Satan Hears Part II

Satan Hears Part II

9/23/17

We now have the setting in place as to why the New Testament writers were so very specific and concerned about how our tongues proceed to give out information that can cause certain damage to those ears who are in contact.  It can be honestly and correctly stated that when our tongues spew hatred and vileness against one another all we are doing is giving our enemy the opportunity to use such words against those who hear them.  But there is a more specific detail that we need to consider here and that is what is opened to our lives when we personally use those words and allow them to be spoken into existence and it is this aspect that the NT writers were trying to get across to their churches then and what we need to understand for our churches (The Church, YOU!) today.

2 Timothy 2:14-26 is a very important passage that gives us a specific clue as to why it is important to watch what our tongues say to others not only for other ears but for our own lives as well.  2 Timothy 2;14 starts us out with a bang when it states that when words are spoken without control and wisdom that can have a very profound effect on the ones that hear them, to the point where the people that hear them can be subverted in the present and the future.  This is a huge statement from this passage and one that should stop us in our tracks and cause us to think about how we talk to people, what we say to them, and how we say it as well.  All of these aspects of our words go into the ears of someone else and it does not matter who it is that hears these words it could have a very influential impact on them at some point down the road.

2 Timothy 2:15 is a very popular verse that is used in many sermons and teachings and it is rightly acclaimed as such for it too is a very powerful and personal passage.  The first portion of this verse calls for us to take a hard look at our lives and see what areas need improvement in the eyes of God.  Now, the question remains about our appearance before God and do we even recognize that we need improvement on this level.  If we see nothing wrong with our lives as our eyes examine our heart then it is our responsibility to give God an opportunity to see what He sees that needs to be changed or taken away.  There is no way that we can seriously live by this verse if we do not acknowledge that God has the final authority and say over our lives.  WE really need to get over ourselves now because for all of you that tell others not to judge them because you are flawed yourself, just wait until you stand before God to complete your statement and proclamation to others, how will it be then?

However, with many of us, we stop at the scanned version of our own eyes and leave it there and call it good then go on our way not ever giving God the opportunity to see what really needs to be cleaned.  We do not want God to look deep into our hearts for we are totally afraid that we will have to admit that first there is a God who can justly define us, then we would have to admit that we were wrong in many areas and finally go through a real changing process that we would have no control over personally.  This simple verse alone if allowed and followed completely can not only transform an individual but could radically change a nation and place us all back on the path of righteousness, God’s righteousness not ours.

The second portion of 2 Timothy 2:15 sums up how we should be if we truly depend on God to oversee our lives, this portion of the verse is not to condemn a person or to make them feel like God is constantly hovering over them and just waiting for someone to make a mistake so He can whack them off the book of life.  No!  This portion of the verse is the true representation of what eternal grace is and how it works as our covering.  God understands that we cannot get rid of the sin that rules our lives but that does not mean that He will automatically take it away on His own either.  If we are living under the covering of the first portion of this verse then the second portion of this verse will serve as a release from the world and therefore correct any wrongdoings in the eyes and ears of God.  Consequently, if our words and actions are cleaned up and used in the appropriate manner, then our words will not present any issues to others when they hear them but if we do not live in these precautions then we are subject to the last verse of this passage and everything that can occur.

2 Timothy 2:16 hits a home run in the verbal blasphemy category, one that is advanced and has inaugurated itself in our daily lives of today.  We also must contend that if the author of this biblical book wrote about it approximately 2000 years ago and that a few of the authors and prophets of the Old Testament described this type of behavior in ancient times, it is fair to say that this is not a new issue.  This verse tackles how harmful vain and profane words can affect those who hear it.  Take a thought here for a moment, and think about a time when a friend or person who you have been listening to swears or uses foul language in their conversation.  What purpose does this type of conversation and word usage accomplish, have we actually heard our own speech as it is portrayed in the ears of others?  What about God’s ears or even Satan’s ears?  Is there a difference in how those words are received by those two eternal beings?

