This exposition or treatise is designed to shed light on the subject. If you have confidence

in the King James version of the Bible, then you will likely benefit from this study. On the other

hand, if you value tradition as much or more than the Bible, then this study or exegesis will be

very grievous to you. Over 250 scripture references are used, and I beseech you to take the

necessary time to look them up as you come to them. Get your Bible out and get ready to

examine many, many scripture references. I believe that if you can approach it in this way; with a

readiness to believe the scriptures, and with an honest heart, that you will be very enriched by it.
 
 

P.S. Be constantly watching for synonymous verses and words.

Just let your conscience be your guide; JUST FOLLOW YOUR HEART.

As is always the case with humanistic theology, this concept is wrong. The Bible shows a different view of the heart -- one that is directly adverse to this one.

Rather than having installed the pure divine will of God in the heart, so that the will of God need never be a mystery, THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE:

Eccl. 3:10 "I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made everything beautiful in his time; also HE HATH SET THE WORLD IN THEIR HEART, so that NO MAN can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."

SET: - 1. To seat or cause to sit, as on a throne.

2. To FIX in a situation or direction.

3. To establish.

(Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary - 5th edition)

All hearsay and rhetoric aside, let us proceed to look into THE BIBLE to see what IT has to say about this.

Ecl. 3:11 - Solomon says here; the (wisest man [1K 3;12]) that ever lived says here, the WORLD has been set in the heart, NOT the divine decrees of HEAVEN! Furthermore, he says that the purpose is to THWART or to FRUSTRATE man’s attempts to know the work or purpose or will of God.

This is a key, or foundational veerse of scripture that I will use along with many others to show what the Bible reveals, THE ADVERSARY TO BE - IN REALITY! The rudiments of the world are not reality -- The BIBLE is Reality! What is generally taught in Christendom is TRADITION as opposed to TRUTH. Jesus condemned the traditional teaching of Orthodox Religion in his day, just as we ought to be compelled to seek out and consider what the true doctrines of Christ may be TODAY, APART "From our vain conversation received by tradition from our Fathers." (1P 1:18)

Jer 17:9 - "The heart is deceitful ABOVE ALL THINGS, and desperately WICKED: Who can know it?"

This is probably the most blunt and to-the-point scripture that the Bible affords on this subject. All it would take, on anyone’s part, is an honest heart and *belief of the TRUTH, in simple child-like acceptance of this Bible verse (and the others that support it) in order to be washed from the error of traditional thinking.

(*a verb; something to be done, not something to have. 2Th 2:13)

I would not expect anyone to take just these 2 verses (in Eccl. & Jer) and change their thinking -- no, not without offering several others throughout the Bulk of the Bible that substantiate it; but then I would expect them to change their thinking.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER: With a heart that is deceitful above all things -- who needs the devil who is supposed to be THE great deceiver? (At least according to traditional thinking.)

Perhaps we need to, at least consider, that, there MAY be a more perfect understanding to be had concerning who or what the devil exactly IS!

If God permit, we will do so.

Mk. 7:14-23 - "There is nothing (Ro 8:38-39) from without a man, that entering in to him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man."

So, if evil does not come from an outside source, where does it come from?

V. 21...."For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within, and defile the men."

Seems to me, the human heart has a full supply of potential evilness packed into it. That would seem to be the source of our trouble. It would seem that we are bent on evil by nature.

Eph 2:3 "We all had our conversation (behavior) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the *mind: and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

*I will show a little later that the mind and the heart are basically

the same and that the 2 terms are used interchangeably in at least

2 dozen instances. The following verse reference is on example.

Eph 4:17 - "Walk not as other Gentiles walk, in *the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated form the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of *blindness of their heart. {cf 2Co 4:4-6 "Blinded the minds" But God "Shined in their hearts."}

So, the human heart is blind; it cannot see God, or the work of God as we read in Eccl 3:1. Our heart seems, indeed, to be a detriment to us rather than a benefit.

Paul realized this unfortunate fact and lamented it through out Romans Ch 7 saying Finally, "I am carnal, sold under sin...For what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I...for I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." Ro &:14-18.

Our problem is that, being led by our heart (being "of the earth, earthy" 1Co 15:47 and therefore, inherently carnal) will only "fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the mind" and not fulfill the law of Christ, or the desires of the Spirit of Christ.

What comes out of the heart is deadly! (see Ro 6:16, 23, 7:5) __very important.

A little later when we look at the subject of the tree of life vs the tree of knowledge of good and evil, we will confirm what Solomon said in Eccl 3:11 that, giving ourselves over to it (the wrong tree--which in reality was the human heart or more correctly & specifically - the carnal mind) will only cut us off from God and create an enmity between us & God, even as it did in the case of Adam & Eve.

Ro 8:6 "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life & peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

"Neither in deed can be." shows that there is no hope for the human heart or the carnal mind. It is *bent on evil & cannot be changed.

This may be difficult to accept but please hear me out.

*bent - strongly inclined toward something, so as to be

resolved, determined, bound, or SET. (Webster)

There is a day of wrath coming for all that do wickedly whether they care or not, but until that day arrives for each one, "The heart of the sons of men is fully in them to do evil." (Eccl 8:11)

With an heart of this kind, what shall we do? or, as Paul asked, "O wretched man that I am? who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

"Note, if you will, Gen, 3:3 where Eve is aware of the command of God concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."

The word touch here carries a deeper meaning than we would think at first; also the word eat. (Note:2S 23:6-7; Lk. 8:45; He 6:5) It means more, to experience or, to have intimate knowledge of.

So, even though this tree is "in our midst," we are not to touch it.

If you think that I mean to imply that the tree that caused Adam and Eve to fall was the carnal mind -- You are right; but again I ask, Hear me out.

There were 2 trees in the garden. I also pointed out in Ro 8:6 that there are 2 minds. Eating off one produces death and eating off the other produces Life. These trees in the Book of Genesis were Symbolical -- not Literal!

Those who don’t know better than to accept the many symbols in the Bible as symbols that need searching out and interpreting, have made a mess out of interpretations based on Literal meanings.

Mt 7:17:18 "Every good tree Bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree Bringeth forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." {compare to Ro 8:6, "neither indeed can be"}

To be sure, the warning Jesus is giving here is about false prophets, but what makes them false prophets is their unwillingness to lean on the mind of the Spirit rather than the mind of the flesh.

For Adam and Eve, "Touching" the wrong tree led to sin & death. This death was the evil fruit mentioned in the above verse. Through disobedience, they died and all their offspring were born Spiritually dead until Jesus brought access to the tree of Life (or the mind of the spirit) again 4000 yrs. later.

Men were never meant to eat of or to touch the "corrupt tree."

This tree was to be Resisted. We were to be separate from it;
 
 

"... lean not to thine own understanding ... fear the Lord and depart from evil ... happy is the man that findeth wisdom ... length of days is in her Right hand ... she is a tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is everyone that retaineth her." Pro 3:5,7,13,16,18

The book of Proverbs is loaded with such admonitions as this. Warnings to eat of the new mind and the new heart; the mind of the Spirit and not the human heart or the carnal, earthly mind. Happy is the man that eateth from the wisdom that is above; she is a tree of Life, she (or it) is The Mind of Christ. "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish." (James 3:14) So, you see, the 2 wisdoms are 2 trees or 2 minds that each bear their fruit: one bears fruit unto death and the other unto Life. One has it’s roots in heaven and the other has it’s roots in the earth. We can be a man of

God or a man of the earth; the choice is ours.

Phil 3:18 "For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory in their shame, who mind earthly things."

This verse shows how Adam and Eve and everyone else after them, becomes an enemy of God. By "minding" earthly, carnal, devilish things. By "minding" or in other words "thinking about things that are natural or carnal. If that’s all the mind a person ever "leans on" then they are no different than a beast!

1P 2:10 "... them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness ... as NATURAL brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption."

But Paul continues in the Philippian letter, to warn us not to be like them, but rather to; "think on these things" (4:8) "whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, etc." Col 3:1 "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above ... Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Col 1;21 "... and ye that were sometime alienated and enemies (enemies?! How?) in your mind by wicked works..."

As I said on Page 2, we may find out here, that the devil or the enemy is much nearer than we first believed. Jms 4:4 "whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." May I repeat at this time Ro 8:7? "The carnal mind is enmity against God."

What hope do you and I have against such a strong enemy as this, seeing we are "by nature" the enemies of God when we come into the world, not having access to the will of god or the mind of God.

As I said at the outset, God (according to Eccl 3:11) has designed the heart to make it impossible to find out the work, will, or mind of God. But, understand that Jesus brought access to the work, will, or mind of God through the Holy Ghost baptism; through the "Renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5) God promised that he would bring a "newness" of mind even in the Old Testament (Ezek 36:26 "a new heart will I give you..."), hence, Paul’s exhortation in Ro 12;2 "be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (why?) ... that ye may prove what is ... the will of God!"

