Christian Recovery & Demons – Speak of the Devil – Purity 1683
Purity 1683 06/13/2025 Purity 1683 Audio Podcast
Purity 1683 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the sun rising over a misty morning meadow comes to us from an unknown FB friend who shared this tranquil scene on social media back on August 1, 2024. If this memory is yours, let us know and we will photo credit you on the blog after the fact.
Well, It’s Friday, thank God, and as the sunrises on the last day of the work week, I am rejoicing this morning because not only will I be reunited later today with my wife at my countryside home at quitting time, I also completed recording and uploading the last episode of the Celebrate Freedom series – Christian Recovery – Celebrate Freedom – with M.T. Clark last evening!
This 26 episode marathon of teachings on Christian Recovery was something I always wanted to do since launching the podcast in 2021 and now, for better or worse, that goal is completed and I pray that the Lord will use it to encourage someone out there to start or to maintain their journey to be free of their “demons”, those hurts, habits, and hangups that keep us from experiencing our freedom in Christ.
Of course, when I say “demons”, I don’t just mean that metaphorically because scripture informs us that Satan is a real spiritual being who loves to tempt us into sin and to keep us from being the people that God created to be. When we repent and turn from our hurts, habits, and hang ups, it is a form of spiritual warfare as we choose to enter further into God’s kingdom and leave our sin and the kingdom of darkness behind.
Speaking of the devil, today’s Turning Point devotion with Dr. David Jeremiah addresses the reality of the enemy, and I am sharing it on the blog today to remind us submit to God and to resist the devil and his schemes. David Jeremiah writes:
SPEAK OF THE DEVIL
And the dragon was enraged. – Revelation 12:17
The devil is popular in Hollywood. Over the years, his name has appeared in the titles of many movies: The Devil Wears Prada, The Devil in a Blue Dress, The Devil and Daniel Webster, and others. But Satan is no movie star. He’s a malignant fallen archangel whose goal is to damage and destroy God’s creation. In Revelation 12, we see his anger and rage during the last half of the Tribulation. Throughout the book of Revelation, he’s seen as opposing the Lord’s people in every way possible.
How thankful we feel as we also see God’s care for His people during this time. Remember, the devil is a created being. God is infinite and eternal; Satan isn’t. God is everywhere present at once; Satan isn’t. God possesses unlimited power and authority; Satan doesn’t. God will be eternally victorious; Satan will be cast into hell.
Satan is alive and well on earth today, so cloak yourself in the armor of the believer (Ephesians 6:10-18) and resist him. He will flee from you (James 4:7).” – David Jeremiah
Keep us from the evil one; uphold our faith most holy, and let us trust you solely with humble hearts and lowly.
Adapted by Martin Luther
Amen. This morning, I was reading Exodus and was reminded of just how long it took for God to begin to fulfill His promises to Abraham. We are talking about centuries before the descendants of Abraham took possession of the lands that they were promised!
So, will the events of Revelation play out in our lifetime? Will we live to see the Tribulation, the rise ad fall of the Antichrist, and the return of Jesus Christ and His reign on earth for a thousand years?
I don’t know, but I do know – from scripture and from my own experience – that God is real, the Bible is true, and we can trust that its prophecies about the end times will be fulfilled someday.
I also know that the enemy – Satan – is real and as much as we may surmise that he has corrupted the world and may be gaining ground as society continues to become increasingly irreligious and immoral, I know that God will be faithful to punish evil and reclaim and renew His created order.
Someday the truth of all of this will be revealed.
But until then we are to remain faithful to God and His kingdom of light by living lives of hope and joy. We recognize where the enemy is seeking to lead us into temptation and we submit to God and resist the enemy, to send him packing. We live simple lives of obedience – being a good steward to what God has given us and seeking to share the good news of Jesus Christ and to do good works wherever we go. That’s it.
We don’t fear the future and we don’t live in fear of the devil. We trust and obey the Lord one day at a time until He comes back or until He calls us home. During all of this, we rejoice because God has saved us and He will be faithful to work all things together for our good, one way or another.
So, defend yourself from the devil and his schemes but don’t be overly concerned with them because he has been defeated and when we walk with the Lord through life, nothing and no one can stop us from being the people God created us to be and nothing will stop God’s good plans from becoming fulfilled.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/.
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
(While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling By John G. Kruis on Amazon )
This morning’s meditation verses come from the section on Obedience – Keeping the Commandments.
Psalm 1:1-6 (ESV) 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Today’s verses are the first of three passages of scriptures that fall under the tenth point of our counseling reference guide resource section on Obedience – Keeping the Commandments.
10. God’s blessing and favor rest on those who obey him; obedience is the way to joy and peace.
Today’s Bible verse provide us with the simple truth that when we delight in God’s instruction (the law of the Lord) and meditate on its truth day and night, and live according to it, we will be “blessed” or happy. Whereas if we walk in the ways of the wicked, we will ultimately perish.
The message of the Bible is simple – follow the ways of the Lord – it is the way to “blessedness” – As our resource tells us God’s favor rests on those who obey Him and obedience is the way of peace and joy. Amen.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “Day by Day Along the Way” By Jay E. Adams.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Adams’ books for your own private study and to support the late author’s work. This resource is available online for less than $20 at many sites.
Day 182
The lamp of the body is your eye. – Luke 11:34
A healthy eye allows the body to be filled with light; a diseased one blocks it out. That is the way Jesus described the problems of unbelief. There were those who thought their spiritual eyes were healthy, but they were not. This evil generation had a way of deceiving themselves into thinking that darkness was light. That is why Jesus went on to warn, “See to it that the light in you isn’t darkness” (v. 35). How may intellectuals today boast of their enlightened views, views that in the final act will turn out to be nothing but sinful human darkness! Read again what Paul said of the wisest men of his day in 1 Corinthians 2 and you will better understand Jesus’ words. If those “wise” men couldn’t see the signs all around them in their day, they were surely in darkness! You have believed in the sign of Jonah and you have known true light from the Light of the world! You have been given 20/20 eyesight in Christ. Rejoice in that fact![1]
———————more tomorrow——————————
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“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”
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[1] Jay E. Adams, Day by Day along the Way (Cordova, TN: Institute for Nouthetic Studies, 2020), 190.
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