What does it do to you and your body?  It does not matter if you do not use such language or even if one does use such language it places the body in a tensed position when the ears hear such active words.  How many times does God’s Word use the truth about if God is present then there are an automatic peace and comfort in those who believe?  Verse 16 says that this tense and uneasy presence will actually cause more ungodliness.  Think about this, when someone uses such language do they use it only once during a conversation?  No, it is usually used repeatedly and thus causing more ill effect against the subject used and the person who uses it and hears such words.  Wait a minute, you mean to say that those words can be used against the one who uses them and to the ones that hear them?  Yes, I do and it is addressed here shortly in verse 26 of the same chapter of 2 Timothy.

Let us take a look at 2 Timothy 2:16-17 and how these verses apply to our lives today and when we finish here we will be able to see just how much God’s Word is real and alive for our lives today as it was back in ancient times, Medieval times and even a couple of centuries ago.  2 Timothy 2:16 has already been briefly discussed and when we take a look at verse 17 we see and added feature that should remind us of exactly what occurs when we use such ugliness in our words.  Verse 17 states: “And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;”  These two men were famous for believing in the resurrection of Christ and claiming to live as Christ followers yet refused to change or give up their sinful ways and lives.  Evidently, it was through their actions and the words that they used as such that proved their character and thus created a firestorm of issues within the Christian community.  Do you realize that when there are those who do not follow Christ like manners at all times and portray such ungodly behavior that it not only affects the Christian community but the worldly community as well?  This condition is addressed in verse 26 of this same chapter which we will get to in a bit.

The word canker is used in verse 17 and should really stand out as well especially for us today.  The word canker is often referred to and associated with cancer or a disease that spreads rapidly and covers all parts of the body.  A process in those days which took many lives because the medical facilities and care were in its gross and infancy phases, and while treatment today is much better and more specific there are still conditions and diseases that can only be slowed and not completely ridden.  These two verses address exactly what vile words and profane speeches bring to those who speak them and for those who hear them as well.  The Bible says that these words are like cancer and that their presence will spread just as cancer does destroying anything and everything that it comes in contact with.

I have to shake my head in amazement and bow my head in repentance when I hear such profanities coming out of the mouths of many people today.  The anger and hatred that many want to combat is a lie because the words that they use to defend their positions stem from the exact roots of what they are trying to dispel.  When we do not understand what the root of our issues are and where that root lies and who placed it there in the first place there is no way that we can effectively and thoroughly be free from such foolishness.  I find it so hilariously sad that as these people scream and decry this type of activity that they are proving the Bible correct without them even knowing it.  And whose fault is this?

There are many pastors and church leaders who are living proof that 2 Timothy 2:17-18 is still in motion today.  The second part of verse 17 refers to two men who mentioned above believed that Christ was resurrected but did not believe that His resurrection was ongoing and alive.  They believed that Jesus’ resurrection was a one-time event and that when it was completed that it was over and nothing else would come about of it.  Even though these pastors and teachers may not come out and say those specific words of denial, but it is through their deceived teachings and beliefs that proclaim the same fact as 2 Timothy 2 was referring to because they do not understand or believe that the Resurrection is still alive and active.

It means that once Jesus died and was resurrected that His life had no further life-giving abilities and that what was done and said was just that, over and completed.  This is a dangerous teaching because it sets into motion that once a person accepts Christ as their Savior then they can believe and behave as they wish because that have completed the tasks necessary to be saved and have no need for the further resurrected covenant with God.  Does this sound like a familiar teaching of today?  The resurrection of Christ is a living sacrificial procedure that is still being fulfilled today and represents the eternal covering that God first initiated in the Garden of Eden, then established first with Israel and now with the Gentiles through the life, death, burial, AND resurrection of Christ.  If anyone believes that the resurrection of Christ is not alive and well then you need to study God’s Word more in depth and ask God to restore His Word into your life because that is the exact reason that God has set all things into motion.

Do we grasp the validity and the gravity of such beliefs and how when infiltrated do such damage to the Church and for the potential of the Church?  All because of he proclaimed words from people who do not believe in or understand the Word of God do these verbal phrases have such an effect on people who hear them.  The last portion of verse 18 says that these words and teachings will overthrow the faith of some who hear these words.  How important are your words that you use again not only to yourself but to those who are around you that hear them?  They are important enough that they could cause someone to lose the faith in God and in the resurrection of Christ the Bible states.  It really scares me that the word overthrow is used here in verse 18 because it makes mention of a process within the heart of a person that includes the inclusion of the world and the exclusion of Christ.  It is this setting that we are witnessing being portrayed today as Christ and God are being replaced with secular theology and humanism and when we take a closer look at the process it is coming directly from the Church!  I know that this verse will be a future topic that God will show us in depth.

