Seasons Don’t Fear The Reaper
What Jesus Christ Actually Taught About the Devil, Spiritual Authority, the New Birth, and the Kingdom of God
I recently had a conversation with a young woman who told me she had visited a new church. According to her, the pastor stood before the congregation and warned everyone:
“You should never try to cast the Devil out yourself or you could get possessed. And I’ve seen so many Christians possessed by the Devil.”
WHAT?
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 😂
Now, assuming she accurately reported what the pastor said, I have a serious problem with that theology.
Not because I don’t believe in the Devil.
I absolutely believe in the Devil.
Not because I don’t believe demons are dangerous.
Of course they’re dangerous.
And certainly not because I think Christians should be running around recklessly confronting evil spirits like they’re starring in some Hollywood exorcism movie.
LOL!
My problem is much bigger.
HOW IN THE WORLD IS THE DEVIL SUPPOSED TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF SOMEBODY WHO ALREADY BELONGS TO GOD?
That is a serious theological question.
And answering it requires understanding what JESUS CHRIST actually taught about salvation, spiritual authority, the kingdom of God, and what happens when someone is BORN AGAIN.
Unfortunately, many Christians have never connected those teachings.
They’ve read individual verses without understanding the larger picture.
And when you don’t understand the larger picture, you can end up being afraid of an enemy that Jesus Christ has already defeated.
Let’s talk about it.
1. FIRST, UNDERSTAND WHO THE DEVIL ACTUALLY IS.
Here’s something we need to establish before going any further.
THE DEVIL IS A CREATED BEING.
He’s not God’s equal.
He’s not some rival deity sitting across the universe with the same power and authority as the Almighty.
He’s a fallen angel. A creature. A rebel.
And Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ is the CREATOR.
John 1:1-3 tells us:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
And then:
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
John 1:14 explains that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
We’re talking about JESUS CHRIST.
God incarnate. The Son of God. Fully God and fully man.
And Colossians 1:16-17 makes the point even clearer:
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible…”
Notice that.
VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE.
That includes principalities, powers, thrones, and dominions.
The Devil belongs to the category of things CREATED.
Jesus Christ belongs to the category of the CREATOR.
The Alpha and Omega. There’s only One Creator and that is God.
THOSE ARE NOT TWO EQUAL SIDES IN A COSMIC BOXING MATCH!
LOL!
The Devil exists because God created him. His rebellion doesn’t make him equal to his Creator.
And the Bible has already revealed what ultimately happens to him.
Revelation 20:10 describes the Devil being cast into the lake of fire.
In other words, his final judgment is not some mystery waiting to be decided.
THE DEVIL IS COOKED!
Literally, according to Revelation. 😂
And he knows that his time is limited.
We’ll get to that in a moment.
But first, let’s talk about what happens when someone becomes a Christian.
2. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE BORN AGAIN?
This is where I think a tremendous number of Christians are missing something extraordinary.
Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3:
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Notice that Jesus didn’t tell Nicodemus to become more religious.
He didn’t tell him to attend synagogue more frequently.
He didn’t tell him to memorize another hundred verses.
He told him he needed to be BORN AGAIN.
Why?
Because Christianity isn’t simply about improving your behavior.
IT’S ABOUT A CHANGE IN YOUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
A NEW CREATURE!
Now look at Colossians 1:13:
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”
Did you catch that?
DELIVERED FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS.
TRANSLATED INTO THE KINGDOM OF HIS SON.
That’s not merely joining a religious organization.
That’s a change of KINGDOM!
A change of spiritual allegiance.
A change of ownership.
And then look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
- YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN.
- YOU HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE.
- YOU BELONG TO GOD!
And Ephesians 1:13 tells us that believers are SEALED with the Holy Spirit of promise.
So let me ask my original question again.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN, PURCHASED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND TRANSLATED INTO GOD’S KINGDOM, HOW DOES THE DEVIL SUDDENLY BECOME YOUR OWNER?
He doesn’t.
