The Prince of the World Stands Condemned
Hi Everyone,
Today is a beautiful spring day that is supposed to reach 86 degrees! Yes! 86 degrees in New Jersey. We are having Florida weather at the end of April! How exciting!
I am sharing a vision that I received during prayer just two days ago. The Lord is faithful. He is more than willing to share his heart and his messages with anyone who will simply sit with him. But we have to be willing to give God our time. We can become so busy that we have too much to do, and very little time.
But in all the busyness, we can make time for our families and our closest friends, so let’s give the Lord our time and become a friend of his. For me, the Lord is my confidant, the one who I share my deepest thoughts, concerns and feelings. I know he understands me more than I understand myself!
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchble things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
The Visions
The Praying Mantis
In the first vision, I saw a praying mantis. It has a tiny slender body with the two front legs that appear to be in a “praying stance.” The praying mantis is a fierce predator and consumes other insects like grasshoppers and bees. The larger mantids can also consume small animals. The female mantis is exceptionally fierce in that after mating, she consumes her mate.
The scripture that immediately came to mind was this:
“But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.” Galatians 5:15
This is the scripture’s context:
For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.” Galatians 5:13-15
After reading about the praying mantis, I realized that the subject and focus of this vision was quite different than what I had expected. So I decided to go back to prayer to understand its interpretation.
I asked the Lord to show me a passage in scripture to help me understand. I opened the Bible to Isaiah 14 where it reads:
How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Isaiah 14:12-15
This well-known passage speaks of the devil and how he was thrown down to earth. It was still not clear to me, so I prayed again and once more I asked the Lord to show me another passage. I opened the Bible and my eyes fell on a passage in Luke where Jesus speaks of the exact event, when Satan was cast out of heaven to the earth! Imagine that! Wow!
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:17-18
And just yesterday, a friend asked me about the devil being hurled to earth. Her question was: “Was the devil cast out of heaven before or after the fall of Adam and Eve?”
I responded that it was before. Satan was cast out of heaven because of his rebellion against God. His desire was to be worshipped as the Most High! Satan used the same desire to tempt Eve: the desire to be like God, to know what is good and what is evil.
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1-5
Eve bought his lie, and she ate the fruit of the tree and gave some to Adam. He ate the fruit even though he knew that it had come from the forbidden tree: Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. As the devil had fallen and was cast out of heaven, now Adam and Eve had fallen and were cast out of the Garden of Eden.
When we go against God’s expressed will, we will incur judgment. Adam and Eve lost the authority that had been given to them by God.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. Genesis 1:28-30
The authority that they lost through their rebellion, the devil grabbed for himself. He is called “the prince of this world.” However, the devil now stands condemned because Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross paid for our sins and purchased our salvation. The devil knows that his time is short, so he and his demons plan to take as many souls to hell with them as possible.
“When he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regards to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regards to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:8-11
The Praying Mantis in the vision looked harmless, being so thin and tiny. But in reality the mantis is a devil in disguise. It is a ruthless predator, hiding in plain sight, appearing as a twig or leaf. But to the insect or animal that comes near, it is death. We need to be aware that we also have a enemy that wants to take us down.
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
Satan considers himself to be superior to all other created beings, especially because he is most beautiful. A passage in Ezekiel, speaks of Lucifer’s (Satan’s) beauty and why he was cast to the earth.
You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper,lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; Ezekiel 28:12-17
Pride, and the desire to be like God are potential sins for us all. If the devil could fall, and Eve could fall for acting on those same desires, then shouldn’t we be concerned, for we all share the same human weaknesses?
In what ways do we want to be like God?
We want our will over God’s will.
We want to do our own thing and go our own way without any interference from God.
We are selfish and self-centered.
We want all the glory and honor for ourselves.
We think that our wisdom, knowledge and insight are far superior to those of others.
We think we know what is best, and others should respect our opinions.
We think we are better than others in many respects.