Then we have verse 19 of the same chapter and in this verse, we have a corner that is turned.  “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ departeth from iniquity.”  In the previous verse of 2 Timothy Chapter 2, we have a portion of the definition of what iniquity is and when I mean only a portion of it I mean that what is described in these verses is only a part of the definition and not only that which is present there that defines the word.  Verse 19 clearly states that anyone who considers themselves to be a follower of Christ should not want to have any part of iniquity which automatically reverts us back to verse 15 of this chapter because that verse defines how a child of Christ will act.

I find it very interesting the stark contrast that verse 19 has compared to the previous verses that are being used in this massage.  God is a wonderful author and no matter what the issue may be He will always place into content exactly what the difference is between His Kingdom and Satan’s kingdom and this verse is living proof of such content.  In the middle of all the mud and muck of verses 16-18 God places a divine and eternal truth about His Kingdom so that we can see exactly how much of a difference there is between the two kingdoms that are vying for your eternity.  This verse alone is a great example of which one to use when someone questions you about how the Kingdom of God differs from the world.  This verse alone details the separation of each setting and defines the line that cannot be crossed or breached but only pushed forward or backward.  More importantly, this verse demonstrates that God’s Kingdom CANNOT mix or be integrated with Satan’s kingdom, a detail that many of us would like to believe and then execute today.

Verse 20 also deals with an issue that many of us struggle with today as well as back when this letter was written and it has to do with equality in the eyes of the beholder according to status.  Verse 20 states that there is more than one type of precious commodity that makes up a house and this is a true statement, even according to the simple standards of what is considered to be early history.  Many elements were discovered and used according to their availability and price tags but all of them were used in order to make up the structure and definition of the house.  It is this equality through solid diversity that makes up the house with every piece understanding its value and wroth as it aligns itself into the pattern of the house.  Today we are so consumed with everyone being equal on every level and when we look at things in this manner we fail because each one of us is created individually and will never be the same as another yet we work together in order to complete the job that is required.  Anyone following this truth here and can you see why this belief is false and can never reach achievement as long as humans are flawed yet perfect?  So all of the anger towards those who do not accept this type of madness really needs to sit back and look at things realistically according to our creation instead of our selfish mannerisms.

Verse 21 reiterates this truth about everyone working together to build and then maintain the master’s house.  What a beautiful concept this is when everyone who has different backgrounds work together as one unit in order to complete the job that has been asked.  This verse alone destroys the concept of denominations and everything that they admire and represent.  It is ok to have different opinions about ideas and concepts but if everyone who is involved agrees to work together in order to complete the master plan then much accomplishment can be made.  However, in order for this to be accomplished everyone involved in the plan MUST agree with the master’s plan or the fail will ultimately fail.  In the Lord’s Prayer the first words in those verses “Our Father” symbolize this togetherness and if the people who recite this wonderful prayer do not agree with the Father’s plan then the rest of the prayer should not even be spoken because it will not have any meaning in the ears of God and thus prove to be perfect in the ears of Satan.

Look at how things are in the land of the “wonderful” and brave today.  Modern society has been pulled and is currently being pulled further from our togetherness that we can no longer see eye to eye on where bathrooms should be installed much less real issues that need to be fixed.  When elected officials call for the ousting and murder of the nation’s leader it cannot send but a strong message to those in opposition that violence is acceptable on any level and warranted as well.  It is a process that stems from what lies inside the heart and thus projected into the public when others hear those words.  A living example that at one time the people who have uttered those types of words have themselves rejected the equality of others to pursue their own vocal agenda.  Are you beginning to see the pattern here and how if any other ears hear such atrocities against fellow humans that it becomes an explosion of destruction to everyone involved?

