How Does the Devil Blind the Minds of Unbelievers from Responding to the Gospel?

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How Does the Devil Blind the Minds of Unbelievers from Responding to the Gospel?


Now that the Devil has an army of angels that have decided to follow him, they must have a coordinated purpose and strategy to execute. Let’s take a look at one of their primary goals. The Devil has a religious campaign to make of none effect the gospel of Christ.


He has to figure out how to distort the essence of the gospel, which is to repent of one’s sins to God the Father and believe in his Son Jesus Christ as to who He is and what He has accomplished so that when an unbeliever responds to it, they won’t receive the Holy Spirit. How does he go about achieving this?


Please go to the book of 2 Corinthians.





2 Corinthians 4:1-4


1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;


The Apostle Paul was conveying to the Corinthian believers that the gospel ministry (the ministry by which the Holy Spirit acts on the hearts of people31) was because of the mercy of God, and on account of such, they fainted not (not to give into evil).


2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.


This served as the basis for their denial or renouncing of the hidden things of dishonesty (disgraceful conduct and underhanded dealings), of not walking in craftiness (in a crafty manner of getting what one wants by deceiving people32), nor handling the word of God deceitfully (not disguising part of what they believe so that [they’d] become popular; not being more concerned about speaking ability than about correct content33) so that the explanation of the spiritual things as taught to them by the Holy Spirit, which is free from dishonesty, art, and trickery will be approved by the conscience of those who hear them.


3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:


Paul went on to say that if the good news about Christ was concealed from view, then it was hidden from those who are willfully blind, those who are fully under the power of [sin, those] who have given up themselves to work wickedness.34


4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.


In whom (those who are lost), the god (the Devil; as the being who is really being worshipped) of this world hath blinded (blunt mental discernment by the systems of superstition and idolatry35) the minds (the thoughts; the mental perceptions) of those which believe not (unbelievers).


It’s clear that the Devil uses religious systems to blind the minds of unbelievers from responding to the true gospel. These systems are actually reflective of his spirit. No wonder why God isn’t able to indwell unbelievers’ lives. They’re so corrupted with false teachings that have affected their mental perceptions, such that when the pure gospel is presented, they consider it as being offensive, intrusive, discriminating, and adversarial to all that they’ve known from religion. With that said, let’s consider the following question.





How else does the Devil inhibit unbelievers from responding to the gospel of Christ?


Let’s go to the book of Ephesians.




Suggested Reading: Ephesians 1:17, 20; 2:1-6


Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:


Paul was praying for the Ephesian believers that God the Father would give them, based on the fact that their spirit is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, a moving by the Spirit in wisdom (an understanding of spiritual realities36) and revelation (the disclosing of spiritual truths) so that they’d know Christ personally and intimately.


Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,


Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:


He proceeds to say that as God the Father raised Christ from the dead, seating Him at His own right hand, so were they raised from the dead to be seated together with Him in heavenly places.


Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:


After this, he describes what their behavior was rooted in when they were unbelievers. At that time in their life, they ordered their conduct not only according to the course of this world (customs or manners of this world; the system of evil … together with the purposes, pursuits, pleasures. and places where God [isn’t] wanted37), but also according to the prince (the ruler) of the power (the whole empire of evil spirits) of the air (the region between the sky and the earth), the spirit (the evil spirit) that now worketh (is the ruling principle that influences lives in thinking and acting) of the children of disobedience (unbelievers; those who are unpersuadable).


Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.


Like those who are closed-minded, their former way of life was centered on the lusts (propensities; passionate longings) of the flesh (the sinful nature), fulfilling (performing) the desires (the wishes that come from the emotions) of the flesh and of the mind (reasoning processes; marked by the absence of any controlling regard to the will of God38), and because of such were by nature (by birth) the children of wrath (persons exposed to God’s displeasure).


It should come as no surprise that unbelievers, like us before we were saved, conduct their lives according to the course of this world, i.e., the prince of the power of the air. In other words, there’s a spirit, the moral or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of their lives they inhale, again inevitably to exhale39that controls or influences them.


Is there another mention in the Scriptures of the Devil inhibiting people from responding to the gospel? Yes, there is. Please turn in your Bible to the book of Luke.


