Daimonizomai

Daimonizomai: To be under the power of a demon. Maybe this is not as uncommon as we think. We often see the little cartoon figures of a little red devil and a little white angel on our shoulders whispering to us. To some degree this happens. What voice do we listen to? We cannot walk in the flesh and the spirit at the same time. Jesus told Peter, one of the apostles, get behind me satan, you are hindering me. We can all be influenced by the wrong voice. Who's voice do you think we listen to when someone cuts us off in traffic and we react in anger towards them? Sometimes we choose to listen to the wrong voice.
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. Matthew 26:30-35
After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. Matthew 26:73-75.
But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:32
Yes even Peter listened to the wrong voice under great stress but in Luke we notice that Jesus prayed for Peter. Jesus knew ahead of time that Peter was going to betray him, deny him before men. But Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail and like the scripture above says, when Peter recognized who he was listening to, he repented and went out an wept bitterly. He probably couldn't believe he did what he just did.  I remember in my early years as a mockup mechanic, I made no secret of the fact that I was a Christian. One day as I was working on a stowage bin, I was under pressure to get this job completed quickly. Something went wrong and I let go of a curse word. I felt so bad and that I had ruined my witness in front of many of my co-workers. Over the years I have seen more than this little incident where I walked after the flesh in my life and did not listen to the spirit of God.  I wonder whose voice it was I was listening to the night I found out my ex-wife was living with another man and I walked up there with tire wrench in hand expecting to break out windows? Someone once said we cannot walk in the flesh and in the spirit of God at the same time.  Whose voice are we listening to? What comes of our actions as we listen to the wrong voice? Is it hatred or love?  Is it a voice of discouragement or encouragement?  I recently read the story of two wolves. One an evil wolf and the other a good wolf? Which wolf wins the grandfather asked the grandson? The one you feed was the answer. What voice do we let influence us? God bless, LVZ.