What Does The Devil Look Like?

I recently praised a little girl for taking the time to thank God for her food.  I added that some people don't think about God very much.  Her response shocked me: 'Because they think they are Him?' she asked.  Kids can say some really profound things!


A child recently asked me 'What Does the Devil look like?'  I interpreted that to mean: 'How can I know it's the Devil if I see him?'  A very good question.


As I was explaining that nobody knows what he looks like, and mostly you know if it's the Devil by how you feel in your heart, I was asked if he was white.  I had to chuckle.  'Some people would say so',  I responded.   I added that others would say he was black and some would say he is red.   Then I explained that he might look like a shining star, or like a dragon, or a snake.


It's not something we can pin down.  The Scriptures say that he can 'even appear' as an angel of light, from which it can be inferred that isn't how he usually looks.


He is also referred to as a dragon, in Revelation, and a serpent, in Genesis, which seduced Eve to sin (and resulted in all serpents being cursed to crawl on their belly).   That would infer, prior to that curse he had legs.  A 'serpent' /snake with legs could be describing a dragon here too.  And, there are other places in Scripture that translate the word 'serpent' or 'dragon', depending on the version of translation.


Satan, the Dragon, was thrown down to Earth, from Heaven, when he rebelled against God.  He is referred to, in some places, as 'Leviathan' and is said to live in the sea'.  Chapter 41, in the book of Job, is completely devoted to the description of a dragon. I don't know if this is describing Satan, or just any generic dragon that lived on Earth at the time.


Children don't have any problem believing this, but most adults probably see it as pretty far-fetched.  We are used to seeing angels portrayed as little, naked toddlers with wings, or as women with blond hair, arrayed in white silk, with wings on their backs and halos on their heads. How in the world did we settle on these images? 


Unless I'm forgetting something, the angels that Scripture describes are mature, masculine beings--or 'living creatures' that look like amalgamations of different animal and human parts, with wings, and many eyes all over their bodies!


Jesus also, in Revelation, appears as a lamb that looked as if it had been slain.  Apparently 'shape shifting' is the norm in the spiritual realm.


Which brings me to the reason I took the time to write this post: some of the things that we see in the years ahead may seem to be straight from a science fiction novel!


I suspect this for several reasons:

1. In studying the book of Revelation, it is clear to me that the demon spirit that either is (or will possess the man who is) the Antichrist, is not Satan.  Rather, it is a spirit whose name is Apollyon.
2. Shape shifting is part of the tradition of sorcery.
3. I sense that Satan is using Hollywood to desensitize us to horrendous looking beasts and shape shifters.

So what does Apollyon have to do with it?  Maybe nothing.  But I have a hunch that he is a demon with a nonhuman appearance, and that he is included in ancient folklore. 


Apollyon is the 'Beast out of the Sea' in Revelation 13, and is the same beast we are speaking about when we say 'The Mark Of The Beast'.  We also refer to him as 'The Antichrist'.


Although his description is similar to the description of Satan/The Dragon in Rev. 12, they are not the same.  He is however, the same beast that is described in Rev. 17, upon which the Whore of Babylon rides. 


Here it is explained that he 'once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction.  The inhabitants of the earth . . . (who aren't Christians) . . . will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.' (emphasis mine)  'The beast who once was, and  now is not, is an eighth king.'  (This refers to a vision involving 7 kings that come before him.  He is the eighth, and final king to rise from that kingdom--the Antichrist.)


Anyhow, my interpretation of the verses above gives me the idea that he may have a nonhuman appearance and be found in the writings of ancient man.  I don't think my other two reasons need explanation.


Ultimately though, if we are walking with the Lord, we will recognize him by the response of our spirit.  Will Christians that aren't walking with the Lord recognize him?  I don't know.  I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.  Will nonChristians recognize him?  Definitely not.  (Although perhaps those that are involved in the occult will--but that's a whole different story.  They may know he is a demon, but who know what twisted beliefs they have regarding what that means.)


Here is how I know for sure than nonChristians won't recognize him:

• '. . . but the fatal wound had been healed.  The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.' (emphasis mine)
• 'All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.'
• 'Because of the signs he (the second beast/false prophet) was given power to do on behalf of the first beast (Antichrist), he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.'
• 'For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.'
• 'The coming of the lawless one (Antichrist) will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.  They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.'

I don't like to devote a lot of my time to speculation, but I thought it worthwhile to post this--in the hope that you will keep an open mind, and be willing to 'think outside the box' when it comes to prophecies. Most of all, I'd hate to see you have your mind so firmly made up about how things will happen that you fail to realize when they do.


We don't know for sure how the fulfillment of prophecies will 'look', but I expect in a lot of cases it will be so mundane that it would be easy to miss--or so unbelievable and astonishing that we will be caught off guard!


Extraterrestrials . . .
Angels, Demons & Raising The Dead

Extraterrestrials-Could They Be Human?