That is why I reject the idea that a genuinely born-again Christian can become the Devil’s possession.
Being attacked by the enemy is not the same thing as belonging to the enemy.
And Jesus’ own teachings help explain why.
3. JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT TWO KINGDOMS.
In Mark 3:23, Jesus asked:
“How can Satan cast out Satan?”
He continued explaining that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.
Why was Jesus saying this?
Because religious leaders were accusing Him of casting out demons through the power of Satan.
Jesus exposed the absurdity of their reasoning.
Then, in Matthew 12:28, He declared:
“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”
Notice the contrast.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
THE KINGDOM OF SATAN.
Jesus was demonstrating the superior authority of God’s kingdom over the kingdom of darkness.
Now connect that to Colossians 1:13.
What did Paul say happens when someone becomes a believer?
They are delivered from the power of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God’s Son!
This is why reading the WHOLE BIBLE matters.
One passage explains something that another passage develops.
Jesus also taught in Matthew 6:22 that if the eye is single, the whole body shall be full of light.
And in Matthew 7:17-18, He explained the difference between good and corrupt trees and their fruit.
Those passages have their own immediate contexts, but they contribute to Jesus’ broader teaching about the importance of spiritual nature, allegiance, and what governs a person’s life.
Jesus didn’t describe God’s kingdom as some helpless institution struggling to survive against Satan’s superior authority.
Quite the opposite.
And He was about to demonstrate that authority in a remarkable way.
4. JESUS GAVE HIS FOLLOWERS AUTHORITY OVER THE ENEMY.
Now this is where the pastor’s reported warning becomes especially interesting.
Luke 10:17 records the seventy disciples returning to Jesus after being sent out.
What did they say?
“Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.”
THE DEVILS WERE SUBJECT TO THEM!
And what did Jesus say?
Did He panic?
Did He say, “You fools! Don’t you know those demons might possess you?”
NO!
Look at Luke 10:19:
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY!
Not some.
Not a little.
ALL.
And notice where the disciples said their authority came from.
THROUGH THY NAME.
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!
This is not a lesson about human beings becoming powerful little gods.
It’s about the authority of Jesus Christ.
Now, Jesus was specifically addressing the disciples He had commissioned on that mission. But that doesn’t make the event irrelevant to Christians today.
Because we also need to consider everything Jesus subsequently taught about His authority, the coming Holy Spirit, and the mission of His followers.
And Jesus immediately corrected the disciples’ priorities in Luke 10:20.
He told them not to rejoice primarily because the spirits were subject to them, but because their names were written in heaven.
Think about that.
THE GREATER REASON FOR REJOICING WAS THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!
Not their ability to confront demons. Not some spectacular supernatural experience. Their names were written in heaven.
Now compare that with the idea that Christians should live terrified of demons taking possession of them.
Does that sound like the emphasis Jesus was teaching?
Not to me. Not hardly.
5. HOW ABOUT JOHN THE BAPTIST AND THE LEAST IN THE KINGDOM?
Here’s another teaching of Jesus that Christians should think about.
Matthew 11:11 says:
“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Now wait a minute.
John the Baptist was an extraordinary prophet. Jesus Himself praised him.
Yet Jesus said the LEAST in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John.
Why?
Consider John’s place in the history of redemption.
John announced the coming Messiah. He prepared the way.
But the death, resurrection, and glorification of Jesus Christ would inaugurate extraordinary new-covenant privileges for believers.
Jesus explained in John 14:16-17 that the Father would send another Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who would abide with His followers forever.
And Jesus said something remarkable:
“For he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
SHALL BE IN YOU!
The indwelling Holy Spirit.
Now we’re getting somewhere!
Put those teachings together.
- The believer has been born again.
- The believer belongs to God.
- The believer has been sealed by the Holy Spirit.
- The believer has been transferred into Christ’s kingdom.
And the Spirit of God dwells within the believer.
Then read 1 John 4:4:
“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.”
GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU!
So who should the Christian be looking to?
The Devil?
Or the Holy Spirit?
That shouldn’t be a difficult question.