Verses 22-25 of 2 Timothy 2, deal with many more illustrations that have flooded our ears and eyes on a daily basis.  We will deal with these issues at another time but when one reads these specific conditions of what people are saying and doing it provides us with yet more examples that this type of activity has been around for millennia and has not changed one bit.  All of these evil issues that men have done and that 2 Timothy 2 addresses we can easily find today which means that our minds and hearts have been subjected to such activities in our past and we have now adopted them as a normal response from others who have shared these experiences with us.  We spend countless hours, days, weeks, months and even years trying to figure out how to calm what seems like an everlasting and increasing storm and it is sad to watch each society succumb to these effects with the destruction of humans being the pinnacle of such activity. 

As each problem arises and stays we scream louder at each other because we recognize that the waters around us are rising and that unless we stop this flow the levels of water will soon be over our heads and our lives as we know it will be lost.  In this setting, I am reminded of an old saying that I first heard when I was a kid and it goes something like this.  The dam on the reservoir had broke and the water was steadily rising in the town in the near distant.  Many rescuers were pulling people out of their houses and helping them to safety.  The water had risen so high that one person was waiting for help on their roof, nothing wrong with that gives rescuers more time, right?  Well, a person in a small boat came along and told the person to get in, the person on the roof said no I am waiting for God to provide the right way for my protection the boat left.  Another boat arrived and the exact same scene played out with the boat floating down the waterway to reach another person.  A helicopter eventually flew overhead and dropped a ladder to help this person to safety; they refused again saying they were waiting for God to supply their safety.

Eventually, all of the rescue efforts had disappeared and because the water was too high for them to do any more good.  The person on the roof watched the water continue to rise until it was at his feet.  The full effect of the water level eventually took the man from his rooftop and he drowned somewhere down the water path and of course, he immediately went to heaven to meet God and to receive his judgment.  The person was furious with God and told God to His face that they had counted on Him to save them from such destruction and how could He allow such a setting play out?  God simply answered the man by saying “I provided you with two boats and a helicopter, what more did you need?”  In 2 Timothy 2:26 this story that has just been shared is explained and told again for those who do not understand what the true root of our problems are and who is responsible for them.

2 Timothy 2:26 states: “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”  Humanity and societies who bask in themselves tend to see things and focus on things that are superficial instead of what God has actually provided.  In every case, these people will not see what God has provided for their lives as the answer to the issues that they so desperately struggle with on a continual basis.  They cannot understand why the solutions that they believe should work almost immediately fall apart and end up providing more issues instead of fixing the ones intended.  The answer to this easily fixed dilemma is in this single verse because it gives us the source of the issues, tells what the issues are, and gives how we should fix the problems when they arise.  As long as we continue to see the problems on the superficial plane we shall never fix anything because the root will continue to grow from underneath our feet, in this instance from our hearts.

“And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil” is a powerful phrase and one that defines where the root of the issue lies.  The devil is the one responsible for such activities and how they are presented to others.  Satan has nothing good to say about God and the prized children that He created the only thing Satan cares about is your destruction and total separation from God.  Satan does not care how he gets his task done nor does he care what you go through in order to complete his job either, all he wants is you to be eternally separated from God.  This is the definition of hatred and it is Satan who birthed it and who is delivering it on a daily basis to anyone who will listen to what he has to say. 

How did he receive such authority to do such a thing you ask?  I would suggest you scroll back up to the top of the article and reread what was said about what occurred in the Garden of Eden between God and Adam, then read what transpired in the conversation between Satan and Eve and then you will know exactly why Satan has the authority to do what he does to our lives.  Satan HAS ears and if we give him the opportunity to strike our lives and anyone else’s because he has heard the authoritative words from our mouths guess what HE SHALL USE THEM!!  Let us think as a child for a moment or anyone else who is under the authority of another.  If the one who is charge over you tells you to do something and you do not like it how far will you take your disagreement?  There are many levels of this type of example and from what occurred in heaven we know that Lucifer took this disagreement to an eternal level.  And since this level was anted, that means that Lucifer heard what God had wanted him to complete.  It is through this hatred for God and everything that God stands for that drives Satan to listen for openings that we give him so he can operate freely against our existence and this verse gives us this truth about who is responsible.

