Welcome to this exciting class. The subject is exciting, the material is exciting, and you are exciting. Thank you for taking your valuable time to sit in this unique class and study the universe we live in. There is darkness over a large part of our world, and we need to understand it, know how to deal with it, and realize that we are the conquerors. Nowhere in the Bible are you told to fear evil or run away from the devil. We are not runaways or cowards; we are fighters, and we are winners.

In this class, we are studying Demons and Deliverance, Principalities and Powers, using the teaching syllabus from our World Harvest School of Continuous Learning (associated with our regular Bible college work in South Bend, Indiana). We are delighted to share these lessons. The syllabus, the complete audio series, and the video tapes are all available to help you study this in your own home.

In our introductory lesson, we looked at the spiritual needs of our world. Today, our lesson is titled "Preparation for Action." It is essential to prepare our hearts for this ministry. In the New Testament, we read about brothers who tried to cast out an evil spirit without preparation; the evil spirit overcame them, tore their clothes off, and chased them out of the house. Preparation is necessary. To engage in deliverance, you must first acquire knowledge. God cannot bless ignorance. Ignorance does not mean you are stupid; it simply means you haven't learned yet. It is time to learn the biblical truths regarding demons, the occult, spiritism, and the supernatural realm.

First, you must understand that our universe is no accident. It did not evolve through erratic, fortuitous forces of unknown origin. It is hard to understand how someone with a Ph.D. can look at the stars and claim there is no God. You cannot look at a watch and claim there is no watchmaker. Claiming that a watch made itself over billions of years borders on sheer stupidity. Look at the natural wonders around us—a cow eating green grass, producing white milk, which churns into yellow butter. Look at a hen eating red worms and laying white eggs protected by a shell. These are natural phenomena that reflect intelligent design.

There are people being hurt by negative spiritual forces today who do not understand why they are suffering. If the church is to address this problem, we must learn. The universe is structured with intelligent design. The sun, moon, stars, mountains, and seas all operate under fixed, intelligent laws. Light does not travel at one speed today and another tomorrow. The galaxies are immeasurable and vast, far beyond human comprehension. The cosmic dimensions are intricate, known in their origin, and completely orderly—you can set your clock by them. Our planet is a real, structured part of this universe, not floating in confusion.

There are three known sources of intelligent power in our universe, and this series will focus heavily on power—specifically exposing the enemy's power. Most of the devil's power is merely assumed power. It is like a childhood bully threatening you; it is only imaginary until you stand up to it. The devil only has the power he steals from you. He stole authority from Adam and Eve in the Garden. In Genesis 1:26-27, God gave dominion to Adam, meaning the devil had none. The devil is the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), but he has no rightful dominion on this earth. Any authority he exercises here is assumed and pretended. When he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, they were not his to give, which is why Jesus did not even bother to answer his empty claim.

Let's look at the three sources of power:

God's Power: God is the creative, benevolent power of the universe. He is a personal God. Scripture speaks of the eyes of the Lord, the finger of God writing the commandments, and God walking. He created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). While the devil came to destroy, Jesus came to bring abundant life. God's power is evident all around us, in the growth of grass and the blooming of flowers. When you see God's power in its proper perspective, you will not fear the devil.
Man's Power: Man possesses a neutral power. We are not born inherently good or bad in terms of active spiritual power, but we have the potential to yield to either the positive power of God or the negative power of the enemy. As the Apostle Paul wrote, whoever you yield yourselves to obey, you become their servant (Romans 6:16). There is no true neutrality; you are either under God's authority or yielding to the enemy's influence. Man's neutral power is like an electrical wire. By itself, the wire does nothing. But when connected to a power plant, it channels energy to run machinery. We must decide which energy source to connect to. Christians connect to the positive, life-giving power of God. Millions of others yield their neutrality to negative energy—anger, hate, envy, lust—resulting in destroyed homes, businesses, and lives. Connecting to God changes everything. When we flow with His energy, we can pray for the sick and see lives transformed. It is not our own power, but God's power flowing through us.
The Devil's Power (Satan/Lucifer): The devil is a malevolent personality. His entire energy is dedicated to destroying what God has made. We see his destructive work throughout history—from instigating the Tower of Babel to entering Judas. Judas loved Jesus, but he allowed the devil to influence him through the love of money, which choked his life and led to his self-destruction. The devil is a thief, a killer, and a destroyer (John 10:10). He is an cosmic gangster, walking the earth to cause sorrow and ruin. But Jesus came to give us abundant life.

The Bible is the only authoritative source of information about Satan. It contains over 200 references to him. In Genesis 3, he enters human history as a fallen angel. Job 1 reveals him as an oppressor of the righteous. Matthew 4 shows his audacity in tempting Christ. And Revelation 20:10 predicts his final, eternal incarceration in prison due to his rebellion.

The devil hates exposure. He is a camouflager, masquerading as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) to make people believe he is good. People think spiritism, occultism, and foreign gurus are harmless, but they are actually accessing the netherworld instead of the heavenly realm.

We must give no honor, praise, or fear to the enemy. Exposing his works does not honor him; it tears his works to pieces and puts him out of commission. As disciples, we must believe, accept, and follow the Word of God to set humanity free. There are people trapped in the devil's clutches through ignorance, sin, or fear, and they need believers with positive faith to deliver them through God's mighty power.