6. BUT CAN THE DEVIL STILL ATTACK A CHRISTIAN?
ABSOLUTELY!
And this is where we need to understand the difference between spiritual ownership and spiritual warfare.
Just because you belong to God doesn’t mean the Devil likes you.
LOL!
Quite the opposite.
The Bible tells Christians to be sober and vigilant because the Devil is their adversary.
First Peter 5:8-9 describes him as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
And what does Peter tell believers to do?
RESIST HIM.
James 4:7 says:
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Notice that instruction.
SUBMIT TO GOD.
RESIST THE DEVIL.
It doesn’t say to live in terror because the Devil might become your master.
Now, can Christians be deceived?
Yes.
Can Christians be tempted?
Absolutely.
Can Christians become spiritually immature, confused, fearful, or distracted?
Of course.
Can the enemy attack their thinking and attempt to undermine their faith?
Certainly.
But none of that means the Devil has become their owner.
BEING UNDER ATTACK IS NOT THE SAME THING AS BEING UNDER SATAN’S OWNERSHIP!
And understanding that distinction is extremely important.
7. THIS IS WHY CHRISTIANS NEED TO RENEW THEIR MINDS.
Here is something I discuss in my book, Wicked Darkness: Johnny’s Survival Guide To The End Times.
Many Christians understand that Jesus died for their sins.
They understand that He rose from the dead.
They understand that they have eternal life through Him.
But they haven’t fully learned to live according to what God has accomplished in them.
They continue allowing their natural thoughts, fears, desires, and emotions to govern their lives.
Paul talks about this problem in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 when he addresses believers who are behaving carnally.
Notice that he still calls them brethren.
But they are behaving like spiritually immature people.
That’s a problem!
It doesn’t automatically mean they’re not saved.
It means they need to grow up spiritually.
Romans 12:2 says:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
RENEWING YOUR MIND!
Notice that becoming a Christian doesn’t mean every thought you’ve ever had suddenly becomes correct.
Your thinking must be transformed by the Word of God.
And Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and powerful, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart.
That’s important.
Christians need to learn to recognize the difference between their own natural reactions, the desires of the flesh, and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
And look at what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 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.”
READ THAT AGAIN!
BRINGING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST!
Your thinking matters.
Your understanding of Scripture matters.
What you believe about Jesus Christ matters.
And what you believe about your identity in Christ matters.
That doesn’t mean every frightening thought or emotional struggle comes from a demon.
But it does mean Christians have a responsibility to learn God’s Word rather than allow fear and deception to govern their lives.
IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS ACCOMPLISHED, YOU CAN SPEND YOUR LIFE FEARING AN ENEMY WHO HAS ALREADY BEEN DEFEATED.
And speaking of defeat…
8. THE DEVIL’S GREATEST WEAPON HAS ALREADY BEEN BROKEN.
Now we’re going to talk about something that affects every human being.
DEATH.
One of the greatest fears in human existence.
The fear of dying.
The fear of the grave.
The fear of what comes afterward.
But look at Hebrews 2:14-15.
Speaking about Jesus Christ, the passage says:
“That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
WHAT?
Jesus Christ came to deliver people from bondage associated with the FEAR OF DEATH!
Notice what Scripture connects.
The Devil.
The power of death.
The fear of death.
And the victory of Jesus Christ.
That’s not a coincidence.
Jesus Christ didn’t simply come to give people comforting religious thoughts while they waited to die.
He came to confront sin, death, and the enemy.
And His resurrection demonstrates His victory.
Jesus declared in John 11:25:
“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
And in John 14:19, He said:
“Because I live, ye shall live also.”
Then Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 15:55:
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?
In other words, the grave doesn’t get the final word.
Now, does that mean Christians never physically die?
Of course not.
Jesus Himself told His disciples they would experience persecution, and some would be killed.
In Luke 21:16-18, He speaks about some of His followers being put to death while also promising that not a hair of their heads would perish.
How can He say both?
Because God’s ultimate preservation of His people is greater than the physical death of their bodies.