1Co 2:14 "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ... neither can he know them (wrong tree) ... But we have the mind of Christ." (through the Spirit)

I have endeavored to show thus far in these pages, that our trouble cometh not from without, but the source of our trouble is within; in the heart. Inside the human body is a heart, mind, and spirit that is "of the earth" (1co 15:47-46) Paul rightly calls it "the Body of Death" in Ro 7:24. This "earthly tabernacle" will one day be dissolved, but until then,

our job; our vocation, is to "reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin:" or, as I’ve already said, not to eat of, or to touch the unclean thing; the dead body, or the body of death.

As Paul teaches in Philippians 3:21 "Jesus Christ ... shall change our vile body ... " and again in Ro 8:10 he says "if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is Life because of righteousness, but if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (give life to) your mortal (dead) bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

It is not possible to be dead indeed unto sin, or this "body of sin" (Ro 6:6) unless Jesus comes into our hearts and gives us power over the enemy. As Paul shows in Ro *8:3"what the law could not do (apart from the spirit), in that it was weak through the flesh (or, in other words, the flesh was stronger than it), God sending his son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, *condemned sin in the flesh." As I said the source of our trouble was/is in the flesh; in the body, not somewhere else.

Ro 8:13 "if ye live after the flesh (or mind the things of the flesh" verse5) ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do Mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

Therefore, as Paul exhorts in Philippians 2:5 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus ... being found in fashion, as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death (died to sins; reckoned [in his mind] himself to be dead unto sin), even (or, also) the death of the cross."

1P 4:1 "Forasmuch then as Christ hath

**suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind ...

I know I’m moving quickly and I’m using much scripture, but I hope I’m not going too fast for you. It’s important to see all these scriptures piled up together from all over the Bible in order to catch a revelation of this vital truth -- who is the enemy?

Let me also ask this question once again; What hope do we have against such a strong adversary as the old man’s mind?

Well, I’ve just showed that our hope lies in putting on the new man or, arming ourselves with the mind of Christ.

Luke 11:21 "When a strong man armed (armed with the deadly carnal mind) keepeth his palace (our souls), his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he (the new man Jesus Christ) shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted and divideth his spoils." Praise the Lord! I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me! I can run through a troop and leap over a wall and when the enemy (the old man of sin unto death) comes in like a flood -- the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him!

All I have to do is trust the Lord and not me!

I realize this tastes good in the mouth but is bitter in the doing of it. We may as well face it, the suffering way is the good way as Paul said; "if we suffer with him, we may be also glorified together." Ro 8:17

Let me say again that the "Renewing of the mind" or, the "putting on of the new man" is the answer.

this "newness" (Ro 6:4) will not happen until we receive the Baptism (or, burial) in the Holy Ghost. This baptism, or immersion, or burial is God’s solution for "putting away sin" (He 9:26) or, "the body of sins."

Eph 4:22 "put off ... the old man, which is corrupt (wrong tree)"

Col 3:9 " ... ye have put off the old man with his deeds."

What may startle you is that there is no water in Romans six! the baptism, planting, or burial that he is referring to in this chapter is the Spirit Baptism. As I’ve said and showed, it is through the Spirit that the deeds of the body are mortified (killed). This is the baptism of death that Paul is referring to in Ro 6:3.

The water baptism is merely the baptism of repentance which John preached; but he said, "One mightier than I cometh (the stronger man of Lk 11:21) ... he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire." - This will "put away the old man, not water. The Holy Ghost and fire will "destroy the body of sin" -- Ro 6:6. The water will not.

1P 3:20 " ... eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us -- Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh ...

Another thing that may startle you is that the circumcision of Christ in Col 2:11 is not water baptism -- but Spirit burial.

Col 2:11 "in whom 9Christ) ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with him, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God (what raises us from the dead? -- the Spirit. See Jn 6:63; what is God’s "operation" -- the spirit. See Ro 8:11 & Eph 1:19-20) ... and you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened ... "

so we see here, according to Paul, that it is this circumcision of the spirit (Ro 2:29 true "circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit ... ) that is necessary to "put off (bury) the body of the sins of the flesh" (the old man.)

Question: What is the difference between this statement in Col 2;11 and the one in Ro 6:6? Ro 6:5 "we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection (cf Philip 3:11): knowing this, that our old man (body of the sins of the flesh) is crucified with him (in spirit circumcision or baptism or burial), that the body of sin might be destroyed ... "

There is no difference! As you can see, the same statement is being made using certain terms interchangeably such as the old man and the body of sin: also, putting off, crucifying, and destroying.

Now let me introduce you to 2 more scriptures that are making the same statement using similar interchangeable terms. But a new term comes into play that is to be equated with the other terms; the old man, the law of sin and death, the flesh, the will of men, the carnal mind, sin, the body, and the corrupt tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

A little later, I will give ample references for all these terms.

Keep in mind, while we’re examining the next scripture reference from the Book of

Hebrews, the subject at hand, which can be summed up in Ro 8:3 concerning Jesus’ part, and in Col 2:11 and Ro 6:6 concerning our part, and in 1P 4:1 concerning both: that thought or subject being the conquering of the enemy.

He 2;14 "forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death, that is, the devil ... for verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham ... for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."

Several vital points are to be understood here: the chief of which is that the "body which was prepared" (He 10:5) for Jesus to partake of; the "flesh and blood" the "seed or nature) of Abraham" is also being referred to here as "he that had the power of death."

I hope that you won’t miss the fact that this passage of scripture is directly correlated to the other passages we have used.

As in Ro 6:6 and Col 2:11 there is, being offered here an explanation of Jesus’ having conquered or "destroyed" or "put away" the enemy or enmity.

However, he refers to the body here as, "him that had the power of death."

I have already spent the past 7 pages showing that it is the "mind of the flesh" or "the law of sin and death in our members" or "the body of sins" or the outer or "old man" that "brings forth death" and therefore had "the power of death."

Paul is merely adding yet another term here to our repertory of terms by calling it -- the devil! He or better yet it is the enemy! Yes, the carnal mind or the nature of men (not angels) is the enemy -- the devil!

The "sinful flesh" with it’s corrupt fruit is he that brings death.

Paul has let the cat out of the bag "here in He 2:14 as to exactly what "the devil" is.

I realize that for 99% of Christendom, this (because of tradition) is going to be difficult to accept.

My question to you is’ will you listen to scripture, at this time, and not tradition?

In history, always, the majority has never been right! And everyone believes "the devil" to be an external force or influence, rather than an internal one.

This term (or symbol), "the devil", is not used in reference to the temptation, son, and death question, in the Bible, nearly as much as the other terms. Neither are most of the major subjects of the Bible to be literally interpreted and understood. They are, rather, to be revealed!

They came to Peter, Paul, and John -- by revelation.

You will find that many forces or influences or "powers" in the Bible are assigned a symbolical term that is designed to hide it’s true identity from the general masses, that they may, rather, be interpreted or revealed to those whom God chooses to reveal them to, primarily by the Spirit, but secondarily, through his servants (apostles, teachers, pastors, etc.). An excellent case - in - point would be the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts chapter 9 that

was at a loss to understand the writing of Isaiah 53 without the help of a man (Philip) to guide him to the truth.

Jesus admitted that he spoke in parables for this reason.

Mt 13:10 "the disciples came and said unto him, "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" He answered and said unto them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (the general public) -- it is not given."

Ho 12:10 "I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used *similitudes,,, by the ministry of the prophets."

**A simile, parable, or allegory. - Webster

Symbols, metaphors, similes, types, and representations as well as personifications are used throughout the Bible to hide it’s true meaning from the natural mind; from the "wise and the prudent." (see Mt 11:25)

Getting back to the subject; note if you will, for an example of personifying the devil ( in this instance, however, the term "sin" us used)

Gen 4:7 " ... if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door (of your heart; cf Rv 3:20). and unto thee shall be his (not it’s) desire, and thou shalt rule over him."

This idea is repeated in 1P 4:8; "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion (lying "at the door") walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same *afflictions are accomplished in your brethren ... "

2Co 4:16-18 "Though *our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light *affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us ... "

Once we can get a grasp of this important truth -- it will bring a return of the original "simplicity that is in Christ." Incidentally, let us take a peek at this text in 2Co 11:3 to see exactly how and where it was lost; -- "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, So (or, in the same way) Your minds should be corrupted from (eating wrong tree) the simplicity that is in Christ."

The devil or "that old serpent" here, as I’ve been showing, was Adam and Eve’s (and our) lower nature, earthly wisdom, carnal mind, corrupt tree; that subtle voice of the world in their heart, tempting them, enticing them, trying their faith in God.

As we must learn and understand, "he" that had the power of death, from the beginning, was "sin" and as James points out in his cardinal; principle on this subject; -- "every man is tempted, when he is drawn away (by a fallen angel from God’s throne chamber? - NO!) -- by his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived (given birth), it bringeth forth (produces or conceives or creates or brings into existence) Sin: and sin, when it (or He as the writer of Gn 4:7 says) is finished, bringeth forth death." (Ja 1:14)

So, James is showing here that (as I’ve been saying) the source of death; or, "he" that hath the power of death -- is sin! But, he expands this truth by showing that sin itself is the product of "our own (inherent) lust"! - Not some celestial being somewhere!

