The word ‘influence’ is only used once in the King James version of the Bible. It was when Yahweh asked Job this question:
| Job 38: | 31: Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? |
Pleiades is the cluster of stars in the sky called the Seven Sisters. To the naked eye, one star is normally invisible. A good telescope will reveal, there are about 50 or 60 stars clustered in that area; though, as long ago as 1888, a photographic chart showed 2326 stars. No doubt, with modern equipment, one would see many thousands more in that group of stars. For this reason, the word Pleiades, is frequently applied to a group of poets, philosophers and thinkers. Yahweh asked Job, “Canst thou bind the sweet influence of a group of thinkers?” The single answer, to all the questions in Job chapter 38, is - No! The sweet influence of even the smallest group (which usually has far more members than are first visible) is enormous. It cannot be bound, especially if the group is thinking the ‘right thoughts’ and proclaiming the truth! Sad to say, however, some ‘groups of thinkers’ put out error and alas - they also exert an influence!
But, in the final analysis, it is the powers behind the thinkers, the real influencing powers, the unseen spiritual powers in heavenly places that determine whose influence will be the stronger, for good or for evil.
| Genesis 32: |
24: And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until
the breaking of the day. 25: And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26: And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27: And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28: And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29: And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30: And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 31: And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. |
Yahweh is a spiritual power for good. If we wrestle with Him and persevere, He will most certainly bless us, as He blessed Jacob of old. Points to remember are:
| Genesis 32: |
24: And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until
the breaking of the day. |
| Genesis 32: | 26: And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. |
| Genesis 32: | 27: And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. |
| Genesis 32: | 28: And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. |
| Genesis 32: | 31: And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. |
| Ephesians 6: | 12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. |
Notice, our opponents are sometimes in groups: (Pleiades) - principalities. A principality is a group power - composed of many individuals. In other words, we have many opponents and they have influence in (spiritual) high places. Like Pleiades on high, they too number far more than is first evident. There are many of them behind the scenes, invisible to the naked eye. And, they are powerful.
Here is an example of their power.
| Daniel 10: |
12: Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou
didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God,
thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. 13: But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. 14: Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days. |
Here, we can see the enormous powers evil angels have. This devil, called the Prince of Persia, was even able to withstand the mighty Messenger mentioned in Daniel chapter 10. The Prince of Persia, a demon of enormous power, delayed Yahweh's answer to Daniel's prayer for 21 days!
| Leviticus 17: | 7: And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations. |
The very first thing we must do, is to stop ‘sacrificing to devils.’ This means, we must jettison all pagan religious practices and forms of worship. Every religious practice which conflicts with Yahweh’s law must be abandoned! This is the first step in overcoming the Devil. Until the step is taken, other objectives will not be reached.
| Ephesians 4: | 27: Neither give place to the devil.
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| 1 Peter 5: | 8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: |
| James 4: | 7: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. |
| Luke 10: | 17: And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. |
The world has still to learn of the power that resides in the very Name of the Most High. Use His name YAHWEH, and the name of His Son YESHUA, to subjugate the devil and his angels.