- Physical death is real.
- Persecution is real.
- Suffering is real.
But none of those things means Satan has defeated Jesus Christ or stolen away those who belong to Him.
For the believer, death is not the end.
- There is resurrection.
- There is eternal life.
- There is the promise of being with Christ.
And that brings us to the statement I made earlier.
THE DEVIL HAS ALREADY BEEN CONDEMNED!
And if you want to explore this question from another angle, I recently wrote a related article on Grave Freak titled “Why Should a Christian Fear Death, the Grave, or the Devil?” It examines why death, the grave, and Satan should not govern the life of someone who belongs to Jesus Christ.
Read it on GraveFreak.com: [Visit Here After Reading This Article]
9. THE DEVIL KNOWS HE’S COOKED.
Now let’s go back to Revelation.
Because Revelation 12:12 contains one of the most revealing descriptions of Satan’s behavior in the entire Bible.
It says:
“The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
Did you catch the last part?
HE KNOWETH THAT HE HATH BUT A SHORT TIME!
HE KNOWS!
The Devil knows his time is short.
And that helps explain his wrath.
He’s not described as some happy, confident being who believes he’s going to overthrow the Almighty and take over heaven permanently.
He’s described as an enraged enemy operating under the knowledge that his time is limited.
And Revelation 20 reveals his final judgment.
Let me put it in terms everybody can understand.
THE DEVIL IS LIKE A CONDEMNED CRIMINAL WHO KNOWS HIS SENTENCE IS COMING!
He’s not sitting comfortably on the throne of the universe.
He’s on borrowed time.
LOL!
And what does Revelation 12:9 call him?
The one “which deceiveth the whole world.”
DECEPTION!
Think about the significance of that.
If Satan cannot overthrow God, and his final judgment has already been revealed, what can he do?
- He can rebel.
- He can deceive.
- He can accuse.
- He can persecute.
- He can try to draw humanity into rebellion against God.
And Revelation portrays exactly that kind of conflict.
This is one of the major themes I explore in Wicked Darkness: Johnny’s Survival Guide To The End Times.
The Devil’s opposition to mankind, God’s purposes for humanity, spiritual deception, and the final confrontation revealed in biblical prophecy.
I also explore the relationship between the destiny of redeemed humanity and the fallen angelic rebellion.
Because here’s what people frequently forget.
THE DEVIL’S WAR IS NOT AGAINST AN EQUAL. IT IS AGAINST HIS CREATOR!
And he cannot win that war.
That doesn’t make him harmless.
It makes his rebellion all the more desperate.
10. BUT DON’T MISS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF REVELATION 12.
Everybody gets excited talking about the Devil coming down with great wrath.
But look at what comes BEFORE that statement!
Revelation 12:11 says:
“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.”
WAIT A MINUTE!
THEY OVERCAME HIM!
HOW?
BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!
And by the word of their testimony.
Notice that the passage also describes people who remained faithful even unto death.
Their victory wasn’t based on never suffering.
It wasn’t based on avoiding persecution.
It wasn’t based on being physically untouchable.
IT WAS BASED ON THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST AND THEIR FAITHFULNESS TO HIM!
That’s an entirely different way of looking at spiritual warfare.
The Christian doesn’t have to pretend the Devil is powerless to attack.
The Christian needs to understand that the Devil is powerless to overthrow the ultimate victory Jesus Christ has secured.
That’s a tremendous difference.
And that difference changes how you approach fear, death, persecution, deception, and your entire life.
11. READ THE WHOLE BIBLE, NOT JUST ONE VERSE.
Here’s another problem I see constantly.
People take one passage of Scripture, isolate it from everything else God has revealed, and then build an entire theological position around it.
But Scripture is connected.
Let me give you an example.
Jesus said in Matthew 21:42:
“The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner…”
Now imagine somebody reading that statement without knowing anything else about the Bible.
- What stone?
- What builders?
- What corner?
- What in the world is Jesus talking about?
LOL!