I have not been inclined to believe in space aliens.  The Bible says that Satan can disguise himself even as an angel of light, and the Scriptures do not deal with the subject.  Therefore, I haven't spent my time delving into that.  I place the idea into one of two categories (or both):

1. a deception
2. a distraction

Because God does not address the matter in the Scriptures, I feel that it is not central to the point around which the Scriptures revolve.  There is no end to what God could have included in the Scriptures.  However, everything in them either points to, prophesies of, foreshadows or explains The Deal between God and man.  The timeline on The Deal is coming to a close, so that makes it even more of a priority to not get distracted.
That being said, I suspect that something to do with extraterrestrials (real or otherwise) will be a part of end times/latter days events.  
As I said, I have not spent my time delving into the matter and I am no expert.  Like everyone else, I have some familiarity with the subject.  Many people claim to have had encounters with otherworldly beings.  The dominant themes that emerge seem to be:

• Fear and negative feelings surrounding the encounter
• Being dominated
• Being physically examined
• Mental perceptions being altered

It also seems, but I could be mistaken, that most people describe these aliens similarly.  The pictures I have seen all portray them as humanoid, resembling fetuses in my opinion.
Here are my thoughts regarding who these beings, might be.
Whatever these beings are, they were created or allowed by God.  He was, in the beginning, the creator of all that existed.  Since then, many things have been created from what He provided in the beginning.  However, unlike God, no one has been able to create anything apart from the basic building blocks that God put in place.  Therefore these beings are subject to Him and the laws of His kingdom. 
While God's kingdom is based upon free will, these beings apparently do not respect the free will of those they encounter.  They dominate and control the objects of their interest. 
Now, IF life were to arise, by itself, in some distant galaxy-why would the beings so closely resemble humans?  Look at the incredible diversity of life here on earth and pair that with the odds of evolution!  What are the chances of such similarities AND the intersection between us and them both in TIME and in PLACE in the vastness of the universe that is billions of years old?!
The theories I have currently, which seem plausible to me, are:

1. The beings are fallen angels/demons
2. The beings had a human ancestor here on earth

(I won't elaborate on the first idea here, but it will be explained in the context of a future blog on The 2 Kingdoms.)
So, if we consider the idea that these beings had a human ancestor here on earth, it opens up a number of possibilities.  I'll admit that, because I don't have the time or the inclination to really ponder this to any degree, I have formed an opinion without a great deal of thought or research into the matter.  I have taken up this opinion based on things I do know, and an idea that came to me from who-knows-where*. 
I don't believe that humans have ever mastered time travel.  I believe that whenever they have been on the brink of that discovery, that God has 'pressed the reset button'.  But I have long thought that man, perhaps at one time, lived on Mars and utterly destroyed its atmosphere. 
It could be that pre-flood mankind did colonize other planets, or create space colonies of some sort.  It could be that these people, once sent into space, were affected both by the conditions of where they chose to live, and by having a limited gene pool for reproduction. Or they may have employed cloning, or some other method, to reproduce.  It is also possible that ancient man understood the DNA code and had chosen to create different races of men. What if these beings are humanoid and were either, by choice or circumstance, genetically altered or mutated?  What if they come in search of purer DNA to heal themselves?
My concern is either that these encounters are real and the enemy, using the opportunity they afford, will weave them into his plan for domination of all mankind (or that he has inspired the visits as part of his plan) OR that these are merely demonic entities and it is all part of his elaborate deception to conquer and control mankind.
Whichever the case, certain things remain true:

• There is a God that, in the beginning, created all things.  He is still alive and Lord over all.  He has given us all free will and, unless invited to by his people, will not interfere again in the affairs of mankind, until the appointed time.
• There is an enemy (Satan and his following of fallen angels/demons) whose time is short.  The keys to this world were given into his hands when Adam (to whom God had given the keys) chose to sin. He is one 'god' that goes by many names and it is his goal to control all of mankind and to enlist the support of as many as he can in his rebellion against God.
• Since Adam, all mankind is born into sin and each one will ultimately commit sin him/herself.  Once a person knowingly sins, they are cut off from relationship with God.
• God is a triune being-3 beings in one (Father, Son & Holy Spirit).  He decided that, to save mankind whom He loves, He must come to earth in flesh, live a sinless life and pay for the sins of all mankind, so that they could be reconciled to Him.
• He, The Son, surrendered Himself to death & hell, and paid the price of sin for all mankind.  He was resurrected on the third day.
• This Son, Jesus, is the ONLY way for mankind to have a relationship with God. By accepting His death & punishment on our behalf, by repenting of our sins, and by commiting ourselves to serve Him and live by His standards, we are set free.
• Whether these beings are descended from man or are fallen angels, they, as we are, are subject to God and created according to His plan.
• They will probably be part of a Satanic deception or distraction.
• They are irrelevant to God's plan for mankind.

*I believe ideas can come from several sources:

• God
• The enemy/Satan/demons
• Our own imaginations
• Other people
• Our intuition/gut feelings

I believe our intuition is our subconscious mind processing everything that we take in by way of our five senses.  It then produces a result that comes to us as a dream, an idea, or a feeling. 
Because our subconscious mind is aware of many more things that our conscious mind, and because it works in the background, free of conscious censorship, and because it can access all the memories that our conscious mind can forget, it can add a deeper dimension to our understanding of the world around us.
HOWEVER-it, just like our conscious mind, can be influenced by the other sources listed above.  It is also limited, like our conscious mind, to what it has actually experienced and perceived.  It is NOT a source of unlimited wisdom and absolute truth. 
It is sort of like the difference between a calculator and a supercomputer: it can process the information better and faster, and calculate more possibilies, but it is still dependent on the information that is given to it. 
For people that have learned to connect with their subconscious mind, it can be a valuable tool.


