Caller: We were studying the other night about the false miracles that Satan was going to be performing in the end time, and we came across where Satan can impose affliction on people and then take it away and it seems like he has performed a miracle. Well, then we came across the chapter where Jesus in Matthew 12:22, about Jesus and Beelzebub, and I wanted to know exactly what He was meaning by that, that Satan can't cast out Satan.
Pastor Doug:Let me read this to our friends, I think we have time to read the Scripture it says in Matthew 12:25, But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 'If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 'And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, that means the king of flies, that was another name for the devil by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.'
You've asked a very good question, If Satan casts out Satan, then what are we going to do? I have an answer for you. Stay with us, and all our friends listening, don't go away, we'll be back with more Bible answers. You can call us, 1-800-God-Says. Be right back.
Thank you, friends, if you just joined us you're listening to Bible Answers Live, this is a live call-in Bible answer program. You can participate by dialing this number 800- it's a free phone call 800-God-Says, we get our answers from the Bible, thats 463-7297.
We've been talking to James, and James had a good question: It seems that Satan is going to impersonate Christ in the last days, we believe that thoroughly, and he may, in order to convince people that he's Christ, he may even do the illusion of making someone sick and then remove the sickness and make it appear that he has cast out the devil. But Jesus said in Matthew 12, if Satan casts out Satan, his kingdom cannot stand.
Now was Jesus saying that Satan cannot cast out Satan, or was Jesus saying 'If Satan does cast out Satan, his kingdom will not stand.'? I think Christ is telling us that Satan's kingdom is doomed. He's going to attempt to convince us that he is Christ by casting himself out, but where there's division in the ranks there cannot be success.
You can talk into the microphone, David, he was whispering to me, but I'll let him talk.
Co-Host: Okay, James, I was just going to point out also that Jesus was using this logic to show that it would be foolish for Him to be casting out demons in the name of Satan because He would be working against His own kingdom if that were the case. So obviously He was not casting out Satan in the name of Satan, but in the name of God.
Pastor Doug:That's right, and that, of course, is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit when you start attributing to God's Spirit the devil's attributes.
Caller: So, in a sense, there's certain miracle workers today who are claiming to cast out Satan in the name of God, then are they in a sense blaspheming?
Pastor Doug:Well, some of them could be. Of course, I believe that God still does perform miracles, and I don't want to make a broad sweeping general statement that everybody who is casting out devils is from the devil, but I believe that Satan does create illusions for the purpose of deceiving. That statement in Matthew 12 was never intended to say that Satan will not masquerade as an angel of light, because the Bible says I believe in 2 Corinthians, Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light for the purpose of deceiving.
Let me give you an example in the Bible: Moses casts down his rod to prove the power of God. Then the Pharoah claps his hands and the magicians of the Pharoah come in and cast down their rods. They try to prove they're working for God, too, by using the very same miracle, but they're working for the devil. The nice thing, though, is that Moses snake ate their snake, so we know which one had the power.
Thanks, James good question. I hope we've been some help to you.