This will, no doubt, generate many questions in your mind, but believe me; when the dust settles, you will feel a great joy from having heard me out as we continue through the other pertinent scriptures on this subject.

James is describing what happened in the garden of Eden as well as what continues to happen to anyone who "touches" or "partakes" of the carnal nature. They will be "devoured."

This tragedy in the garden was repeated by God’s other "firstborn" son, Israel and is chronicled in several places throughout the Bible such as Romans chapter one and Isaiah 59.

I would like to look into these accounts with the same thought that I believe is emphasized in James 1:14 concerning the origin of evil or unrighteousness or sin.

Sin and obedience is one of many pairs of terms used to depict the 2 main forces at work in the world. (note Ro 6:16)

Some fallen angel is not the ruler of the darkness (spiritual blindness) of this present world, but sin is!

Ro 5:21 " ... sin hath reigned unto death."

Ro 6:12 "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it. (him)

2Co 4:4 "if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world (the will of men; natural reasoning) hath blinded the minds (remember Col 1:21 - "enemies in your minds" & Ro 1:21 "foolish heart was darkened - because of vain imaginations")_ of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ ... should shine unto them ... for God ... hath shined in our heats ... but we have this treasure (Jesus’ Spirit & Truth) in earthen vessels ..."

earthen vessel = outer man = old man = corrupt tree (devil)

lighted heart = inner man = new man = good tree (Jesus)

2 men - 2 trees - 2 minds - 2 wills - 2 natures - 2 masters - 2 Gods: only one will rule - which one? Col 3:15 - 16 "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts ... let the word of Christ dwell in you richly ..."

Phil 4:6-7 "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God ... shall keep your hearts & minds through Christ."

Ro 6;14 "sin shall not have dominion over you ..."

As I said the account portrayed in Romans one can and does apply to the garden of Eden story and to the fall of Israel.

"When they knew God, they glorified him not as God ... and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man ... who changed the truth of god into a lie and worshipped and served the creature (the things that are seen - 2Co 4:18) more than the creator (that which is not seen) who is blessed forever ... even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind (tree of knowledge of good & evil; the lust of the flesh) ... being filled with all

unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whispers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things ... (Ro 1:21-30)

I’m stressing this last trait for a reason. Most people believe some ethereal, invisible, mysterious, celestial spook somewhere is the inventor or originator of evil. But note Ro 5;12 " ... by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin ..." (not by some fallen celestial creature.) Adam was the first heavenly creature to fall from his first estate!

That is, if we’ll believe the Bible and not men’s traditions that originated during the dark ages when the 2 witnesses (Old & New Testaments) lay dead in the streets of Mystery Babylon the Great, and any conceptions that arose then had to be invented.

Eccl 7:29 "Lo, this only have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions."

invent: 1. to come upon; find. 2 to fabricate mentally; create or devise in the imagination." Webster

Jer 18:11 "Thus saith the Lord ... return ye now everyone from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. and they said ... "but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart."

Pr 3:29 "Devise not evil against thy neighbor ..."

Devise: 1. to divide; distribute. 2 to form in the mind by new combinations of ideas, etc; to invent; scheme.

And now a look at Isiah 59:

V. 2 "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you ...

V. 4 ... they trust in vanity, and speak lies: they conceive mischief, and bring forth (give birth to; remember Jms 1:14) iniquity. They hatch cockatrice eggs (serpentine thoughts), and weave the spiders web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

Vipers, cockatrices, adders, & serpents = LIES/LIARS - Products of the carnal mind.

V. 13 ... in transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, (cf. He 3:12; "take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God ... lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" - not an invisible defected angel. remember Jer 17:9) speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood (lies)."

-Webster-Conceive: 1. To become pregnant with 2 to take into ones mind; to devise, form a conception of, or imagine. 3 to apprehend by reason of imagination.

The hearts of men is evil. The imaginations of the heart (mind) are only evil. The offspring, products, generations of Adam’s folly were the "seed of the serpent (the natural, carnal man)"

Ge 3:15 "I will put enmity between thee (the serpent) and the woman, and between thy seed (carnal, evil imaginations in the nature of children of disobedience produced by Adam’s rebellion - the father of lies) and her seed (Jesus Christ - Ga 3:16 - and they that are in him - Ga 3:29)."

Ge 5:3 "and Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image..."

Ro 5:12 "... so death passed upon all men..."

15 "through the offense of one, many be dead..."

18 "by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation..."

Jn 3:18 "... he that believeth not is condemned already..."

1Co 15:22 "in Adam all die..."

Like wildfire, the law of sin and death ruled in the hearts of Adam’s progeny for 6000 years.

Ge 6:5 "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

6:12 "And God looked upon the earth and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth." (The fruit of the corrupt tree is corruption!) (cf Ga 6:8)

2P 1:2-4 "... through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world -- through lusts." Not through some fallen invisible spook. But rather from the lusts of our first father who fell from heaven (paradise).

the Lord said unto Israel ... Isaiah 43:27 ... "Thy first father hath sinned ..." Remember James’ golden rule; "every man is tempted when drawn away of his own lust" -- not anyone else’s!

John 8:44 "Ye are of your father, *the devil, and *the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning (suicide - homicide - genocide) and abode not in the truth (but left his 1st estate), because there is no truth in him (remember Ro 8:7). When he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Rv 21:27

Jb 13:4

Rv 22;15

Ro 1:25

**Yes, the lusts of our flesh; the corrupt carnal mind is the devil.

It should be obvious by now without me saying it, that all of these scriptures I’ve been using refer to Adam & Eve, not the traditional Lucifer Specter fabricated by John Milton during the dark ages, who popularized this mis-conception. It’s clear, if anyone would take the time to look at it for themselves (note Ac 17:11), that the only time that the word Lucifer appears in the Bible (Ks ch 14), it is in reference to Nebuchadnezzar, King of

Babylon; a man (v.16) and not an invisible angel: also, the "stars" that he allegedly cast to earth in Revelation ch 12 were not only men (note carefully Jg 5:19-20 & Dan 8:8 thru 8:24 for examples of men called stars; also, note Ge 37:9-10), but also takes place after the early rain church is instituted - not before the world was. (the manchild being the overcomers that the early church "Brought forth").

Getting back to the subject at hand, anyone who is a servant (or child) of the devil is a servant of their own lusts which keep them in bondage to death. This is the devil! As James vividly points out: Jms 4:1-8 "Whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even *of your lusts that war in your members (old man vs new man) ... Do ye think (v. 5) that the scripture saith in vain, *the spirit that dwelleth in us (by nature) lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist ***The devil, and he will flee from you."

Far too many times, scripture verses have been isolated from their contexts and thereby losing the connotation of the text.

We desperately need a return to "searching the scriptures" (John 4:39) and to abandon "the traditions of men." Is 29:13 - Tit 1:14 - Mt 15:8-9 - Col 2:8 - Col 2:20-22 - 1P 1:18

I’m not spending much time interpreting scriptures in this essay: I feel that the bulk of understanding should come from teaching and from the spirit of God who opens the heart at his will. Ac 18:11 - 16:14 - 19:8 - Jn 3:27

Again I say that "the Spirit" mentioned in Jms 4:5 is not the divine, Holy spirit that it was originally intended to be, but rather corrupted or degenerated (note Je 2:21) into the present evil spirit that now worketh in the children." (the children of Adam; the wicked one) The divine nature was lost (in that Milton was right) and the carnal nature became the prince. Note: So prominent & lofty was the place that Adam held/holds in God’s economy, that Jesus is referred to as "The 1st man" or "the Last Adam." (1Co 15:45-47)

Eph 2:1-3 " ... in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among who also we all had our conversation (lives; behavior) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of (a celestial being somewhere - no!) the flesh and mind ..."

Lk 9:54 "When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?" But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, "Ye know what manner of spirit ye are of."

Did not James and John here display the spirit of their first father - the devil? - an evil spirit? Did not their spirit "Lusteth to envy?" What about Peter, when Jesus called him "blessed" in Mt 16:17 and then turned around 6 verses later and said, "Get thee behind me Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men." It didn’t take Peter long to revert back to his own spirit when Jesus spake of leaving them. This spirit worketh in all the children of disobedience

when they walk after the flesh and "course of this world." The spirit of anti-Christ, or Satan (the adversary), worketh in "the world (remember 2P 1:4), The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but is of the world."

I’m saying that the Bible shows that the sin nature in men (by nature from "their father") which produces this spirit, is called the devil!

Notice if you will the following verse comparison or parallel:

1J 3:8 "He that committeth sin is of the devil."

Jn 8:34 "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."

What’s wrong with John? - He made both of these statements!

Nothings wrong with John! something’s wrong with us when we try to make the devil something else besides "the body of sin." (Ro 6;6)

Paul is aware of this, as well, when he makes the mysterious statement in Ro 7:25, "I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

Do you get it yet!? The enemy is the "Body of sins of the flesh" (Col 2:11); the old man!

