Exposing Satan's Playbook The Perry Stone

11), but these spirits who recognized Christ were also promised that their doom was set and sealed. C HRISTIANS U NDER S ATANIC I NFLUENCE The New Testament does teach that Christians can come under satanic influence, especially through temptations in the mind and the darts of the enemy. There are three New Testament examples indicating that Satan had placed thoughts in the minds of the individuals. The first was Simon Peter, a chosen disciple of Christ (Matt. 4:18–19). In Matthew 16 Christ forewarned His disciples of a future time when He would be crucified. In his zeal Peter took Christ aside and reprimanded Him for this revelation, telling Christ, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (v. 22). I’m sure Peter was stunned when Christ looked at him and said, “Get behind Me, Satan!” (v. 23). Because the name Satan is a proper name of the highest-ranking fallen angel, we assume that Satan himself was being rebuked for giving Peter the thoughts he spoke with his mouth. The second example goes beyond Satan planting an ungodly thought. Satan’s influence moved from a dart in the mind to a dart in the very heart of Judas Iscariot. Judas had already plotted to betray Christ, and at the Last Supper Satan “put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot . . . to betray Him” (John 13:2). Judas not only thought of betraying Christ, but he also acted upon his thoughts, because his thoughts were devilish (John 6:70). Satan eventually drove Judas to take his own life