Promotion: Satan’s “Blessing”
Promotion is a wonderful thing. When God promotes you, you get what’s coming to you (in a good way) and has been for a long while.
When God promotes you, no naysayer can bar your way, after all, the Scripture says:
“For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.”
There is also God-ordained promotion that comes from diligence, giftedness, and hard work.
“A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.”
“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.”
But what about the promotion that doesn’t come from God or hard work? Where does that come from. I’ll tell you: straight from hell. To put it even more bluntly, from Satan.
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
We see a picture of this during Jesus’ temptation.
“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, ‘All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.’”
(KJV puts things in such a way that other, more modern translations never could.)
As Bishop Tudor Bismark would say, the devil took Jesus into--not onto--a high mountain to show Him his machine, the systems and inner-workings of the world. In short, Satan offered Jesus the world on a platter, on one condition: that he “bow down” and worship Satan.
Obviously, I'm NOT telling anyone to "bow down" to Bey--but she is.
Now most people these days don’t literally bow down and worship or sell their souls to Satan. And those that do, I believe, are few and far between: singers, celebrities, athletes, diplomats, you get the idea. And, of course, those involved in Satanism and other branches of the Occult. However, I submit to you that serving Satan doesn’t necessarily require a formal agreement. In fact, there are many who serve him whilst thinking they serve God. (Scary isn’t it.)
“He who is not with Me is against Me…”
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”
God’s Word tells us that we are to not only hear the Word or know it, but to actually DO it. We are to be obedient and not rebellious to God and His Word. We are to be with God, not against Him. What the Apostle James says tells us this: we can be familiar with the Word and even with God, but not belong to God. So if this is you and you are in a constant state of promotion and exaltation, one can only wonder the true source behind it: God or Satan.
How Do We Discern between Godly & Demonic Promotion?
I should start by saying that this test can be used in other areas to test spiritual gifts (i.e. speaking in tongues, prophecy, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, etc.), spiritual demonstrations (i.e. healings, miracles, signs, and wonders), and angelic visitations, etc. In all things we are to test the spirits to see whether they are of God.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
We are also to test or judge the fruits of the person in question.
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Examine the person in question: do they have an authentic relationship with God? If married, is their marriage intact? If in a non-marital relationship, is the couple engaging in sexual acts? Are they tithing and giving offerings consistently? Do they have a foul mouth? Do they have consistent, questionable friends? Do they have a drinking problem. Do they frequent bars and clubs? Do they have a pornography problem? Are they in a constant state of rebellion to God’s Word?
If the fruits exhibited from the person in question are of the Spirit of God, then you can rest assure their promotion is from God. If they are the fruit of another, unholy spirit, then you can be sure the promotion is not. Judge accordingly.
Why Would Satan “Bless” Someone
Some may wonder why Satan would “bless” someone. The answer is simple: if he can get people to feel blessed without God, then they will come to believe that they don’t need God. And Satan wins.
Let’s pray all those blinded by the “god of this world” will have their eyes opened, in Jesus’ name, amen.
