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Satan Has No Power?
The following is a transcription
from the CHRISTIANA: PILGRIM'S PROGRESS PART II Tape 3 Side B: adapted and
produced by Jim Pappas of Orion's Gate, copyright 1998.
(Our comments are indented.)
The King
James Bible mentions the word, "Orion" three times but never in
connection with a gate. Jim Pappas chose to name his business
Orion's Gate.
New Age writer Barry Martin
reveals the occult meaning of the gateway in Orion:
"It is through the
gateway in Orion that we receive the higher light...we
will understand why the ancient Egyptian texts refer to
Ihm-'sk and why the Great Pyramid was aligned with Mintaka
(delta), Alnilam (epsilon), and Alnitak (zeta) in Tak-Orion
(Orionis). These are the central threshold controls for the
region of 'positive programming' used by the Elohim Lords of
Light to connect the many galaxies to our Father Universe.
Within our galactic quadrant, these threshold controls are
necessary in coordinating celestial navigation between
universes. Through the energies of Orion, the Central
Threshold Control, the higher beings of Light moved across
the waters of the deep."
(1) (bold emphasis added)
The passage cited for the
purpose of critique begins with Greatheart and his band of
pilgrims in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, which is the most
dangerous part of the pilgrims' journey.
John Bunyan's original book
contains only one paragraph (and no dialogue) about the lion that is referred to in the following transcription. Jim Pappas invented dialogue that promotes
these dangerous ideas:
(1) Satan does not really have any power unless
the Christian believes he does
(2) Satan and his kingdom is an
illusion...a lie!
Note:
New Age music is played throughout Jim Pappas'
Amplified Pilgrim's Progress.
Background on the characters:
Greatheart is the pilgrim's conductor, or leader to the Celestial City
(heaven).
Christiana is Christian's wife, who is following in her husband's
footsteps to Celestial City.
Mercy is Christiana's companion.
Matthew: Christiana's eldest son.
Samuel: Christiana's second oldest son.
Joseph: Christiana's third oldest son.
James: Christiana's youngest son.
After having
defeated a foul fiend. . .
Narrator: They went therefore on, as being a little
refreshed, but they had not gone far before Mercy, chancing to cast a glance
behind her saw what she thought to be. . . (Mercy gasped!) a great lion stalking
them from behind.
Christiana: What is it?
Mercy: I don't know for sure. But methinks it to be a
great lion.
James: A lion?
Christiana: Nay, it cannot be! (lion roars) Or
can it?
Joseph: I see him!
James: Aye, as do I. (lion roars) And a great one
he truly is.
Mercy: Oh, my heart! My heart, I know not how much more
I can stand of these frights.
Christiana: Here, have three of these wonderful pills.
They impart courage to the soul as well as healing to the body.
Mercy: Thank you. (lion roars) Oh!
Christiana: Hurry!
Mercy: Yes, may I have some of the juice to wash it down?
Christiana: Here.
Mercy: Ah. . .
Christiana: Feel better?
Mercy: Aye, aye. In fact, I think that with the sword
of the spirit I could engage him myself.
Greatheart: As well you could but there is no need. He
is not real.
The roaring lion represents Satan in
this portion of the story, and Satan is most definitely real according to the
Word of God. Greatheart, (who is a godly man and a pilgrim conductor for
many years in the real Pilgrim's Progress) is teaching the lie that
Satan is not real!
Mercy: What? Not real?
Greatheart: In the valley of the shadow of death everything
is an attack upon your imagination.
Again, Satanic
attacks are being represented as unreal imaginings.
Mercy: (lion roars) But he draws close!
James: Crouching for the attack. If this is not real,
it is close enough to frighten me.
Greatheart: Watch. Ho, vaporous lion! Come
against the word of God if you will. (lion roars) Well. . . (lion
roars again) that's all that thou canst do isn't it defeated foe?
Thou goest about like a roaring lion seeking whom you may devour! But I
know thee for what thou art, and I say to thee in the name of the Lord of the
Hill, depart! (lion roars) In the name of the Lord!
The listener is
aware that the lion represents
Satan. Satan is being presented as not being real.
James: Did you see that? He just melted!
Joseph: Vanished away!
Greatheart: Aye. Remember that in this valley not
everything is what it seems to be. It had better been named the valley of
illusion. Come lads, after me.
Satan's attacks
are being falsely presented as mere illusions. The original Pilgrim's Progress (the one that is
biblical) shows the Valley of the Shadow of Death as the most dangerous part of the
Christian's journey. The reason it is most dangerous is because in this
Valley, Satan has the biggest stronghold. Because of the numerous satanic
attacks in this Valley, the Christians who traveled it were in the most
precarious part of their journey.
As they walk on,
Joseph asks Greatheart. . .
Greatheart: Watch for thy feet now.
Joseph: Greatheart?
Greatheart: Aye, Joseph?
Joseph: If. . . if so many things are illusions here why must
we take such care of our feet? Are not the snares also an illusion?
Greatheart: Yes and no.
Joseph: Yes and no? How can this be?
Greatheart: 'Tis a paradox that cannot be explained. The
snares are an illusion unless they stumble thee, then they are real.
Satan's
snares are not real unless the Christian falls for them? This is not
biblical and certainly not what John Bunyan ever taught! Satan's
entrapments do not exist unless they cause a believer to stumble, and then
they suddenly become real? Jim Pappas is working hard through his
adaptation (perversion) of Pilgrim's Progress to make Satan seem almost
harmless.
Joseph: Then was the lion a paradox as well?
Greatheart: Aye. If we had yielded to our fear of him
and given him the back, he would have devoured us.