But then you read Psalm 118:22.
You read Isaiah 28:16.
You read Acts 4:10-12, where Peter identifies Jesus Christ as the rejected stone.
You read Ephesians 2:19-22, where Christ is described as the chief cornerstone of God’s household.
And you read 1 Peter 2:4-8, where believers are described as living stones being built into a spiritual house.
Suddenly, you understand something much bigger.
You’re not merely reading about a stone.
YOU’RE UNDERSTANDING THE ENTIRE BUILDING!
That’s what I’m talking about.
You have to connect the Scriptures.
- Jesus taught about the kingdom of God.
- He taught about the kingdom of Satan.
- He demonstrated authority over demons.
- He taught about the new birth.
- He promised the Holy Spirit.
- He spoke about the resurrection.
- He warned about deception.
- He explained His authority.
And then the apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, explained what His death and resurrection accomplished.
When you begin connecting those teachings, an extraordinary picture emerges.
Jesus Christ is not struggling to gain victory over Satan.
JESUS CHRIST HAS ALREADY WON THE DECISIVE VICTORY!
And the final judgment of the Devil is certain.
So why would somebody who belongs to Christ live as though the Devil is the supreme authority over their life?
That makes absolutely no sense to me.
12. STOP LIVING LIKE YOU BELONG TO THE LOSING SIDE.
Let me finish where this whole discussion began.
A young woman told me that a pastor had warned Christians about becoming possessed by the Devil if they confronted demons.
And my response is still the same.
If that is what he meant, I believe he has fundamentally misunderstood what it means to belong to Jesus Christ.
I am not advocating reckless confrontations with evil spirits.
I am not suggesting Christians should become arrogant about spiritual authority.
In fact, Jesus Himself told His disciples that their greatest reason for rejoicing was not that demons obeyed them.
It was that their names were written in heaven.
And that is the point.
WHO DO YOU BELONG TO?
If you’re born again, you belong to Jesus Christ.
You have been bought with a price.
You have been delivered from the power of darkness.
You have been translated into the kingdom of God’s Son.
You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.
And the Spirit of God dwells within you.
So stop living like the Devil owns you.
He doesn’t.
Stop acting like death is your master.
It isn’t.
Stop talking like the grave has the final word.
It doesn’t.
And stop giving a CREATED BEING the kind of fear and reverence that belongs to the CREATOR!
Because the Devil is not Jesus Christ’s equal.
He never was.
He never will be.
And he knows his time is short.
The Bible doesn’t tell Christians to celebrate their own power.
It tells them to trust in the power and promises of GOD.
Remember what Jesus told the Sadducees in Matthew 22:29:
“Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.”
THE SCRIPTURES.
AND THE POWER OF GOD.
You need to understand BOTH.
And when Jesus explained the difficulty of salvation in Mark 10:27, He said:
“With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
Why?
Because salvation is not something mankind manufactures.
It is something GOD accomplishes.
And when God saves someone, that salvation is not an insignificant religious transaction.
IT IS THE BEGINNING OF A COMPLETELY NEW LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST!
So here’s my final question.
The Devil knows how his story ends.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOURS BEGAN AGAIN?
Because if you belong to Jesus Christ, you don’t belong to the Devil.
And understanding that truth should change the way you live.
WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE BIGGER PICTURE?
This is exactly the kind of biblical subject I explore in my book:
WICKED DARKNESS: JOHNNY’S SURVIVAL GUIDE TO THE END TIMES
The book examines biblical prophecy, the Devil’s rebellion and strategy, spiritual deception, the kingdom of God, the end times, and the extraordinary significance of what Jesus Christ accomplished.
It’s about learning to understand the Scriptures, recognizing deception, and approaching the future with a clearer understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what His victory means.
Because the Devil’s story has an ending.
And if you belong to Jesus Christ, your story doesn’t end in the grave.
The Devil knows his time is short.
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY.
Learn more about Wicked Darkness: Johnny’s Survival Guide To The End Times at https://www.wickeddarkness.com/
