"THE DEVIL IS BOUND,
BUT NOT GAGGED"

Matt 12:28-29  But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Colo 2:15  [And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Isai 49:24-26  Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD [am] thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Isai 53:12  Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Notice the sequence of thought in the verses we read.

1. Jesus said one could not spoil the "strong man's" goods until he first bound the strong man.
2. Then we read after the resurrection that Jesus "spoiled" principalities and powers.

• Jesus bound the devil.
• He must have bound the devil if he spoiled his goods.
• Jesus "spoiled" the devil of us, those sinners that are now saved.
• He stole us from the devil.
• And He did it after He first bound the devil.

• He is bound in the sense that He cannot deceive the nations any longer.
• This morning we showed you that Satan blinds the minds of them that do not believe.
• He has so much power that he can even blind people form the truth if they read the Old Testament.
• But when Jesus came, He ushered in the NEW TESTAMENT.
• And when people turns their hearts to Jesus, and the truth of the NEW TESTAMENT Gospel, they are liberated from blindness and Satan is bound and cannot blind them.

• You had to join the Nation of Israel if you wanted to see any light at all.
• And even that light was limited.
• You had to become an Israelite in order to know God to any degree, since Satan bound the rest of the nations.
• But When Jesus resurrected, He told the apostles to teach ALL NATIONS.
• Satan is now bound and cannot captivate the world.
• It is your choice whether or not you want to be free after you hear the Gospel.
• Satan cannot keep you bound.

• How can there be false teachers who deceive if Satan is bound?
• The answer is:  SATAN IS BOUND, BUT NOT GAGGED.
• He is in a type of prison behind bars, but his mouth is not gagged.
• He can scream at you from behind his bars and lie to you about yourself.
• He can lie to you as much as he lied to the first woman in Genesis.
• But we must remember, that although he can lie, he is bound.

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Gene 2:9  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Gene 2:16-17  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Gene 3:4-5  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Matt 7:15-20  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Two trees stood in the beginning.

• Two kinds of fruit were available.
• The one that was the true one meant for mankind was LIFE.
• The false, or the alternative, was the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.

2Pet 2:1-2  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

Before chapter 2, Peter spoke about an important issue we all must understand.

• God's righteousness.

2Pet 1:1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

• It is important that we understand that we could never earn this faith through our own righteousness and our own goodness.

• Paul told us in Romans that we received the GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.


Roma 5:17  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Ephe 5:25-27  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

• But that was wrong.
• I was washed by waters of baptism into His death.
• And that occurred with me because I had faith in the WORD.

• When we are washed in the water of baptism, we are instantly made without spot or wrinkle.
• Jesus gave Himself for the purpose of having a church.
• He gave Himself in death.
• And His death is what we are baptized into.

Roma 6:3-4   Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

• Without the Word of God that we have faith in, nothing occurs at water baptism.
• You must believe and be baptized and you shall be saved (Mark 16:16).


Roma 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1Cor 6:9-11   Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Titu 2:13-14  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

After saying this to Titus, Paul said:

Titu 2:15  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

• Paul said to speak this.
• Exhort it.
• And rebuke with it.
• Rebuke?
• Many false prophets will rise up and try to say different.
• They will say different to the point that they will deny the Lord Jesus Himself.

• Jesus said you will know the false prophet by his fruits.

Reve 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

• Jesus died so that He could have for Himself a church that is baptized INTO HIS DEATH.
• And that church is a spotless church.
• Without wrinkle.
• Blameless.
• Unreproveable.
• One is at that moment, spotless, blameless and without wrinkle OR ANY SUCH THING.

Ephe 5:8  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

• 2 Peter 1:2
• We have grace that can be multiplied.
• Peace that can be multiplied.
• Multiplied through knowledge.
• 2 Peter 1:3
• He gave us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
• We LACK NOTHING TAHT WE NEED.
• LIFE.
• FRUIT OF LIFE.
• We do not need anything more than what God gave us when we were truly saved.
• We have escaped the corruption that is in the world.
• But he said we must add to this faith, because false prophets can deceive those who settle for less.
• THE DEVIL IS BOUND BUT NOT GAGGED.


2Pet 1:5-9  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

• How much cleaner can you get than having been purged?
• Peter said we can forget we were purged.
• And if we forget we were purged, we are in a dangerous place.

2Pet 1:10-13  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things (IF YOU ADD TO YOUR FAITH THAT YOU RECEIVED THROUGH GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS), ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know [them], and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting [you] in remembrance;

• Remind ourselves of that.
• Peter said he would cause them to remember that.
• Get established in the present truth.
• Because the DEVI IS BOUND BUT NOT GAGGED, and he will lie to you about your true state.

• If we WERE PURGED from our old sins, then the PRESENT TRUTH is that we are totally cleaned.
• We are without Spot or wrinkle.
• We are blameless.

• Not because of what good deeds we can do, but because of God's righteousness are we without spot.
• Not just getting wet in baptism, but washed in water of baptism BY THE WORD.
• Faith in the word of God.
• Faith that God baptizes us into Christ's death.
• He reminded them because the devil is a liar and would definitely try to cause believers to forget they were totally purged and are presently spotless.
• If the devil can make you beleive you have to improve upon yourself, then he has taken you out of the faith into an area where he can attack you.

• And what happens if they forget?
• Satan can convince them of their need to improve upon themselves and become MORE HOLY.
• They think they are not purged, and therefore they think the work is not finished.
• I am here to tell you that the work of washing you is finished.
• If you are in Christ you are complete in Christ.
• Now you must stay in THIS FAITH, in Christ.