We are so full of ourselves! We do not want anything to deter our plans. We want the best for ourselves. This attitude of superiority and self-centeredness is abhorrent to God. Are we, his creation, made in the image of God, willing to make him our enemy? Shouldn’t we humble ourselves before him and give him the glory and honor that is due him. He is the creator of the entire universe. He hung the stars and created the breath in our bodies. It is time to check our egos, and the attitudes of our hearts.
Therefore the Lord said: "These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.” Isaiah 29:13
The heart is deceitful above all else, and desperately wicked; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9
But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3
Pride goes before the destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
What moves us?
Are we motivated by the Spirit of God, or are we motivated by our passions and desires?
Are we full of pride, arrogance and a critical spirit?
Do we come to church to worship and serve God, or are we coming out of a sense of obligation?
Do we seek the praises of men or the praises of God?
“Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” John 12:42-43
A common tendency is to look, act and think like those we choose to emulate. Generally we take our cues from the world around us. We might rationalize our choices and decisions by saying: “Everyone else is doing it, so I will too.”
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be accepted, loved and respected. However, when we compromise the will of God in order to be accepted by a group or individual, then we have made them superior to God. And doing something that is wrong or against God’s will just to keep the peace, or to appease someone is also sin. For out of the fear of man, we choose to sin rather than do what is right.
There is no reason that we can give, to justify sin. What could possibly be more important than God’s will for our lives? He knows everything about us; he knows what we need before we even ask.
“I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Jesus taught that we should seek the kingdom of God first:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
But, if we seek to please ourselves, or others, rather than pleasing God, we will find ourselves in bondage to our desires. When we do not restrain our fleshly passions, the flesh grows stronger and more demanding. Our spirit weakens and our conscience becomes dull. Without turning back to God with repentant hearts, we will fall away from the faith entirely.
Jesus warned the church at Sardis of falling away because they were living to please themselves.
I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains, which is about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God. Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.
But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white. Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. Revelation 3:1-5
So we have to strengthen our spirits and put to death our flesh. It is a matter of surrendering our wills to God’s. We have to deny our flesh and its passions by fasting, praying and renewing our minds with the Word of God. And we strengthen our spirits through those same disciplines: fasting, praying and the Word of God.
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another. Galatians 5:16:26
If we have been born again and filled with the Spirit of God, then we must mature in our faith and develop a sensitivity to the leading of the Spirit.
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Romans 8:9-1
Our life on this earth is short. It was originally designed by God to be a place where we were to live in harmony with God, enjoying his fellowship. But since the fall, this earth has become a place where our faith will be tested. We need to be restored to him now, so that we can enjoy his presence for all eternity.
The vision of the praying mantis was a surprise to me. Initially, I thought it was about prayer, but instead the praying mantis represents hypocrisy, evil and the devil. The mantis looks pious, as if praying continually, but inside he is a ferocious beast, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The female mantis is treacherous, able to turn on her mate and devour him! She is very much like the devil, who parades as an angel of light. Let us not fall into the devil’s trap, but follow the narrow road that leads to life.
Let’s walk in the Spirit and be moved by what moves God. Let us take warning— wolves and hypocrites will not inherit the kingdom of God. Let us not be partners with the devil who is the father of lies. Instead let us walk in the light of Christ.
Thank you for reading and sharing this post. We need everyone to be aware of the devil’s schemes! God bless you!
A Prayer for Salvation and Rededication
Dear Jesus,
I know that you died on the cross, a terrible death, so that I might live. Your shed blood was payment for my sin, so that I might be reconciled to the Father, for it is sin that separates us from Him. I ask you to forgive me for the sins that I have committed both in thought and in deed. I ask that you forgive me for my sins that came as a result of my failure to act. Lord please forgive me and fill me with your Holy Spirit. I ask that you write my name in the Book of Life, that when I leave this earth, that I will be able to spend all eternity with you in heaven. I acknowledge that you are not only my Savior, but also my Lord and my King. I pledge to you my loyalty and I commit my spirit and my entire life to your care. Thank you Jesus that you have removed my sins as far as the east is from the west, and you said that you will remember them no more. I belong to you and you are mine. I am born again, born of the Spirit of God. Thank you Jesus! Help me to live for you! So Be It! Amen!