What Does The Devil Look Like?
Angels, Demons & Raising The Dead

Angels, Demons & Raising the Dead

A lot of things can be understood when one knows that there is a spirit world just beyond our perception-most of the time anyway. And, there are some people who are more sensitive and able to perceive things that others don't. The problems come because of the explanations we give to supernatural events. Here's the bottom line:

God exists and is supreme and created all things. The devil exists,along with many fallen angels. Satan opposes God and wants to challenge him for the throne. God said 'bring it on, but you're not welcome here in my domain' and He exiled Satan from heaven. So, Satan and his minions conduct their war from earth, and try to recruit people to their side--either with their consent, or by manipulation & deception. You are a pawn in a cosmic chess game. But, God's got your back--if you choose His side.

God and the devil ('the enemy', 'Satan', 'Lucifer', etc.) are adversaries NOT equals. The only power Satan wields is that which God allows him.  There is a reason God allows Satan, and evil, to exist-for now.  More on that in a future post.

To the best of my knowledge, Satan cannot take you or enter you against your will.  However, certain activities and dabbling in the supernatural IMPLY your consent and open the door to him.  If you don't want to open the door to being possessed, then DON'T participate in seances, tarot readings, ouija board games, fortune telling, palm reading, astrology, wicca, channeling, casting spells, astral projection, etc.  It's also not smart to tattoo yourself with pentagrams,  hang demonic pictures in your house, have porn, etc. Be wise about the music you listen to and the people you spend your time with.

If you think it would be fun to be possessed, stop and think about what it means.  It may start out as fun and games, and the bait is to get you thinking you'll be in control.  You poke your nose in a time or two and lightening doesn't strike you and everything seems to be ok, so you go for the bait and the steel jaws of the trap snap shut.  When you are possessed you do not control your body, your emotions, your thoughts, your sanity.  You lose your freedom to choose and to be in control of yourself and your life.  You become a prisoner in your own body.  You get stuffed deep inside and whatever is possessing you steals your identity, your body, your mind, your dreams, your courage, your will, and ultimately will try to take your life.

If this is the shape you are in already-God can set you free.  If you have the will to call out to Him, ask for His forgiveness and help, and  keep calling, He will eventually cross your path with that of someone who is able to help you find deliverance.  IF you have the will.

Demonic possession is much less common than demonic oppression.  Possession happens within your body, oppression happens outside of you.

In the spirit realm, which surrounds us, angels and demons are present.  If you engage in things that are interesting to demonic spirits you will have more of them around you.  If you are interested in truth and knowing God, this interests them and they will follow you and attempt to discourage, distract, and mislead you.  If you are dabbling in the occult, they will find you.  If you are engaging in sin, they will lead you in deeper and deeper.

God can read your mind, Satan can't.  What demons know about you is what they hear you say, see you write or type, or watch you do.

Demons can mentally oppress you.  They send thoughts at you in the first person (I am . . ., I wish . . ., I should . . ., etc.) so that you believe the thoughts are your own.  The more of a response they get from you, the more they will be encouraged to continue.  Demons don't need to sleep and their memories don't get fuzzy like ours.  They are tens of thousands of years old and have seen and understand quite a bit.  Fighting them in your own strength is most likely going to be futile, but do resist them.

Don't heap guilt on yourself for thoughts that cross your mind. Resist them, don't dwell on them, and steer clear of things that invite the enemy into your life.  You can't control the thoughts that come at you, but you are held responsible for which ones you choose to take the time to think about.

What you think about will shape your actions, and your actions will shape your character. Don't be fooled that you can 'look but not touch' or 'think but not act', because your looking and your thinking will eventually drive you to act.  Think of your looking and fantasizing as rehearsals--and 'just say no'.

A word on 'raising' the dead, through seances, etc.:  don't do it. You live once and then you die and face judgement.  There is no reincarnation.  Your granny, or Uncle Bob, or whoever, is not roaming around in some netherland hoping to make contact with you--but, as I already explained, demons are.

Now, stop and think.  If you and Uncle Bob are all alone (are you really alone?) on a fishing trip and something happens that only you and he know--are you really the only ones that know it?

Remember that there is a spirit world just beyond your perception--but the spirits in that world are able to move between their world and ours.  Remember that these spirits are always around you--you may even have one or more that follow you throughout your life-and their memories are perfect.

Who, besides you and Uncle Bob, might be able to describe that day and whatever it is that happened to you?  Who might remember the time, the weather, what you were wearing?  This is who you'll get if you try to raise Uncle Bob.  Obviously, having spent time with you and Uncle Bob, he can do a pretty good imitation of him too.



Extraterrestrials . . .
What Does The Devil Look Like?