| Article 101-2 - Spirit World |
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Article 101-2 - Spirit World 101-2.1 God is spirit1 and has created everything, including the visible and the invisible.2 The invisible includes a great number3 of spirit beings. Among these are angels who are without flesh4 and remain invisible except when supernaturally revealed.5 Angels surround God's throne to worship and serve Him.6 They are powerful7 and are sent as God pleases8 to provide and care for,9 to protect and deliver,10 to instruct and guide,11 to discipline and punish.12 They long to comprehend fully the grace of salvation and rejoice over each sinner who repents.13 God also created human beings who are spirit 14 and flesh to worship and serve Him as God alone.15 101-2.2 A created angelic being, later known as the devil or Satan, rebelled against God.16 Within limits allowed by the sovereign God,17 Satan leads a powerful world system of wickedness which is hostile toward God and His purposes.18 Satan may inflict pain, suffering, emotional problems and may cause death.19 He can control people to oppose the work of God, blind their minds to prevent their understanding the Gospel, and oppress the servants of God.20 Anyone not led by the Holy Spirit is open to Satan's influence.21 He seeks to influence nations and governments.22 Satan is a masterful deceiver appearing at times as an angel of light and called the father of lies.23 False prophets, false religions, and cults are instruments of deception.24 Those blinded and deceived by Satan live a life-style that is opposed to God.25 101-2.3 Other angels followed Satan in his rebellion against God. These fallen angels, also known as evil spirits or demons, serve Satan, the god of this evil world system.26 Satan and evil spirits can influence the believer27 and possess unregenerate people and animals.28 God has enabled believers to cast out demons by His Spirit.29 God may continue to give this enablement, however, the casting out of demons is not in itself reason for boasting and not necessarily an evidence of an individual's relationship with Christ.30 101-2.4 Believers are commanded to stand against the evil spirit world31 and are warned against such detestable things as divination, witchcraft, sorcery, interpreting of omens, casting of spells, and consulting the dead. These things are devices that Satan uses to lure people toward destruction. People who practice these things are under the condemnation of God.32 Because of Satan's power, victory is possible only through our Lord Jesus Christ.33 Through the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross, God has provided victory over this world system for those born of God.34 In prayerful dependence upon God, they are protected from and victorious over the powers of darkness as they use all the armor God provides, submissively draw near to Him, and resist the devil.35 101-2.5 The sovereign God is in control of the entire social, political, and spiritual realm.36 God will cast Satan and all his followers into the lake of fire which has been prepared for them where they will remain forever.37 The kingdom of this world will one day become the kingdom of our Lord and He will reign forever and ever.38 1 John 4:24 2 Neh. 9:6; Psa. 148:2-6; Col. 1:16 3 Dan. 7:9-10; Rev. 5:11 4 Luke 24:39; Eph. 6:12; Heb. 1:14 5 Gen. 28:12; Luke 2:8-13; Mat. 28:1-6 6 Psa. 89:5-7; Isa 6:1_8; Rev. 7:11-12 7 2 Chr. 32:21; Acts 12:5-11; 2 Pe. 2:11 8 Psa. 103:20-21 9 Gen 24:7, 40; 1 Kgs. 19:5-8; Gen. 21:17-19; Luke 22:43 10 Exo. 23:20; Psa. 91:11-13; Dan. 6:22; Num. 20:15,16; Psa. 34:7; Acts 5:19-20 11 Luke 1: 26-37; Acts 27:23-26; Rev. 1:1; Mat. 2:13; Acts 8:26; 10:3-6 12 Luke 1:18-20; 2 Sam. 24:16-17; Acts 12:23 13 1Pe. 1:10-12; Luke 15:10 14 Rom. 8:16; 1Thes. 5:23 15 Exo. 20:3-5; John 4:23-24 16 Eze. 28:13-16; Rev. 12:9 17 Job 1:10-12; Psa. 103:19; Pro. 21:1; Col.2:9-10 18 Eph. 6:11-12; 1Jo 2:15-17; 5:19 19Job 1:8-20; Luke 13:10-16; John 8:44 20 Mat. 16:23; Luke 22:3_4; 2 Cor. 4:4; 2 Tim. 2:25-26 21 Mat. 12:43_45; Acts 5:3; Eph. 4:27 22 Acts 4:25_26; Rev. 20:3 23 2 Cor. 11:13-15; John 8:44 24 Acts 13:6-11; 2Thes. 2:9-10 25 John 8:37-38, 41; Eph. 2:1-3 26 Mat. 25:41; Eph. 6:11-12; Rev. 12:9 27 2 Cor. 11:12-15; Eph. 4:25-27; 1 Pe. 5:8, 9 28 Mat. 8:28-32; Mark 5:2, 6-13 29 Mark 3:14_15; Acts 8:6-7; 16:18, Mat.12:28 30 Mat. 7:22-23; Mark 9:38-40; Luke 10:20 31 Eph. 6:10-14; James. 4:7; 1Pe. 5:8-10 32 Exo. 20:4, 5; Lev. 19:26; Deu. 18:10-14, 20; Isa. 8:19,20 33 Rom 8:37-39; 2 Thes. 3:3; 1 Pe. 1:3-7 34 1 Cor. 15:57-58; Col. 2:13-15; 1Jo. 5:4_6 35 Eph. 6:13-18; James 4:7-8; Rev. 12:10_11 36 Job 1:1 - 2:13; Psa. 2:1-12 37 Mat. 25:41, 46; Rev. 20:10, 14-15 38 Dan. 7:13-14; Zec. 14:9; Rev. 11:15
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