In this instance, one of Jesus’ own apostles apparently didn’t believe in Him as the Messiah/Savior. It’s hard to imagine that someone who was called to be an apostle who spent day after day hearing Christ teach and observing the miracles didn’t think He was the anointed one, the Messiah. As a result, the Holy Spirit never controlled him, and the Word of God never influenced him. Thus, he was susceptible to the influences of the evil one. Let’s see what this was all about.





Suggested Reading: Luke 22:1-6; John 13:2-31


Luke 22:3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.


The chief priests and scribes are plotting how they might kill Jesus. At this time, Satan enters one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas. Some believe that this doesn’t refer to demon possession but rather to influencing his mind by filling it with an evil passion that coincided with his propensity or inclination for monetary gain.


This sounds like the Devil projected a thought or thoughts into Judas’ mind. He, without discernment by the Spirit and a scriptural defense, decided to act on these mental impressions and go to the Jewish authorities to actively participate in this sinister plot. After the plan of betrayal was successfully carried out, he would receive that which was his easily besetting sin, i.e., monetary compensation for his involvement.


The time of betrayal was at hand. Judas is in the company of Jesus with the other apostles attending the Feast of the Passover. This particular day and the accompanying supper were to be kept in remembrance of the Lord’s angel passing over the houses of the Israelites and saving the firstborn son during their captivity in Egypt. It was on this occasion that Satan influenced Judas again.


John 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;


The words put into the heart means to cast something into the heart. The inference is that there was some inclination of his mind, some natural propensity that the Devil could tempt. Satan presented a projection of objects in alluring forms that are aligned with these corrupt inclinations, which influenced or excited his soul to sin.





How would the Devil know about Judas’ propensities?


I don’t believe he can read peoples’ minds. However, it’s possible that he or one of his fallen angels observed Judas on a day-to-day basis and over time, it became apparent by his speech and actions that he had a weakness in the area of monetary gain (greed). As Christians, we should always be aware of what we say and do. We all know that there’s nothing God isn’t aware of in terms of our thoughts, words, and conduct. But are we also aware that we’re being observed by the forces of evil?


27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.


During the supper, Jesus gave Judas the sop (the bread after it had been dipped in the common bowl). This was normally a sign of honor to the person who received it.40Right after this, it says that Satan entered into him. In other words, he impressed upon his heart a projection to complete his mission of betrayal and reap the monetary reward.





What we can conclude is that an unbeliever, probably in many cases, unbeknownst to them, is engaged in a spiritual battle in which there are inside and outside forces that are trying to inhibit them from responding to the pure gospel message.


These inside and outside forces can be classified in three ways.




A. Religious Systems


Whose characteristics are reflective of the Devil’s spirit.


These:


●Are systems of idolatry and superstition that blunt mental discernment.


●Conceal truth so that popularity is what’s sought after.


●Focus on speaking ability rather than proclaiming sound scriptural content.




B. The World System


Evidences a ruling principle that characterizes the spirit of the prince of the power of the air that’s designed to control or influence unbelievers.


By:


●Promotes a moral or immoral atmosphere based on societal norms.


●Encourages purposes, pursuits, pleasures, and places where spiritual input or expressions aren’t wanted.




C. The Devil’s Forces of Evil


●Impacts unbelievers by affecting them in their hearts (their thoughts and minds).


●Observes their propensities or inclinations as exhibited by their speech and actions.


●Presents a projection of objects in alluring forms that are aligned with their easily besetting sinful tendency or natural propensity (e.g., betrayal, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, etc.), thus enslaving the unbeliever in addictive forms of self-destructive behavior.


I hope what you’ve just learned has provided insight as to the many obstacles that the Devil has at his disposal to blind the minds of unbelievers so that they’ll choose not to believe in the pure gospel of Christ. If the good news is presented and the unbeliever responds to it, thus receiving the Holy Spirit along with additional benefits, and becomes a believer, a born-again Christian, then the Devil has another protocol in place to inhibit the new converts from advancing on to spiritual maturity. We’ll take a look at what this is all about in the next chapter.





Endnotes


31Barnes.


32UBS.


33IVP Bible Background.


34Adam Clarke’s CommentaryPc Study Bible version 5, 2004, 15 March 2015˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.


35Barnes.


36UBS.


37Weust.


38The Pulpit.


39Weust.


40IVP Bible Background.





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