Note what John continues to say in the same verse. 1J 3:8 " ... for the devil sinneth from the beginning (Ge 2:17). For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might "destroy" the works of the *devil." This destruction was fulfilled (on Christ’s part) in He 2:14, "himself likewise took part of the same (flesh); that he might **destroy **Him..."

Question: Did Jesus destroy the devil?

Answer: He crucified his.

Question: What about us?

Answer: To fulfill the following verse (He 2:15), He sent the power of the Holy Ghost and fire Baptism that we might "crucify our body of sin" (?That is, the devil - He 2;14) - Ro 6:6

Oh; do we have to get nailed to a cross somewhere to accomplish this?

Listen Jesus didn’t wait till he got to Golgotha Hill to die to sin - He died to sin every day of his life; if not, why would he ask us to "Take up our cross daily?" - Lk 9:23

Jesus "Destroyed the works of the devil" 1J 3:8

"Destroyed him that had the power of death." He 2:14

"Put off the body of the sins of the flesh" Col 2;11

"Crucified the old man" Ro 6:6

"Destroyed the body of sin" Ro 6:6

"Put away sin" He 9:26

"Mortified the deeds of the body" Ro 8:13

"Abolished in his flesh the enmity" Eph 2:15

"Tasted death for every man" He 2:9

"Suffered for us in the flesh" 1P 4:1

"Condemned sin in the flesh" Ro 8:3

He 4:15 "We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Scripturally, how was he tempted? "When he was drawn away of his own lust ... " Jms 1:14

I’m not saying Jesus sinned! His lust never "conceived." He "resisted the devil." He had ‘the likeness of sinful flesh" and could have sinned, but "kept under his body, and brought it into subjection." 1Co 9:27 The 1st Adam failed in this, but Jesus destroyed the works of His devil.

Jn 12:31 "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out."

14:30 "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.: (also Jn 16:11)

I have explained how that the spirit of anti-Christ or Satan; The spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience is the prince or god of this world, and that all that do "his" bidding (the serpent nature that goes on his belly [carnal, natural, earthly, sensual appetites of the flesh and mind] ) are "his’ servants. At the time that Jesus is saying these verses, he was the only one in the world that was not of the world, and he had spent 3 years proving it.

The devil was only going to get one more chance to find something in Jesus that he could entice him with and make Him his servant too. that chance came in the garden of Gethsemane on his last night on earth when the forces of Satan that worked in the high priesthood of Israel "cometh" to try him one last time, whether he truly was the son of God.

That spirit had already entered into and captured and devoured Judas Iscariot. He had "run greedily after the error of Balaam" until God "gave him over to a reprobate mind."

This same "persuasion" (Gal 4:8) tried in vain to capture Peter (and no doubt all his apostles) but even though :"Satan sifted him", his faith failed not. 1J 5:5 "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God."

Judas didn’t believe it.

We understand however that Jesus passed his "final" in the garden and willingly drank the cup of self-denial once again and when the prince came he was ready to lay down his life.

Lk 22:52 {"then Jesus saith unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders,} which were come to him ... this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

Jesus put the appropriate title on the spirit of Satan that ruled in the hearts of the leaders of his people by calling them (the priests & rulers) the power of darkness.

God had given the rulers of Israel over to "vile affections" (Ro 1:26) to use as vessels of wrath; vessels of dishonor. they (the rulers of Israel; the rulers of darkness; spiritual wickedness in high places; the princes of darkness ruling in their principalities) were the powers of darkness. Eph 6:12

They lodge in the branches of the kingdom of God as unclean and hateful birds (Rv 18:2), and "none that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life" (Pr 2:18-19); but, rather, become "two fold more the child of hell than them." Mt 23:15

Once again I see that I may be moving too fast, but I feel that I have laid a sure enough foundation for you to receive these recent statements about Satan who is the prince.

There is actually no difference between the devil and Satan and the serpent - in the sense that "it" is a spirit. that spirit is Anti-Christ! It is enmity against God.

That spirit is generated by every "child of the devil" that "leans on" their own humanistic wisdom. It is not generated by some spook or ghost hiding behind the bushes somewhere.

That is not scriptural. I’ve given many scriptures that show the origin of evil & sin. Hold on - there are more to come - please bear with me.

Understand that the point I am making in these verses in Eph 6:12 and Lk 22:52 and Jn 12:31 & 14:30 - is that Jesus is pointing the finger at the true "angels of light" referred to in 2Co 11:13-15. They (as Paul plainly says in the 13th verse) are false apostles, deceitful workers - not invisible angels operating out of an obscured dimension somewhere as is commonly taught and believed. furthermore the spirit working in them didn’t come from a fallen invisible angel.

As I’ve said, a lot of the angels in the Bible are men just like these mentioned in 2Co 11;14. Also, while we’re at it, noted Rv 1:20, and you see that angels are called stars in the Bible and that the 12 "stars’ or angels in Rv 12;1 have to be the 12 Apostles which were the "crowning" glory of the early rain church (the woman clothed with the sun). Also the "wondering stars" mentioned in Jude 13 are the "men crept in unawares" in Jude 4.

These men, then, that Jesus is calling the prince of the world; the power of darkness, are false apostles and "spots in (Israel’s) feasts of charity"; as Jesus told them in Jn 8:44, "Ye are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do."

A third heaven angel cannot lust anyway if you understand "the nature of angels" (He 2;16)

Therefore, the "third of the stars of heaven that were cast to the earth" didn’t come from 3rd heaven (2Co 12:2) where God’s throne is, because it plainly states in Revelation chapter twelve that the woman which brought forth the man child was in heaven (v.1) and the dragon that stood ready to devour the manchild was in heaven (v.3) but the manchild itself "was caught up unto God, and to his throne." - The woman and the dragon were still battling it out down in a different heaven; the same "heavenly places" mentioned in

Eph 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3;10.

Those stars or angels were the third of Israel that were killed by the dragon’s tail (Is.9 :15) in AD 70, that Ezekiel prophesied about in Ez 5:2.

I’m going to show you a couple more verses where Jesus addresses the enemy "in Person."

Note: By no means, at any point, do I mean to imply that there are no "evil spirits" - I am only dealing with the devil in this study; I am not dealing with the subject of "evil spirits" at all. I will not get into those scriptures (of which there are many) at this time.

I endeavored to show in Isaiah 59 where serpents (cockatrices) and vipers really originate. Is 59:13 plainly shows that the serpents referred to in the 5th verse are "conceived" in the heart.

I believe I proved that the Bible teaches that the heart "cannot" do good. It is a liar from the beginning and the father of it. Notice with me now, what John the Baptist identified as serpents and vipers.

Mt 3:7 "When he saw many of the Pharisees and Saducees (rulers of darkness) come to his baptism, he said unto them, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"

Jesus also joined him in condemning them; Mt 23:32 "fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. ye serpents, ye generation of vipers ..."

What made them serpents was their being led (eating) of their own evil imaginations - just like their fathers. They were the serpents weed that God prophesied of in Ge 3:15 that would bruise Jesus’ heel, but Jesus also bruised their head. They inherited that lying serpent mind & heart from their fathers who in turn inherited it from their first father -- the father of lies. (Adam) Je 7:26 " ... they did worse than their fathers."

16:12 "Ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk everyone after the imagination of his evil heart ... verse 19 ... our fathers have inherited lies ..."

So, the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day were "filling up the measure of their fathers."

1Th 2:14-18 "... Ye (Thessalonians) have suffered like thing as your own countrymen, even as they have (churches of God in Judea) of the Jews: who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles ... to fillup their sins alway: ... wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us." Here we have another one of those instances where Paul lets the cat out of the bag.

The word satan means, literally, adversary or opposer. He that hindereth or letteth are also synonyms with Satan.

Ro 1:16 "Often times I purposed to come unto you, but was let hitherto ..." We now know who did the "letting"; the opposing; it was Satan; those wily, subtle serpents & vipers that exerted control over the Jewish nation. But Jesus "visited and destroyed them" (the "other Lords" of Is 26:13-14) and ":spoiled principalities and powers" (Col 2:14) and "cast out" the prince of this world.

The blind, implacable, and hardened minds of the Jewish leadership was the "God" of 2Co 4:4.

There are so many scriptures that deal with Satan that I’m sure I won’t deal with them all, but I hope to shed enough light on the ones that I do deal with, so as to make it possible to comprehend the meaning of the remainder.

Lk 11:52 "Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered."

These ministers of unrighteousness (Ro 1:18); these chains of darkness; these whited sepulchers full of "slain mighty men" (Pr 7:26); these "cursed children" (2P 2:14); these "prison house" wardens (Is 42:22); indeed held the keys of Moses, but are servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." (2P 2:19)

Note: Who are the authors of confusion?

Jms 3:16

Phil 1:15 -- "some preachers"

CONDEMNATION

We’ve seen who the real deceiver is (Je 17:9 & He 3:13) and understand, therefore, who/what the devil really is, and now I want to show the same point concerning the conscience and condemnation.

