True. | Counterfeit. |
16. The voice of God: Is heard and known in the spirit of man, wherein the Spirit of God dwells. God also speaks through the conscience, and through the written Word (see "Texts"), never confusing or dulling the faculties of the man, or perplexing him, so as to hinder clearness of judgment and reason. The true voice of God does not make a demand of unreasoning obedience to it, irrespective of the man's free volition. Pages 137, 138. |
16. The counterfeit "voice" of God is usually loud and comes from outside the person. It can come from within, when the person is deeply possessed. It is frequently imperative and persistent, urging to sudden action. Confusing and clamorous, or subtle in suggestion; producing fear through its insistent demands, making the man a slave to supernatural power. May also be distinguished from the voice of God by its sometimes, trivial objective, and fruitless results when obeyed. Pages 137, 139, 141, 142. |
17. Divine guidance: Through the spirit and mind; i.e., "drawing" in spirit, light in the mind: spirit and mind brought into one accord in harmony with the principles of the Word of God (Ephes. 5: 17; Phil. 1: 9-11 A.V. m.) Pages 134, 135, 136, 140, 219. |
17. Satanic guidance by supernatural voices, visions, leadings, drawings, are all dependent upon the passivity of the mind and reason, and take place in the sense-realm as a counterfeit of the true in the spirit. Pages 128, 134, 135, 136, 221, 222. |
18. Divine "Leadings": Are in the spirit; demand co-operation of the man in every faculty of mind, and spiritual intelligence in correctly rending the monitions of the Spirit. The will is always left free to choose and act. The true "leading of the Spirit" is never out of accord with principles of God's Word. Pages 140, 141. |
18. Satanic "leadings" and impulses, demand passive surrender of mind and body. They are compulsory in effect, and all "compelling" and "compulsion" from the supernatural realm indicates the work of deceiving spirits. Pages 140, 141, 157. |
19. Divine "Visions": When given, come (1) without seeking for them, (2) with definite purpose, (3) are never abortive, and (4) are co-existent with active use of the mind and faculties. Page 150. |
19. Satanic visions, (1) demand a passive state, (2) are broken by mental action, (3) are frequently contrary to truth, and (4) fruitless in result. Destroy all faith reliance on God. Pages 149, 150. |
20. Obedience to God: An act of deliberate will, choosing to do the will of God, when made known to the believer. A full examination of the source of the command preceding intelligent decision to obey, is co-existent with true obedience. Pages 50, 51, 54. |
20. Counterfeit of "obedience" is a passive, automatic, blind yielding to supernatural power or voices, apart from intelligent apprehension of results or consequences. The person fears to question or examine the source of the command. Pages 50, 141. |
21. God giving power: By the Holy Spirit in the man's spirit, strengthening him in spirit, so as to energize his mind and every faculty of his being to their fullest use, and enabling him to endure and accomplish what he would not bear or do apart from God. (Ephes. 3: 16) Pages 70, 138, 288. |
21. Evil spirits give power in a supernatural energy--generally spasmodic and unreliable--dependent upon the man being passive in spirit, soul and body. This "power," when it ceases, leaves the man dull and exhausted, the effect generally being attributed to natural causes. Cf. pages 112, 118, 119. |
22. God giving influence: Means that the believer draws others to God, not to himself. True Divine "influence" does not "control" others automatically, but constrains them to turn to God. Page 289. |
22. Evil spirits giving "influence," means a control or power over other which causes them to act apart from their volition, or reason. This "power" may be exercised unknowingly by persons the demons can use in this way. Page 145. |
23. God giving "impressions": Means a gentle movement in the spirit, which leaves the person free to act of his own volition, and does not compel him to action. "impressions from God" are within in the shrine of the spirit; and not from a "power" outside, e.g., in "touches" on the body, or an exterior compelling force. See page 219 for action of the spirit. |
23. Evil spirits' "impressions" are from outside, upon the person, and require certain conditions for the "impressions" to be given--i.e., a sitting still and waiting, etc. These conditions can also be fulfilled unconsciously by cultivating passivity of the whole being. See obsession, ppp. Cf. pages 128, 129. |
24. Divine life from God: Is known, not by "consciousness," but results, enabling the believer to bear and suffer what he could not bear or suffer humanly. There is rarely any "feeling" of strength or life, because consciousness of Divine life would draw the man from the path of faith to rely upon his experience. Pages 91, 291. |
24."Life" in thrills, etc., given by evil spirits, is known by its being in the senses, giving pleasant sensations, rather than true power. When it passes away, the person is dulled or weakened, and may go into spiritual darkness through numbness of the sensibilities, e.g., he says he is "like a stone." Page 130. |
25. Divine love: Shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit, is co-existent with keen and faithful dealing with sin; with acute hatred to sin and Satan, and all that is contrary to righteousness. God's love does not dull, but energizes every faculty to fulfil the action for which it was intended in creation. It has no "craving" in it, nor does it weaken those to whom it flows out. Cf. page 291. |
25. Counterfeit of the "love of God" makes the recipient cover over sin, compromise with it; dulls him to keen-edged righteousness; makes him incapable of true hatred to the things that God hates, for the faculty which "loves" is the faculty which hates. The counterfeit of love, whether human or Divine, given by evil spirits, grips the sensibilities with an overmastering and painful "craving" for its object. Pages 108, 128, 145. |
