On demons

One thing is certain and worth remembering from time to time - it has shock value. Whilst humans, both as depicted through the Gospel narrative and in our own time, and all time, cover a range of belief and faith in Jesus (from the fickle-hearted blow with the wind type to the hard core devotional type) - the only true believers, who never express or give way to any flicker of doubt, who know exactly who and what Jesus is and where he comes from are the demons. That is very practical knowledge. - Paul of England

This might muddy things, because first of all this insight you've written is on-the-mark and valuable (you should preserve it on your deepwater blog), but just recently I received the typical accusation from certain types that I was just like the demons who believed in Christ but supposedly didn't have faith in him (or whatever, those types never really know what they are saying when they use that thing from the Gospels, they really just want to accuse you of being a demon...usually because you are in the common wrangle with them regarding regeneration; i.e. they can't 'see' it, and you can't do anything but suggest to them how to get into the environment where it potentially takes place...this is the subject John Owen said was what put Cain at odds with Abel).

So, though I know what *you* are saying and mean, but if you said that in the company of other types they'd fire back, "So you think having the so-called belief of demons is a *good* thing???!!! Let me tell you something, my friend... [blah, blah, blah, heresy, blah]"

Just warning you, not that you need it. - ct

Demons are nasty phenomena to deal with. Because they are playing on your vanity and pride. Cutting that. And they are getting the 'upper hand' in all encounters. And they don't play fair. They have no standard to live up to. And they exploit the numbers and ignorance and advantages the world affords them. And you are an alone, alienated-from-the-world target. When I say 'demons' I also mean humans being used by demons.

This kind of explains the retreat I've often spoken of. You just don't want to - because of past experience - get 'into their world', so you retreat. But you can retreat so far that you don't push or provoke any of your limits and the demons win then.

They say, "OK, you are not making yourself vulnerable to us now, but at the same time you are not progressing in development at all, so we are OK with that. We win with that too."

- C.

ps- The cure is the name of Christ. But even there you have to be a skillful soldier on the battlefield. Progress forward without fear, yet with the full armor of God. Don't act innocent of what is going on when you're not. I.e. don't get into empty situations. And demons work with your inner fallen nature, so cut off that access and those opportunities to them by being a king of your inner domain as much as what is before you. Don't do things that are beneath you. Don't do, say, or think things that are beneath you. (The thought-world as well is part of the battlefield. Be a soldier in your thoughts as well. You cast your thoughts in a real way. Just as people see auras without being able to see an actual aura, they hear thoughts, without being able to actually hear your thoughts. This is spiritual warfare, and it's a more open medium than you thought at first when you were a more innocent soldier on the battlefield.)

Update: Paul of England writes back:

Here's my unposted unedited blog post which seems to kinda tie in here:

One thing is certain and worth remembering from time to time - it has shock value. Whilst humans, both as depicted through the Gospel narrative and in our own time, and all time, cover a range of belief and faith in Jesus (from the fickle-hearted blow-with-the-wind type to the hard core devotional type) - the only true believers, who never express or give way to any flicker of doubt, who know exactly who and what Jesus is and where he comes from are the demons. That is very practical knowledge. This should remind us as we wile away our time with trivial fancies of the imagination, the Satans hordes never rest from their dark pleasures. They are vigilant and always armed, always ready to cause harm. We need to remember as puritan authors such as William Gurnall and others made clear in their writings, the devil is God's slave and man the devils. Satan works effectually in the children of disobedience. The harlot of the soul never really leaves our being, we are always weak vulnerable creatures - though that should never be an excuse for sloth. And let us not forget that God uses Satan to test and build his people. There is meaning then in the fact that the demons are onto and assault Jesus, this interaction of the demons with Jesus prepares us and comes as a warning that if we would stand with Jesus in this, Satan's world we need to wear the full armour of God . We are not passive slaves but active agents with an active faith.