1Ti 3:6 "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into *the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without: lest he fall into the reproach and snare of the devil."

The risk that one runs in ordaining a novice into the presbytery is that a novice, being young and inexperienced and perhaps therefore lacking understanding & wisdom, will tend to be, as James said, double-minded: unstable:

The problem resulting; being that, having inclined ones hearing, once again, to the voice of the serpent (the imaginations of the evil heart) a minister can easily be overcome by a sense of guilt and failure, or condemnation, which is unprofitable. However, as I’ve been showing all along, the devil here, as in the many other places in the Bible, is the corrupt tree of the carnal mind, and not an invisible being influencing us externally; But, rather, this condemnation results from our self.

Titus 3:10-11 "A man that is an heretic after the 1st & 2nd admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being **condemned of himself."

I’m not saying that every minister that suffers a fall (a failure) will end up a heretic, and ultimately unfruitful and unprofitable. (remember John Mark, that after his failure in Asia with Paul and his subsequent battle with the devil & condemnation, he came out purified and as Paul says later, "....He is profitable to me...") Ac 12:25; 15:37; 2Ti 4:11

But I believe Paul is saying that these occasional "falls" will be harmful to the church every time it happens, and Paul’s will was to spare the church these losses, by simply waiting until a man was "of full age ... having their (spiritual) senses exercised ..." (He 5:14)

After a fall, it is "natural" for a man or woman to feel guilt, which could easily result in "self" condemnation. A mature Christian may never fall, because he has learned, by experience, not to "walk by sight" but by unfeigned faith in God. Note: Jude 24

I say, "it is natural," because if we revert to the "mind of the flesh" ; the serpent, we will be subject, once again, to the "wiles of the devil (Eph 2;3 and 1Co 2:14)

Let me interrupt our subject for a moment to make the following important statement.

If we do not keep in mind all of the scripture references - all the way from the beginning, all through this study; if we forget any of the principles or special key terms along the way and do not continually incorporate them all in as we progress along, we will lose sight of the truth that all the writers are setting forth for us.

For this reason, I endeavor to keep drawing them forward with me as I go to continually keep all of them together in your mind and not lose them, because they are all needed to corroborate each other and produce the illumination as of the oil of knowledge & understanding that flows through "the golden pipes" until it culminates into a shining lamp. Ps 119:130

Your heart, as I’ve shown, given enough attention, will be your undoing. What profit is there in a condemned man; a man whose "devil" or evil conscience has condemned him? "If salt has lost his saltness, it is thence forth food for nothing." The heart or conscience of the natural man is not & cannot be subject to the law of god. It is a liar, thief, and murderer from the beginning. It is corrupt through & through and is designed to deceive and destroy.

Job 27:6 "My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live." (remember 1Ti 3:6 "lest he fall into the reproach of the devil")

So, once again, we have a set of scriptures that interpret themselves.

"the condemnation of the devil" 1T 3:6

"condemned of himself" Tit 3:10

"my heart shall not reproach me" Job 27:6

"if your heart condemn you" 1J 3:20

"Happy is the man that Ro 14:22

condemneth not himself

Let me repeat, the key to "falling" (fall in condemnation; fall into reproach; "taken in a fault" Gal 6:1) is to "mind the flesh" or revert to natural reasoning. We are not to "look back" (remember lots wife) at past mistakes or to dwell on harmful negative thoughts: "one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind... Phl 3:13

Repentance and humility is still the order of the day; "wash ourselves from sins" and "reach forth unto those things which are before;" "laying aside every weight and the sin which easily besets us"; "cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear and love of God"; "keeping ourselves in the love of God."

But so is "pressing toward the mark" the order of the day; "always abounding in the work of the Lord;" "recovering ourselves from the snare of the devil who has taken us captive." Phil 3:13-14 He 12:1 Jude 21

Ac 22:16 2Co 7:1 2Ti 2:26

The swearer in James 5:12 swore to the hurt of the inward man and fell into condemnation because he let the conscience reproach him. He failed to understand that we have an advocate with the father (1J 2:1) and may "boldly enter into the holiest, by the blood of Christ, and obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need>’ (He 4:16 & 10:19)

1J 3:20 "... if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things ... if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God."

Ro 14:22 "Happy is the man that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth ..."(for he is not *subverted, but confident.)

**subvert - to undermine the faith of - Webster

*faith in God is so very, very essential to our souls. Therein is our victory!

1J 5:4 He 6:12 Ro 15:13 1P 1:9 He 10:35-39

2Co 1:24 2Co 5:7 Rev 2:10 Rev 17:14

Pro 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

Mt 15:18 "those things which come forth from the heart - They defile the man!"

Pro 23:7 "as he thinketh in his heart so is he."

Born again christians have two trees from which the heart may draw it’s meditations. Ps 19:14 "Let... the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord..."

What we "think on" is a matter of life and death.

We can :"fall asleep" in a matter of minutes which, unchecked, turn to hours, which turn to days and days.

He 3:12 "*take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of *unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" - not an invisible evil creature hiding somewhere in the neighborhood.

Jn 10:1 "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold (the kingdom of God; heaven; the church), but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."

10:7-8 "Then said Jesus unto them ... I am the door of the sheep, all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers" but the sheep did not hear them.

10:10 "The Thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy."

I have heard this verse (Jn 10:10) used countless times in reference to some invisible spook that hides behind the bushes somewhere and everywhere in the world. As pertaining to the devil and Satan; the serpent and the dragon, however, they are never used in reference to anyone that is invisible except perhaps when these terms refer to the spirit of men which are of corrupt minds (1T 6:5). for example Jms 4:5 mentions "the spirit in carnal man, and calls it the devil in the 7th verse; he is referring to the same "spirit that worketh in children of disobedience," mentioned in Eph 2:2, where he calls it "the prince of the air" which would understandably be the prince of the world.

(I am reminding you of thoughts that we have already gone over.)

In James 4, it is the spirit of men; in Eph 2, it is the spirit of men, and as we have already pointed out, the prince (or God) of this world, is the spirit of corrupt men working in concord with others of "like mind" to form a principality or coalition against "all that is called God" (2Th 2:4). Paul notes in 1Co 2:8 that it was "the princes of this world" that "crucified the Lord of glory" which we know was the Jewish leaders.

Ge 11:6 "And the Lord said, behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."

So, this same spirit of disobedience; spirit of anti-Christ; anti-godliness worked in the men building a tower "some other way." There was no difference between the tower of Babel in Genesis and the "tower" that was built by the rulers of Israel in Jesus day. They

desired to climb into the sheepfold some other way.

1J 2:18 "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that anti-Christ shall come, even now are there many anti-Christ’s..."

I think most people are not aware that this verse exists. Most believe the "spirit of anti-Christ" (1J 4:3) to be one man rather than many men as in Ge 11:2-9 and 1Co 2:8.

John plainly said that, "They went out from us" (2:19) and that "They are of the world." (4:5). Demas, Paul’s fellow laborer, was one such man or anti-Christ, as was Diotrephes. (2T 4:10; 3J 9-11)

Understand that our flesh is not the only thing that needs "changing" but also our Spirit. (remember 2Co 7:1)

Je 23;30 "I am against the prophets saith the lord, that *steal my words every one from his neighbor ... I am against them that prophesy false dreams ... and cause my people (my sheep **Ez 34:31) to err by their lies.

* ** the thief

Je 23:1 "Woe be unto the Pastors that destroy (Jn 10:10) and scatter the sheep of my pasture.

Jer 12:10 "Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard."

Ez 34:2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel ... Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? (Jude 12) Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool. ye kill them that are fed ... v10 behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth ... v. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon *the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be." **the churches of God in Christ

So as in all cases in the Bible, there are 2 of everything; a true and a false; darkness and light; the power of Satan & God (Ac 26:18).

*Shepherds that rob, steal, kill, and destroy. Lk 19:46 "my house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him."

**Shepherds that feed.

Je 3:15 "I will give you pastors (shepherds) according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."

Ac 20:17 "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church ... v. 28 take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers (Pastors & Shepherds), to feed the church of God ... for I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to *draw away disciples ..."

**Mk 13:22 "false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, the very elect.

Mt 24:24 "... if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." 2P 3:17 "seeing ye know these things before, be ware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness."

Rv 12:4 "His tail (the dragon; Satan) drew the third part of the stars of Heaven, and did cast them to the earth." (also note 2P 2;18)

"allure"

The "fallen stars" here are what the writers of the epistles to the churches were warning would happen.

The corrupt rulers; the wolves in sheep’s clothing that Jesus, Paul, Peter, Jude, and John warned about, may not have "taken" Jesus but they did manage (after Jesus’ & Paul’s departure) to "draw away" and to "cast down" many of their disciples.

Rev 8:9 "The third part of the creatures (new creatures in Christ) which were in the sea (churches of Asia) and had life (Holy Ghost baptism), died; and the third part of the ships (Gentile churches) were destroyed."

