and white films -- then you will know that Nosferatu was a very repugnant, vile, corpse-like fiend with rodent-like features, which included elongated fingernails and incisors. Unlike later debonair counterparts, there was nothing endearing, charming or gentlemanly about Nosferatu whatsoever, as he slinked around in the shadows.

As we saw in part one, while some people unwillingly become victims of vampire attacks -- at least as far as the legends are concerned -- others voluntarily allow themselves to be wooed by the vampire's gentlemanly charm and grace; and they believe him when he cunningly tells them that it will all be over in a minute. Just one bite, and "eternal life" will be theirs; at least so they claim. These people gladly -- and quite foolishly -- listen to the subtle lies and deceptions of vampires such as Dracula, Lestat, Edward Cullen and their evil ilk, not realizing that these vile, merciless creatures will rob them of their very lives and spirits, and what it means to be human, and turn them into soulless ghouls.

Tragically, only too late do these poor creatures realize that while the vampire has kept his promise, and given them "eternal life", it is in fact a hellish, tormented life on Earth as a fellow creature of his Dark Kingdom, who will be forced to prey upon the hopes and fears of others, just as they have been preyed upon themselves. They will be forced to commit acts of extreme violence, again and again, just so they can extend their wretched lives for centuries to come. While they may have been freed from the burden of the short existence of this earthly life, they have taken on an even greater burden, and become the servant of their own selfish motivations. So it is with sin in our lives. As the Apostles Peter and Paul make very clear to us, by yielding ourselves to the forces of darkness, and following the path of sin, we become servants, or slaves, of the same, as we see here:

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."


"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."


As the Apostles state, and as all Bible-believing Christians should already realize, the only real way to be truly set free from the burden and servitude of sin -- which results in death -- is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Thus, as Jesus Himself stated to the Jews in the Gospels of John and Luke:

"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."


"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,"


While I am just using the stories of vampires as an example, a metaphor, and an archetype, I hope that you have begun to understand how Satan and sin can operate in our lives, if we allow them to. Satan is just like a vampire. He is in fact a spiritual vampire. He sucks on our lives and our spirits, and he uses the temptations of sin as his tool to try to distract us from God's righteous path, and draw us into his world of darkness and misery. Of course, he doesn't literally suck our blood as the legendary Dracula, Nosferatu and other vampires do, but he does try to drain us of our faith, so that we will lose all semblance of what it means to be a Christian, and we become a hypnotic zombie, just like so many other people in this sad world who live their daily, meaningless lives. The truth of the matter is that a life without faith, and hope in a better future world, is no life at all. As the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."


Just as a vampire tempts his victims with the promise of "eternal life", in a similar fashion, and as we saw earlier, Satan will tempt us by drawing upon our carnal weaknesses. Sadly, he has been quite successful; and more and more, this world is turning into such a hedonistic place where anything goes, as we draw closer to the end of human governance. At the current rate of our slide into the abyss of sin, we will soon put the carnal Romans to shame; that is, if we have not already done so. Many of us have seen and felt the effects of the liberal attitudes which have taken over a large part of the world. None of us have remained immune to the damaging effects of the global disease of liberalism. As my American friends will no doubt already know, just four days ago, the state of Delaware became the eleventh state in the nation to legalize so-called same-sex "marriage". I was just reminded of the following verse that was written by Jeremiah:

"Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD."


In a typical vampire movie, while being bitten by a vampire usually results in the victims becoming vampires themselves, this is not always the case. In some instances, a person may became a zombified slave who is responsible for taking care of the grounds, as well as for luring unsuspecting victims to the castle while the infernal master is asleep in his coffin. The way that the vampire creates his mindless slaves is by sucking out a small portion of their blood, and then placing them in a trance-like state through a demonic gaze, so that they are then willing to obey their master without question.

In a way, this is exactly what Satan does with people of the world, in order to make them slaves of his system. He gives them a lethal bite which corrupts and poisons their spirit -- just like a vampire or a viper -- so that he can then take control of them, and make them subservient to his will. The Devil's bite poisons such people with an overwhelming desire for money, or for power, or for fame and notoriety, or for sexual pleasures, or for some other fleshly lust. It becomes like a drug in their system, and they just want more and more of it, so they become willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Being poisoned by Satan's venom can likewise cause us to become immune to the conviction of God's Spirit, and blind to the truth of His Word as well. If you doubt that this is so, then please consider the following verses:

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the BLINDNESS of their heart: Who being PAST FEELING have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."


"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;"


As I explain in other articles, it is my belief that in the second group of verses above, when Paul writes "having their conscience seared with a hot iron", he is referring to the practice of cauterization. For those of you who may not be familiar with it, this is a process where a heated instrument or caustic substance is used to burn the flesh, in order to stop bleeding, or to prevent a wound from becoming infected. However, as a result of doing this, not only does the flesh become scarred, but quite often, that area of the flesh also becomes numb, because the nerve endings have been destroyed. Thus we see that Paul appears to be saying the same thing that he says in his Epistle to the Ephesians. People become numb to -- or past feeling -- the conviction of God's Spirit working in their lives. This is what sin will do.