Colo 1:21-23  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Colo 2:7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Colo 2:10-11  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

• You are complete.
• Work is done.
• JUST STAY IN THAT FAITH.
• REMAIN IN THAT BELIEF THAT JESUS DID ALL THE WORK.
• Do not forget it!

• You forgot you were ALREADY PURGED.

• You must be settled and grounded in the faith.
• Something that is settled and grounded is settled is stable.
• False prophets can deceive those who are not sure of their place in Christ.
• Those who are unstable are prey for deception.


2Pet 2:14-15  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

• THE RIGHT WAY IS STANDING IN NEED OF NOTHING BY BEING IN CHRIST.
• They forgot they were purged.
• Since they were not sure, and unstable, they were easily fooled into trying to improve themselves for God.
• It was a sincere thing to try to improve themselves, but it was a diversion towards self-righteousness.
• Satan wanted to be like God -- he wanted to be better and be good,
• But he became the devil in trying to be like God because God is the only one who is good within himself and truly independent
• You cannot make yourself good.
• You will never be independent.
• You need the cross.
• You need Christ.
• Trying to improve yourself within your own power is thinking you are independent.


2Pet 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

• But they became entangled again.
• They forgot they were purged.
• They strayed from the place of having faith that they are COMPLETE IN CHRIST.

• Be grounded and unmoveable, steadfast in the faith.

• Know the error by its fruits.
• If all you are wrapped up with is good and evil, you are eating the false prophets' fruit.
• If you are not sure about the fact that Jesus washed you in Baptism by your faith in the word so that you are spotless, then you are unstable.
• You are "false prophet prey."


2Pet 2:18  For when they speak great swelling [words] of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

• The great false prophets we must beware of are not the obvious liars in satan worship, and the proponents of Rev. Sung Myung Moon's false doctrine.
• These folks are obviously wrong.
• Not the Outright error of Islam and Hare Krishna.
• But the dangerous ones are the ones that preach Jesus Christ and your need to IMPROVE YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR OWN WORKS.
• The most successful lies are the ones that appear so right.

• Satan told Eve she would be "as gods."
• As independent beings, when in actuality there is only one GOD.
• Only ONE is independent and self-sufficient.

• Know that you are washed and spotless by the Blood of Jesus.
• You have escaped the corruption that is in the world.
• You have escaped the pollutions of the world.
• That is your present status.
• The PRESENT truth.


2Pet 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

• How many did I bury in Jesus' name, who walked away shortly thereafter and forgot they were purged, being unstable, and not grounded and rooted in that place of faith.

Jude 1:3-6  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

• You are without spot or wrinkle after you are baptized into His death.
• The spirit of error would try to tell you that you are not complete.
• But you are complete in Christ.
• When error slips into your mind and tempts you to doubt that you are spotless, rebuke it and tell it that you are complete so long as you stay in Jesus Christ.
• And you are not about to slip outside of that refuge.
• The Lord Himself is your refuge.
• You will not be afraid of the terror by night.
• Nor the noisome pestilence.

• His head is crushed by the cross of Calvary.
• He is bound, but he is not gagged.
• He screams from behind bars of God's prison, shouting, "You are not good enough!"

Isai 30:19-21  For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And [though] the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

• When water of affliction comes.
• Times of temptation and trouble around you.
• You will be tempted to think you are not complete.
• You will be tempted to cry out and say, "God, I thought I was alright.  I thought I was saved."
• And when you try to complete what is already completed...
• You try to improve upon yourself, when God did all the work, God will have teachers and preachers set before you.
• And they will teach you the truth.
• They will teach, "Don't improve upon yourself.  You are complete in Christ."

• When you stray from the path of knowing you are complete in Christ, and are tempted to start improving upon yourself, and you go offcourse to the left or right, it says, "This is the way."
• Behind you comes a word that corrects your course.
• Behind you comes the TRUTH of the matter.
• "Something behind you tells you to get back into a place of faith."

• IN YOUR PAST, BEHIND YOU, is the day you were baptized into Jesus' death.
• In your past is the day God made you complete and provided all the cleansing you'd ever need.
• Its not, "God, what WILL you do for me now?"
• Its not what must BE DONE to complete your life.
• But its something already DONE.
• BEHIND YOU, the cross is saying, "Don't go off into a life of trying to reach something you already have IN ME."
• Don't forget you were purged from your old sins.

Ephe 5:8  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

• All we need to accompany and complete that fact is to simply WALK LIKE IT NOW.
• That is not trying to make yourself better.
• It is simply recognizing how complete you are.

• He is defeated but he can lie through the prison bars of defeat at you.
• He'll scrape up the sludge of your past and throw it out at you.
• When he does, rebuke him.

1Joh 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

• Remain in the place of KNOWING you are complete in Him.
• Don't let any man steal you from it through philosophy and vain deceit.
• Stay there and know you are complete in Him.
• And your faith kicks into operation a continual cleansing.
• Like the washing of the fluid on your eyes, that preserve the cleanliness your eye has, and prevents dirt from coming in, the blood cleanseth you.
• It is continual.
• IT KEEPS YOU SPOTLESS.

• By the fruits you shall know the false prophets.
• They tell you that you are not holy enough.
• You are complete in Him!
• Your faith in that moves God's power to KEEP YOU.


Jude 1:24  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

2The 3:3  But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep [you] from evil.