I hope you have gotten the picture by now -- who Satan is, and what the serpent is. Of course there are, I suppose, hundreds of scriptures on the subject, through out the Bible, perhaps many of which I will fail to touch on, not because they are still a mystery, but because I would virtually have to copy the whole Bible. The Bible is, after all, the story of the rise & fall of man, and/or (as E. G. White put it) the great controversy between good and evil.

I will remind you that this treatise has not dealt at all with the evil spirit question. It has dealt only with the devil question.

Rv 12:9 and 20:2 Does not include the evil spirits.

I would like to continue this thought a little further on the thief & destroyer. I realize most view "Him" as an invisible creature of some kind, but all the scriptures I’ve used never refers to "this spirit" as being any other than the spirit of "fallen" man.

Mi 7:2-4 "the good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly ... the best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge."

Humanistic theology has borne no fruit unto God. It is a prison; it is hell (Ps 9:17); it destroys. It is a lion; a wolf; a bear robbed of it’s cubs. The "men of this world" (Ps 17:14) love this world, love vanity; love death (Pr 8:36). God in turn uses these vessels of wrath (Ro 9:22) to try and to prove and to purify His elect. selah.

"The world in their heart" (Ec 3:11) is a proving ground for the sons of Men, to Be exercised in it. De 8:2-3 *

Jgs 2:15 -- 3:4 **

The desire of God’s heart is that he may inherit "a godly portion" from out of the "sea of wickedness" that he may call his own; a "tried stone"; a fire-brand; the redeemed from among men; a peculiar people that will serve him out of a willing heart and a willing mind.

Ro 8:20 "The creature was made subject to vanity ... in hope."

Go ahead and tie this verse to Eccl 3:11 for they say the same thing.

Just as God subjected his 1st son (Adam) to "the tree of knowledge of good & evil:; "The desires of the flesh" (vanity), in hope that he would "prove" to be obedient, by his

own volition, to his creator; So, God subjected Jesus to vanity (the robe of flesh with it’s "power of death") in hope that he would "choose life" (Jos 24:14-15; De 30:19); or, choose to serve the creator instead of the creature. You and I also must choose daily, until vanity (or "the last enemy" 1Co 15:26 - the body of death) shall be taken away.

Most have chosen death! Note Is 28:15 most have made a covenant -- with death! "These are they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit." (Jud 19) "They say, come with us (the true voice of the serpent in our sensual minds), let us lay wait for blood ... let us swallow them up alive as the grave (remember Lk 11:44 & Mt 23:27)" (Pr 1:10 - 15)

These are Paul’s "wolves" of Ac 20:29. This is the voice of human understanding; the voice of "the strange woman" of Pr 7:10; the confederate forces of the dragon, lying in wait at every corner for the innocent, and they that are void of understanding.

Is 59:15 "He that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey" to these "grievous wolves"; "workers of iniquity". (dragon /anti-Christ)

1Ti 4:1 "in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils."

Ez 22:25-27 "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey (cf Lk 11:39*). Her princes (1Co 2:8) ... are like wolves ... to shed blood ... and to destroy souls ..."

This lion is the man of sin. It starts with one man like Adam, or Nimrod, or Jezebel, or Judas and gains support from other Devils like Hymenaeus, Hermogenes, or Philetus (2Ti 1:15- 2:17) who are men of like humanistic passions that are given full vent, until there is enough of a conspiracy against (anti) Christ that "the third part of the waters become wormwood; and many men die or the waters" (Rv 8:11)

2Ti 4:14-17 "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil ... of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words ... not withstanding the Lord stood with me ... and I was delivered out of the mouth of *THE LION."

It appears that Alexander was Paul’s "adversary." (Satan)

Get the true, full, honest context of 1P 5:8 by backing up through the previous 7 verses to verse one: "The elders which are among you, I exhort ... feed the flock of god which is among you ... Be sober, be vigilant ("be thou ware"); because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

You see, the shepherds (elders) were to guard the flock from wolves & lions like Alexander who would have "leavened" the church of God with their doctrines of lies.

Some lions had obviously "crept in" (Jude 1:4) to the Galatian churches behind Paul’s back with their devilish doctrines of death and "subverted" them. Paul asks them, "Who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" It was those "grievous" teachers of the law again; those evil workers of iniquity, attempting to "draw" Paul’s disciples into bondage to the law. (the strength of sin is the law). - 1Co 15:56

Many ignored or forgot Paul’s warning of 2Co 11:1-4; 13-15, 20 * and allowed this "seducing spirit" to divide them. there had become at least 2 factions in the church; fighting (Jms 4:1) had broken out, and the churches were suffering losses to the wolves. Paul warned the ministers & others in the churches not to "bite and devour one another"

to death! Gal 1:6-7; 2:4; 4:17; 5:7-16 * Zeph 3:2 "She (Israel) obeyed not the voice (of the preachers of righteousness) ... she trusted not in the Lord ... her princes within her are roaring lions (all visible princes, not invisible); her judges are evening wolves (they love darkness-Jn 3:19)"

Ps 17:12 "Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey ... lurking in secret places ... deliver my soul from the wicked ... O Lord, from men of the world which have their portion in this life."

Pr 6:26 "by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress (false prophets & teachers - 2P 2:1-3; synagogue of satan - Rv 2:9, 13, 20 -29) will hunt for the precious life (born again christians)

**Judaizers

Tit 1:10-14 "There are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses (ships of Rv 8:9) ... rebuke them sharply (not the Cretians)"

Phi 3:2 "Beware of dogs (and lions & wolves & bears), beware of evil workers, beware of THE CONCISION ... and have no confidence in the flesh."

Pr 28:15 "as a roaring lion and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people." Lazarus Lk 16:19-31 The rich man

The church of the first born. The Judaizers

Is 56:10-12 "His watchmen (rulers of Israel) are blind ... they are all dumb dogs ... yea, they are greedy dogs ... they are shepherds that cannot understand."

Mt 7:15 "Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

I’ve talked about who/what the devil/enemy really is; which no doubt would pose the following question in most minds: If the devil is not an invisible angel that fell from 3rd heaven before Adam & Eve were created, then who were the 3rd heaven angels that fell in Peter & Jude?

2P 2:4 "If God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment ...

Jude 6 "The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."

Let me point out 2 things: 1. I have, thus far, used over 20 scripture references from the first 8 chapters of Romans alone.

This vitally important section of scripture explains the fall of man more than anywhere else in the body of bulk of scripture. Upon examination of these chapters, however, one will note (especially if pointed out) that there is not one mention of an "invisible being having anything to do with the fall! It mainly talks about sin resident in the flesh. I have explained why God set it up this way. God wanted us to make up our own minds based on his word (note Jn 12:48) and provided a proving or testing ground "in the heart" by the lusts of the flesh that tempts us to deny His word.

2. The bulk of the religious world teaches that the fall of "the third of the stars of

heaven" (which they mistakenly believe to be 3rd heaven angels) took place in 3rd heaven before Adam & Eve had their trouble. However, upon gaining a proper understanding of the scenario of Revelation ch 12 (which contains the only scripture reference that is commonly used to evince that view) one will realize that all of the events of that chapter take place after Jesus began to preach his gospel in A. D. 30! For example: the woman clothed with the Sun (Jesus’ truth & spirit) was the early rain church producing a manchild (the overcomers). And the war (of which so much falsehood is made) that takes place in verses 7 thru 11 is the confrontation between Jesus and his apostolic ministry (and their true disciples), and the elements of opposition (Satan & dragon) which were mainly in the leadership of the Jews.

The fact of the matter is, that, after god had finished his creation in the 1st chapter of Genesis; after he made everything that was made, each day that he was making it, He declares at the end of each day, that, it was very good! If there had already been a great disastrous war in 3rd heaven (where God’s throne room is and where his heavenly host resides -- note Rv 5:11); wherein his (God’s) losses numbered in the millions, because the not-so-good angelic creatures "decided" to rebel against their creator, then how could God report, after it was all over, that everything was fine, and all his creations were "very good"! selah.

I will also need to remind you of the Biblical fact that there are 3 heavens.

1st heaven is mentioned in Rv 21:1

3rd heaven is mentioned in 2Co 12:2

2nd heaven is not mentioned per se, but of course, reason

dictates that a first and third necessitates the existence

of a second.

We believe "paradise" (which is mentioned 3 times in the Bible), is 2nd heaven.

Amos 9:6 "It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven ... the Lord is his name." We also believe Adam and Eve dwelled in a spiritual "estate" which was paradise, or 2nd heaven.

We believe the temple which Moses and Solomon built was a type or figure of the true heaven with it’s "stories", which is mentioned in He 8:5, that Moses saw "in the spirit" with God in the mount of Sinai. a veil separated the outer court (1st heaven0 from the Holy place (2nd heaven). A second veil separated the Holy place from the most Holy place (3rd heaven) where God’s throne was situated between the 2 cherubims of the ark. Ex 26:31-37; 36:35-38; Ps 99:1.

