WHY do DEMONS HATE BAPTISM?? - Andrew Strom
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
by Andrew Strom
Those who watched the video that we put out last week saw that
when the lady was baptized, immediately the demons panicked
and started to manifest. This actually happened to a second
church lady that we baptized that day as well. Two in a row - very
much the same. Seemingly this is becoming more and more of
a common pattern all around the world. What is going on?
As you know, we preach to people that they must be baptized
in FAITH. In other words, we tell them to truly BELIEVE everything
that the Bible says about baptism. Don't just make it a "symbol".
Actually believe God for it to be REAL - everything that the New
Testament says. This is a very different approach to the modern
church - which tends to make baptism largely a symbolic
ceremony, rather than the "real thing". But where is the power in
that? Surely we should tell people to get baptized in FAITH -
believing God for every deep thing that He wants to do in our lives
through this experience.
Romans 6:3-4 declares: "Don't you know that as many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death..."
Read that again slowly. "BURIED with Him by baptism into
DEATH." No wonder the demons hate it! For how can they cling
to a 'dead' man? When people truly believe this and get baptized
knowing that the "old man" will be cut off and buried - when they
truly believe God for this to occur - that is when you start seeing
very powerful things happen during baptism.
Colossians 2:11-12 declares: "In whom also you are circumcised
with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with
him in baptism, in which you are also risen with him through the
faith of the operation of God..."
Again, think about these words: "Putting off the body of the sins
of the flesh by the CIRCUMCISION of Christ: BURIED with Him
in baptism." So what happens when you tell someone to actually
BELIEVE for this when they are baptized? A real "circumcision"
of the heart. A real "putting off" of the body of the sins of the flesh.
A cutting off, a burial, the death of the "old man". I tell you, the
power of such an experience is very real. Just as it should be.
Acts 22:16 (the baptism of Paul) declares: "And now why do you
wait? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling
on the name of the Lord."
Do we dare actually believe for this also? That someone might
truly experience a "washing away of sins" in baptism. Of course!
Everything the Bible says about it, we need to believe God that
it will really happen. Not a symbol. Not a ceremony. The real
thing. People getting baptized in FAITH.
And of course this is a big reason why we see the apostles
always baptizing people RIGHT AWAY in the Bible. No delays.
Look all the way through the Book of Acts. It was always done
immediately. (Of course, repentance and the infilling of the
Holy Spirit were always expected immediately too. It all came
as one package. See Acts 2:38).
Naturally, we insist that people be truly repentant before
baptism. But we also say to them, "What sinful things or dark
strongholds would you like to leave behind in these waters
today? What dark things would you specifically like "buried"
in the water during baptism?" Usually there are several specific
things. Of course this is very powerful for destroying those
strongholds and setting people free. I believe this is exactly
the way baptism should be seen. It really is an opportunity
to leave the old life behind. To have it cut it off truly. Exactly as
the Bible says. No wonder the demons panic!
Think how powerful the act of true repentance is - just by itself.
And then think about the filling of the Holy Spirit. What a powerful
experience that is also. And from what we can see in the New
Testament, there is no reason why water-baptism should not
be just as powerful as these other two. Add them all up and
what do you have? The most incredible conversion experience
that it is possible to imagine. In the Bible all these things
basically happened on the first day. No wonder their converts
took off like a rocketship! And the same should be true of us today.
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God bless you all.
Andrew Strom.