How to Know Who’s Talking to You
There is an awesome truth that many people do not understand:
Demons and angels live in the same realm: the spiritual realm; they speak to you in the same place: your mind.
You know the story: Satan disguised himself as a serpent in the Garden of Eden and enticed Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of good and evil – something God had expressly told her husband not to do (Genesis 3). The Bible identifies one of Satan’s character traits in the first verse of that chapter: Cunning. In my American English language that word means “sly; clever in deceiving; crafty, artful, guileful; ingenuous, skillful.”
Do you get the picture? Eve had no idea from whom she was receiving advice that day! Satan, the crafty, skillful and sly fallen angel had “disguised” himself, presenting himself in a manner that was totally acceptable to the first human citizens of earth. Quite frankly, I would be very skeptical (and downright terrified!) if a snake started talking to me – but I suppose Adam and Eve were accustomed to that kind of strange phenomena. 🙂 What they apparently did not know was that Satan, God’s enemy, could disguise himself as one of their “garden companions”. We are still living with the results of that trick of the old, “Sneaky Snake.”
Does Satan still use that sort of trickery today? Certainly, he does not present himself in the form of a serpent. Yet, he utilizes the same techniques he used in the Garden of Eden. Let’s look closer at his method in the Garden of Eden.
2. He spoke a partial ‘truth’; (“Has not God said . . .” )
3. He elevated the first family’s minds to think they were smarter than God. (“Of course you won’t die!) I received an email in October of 1997 from a young man in England. He wanted to tell me about how he and a group of his friends had “accidentally” called up the angel, Gabriel, in a s?ance using a ouiji board. The “angel” told them that it was okay with God if they used the board – except at Halloween. According to this so-called angel, God was against using the board on Halloween, but not at other times.
Notice how the “angel” deceived this group of young people: First, he used something that was common and ordinary to them: the name, “Gabriel.” Then he presented them with a partial truth saying that “it is okay to use Ouija boards EXCEPT on Halloween”. Did you recognize the “half truth?” God IS against using any form of witchcraft (Ouija boards, seances, incantations, spells, magic, etc.) at ANY time! The statement: “except on Halloween” – is NOT true. Don’t be deceived! God is against witchcraft ALL the time. These young men were not talking to God’s holy angel, Gabriel. They were entertaining a demonic spirit from Satan, a very dangerous situation because Satan’s chief aim is to “kill, steal and destroy” the children of God. He hates us. He will use any means to destroy us.
Let’s look at another example of Satan’s deception in today’s time. Belief in Angels – i.e. angle-mania. Yes, you read it right. Modern society is so riveted to the subject of angels that they have become common and ordinary in conversation, decoration, religions – angels are everywhere! We are all affected by the craze. You are, or you would not be reading this article. I am, or I would not have started the web site. Do you see what I mean? Angels are accepted by every nationality, religion and creed. Hence, wide-spread deception is possible – using that which is common and ordinary. Enter Satan.
We have to keep in mind Satan’s ultimate goal: Get even with God by destroying His children. Satan hates God; therefore, he hates God’s children. We must also keep in mind Satan’s nature: He is a liar and a deceiver. But, he’s extremely smart. He knows we would never knowingly listen to his voice, so he uses crafty, cunning methods to deceive us into thinking it is God (or His messengers) who are talking to us. In this “angel craze” that has swept the world, he gets us so focused on angels that we leave our Heavenly Father out of the picture.
How does he do that? Here are a few ways I have discovered.
- 1. He tries to trick us into believing that: angels are our spiritual guides. NOT TRUE! Our spiritual guide is the Holy Spirit – the third person of the Godhead – who lives within everyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. (If you have not done this, please do! Click Here.) Angels were not sent to earth to be our inner spiritual guides; they were sent to serve us from the spiritual realm in our physical realm. (Some people say you have an “angel within you,.” If you do, then you are demon-possessed. God’s holy angels DO NOT indwell you, control you, manipulate you. Only the Holy Spirit indwells God’s children.)
- 2. He tries to trick us into believing that: we should pray to angels for help. NOT TRUE! Our prayers should always be to God, the Father, in the Name of Jesus. Nowhere in the Scriptures will you find instructions to pray to angels. In fact, when John started to kneel before an angel, the angel quickly admonished him, “Don’t do that!” An angel of God will never receive your prayers or worship.
- 3. He tries to trick us into believing that: we should learn to communicate with our angels, and daily seek advice from them. NOT TRUE! God is not pleased when we spend hours, days, months trying to learn how to talk to his created beings. He is pleased when we spend that time communing with Him. Nowhere in the Scriptures will you find anyone seeking an angel for advice. They sought God. He SENT angels to them. Holy angels may bring you advice, comfort, physical help, direction, etc. – but only at the command of God – never because you sought their advice through prayer and worship.
- 4. He tries to trick us into believing that: it is easier to pray to or commune with angels than it is to approach God. He wants us to believe that God is too busy; too high and mighty; too stern, too unapproachable. NOT TRUE! On the contrary, the Scriptures tell us to come with boldness into the very throne room of God where we will find grace and mercy to help us in our times of need. When we approach God through His method (Jesus Christ) He always accepts us with open, loving arms. When you accept Jesus into your heart, God becomes your “abba, Father” – your very personal “daddy.” As a child I would crawl up in to my father’s lap, lay my head on his chest and tell him all my problems and secrets. He was my father – yet I called him, “Daddy.” Very personal. Very close. I could tell him anything. His love for me enabled me to do that. In the same way, I go to my heavenly Father – my “daddy.” There’s not anything I can’t ask of Him or tell Him. I am His special child. I dare to come into His presence with boldness because of His love for me. That love drives out all fear.
Our Heavenly Father says, “Beloved children, there are many spirits in the world. Some of them are not from me. Put them to the test. Don’t just believe everything you hear!” (1 John 4:1 – my paraphrase) Direction from God comes in many forms: His Spirit within us; His Word (the Bible), sermons, books, letters, people around us; “coincidental” circumstances; angelic encounters, etc. God is not limited just to he supernatural. He will use many methods to get our attention and to speak to us.
Yes, it is hard at times to know who is doing the talking. However, by spending time in prayer and in reading the Scriptures, we learn to discern His voice; His gentle guidance in our lives. It’s a tightrope, I agree, not to believe everything you hear – yet to remain open to hear spiritual things. Only by His Spirit can we walk the thin line. But, oh the joy that awaits those who do!
The lyrics of a song I used to sing has a wonderful message appropriate for this day: “There is an unseen hand to me That leads through ways I cannot see ; While going through this world of woe This hand still leads me as I go. I’m trusting to the Unseen Hand that guides me through this troubled land ; And some sweet day I’ll reach that strand still guided by the Unseen Hand.”
Trust in His “unseen hand” dear friend. Learn to listen for His voice. He will never lead you in the wrong way. As we spend more and more time with Him, we will recognize the source of all the “guidance” that comes our way. We will be able to resist the unholy and cling to that which is righteous and pure. We have His promise, “my sheep (children) know my voice . . .They will not follow the voice of a stranger (the evil one).”
(For More information on how to recognize evil angels, Click Here)