A key verse of scripture is found in He 10:20 which, in short, reveals that the only way to make it into "paradise" is to overcome the old man. Jesus was the first overcomer (He 6:19-20) and there yet remains a "promise" to us of great reward, If we follow the Lamb" where He went. He 4:1 -- Rv 14:4 -- 2:7

My main point here, is that the overcomers of god reside presently (the ones that already died) at the second veil waiting for God to bring the present world to an end, so that they may reign on the earth. Anyone who will not "bear in their body the dying of the Lord Jesus" and "mortify their members which are on the earth," and "love not their lives unto the death," and "fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in their flesh,"" and "partake of the afflictions of the gospel," and "die unto sin," will be stuck in 1st heaven, unqualified to enter into that which is within the temple of God; behind the veil of the flesh.

Unfortunately, for all these double-minded Christians, first heaven is to be destroyed.

2Co 4:10 Rv 12:11` 2Ti 1:8 Col 3:5 Col 1:24

Ro 6:11 1P 2:24 Rv 21;1 2P 3:7,12 Jms 1:7-8

We call Adam and Eve’s "estate" paradise because, before the fall, they "walked not after the flesh" (Ro 8:1). Had they passed their "final" they would have achieved overcoming status and (Like the overcomers of Rv 6:9-11) would have gone "under the altar" and inherited their rewards of immortality; never to be tempted again.

Jesus took this same "final exam" in the garden of Gethsemane on the night he was betrayed into the hands of sinners. - He passed, and is sat down in his Father’s throne where all overcomers will sit - in 3rd heaven! (Rv 3;21)

instead; because of the sin of disobedience, (cf 1S 15:23) he was "cast down to hell." Now "the spirit of anti-Christ", "the man of sin", the carnal nature, which Adam authored, epitomized, and typified, became the prince of the power of the air; the god of this world; the king of the bottomless pit. Unfortunately, for Adam’s offspring, his carnal nature was bequeathed to them. This "curse" was ordained by God in Ge 3;14.

I’ve said all this to show who the first angel was in Peter and Jude that lost, or rather, left their habitation (paradise).

Without spending another 50 pages on the Hell subject, let me just say that hell is "beneath" heaven in every way but geographically!

Just as heaven is referred to as an "estate" (or condition would be another word), so hell in the Bible depicts an "estate" or condition of relationship with God. If you’re in "heaven", you’re having a relationship with God - in life! If you’re in "hell", you are among those who are "ungodly". You are in the realm of the dead -- spiritually not physically.

1Ti 5:6 "she that liveth in pleasure (fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind; children of the devil - Ep 2:3; Jn 8:44; 1J 3:8) is dead while she liveth." This person’s "estate" is hell, the abode of the "living dead". God only counts someone "alive" if they have died to the sins of the flesh; put off the old man; destroyed the works or deeds of the *devil; condemned *sin in the flesh. **devil and sin both same..

Lk 9:24 "whosoever shall save his (Adamic) life shall lose it (eternally); but whosoever will lose his (Adamic) life for my sake, the same shall save it (forever).

The next vital point to understand is that Adam and other principal men, are called angels in several places in the Bible.

I have already covered this point, but let me remind you briefly. first of all, understand that angels are called stars in Rv 1:20.

then you will find it plausible, that every instance where men are called stars, they may also be rightfully referred to as angels.

Therefore "the angels of the seven churches" were the bishops or overseers or pastors of the churches of Asia.

Therefore, likewise, the stars or angels in Ge 37:9 were the 12 patriarchs; and the stars, or angels, in Rv 12:1 were the 12 apostles (cf 2Ti 4:10,16); and the stars, or angels, in Jdgs 5:20 are the kings that fought in the previous verse. And the stars, or "host of heaven" in Da 8:10 are the "mighty and holy people" in the revised version of the same story, retold in Verse 24; (note the Bible will always interpret itself!) and the stars,or angels

in Jude 13 are the false teachers in the early rain church (also likened unto clouds, trees, & waves: for a reason); and the stars, or angels, in Da 12:3 are all the saints in the church that participate in the saviors continued work, as saviors themselves -- after that they themselves were converted. (cf Jude 23).

Mt 13:30 "... in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn (chosen few that make up "church of the first born" - (He 12:23)

Then, Jesus interprets the parable: v 39 "... the harvest is the end of the world (primarily, the Jewish world - He 9:26); and the reapers are the angels."

**Compare these 2 verses with Mt 21:34 also

22:3 parables

and with Mt 24:31

Compare all this to Jn 4:31-38

Jesus said to his disciples, "I sent you to reap..."

Compare to 1Co 3:8 & Da 12:3

Note also; He 1:14 "Are they (angels) not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation."

The early rain harvest from AD 30 to AD 70 (possibly as late as AD 100) was the fulfillment of all these verses, when the ruling elders & disciples of the Christian church went throughout the land to save as many of "the called" as they could. The "fire" of AD 70 got the rest. (tares)

In concluding this point, the angels of Peter and Jude were Adam & Eve. They were the "fathers" of all that disobey God. (remember Is 43:27 & Jn 8:44)

I realize that this comes by Revelation, and I pray that you will receive it. (cf Mt 11:14)

It is no accident that these angels (Adam & Eve) are mentioned first in Peter & Jude’s account of the degeneration of mankind: notice that Peter goes on to enumerate "the old world" between Adam and Noah, and then Sodom & Gomorra in Abraham’s dispensation. No doubt the angels mentioned in 2P 2:11 are 3rd heaven angels, and not men; but Peter goes on to call all the "cursed children" "natural brute beasts." This is because Peter is identifying the new "estate" that has befallen the unrighteous lineage of Adam & Cain.

Solomon also saw this & desired that it be "revealed" (cf 2Th 2:6).

Eccl 3:L18 "I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts." Ps 49:20 & Ac 10:9-12 & Ps 22:16 also render God’s portrayal of man’s "estate" as un-regenerated creatures.

Peter calls them "natural" because of the beast nature that they manifest. The nature of a beast and the nature of fallen man are the same. Note Eccl 3:19-20

It is the carnal or earthly nature, not to be confused with the nature of God; the divine nature; or, "the nature of Angels" (3rd heaven type) -- He 2:16

This verse in He 2:16 shows that there are 2 natures:

"He (Jesus) took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the Seed (nature) of Abraham...to be made like unto his brethren."

**Compare to 1J 3:9 "whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His Seed (the nature of God) remaineth in him..."

No more wavering between the 2 natures; no more double-mindedness; no more being

sanctified and then running back out into the 1st heaven where repentance from dead

works is still being performed & repeated. -- Jms 1:7-8 & Rv 3:12

"He shall go no more out"

"His seed remaineth"

Jn 15:16 "I have chosen you that ye should go and bring forth fruit (in yourselves first), and that your fruit should remain."

Had Jesus not taken on the nature of Abraham (& Adam & all the sons of Adam), he would have remained equal to the angels. But God prepared a body of flesh for him (He 10:5) So that he would be "like his brethren." Not (any longer) like the angels. He could not have been tempted.

Obviously my point is that angels (being without "the likeness of sinful flesh" - Ro 8:3) cannot be tempted, for they have not the beast nature of men. This is what makes the 3rd heaven angels of 2P 2:11 "greater in power & might." It is also what makes the angels of He 2:9 "higher" than Jesus when he came to earth in the flesh of men.

This is why the term "nature" as it appears in Eph 2:3 is significant. We all, when we "walked after the flesh" (Ro 8:1), walked after the nature that we were born with. The lower nature; the earthly nature; the beastly, animalistic nature: in this, we may be tempted all the day long, but when we take part, or "partake of the divine nature" (2P 1:4), we have the power necessary to bring the lower nature into subjection. (remember 1Co 9:27); then we are obliged to be "killed all the day long" or in other words, to "die daily." (Ro 8:36; 1Co 15:31)

If we will willingly "lose our life" - Lk 9:24 then we have a precious promise to be "equal to the angels!"

Lk 20:35 "They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor or given in marriage: neither can they die anymore: for they are equal unto the angels..."

Note: "equal to the angels" Lk 20:35

"as the angels" Mt 22:30

"like his brethren" He 2:17

One may easily discover the meaning of the word equal by comparing it to the term that the other gospel writer used, and by comparing it to a corresponding phrase used in the same context. This will have greater significance when looking into Phl 2:6 and the Godhead subject.

The main point I’m making in all of this is that the nature of 3rd heaven creatures is entirely different than the nature of earthly creatures.

Angels have not the flesh of men. 1Co 15:40 "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another."

I repeat, angels have not the flesh of men. Jesus took on the flesh & nature of men so that he could have the flesh of men; (hence, He was made lower than the angels) so that he could have the passions & lusts of men; so that he could be tempted (for every man is tempted when drawn away of his own lusts); so that he could taste death (angels can’t die

because they have not the flesh, seed, or nature of men!)

I’m repeating all this for the sake of emphasis. Lk 20:35 becomes a key principal that should be understood -- why?