As I said earlier, people literally become Satan's zombies in the world. The so-called "zombie apocalypse" is not coming; it is in fact already here in a spiritual sense. Furthermore, it has been here for a very long time, because Satan has been the false god of our current world since Biblical times. It may interest you to know that the word "zombie" -- or "zombi" -- finds its origin in the West African religion of Vodou -- or Voodoo, as it is also spelled -- which eventually made its way to the islands of the Caribbean. As it turns out, Zombi was in fact a snake god. Consider the following excerpt from the Wikipedia web page:

----- Begin Quote -----

According to the tenets of Vodou, a dead person can be revived by a bokor, or sorcerer. Zombies remain under the control of the bokor since they have no will of their own. "Zombi" is also another name of the Vodou snake lwa Damballah Wedo, of Niger-Congo origin; it is akin to the Kikongo word nzambi, which means "god". There also exists within the West African Vodun tradition the zombi astral, which is a part of the human soul that is captured by a bokor and used to enhance the bokor's power. The zombi astral is typically kept inside a bottle which the bokor can sell to clients for luck, healing or business success. It is believed that after a time God will take the soul back and so the zombi is a temporary spiritual entity. It is also said in voudou legend, that feeding a zombie salt will make it return to the grave.

----- End Quote -----

Taking into consideration the previous information, should we not all be alarmed by the way young school children are now being exposed to African dance and music, all in the supposed name of enhancing cultural awareness and promoting what has become referred to as multiculturalism? As many of you will no doubt already know, even certain American churches have succumbed to the spirit of multiculturalism. As I explain in a few other articles, this is the exact opposite of what God instructed the ancient Israelites to do. They were supposed to maintain themselves a spiritually and genetically pure race. They were not supposed to mix with -- much less marry into -- the people of pagan nations who did not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is why I personally have long embraced the view that multiculturalism is really destroying what remains of Christian America from within, in a spiritual sense. Satan has poisoned the nation with his deadly bite.

As I stated earlier, these creatures of the darkness -- that is, Satan and his minions -- feed on fear, all kinds of fear. It can be a fear of death, or a fear of the pain which might accompany one's death, or a fear of what might happen after one dies, or a fear of being found out, or a fear of failure, or a fear of ridicule, or a fear of not being accepted, or any other kind of fear. Fear is like a heavy chain; and it is through these fears -- particularly those which are related to death and the Afterlife, which keep many people in bondage all of their lives. The irony of this situation is that these things simply need not be. People can be delivered from their fears in a moment, if they will simply accept the One who has already overcome both fear and death by confronting them face to face on the Cross. Consider the following verses:

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."


"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."


"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."


If more people would understand God's love for them; if they would have faith in His Word -- especially in the fact that He loves them so much that He has promised them Eternal Life if they will only believe -- then all of their fears would just dissipate; because love is the exact opposite of fear. In fact, the Scriptures inform us that perfect love -- that is God's Love -- casts out fear. Consider these verses:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."


"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."


"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."


"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."


"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."


"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."


Notice how the Apostle John even informs us that fear has torment, exactly as I stated earlier. People are tormented by their fears, because they don't have God's peace through Christ. Even more accurately stated, they don't have peace with God, because they have rejected Christ. In other words, they are still in rebellion against God, and in essence, at war with God, due to their sins. They have not submitted to His Will for their lives. Therefore, due to their uncertain future, they fear.

It's really just that simple. Love is the opposite of fear; and fear just so happens to be one of the greatest weapons that Satan and his minions use against people. In fact, even in human relationships, this holds true. If we know in our hearts that someone truly loves us, then we have no reason to be jealous of them, or to worry about such sad things as betrayal and infidelity. It is when we doubt their love that we begin to fear such things. Please also notice that in the previous verse set, we are told that having a sound mind is the opposite of fear. That word "sound" is derived from the Greek word "sophronismos". It actually means self-control and moderation. In other words, fear causes us to lose control of our thoughts. In the following verse, the Apostle Paul tells us to do the exact opposite. In other words, he admonishes us to take control of our thoughts, and to not be overcome by fear:

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"


Some people worry so much, or become so afraid of something, that it absolutely drives them to the brink of insanity. In fact, did you know that heart attacks can also be brought on by fear and worry? However, in the Gospels, Jesus admonishes us to not worry or fear about the future or about anything else. We simply need to trust God for all things, including for our personal needs:

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."


"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."


"Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."


"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."


"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."


Over and over again, Jesus tells us to fear not. He does not want us to be afraid, and He does not want us to worry about anything. He wants us to have full faith that His Father and He are in control of our lives and to realize that:

". . . all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."


As I have mentioned to my readers before, it is interesting to note that the word "worry" is not found one single time in the entire King James Version of the Bible. In contrast, the word "trust" is found one hundred and thirty-four times. Consider the following verses which advise us to trust in the Lord, and to not be afraid:

"The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence . . . As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him."


"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him."


"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."


"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:"


"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is."


"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."


"Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."


"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee."


"And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee."


"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."


"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."


"Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies."


"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me . . . In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me."


"Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."


"In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion."


"I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."


"Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield."


"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."


"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."


"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."


"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him."


"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."


"For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe."


Please go to part four for the conclusion of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

Click or Tap Icons to Share! Thank you!

---

---

Please avail yourself of other areas of the Bill's Bible Basics website. There are many treasures for you to discover.