26. Fire from God: Is a purifying through suffering (Matt. 3: 11,12), or a consuming zeal in spirit, which deepens into white heat intensity to do the will and work of God, which no trials or opposition can quench. Fire from God is spiritual, not literal, and therefore falls upon the spirit, not the body. Page 291. |
26. "Fire" caused by evil spirits is generally a glow in the body, which the believer thinks is a manifestation of "God" in "possession" of the body, but afterwards results in darkness, dullness and weakness with no reasonable cause; or else it continues deceiving the believer into counterfeit experiences. Pages 82, 130. |
27. Texts from God: These are given through the organ of the spirit to the mind, when the spirit is (1) calm, (2) unstrained, (3) at liberty, (4) open to the Spirit of God. They do not confuse, and when acted upon are found to be confirmed in Providence, and are always in accord with the keen use of the faculties. Intelligent knowledge of the broad principles of Scripture is needed for the true interpretation of "texts" which arise in the spirit, lest they be misused through human conceptions of Divine things, e.g., the mind may take literally what God means spiritually. Cf. page 139. |
27. Texts from evil spirits "flash" into the mind: rush with force; come from without (audibly), or in the mental sphere. They elate or crush, condemn or puff up; confuse or turn out fruitless, leading those who obey them into vain actions, or into wreckage of circumstances. Evil spirits give a false "experience," and then "texts to confirm it," whereas true experience confirms the truth of the statements of the written Word. Evil spirits make use of all misconceptions of truth. Pages 18, 65, 66, 139, 149, 150. |
28. Sin from the fallen nature: Is from within, carries the will with it, or else forces the will by its pressure. The man knows the movement to sin is sin, and yet yields to it. Rom. 6: 6,11,12 is God's way of dealing with the fallen nature, and its workings, as the believer stands on the ground of the Cross, and wields Christ's finished Calvary work as a weapon for victory. The Holy Spirit bears witness to the Cross in setting free from sin, when it is the outcome of the evil nature. Pages 229, 234, 247. |
28. Sin caused by e.s., apart from temptation, is also within, but is forced into the spirit, mind or body, against the desire of the man, and should be recognized as distinctly not of, or from himself, e.g., blasphemous thoughts and unexplainable "feelings." If the "sin" infused by demons is dealt with as from the evil nature, although the person stands on Rom. 6: 6,11, and refuses it, no deliverance comes, but when it is recognized as the work of demons, and resisted on the ground of the Cross, freedom is quickly given. Pages 133, 218, 228-233. |
29. Self-examination in the light of God: A discrimination of his own actions exercised by the spiritual man, which does not produce "despair," "disappointment," a "crushed feeling," etc., but leads to rapid decision of action, and a joyous faith in the co-operating work of the Spirit in deliverance from all that does not bear the verdict of the light of God. John 3: 21. Page 56. |
29. Self-introspection, is made use of by evil spirits to throw the believer into self-accusation and despair. This dries the person inward and downward to crushed impotence and faithlessness. God never crushes His children. He convicts only to reveal the remedy. Evil spirits seek to turn souls into self-centred absorption whereas God moves in them to live and care for others. Page 159. |
30. Conviction of sin: Comes from the Word of God, or by the direct action of the Holy Spirit, to the conscience, in times of quiet prayer or reading. It is never "vague" or confusing, and ceases directly the man decides to obey the Word, or go to God for cleansing in the Blood of Christ. True conviction is also a deepening experience, as the light of God shines into the conscience and life. Cf. pages 229 to 234. |
30. Evil spirits' accusations, which are a counterfeit of conviction, are from without, in the ear (audibly), or to the mind , in a "nagging," persistent, confusing kind of "speaking," often without definite purpose or specific reason. No "confessing" or "step of obedience" affects these accusations, and they come again and again over the same things Many live under a perpetual cloud through the attacks of accusing spirits. They are under the shadow of being "always wrong." Cf. pages 229 to 234. |
31. Confession of sin: To God and man, should be the deliberate act of the will in obedience to the Word of God, and conscience. It should be followed by sincere repentance and putting away of the confessed sin, and have the witness of the Spirit to the conscience that the sin has been put away through the efficacy of the Blood of Christ. Page 133. |
31. Compulsory confessions, by the driving power of evil spirits upon the mind in accusation, or from remorse; or, to silence the accusing voices, the man is sometimes impelled to "confess" "sins" which have no actual existence. Page 133. |
Notes Without exception the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is marked by (a) a Christ-like spirit of love, (b) soberness of spirit vision, (c) keenness of vision, (d) deep humility of heart and meekness of spirit, with lion-courage against sin and Satan, and (e) clearness of the mental faculties with a "sound mind." 2 Timothy 1: 7. "Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is . . ."--Ephes. 5: 17, R.V. |
Notes Speaking generally, proof of "sense-manifestations" being from deceiving spirits may be found in the spirit being wrong alongside of "manifestations," e.g., 1. Condemning spirit and judging spirit. 2. Spirit-vision dulled; cannot see marks of God at work in other ways. 3. Absence of true Spirit-power in (a) conviction of sin, (b) deliverance of souls, or (c) salvation of souls. 4. Or the spirit is "sweet" in a weak sense, with mind dulled, and unable to work with clearness. |