Because if you continue to believe that angelic beings from 3rd heaven can sin, then you won’t be able to accept the fact that 2P 2:4 & Jude 6 cannot be invisible, 3rd heaven angels; there fore, there could never have been a rebellion in 3rd heaven among the angels! so, "the lusts of" the devil in Jn 8:44 could not have been an invisible, 3rd heaven angel.

In concluding this subject of the 2 natures, let me point out 2 final things; 1. the lusts of the flesh necessary to produce sin & death are in men of this world. I hope I’ve made that clear through the scriptures. A careful study of these verses along with the second chapter of Hebrews will reveal this vital fact; Lk 20:35 Jms 1:14

2P 1:4 Eph 2:2-3

In addition, let me add 7 scriptures that reveal the source of lust. Bear in mind that the meaning of the word "of" is "from" or "by". Primarily, as in the case of these 7 verses, it is rendered, "derivation, source, cause, motive, or reason."

Eph 2:3 "... we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh."

Gal 5:24 "They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections & lusts."

Ro 13:14 "put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."

1P 2:11 "abstain from fleshly lusts."

Ro 6:12 "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."

2P 2:18 "They (false prophets & teachers) allure (tempt; draw) through the lusts of the flesh."

1J 2:15-16 "all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh ...."

(2) Concerning the mono-nature of Jesus becoming a dual nature in AD zero, let me show an old testament type or figure that Jesus himself used to show this.

Jesus declared in Jn 3:14, "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish..."

Nu 21:6-9 "The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people ("the sting of death in sin - the bite of serpent nature gives death); and much people of Israel died ... and the lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."

what a beautiful type! When the rod of God (Jesus) touched the earth, it became ("in the likeness of sinful flesh") a serpent. cf Ex 4:2-4

Jesus came "in the fashion of men;" "made in the likeness of men" (Phl 2:L7-8) and "took upon himself flesh; the seed (nature) of Abraham; or, the serpent nature. Now he was the Son of God and the Son of man; his gold nature became combined with man’s brass nature. (note: brass is an alloy; a mixture of base metals), But for 33 1/2 years Jesus crucified His serpent nature and "became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey

(behold; look upon; believe in) Him" - He 5:9

He destroyed (in himself) "he that had the power of death" (He 2:14) and now, "by his stripes we (who believe in him & look unto him - He 12:2) are healed" - of our serpent bite, through the cross of Christ!

I stress that final remark -- through the cross of Christ, because many today do not believe and will not believe that the cross of Christ is, also, to be our cross. I realize I’ve already mentioned this, but it needs to be emphasized just as all the epistles emphasize it.

Many believe that we have no cross of our own to bear; these are really what Paul calls "the enemies of the cross of Christ" in Phl 3:18; those that will not accept the fact that we must also carry the cross of Christ "daily" (Lk 9:23; Mt 10:38; Mk 8:34; Lk 14:27). This is exactly what the point of the exhortation is in He 12:2-13.

"Liking unto Jesus" doesn’t involve just standing there with your idle hands folded, and gazing into heaven; neither does "walking as he walked" (Jn 2:6) mean trying to figure out how Jesus physically walked down the road.

But all of these scriptures about looking and walking have to do with living how he lived, and Jesus "suffered in the flesh" every inch of the way. Only with this kind of believing and looking and walking can we have the true peace and joy of the Lord.

As Paul said, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed IN us." I say -- Amen!!

Out of the 150 times that some form of the word "deceive" is used in the Bible, only 2 verses seem to attribute the source of deception or anything other than men’s own evil devices.

Rv 12:9 "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world."

Rv 20:7-10 " Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the nations ... Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle ... and they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about ... and fire came down from god out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire ..."

I say that the Bible demands that we reconcile or correlate these 2 verses to the remaining 148 verses which show men’s own heart to be the culprit. The chief example of which is Je 17:9 "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

Another important verse is Mk 7:20-23 and Ro 1:28:32 which show the heart to be the source of deceit.

Notice that deceit is only one of many traits attributed to the corrupt human heart. Mk 7:23 sums them up like this; "all these evil things come from within." (not without! - Mk 7:15)

To put it bluntly, we have a sinful nature that holds us in darkness. This "sin" is our main trouble source; this nature is contrary to god. This inherent sin nature is contrary to God. This inherent sin nature is given other names in the Bible; names that are used to represent this "spirit" in men that "tendeth to sin" (Pr 10:16). A few of these are enumerated in the 1st verse reference I gave. (Rv 12:9). Notice these next 2 references

where, instead of the name "serpent or "devil" being used, the writer more specifically targets our trouble source.

Ro 7:11 "For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me."

He 3:13 "Exhort one another daily ... lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

Lastly, on this thought, notice if you will the context of Eph 4:22 thru 27. Upon careful examination you will notice that the same parallel occurs here as in Jms 4:1-7.

Eph 4:22 "Put off concerning the former conversation the old man (yet another name for the sin nature), which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.

Here, it is more specifically pinpointed, that our lust is the source of deceit. Before this we saw sin as the source. But remember that sin itself is the result of lust according to Jms 1:15.

However, what I mainly want to point out here is that the text starts with identifying the "old man" as the source of the deceitful lusts, and ends up just 5 verses later calling him the devil.

This same occurrence is found in Jms 4. He starts in the first five verses to identify our fleshly lusts as the source of our troubles, and ends up referring to our lustful spirit

as the devil in verse.

One final point: Though we understand that God is the source of all things, or, the prime creator of all things as mentioned in Eph 3:9 yet, god will not claim to be "the author of confusion" (1Co 14:33). That is because God does not want us to be ignorant of the fact of man’s will being independent or free.

James, however, does reveal the author just prior to chapter 4.

Jms 3:16 "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."

"If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts ... this wisdom descendeth not from above. But is earthly, sensual, and (yes, once again) devilish!"

Pr 1:24-31 "For that they hated knowledge (knowledge of god- 2Co 10:5), and did not choose the fear of the Lord ... therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices" -- (cf Pr 14:14)

device - that which is devised ...

devise - to form in the mind by new combinations of ideas; to invent; scheme.

Webster

consider: in the beginning God made man with the power to choose.

consider: many scriptures show that we are the trees of the garden rather than that Adam and Eve had to go to a tree somewhere to be tempted.

E.G. Is 60:21 "Thy people also shall be all righteous" they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified ... 61:3 ... that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."

Jn 15:5 "I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the

same bringeth forth much fruit ... v 16 ... I have chosen you ... that ye should go and bring

forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." (what fruit? Gal 5:22)

Mt 7:15 "Beware of false prophets ... ye shall know them by their fruits ... every *good tree bringeth forth good fruit ... every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

Consider: Adam had the power to choose life or death (cf Dt 30:19) life comes from Jesus Christ or His Spirit (note 2Co 3:6; Rm 8:2). *The Holy Ghost in you is *the good tree.

The earthly or carnal nature in men is the corrupt tree. Another name for this tree is the old man:

1Co 15:47 "the first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy."

Eph 4:22 "Put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is *corrupt ...

As everyone knows, the old man is not really a tree though it is symbolically referred to as one; neither is the old man a fallen invisible angel, but rather it is an intrinsic part of us as an earthly natural creature; hence, "... our old man ..." Ro 6:6

Jude 12 " ... clouds they are without water .. trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots ..."

Je 6:19 "Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it." (remember Pr 1:29-31)

Consider: Adam and Eve did not eat an apple, nor did they continue to eat the bread of life (which is the word of God) as they should have, but they "partook" of the corrupt tree or mind (the old man) and died. "their own way" & "their own thoughts, was the fruit they ate. note.

Ro 7:5 "When we were in the flesh (corrupt tree), the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death."

Ro 6:21 "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."

Ge 1:11 "Let the earth bring forth ... the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind ..."

note: This is a natural and spiritual law of God - a tree yields fruit after it’s kind.

Lk 6:43:45 "A *good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a *corrupt tree bring forth good fruit ... (notice the symbolism being used here) ... a *good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good (note here; Is 3:10 "say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings." & Pr 12:12 "the root of the righteous yeildeth fruit ... Pr 11:30 ... the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life."); and an *evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of (the thoughts & intents of) the heart (the mind) his mouth speaketh."

See separate dissertation on heart/mind

You and I have evil thoughts regularly. These are not injected into our minds by some invisible demon somewhere that has come to our house to harass us; but rather "that old serpent" is the voice of self or the old man’s voice, the call of the carnal mind or human heart. The natural heart of man is wicked enough by itself that we should not need an external influence to tempt us. God put that heart in man to try him; to prove him. The carnal mind of man is the father of lies. The carnal mind of man is the forbidden fruit that we are not to touch, but are to resist.

Adam’s carnal nature devised a lie and he followed through with it.

Adam "imagined a vain thing" and disobeyed God.

Adam doubted God and left his paradisaical estate.

Ho 10:13 "Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; *ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way."

*this is what Adam really ate; he ate an evil thought and desired to be like god.

Mt 15:19 "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts ..."

Eccl 3:10 "I have seen the travail, which god hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it ... also he hath set the world in their heart."

Je 17:9 "the heart (not some invisible spook hiding in the dark) is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."