Yielding
to fear is not the same thing as prudence. The Bible
says clearly that one must "flee also youthful lusts!" This is
not yielding to fear, but rather, it is putting oneself out of the way of
spiritual harm. The Bible commands believers to not make provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts
thereof. (Romans 13:14)
Satan devours
those who give him permission to do so, not those who have a healthy fear of God and keep
themselves from giving the devil place in their lives.
Joseph: I am confused.
Greatheart: Paper giants lad! Vaporous lions!
Overmastering temptation. They are real only to he who gives in to them. To the eye of faith they are nothing.
The real
"eye of faith" believes the Holy Bible and knows these spiritual
entities are real and work tirelessly to afflict men physically (Job 2:1-8, Mat.
9:32, 33; 12:22; Mark 1:26, 9:17, Luke 9:42, 13:11), mentally, and spiritually.
(Judges 9:23, 1 Sam 16:14, 18:9-11, Matt. 4:24, 17:15; Act 16:16, 2 Cor. 11:3 to
mention only a few verses.)
Matthew: Say more.
Greatheart: Well it is just like Satan
himself. A
believer knoweth that he is a defeated foe. But to the unseeing eye, he
hath great power.
And exactly how was Satan
defeated? He was defeated in the sense that he no longer could make certain the
whole world remained in bondage to him to serve him, forever kept
from being reconciled to God. The Lord Jesus Christ spoiled the principalities and powers in this
manner, but in no way were they rendered powerless to harm the Christian IF the
Christian willfully (or even ignorantly) gives place to them!
Matthew: Why?
Greatheart: Because men believe him to have great
power. And therefore, behave towards him as if he were indeed some great
one. But if we can take him out from the shadows and put him out in the
blazing sunlight of Christ's victory, then his power over us melts away as
quickly as did the foul fiend and vaporous lion.
The
Bible declares that God's people must not be ignorant of Satan's devices
"lest he should get an advantage of us." 2 Cor. 2:11. Satan will
definitely get an advantage over us if we believe that he has power only if we think
he has power! Why does Jim Pappas want Christians to think Satan does not have
any power?
Jesus Christ had already risen
from the dead and ascended to heaven when Paul penned these words:
"Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the
same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."
(1 Pet. 5:8, 9) Satan must be resisted; there is no hint in the Bible that
his power is only in the mind of his enemy, the Christian.
Matthew: Ah.
Samuel: Then should we treat all of these things as
illusions?
Greatheart: As dangerous illusions. Remember
that they are illusions only through the eye of faith. If our faith in God
grows faint then our belief in the illusion takes its place and it becomes as
deadly as if it were real.
This is dangerous, tricky
twisting! The propaganda promoted in this statement is as follows: If
we have faith in God then demons are illusions, but if
our faith in God grows faint then we will believe the "illusion"
that Satan and his demons exist. If we believe the so-called illusion that
demons are real, then the illusion becomes just as deadly as if it were
real.
It is outrageous that Jim Pappas
is getting away with promoting these lies in his highly praised
"amplification" of Pilgrim's Progress! Satan and his demons are definitely not illusions. They are
supernatural beings that work night and day in real spiritual warfare against
the saints of God. Only Satan and his followers would want Christians to think that he and
his demons are not real, and are merely harmless illusions!
Are doctrines of
demons illusions? (1 Tim. 4:1); Is passing one's sons and daughters through the
fire to serve Ba'al an illusion? (2 Kings 17:17); Is witchcraft an illusion? (1 Sm.
15:23), Are sorceries illusions? (9:20), Is everlasting fire, created for the
devil and his angels an illusion? (Matt. 25:41) Are the truths presented in the
Holy Bible mere illusions? No, but Jim Pappas obviously
wants Christians to believe that Satan and his devils are merely harmless
illusions.
Samuel: Hmmm.
Greatheart: Therefore watch thy feet.
Samuel: Yes sir.
After they are
led through another great "illusion," Samuel exclaims to Greatheart. .
.
Samuel: I see what you mean,
Greatheart. Satan's entire
kingdom is a lie!
Satan's kingdom is
a real kingdom, (or sphere or realm in which Satan has authority over) which Christians are delivered out of when they come to
saving faith in Jesus Christ: "Who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son:" Col. 1:13
Kingdom means
sphere of authority. The Bible refers to Satan as "the god of this world" because he has
authority over all who have not yet been delivered from his control through
the Lord Jesus Christ. Christians are commanded to exercise their
spiritual authority over Satan by taking up the armor of God (obedience to God
is required to take up this armor) and praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit.
Christians wrestle
against these real principalities and
powers: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against power, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places." Eph 6:12 Only Christians of
the falling away kind pretend that Satan and his demons do not
exist!
Greatheart: Aye. Therefore, when apparent
impossibilities confront us we are to go forward.
Matthew: And when we do they will melt before
us.
Beings that melt do not have to be resisted or
wrestled with, do they? As a Christian advances in promoting
the kingdom of God, Satan's realm will counter attack. That
is why Christians must wrestle against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places. We must actively stand in the evil day. The evil
entities will not melt before us!
Greatheart: Aye. And now. . . on with us!
Some Bible verses for this
critique were obtained from Diane Dew's Bible Study Outline:
Satan,
Demons & the Powers of Darkness
(1) Barry Martin,
The Time Spiral, http://www.spiritwheels.com/writers/kiara/barrymartin.html
(It is not surprising this article was removed from the
internet. You may read this documentation at
archive.org.) We credit this insight to http://www.ellenwhite.org/orion.htm.
Pilgrim's
Progress Critique Part 2 Christiana:
Bargaining With the
Devil
Main index: Pilgrim's
Progress Index
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