From the archives of Oral Roberts – Second of two parts
The devil is loose! He once had his abode in heaven, but he was cast out with one-third of the angels that followed him. Those angels became demon spirits. And Lucifer, the archangel who was cast out, became the devil, our adversary, our tempter, deceiver, and accuser of the brethren—the one who comes to steal, kill, and to destroy (John 10:10).
Those demons are under Lucifer, and we are in a constant wrestling match. We are flesh and blood, but we’re fighting against principalities, against powers, and against the dark things of this earth. Therefore, Ephesians 6:13 instructs us to put on the whole armor of God so that we may be able to resist the devil’s attacks.
The devil does not abide in heaven, but he has access to it. As the angels of God come before the Lord in their seasons to give an account of their deeds upon the earth, so Lucifer, the devil, comes before God to give an account of the hurt and the damage that he is doing in the earth.
In Luke 9:55–56, Jesus rebuked His disciples for wanting to call fire down from heaven to destroy the people of Samaria because of their unfriendly attitude towards Jesus. He said, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” You see, Jesus came not with a life-shortening, death-dealing power, but with lifesaving power and healing influence. He came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. —John 3:16-17