Put your thinking caps on for a moment and let’s take a stroll down memory lane for a bit.  There can be no question that this nation and the leadership thereof have witnessed several bouts of hatred towards each other over the past two centuries or so.  While diplomatic and cooler heads have prevailed so far it would seem that we should follow the pattern again and eventually settle down and work things out between each other; this would be the normal pattern.  However, there is a slight change in plans today and it is one that we fail to recognize because we have already conditioned our hearts to accept our own selfish decisions instead of listening to what is really occurring around us.  As mentioned above, that when elected officials call for the murder of the President it is a signal that there are serious issues that lie deep within our hearts but cannot be fixed because of the lack of wisdom to where they come. 

The attacks on private businesses because they are in the path of the “protestors” is a perfect example of 2 Timothy Chapter 2 being transmitted.  Tens of thousands of protestors gathering at national monuments and screaming against the process in which the national, state and local leaders are elected is just plain absurd and should be shameful at best.  Personal attacks from others against individuals who did not agree with their vote and then having to endure such anger for a continued periods of time that include severed friendships are examples of uncivilized mechanisms that govern the heart.  This is not an example of a healthy environment or establishment but one of hatred against others who do not share the same ideas as someone else.  When the people fall on their own sword fighting for what they want to see occur, it does not make sense at all.  If things are so bad and one does not like to see what has occurred, then make the necessary changes in order that the setting does not occur again, do not place others in harm’s way to prove a point.  Yet, we do and then cry foul when our efforts fall short or are criticized.

If an author of the Bible addresses an issue that means it has drawn the attention of God and in turn, it means that it has drawn the attention of Satan as well.  In the passages used as examples here, we see that the words of the speakers are being used against them as if the words had been driven specifically for their portrayals.  In both settings, we find that the words that had been spoken were already placed in acknowledgment which means those words were an open book for both kingdoms to use.  Both eternal leaders cannot live in the same category as the other for God cannot do anything bad nor can Satan do anything well.  Since God has no rivals and shall never be defeated on any level, it means that Satan must have permission to complete such activities against us.  It is this legal authority that he has no choice in but to abide by, which means that if we give him the authority to do such activities then we must accept the consequences of such tithes as well.

The key to remember here is that Satan does not care about ANY of us and he will walk through an opening we give him.  When you utter vile, demeaning, vulgar, hateful, or just plain rude words to others it is this door that he will use to bombard their lives.  However, if that door is open for those words to come out of your mouth that means that door is also open for Satan to enter into as well.  Once the door is open blood has been drawn and his access runs deep until that door is closed and he is authoritatively told to leave.  Why is it that we believe that when we speak those ugly words to others that they will not have any effect on our lives as well?  They do for this is a Kingdom principle that this nation and many of the people within the Church have forgotten.  It is also this element that Satan will use against one another when the pendulum swings back over to the other side of the political aisle, did you think that he would just abandon this open door?  Not a chance!!

Just a few days ago one of the more popular celebrity chefs told an interviewer that he would gladly feed President Trump hemlock while other celebrities say that Trump supporters should not go to their movies and we all know that one presidential candidate referred to ½ of the Trump supporters as deplorable.  When we refer these types of words and use language against our fellow citizens at some point in time down the road Satan will use this open door to access your life just as he did in Genesis 3:4-6 and this access will be both on the physical and spiritual level.  Rob Bell, sir this is exactly why we need to refer to the Bible and use it as our only defense against the deception and trickery of our enemy.  Church, it is time we began to teach people how to close these doors before it is too late.  Countless people are hurting and suffering because of the words that they have said over the terms of their lives and they need to understand that there is a way to heal themselves.

Church, stop cursing others and condemning them for sins that they may or may not have committed, instead teach them to speak kindly to those who have been betrayed, hurt, or sickened by others’ words.  God also wants us to understand that shouting at those who do not know Christ will not solve anything but only serve to advance Satan’s kingdom in someone else’s life.  Jesus’ resurrection is still alive and that grave that He was in is still empty which means that every single letter in the Bible is true and it is the ONLY defense we have to close these doors.  Church, keep your mouth closed when it comes to spewing vile and hateful things to others.  Abhor this type of verbiage and understand exactly where it originates and most importantly combat it with the language of God with a gentle and kind heart, for this type of language should break one's heart not encourage it to participate.  God loves every person in this world and it is our job to help them understand and know God, not send them to hell because of our words.  Satan hears every word you say and he will use words against you and against others when presented the opportunity.  Why not make him hear the sound of a life-changing towards God instead?

DLB