As Christians our primary objective is to know, love and serve GOD. Only on a secondary basis are we to “know our enemy”; in the sense that we are not to be “ignorant of his devices” (2 COR 2:11) and his "wiles (methodologies; EPH 6:11). We are to be sober (of a serious mind) and vigilant (ever watchful, on guard, wary) of this one who goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 PET 5:8). He is the most subtle, most cunning creature GOD ever created (GEN 3:1).
It's absolutely true that Satan was defeated at the Cross:
COLOSSIANS 2:14-15This does NOT mean however that he is no longer dangerous, not a threat, someone we can afford to ignore or dismiss. Were that the case, we would have no need of the Armor of GOD (EPH 6:10-18) that the LORD in His wisdom has provided for us!
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it [the Cross].
This article examines the film NEFARIOUS, based on Steve Deace’s book, A Nefarious Plot. If you haven’t seen this film yet, be advised there are numbers of spoilers in this piece.
BIBLE – NOT BELIEF BASED
Before we dive in however, I want to be abundantly clear on something:
We base our doctrinal beliefs on the Bible, the Word of GOD – not books conceived and written by human minds, nor films (whether you’re talking about The Shack, The Chosen, Nefarious or Purpose Driven Church or others), not according to our personal beliefs and perspectives.
Where such materials are in agreement with Scripture, we may refer to them, citing Scripture to confirm the tenants of truth expounded upon in them. There are a number of things in Nefarious that aren’t biblical, but I want to focus on those points that are, for the sake of my purpose here.
Which is (I believe) the same purpose the author of the book and the producers of the film were after: to show that our culture is being conditioned, manipulated, driven, used in a quite nefarious plot by the unseen agencies of the kingdom of darkness.
I want to point out the deadly subtlety and sinister deviousness of the devil aka Satan and his “principalities and powers”.
THE PUPPET MASTER’s MANIPULATIVE PURPOSE
He is manipulating this world to bring about the ruin of GOD's created order as well as the culmination of his new world [dis]order and the reign of antichrist. He is adept at manipulating fallen humanity, and even – inasmuch as when we the church are walking in the flesh, not the Spirit – how he can and will (and does) manipulate the Christian community: you and I included.
It was once said, “Knowing that there is a trap is the first step in avoiding it”.
If we know our enemy’s tactics and understand how he can manipulate, this will aid us in preventing such from happening. But we can’t rely on our human wits to do this; rather on the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and the discernment He grants through the Word of GOD that discerns all things (HEB 4:12; 5:14)!
I believe this is on the back cover, or perhaps the inner sleeve of the book A Nefarious Plot:
“Republican vs. Democrat, the Haves vs. the Have Nots, Left vs. Right, Us vs. them.THE BASIC PREMISE OF THIS FILM IS AS FOLLOWS
“We believe these are the divisions that are threatening to tear America apart. But what if the culprit isn’t a political ideology or a class of people but a puppet master? He’s been manipulating us for centuries – and now he’s brought us to the brink of implosion.
“It would take a special kind of sinister to hatch such a nefarious plot against our civilization. Who or what would be capable of such a conspiracy? All there is to go on is the cryptic message:
“You’ll never guess my name.”
A serial killer by the name of Edward Wayne Brady is scheduled for execution after a few stays of execution. But before he can go to the electric chair (an option that Edward chose over lethal injection for specific reasons) a state board mental health professional, Dr. Fischer has to certify that he is sane and thus eligible for said execution. Otherwise, if it’s determined that he is criminally insane, by law he cannot be executed.
The problem is, Dr. Fischer mysteriously commits suicide (a “spirit of suicide” is certainly a “fiery dart” of sorts that can bring about personal destruction, effecting even the Christian who isn’t properly armored up!). Another psychiatrist is brought in, a Dr. James Martin.
Upon his first encounter with the convict, he discovers that Edward claims to be a demon by the name of Nefariamus (Assyrian for “he who is nefarious”). As a trained psychologist, Dr. Martin can accurately diagnose mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder (more recently referred to as dissociative identity disorder). But what about demonic influences such as oppression, obsession and demonization or possession?
MENTAL DISORDER or MENACING DEMONS – OR BOTH?
Modernists today would claim that primitive cultures weren’t sophisticated enough to understand psychological problems like we can today. What they believed were demons were simply disturbed people, modernists would say.
But are they the same thing?
Take the symptoms of schizophrenia for example:
People suffering this malady can be delusional (believing in irrational things), experience hallucinations (hearing and seeing things that are unreal), become disorganized in their speech and thinking; they also may suffer unusual, even bizarre motor disfunction and a host of other negative symptoms – a failure to bathe regularly or maintain proper hygiene, avoiding eye contact or not showing emotions, they may speak in a monotone voice, unable to experience pleasure, withdraw socially from loved ones, etc.
Documentation of demonic activity in individuals reveals that such symptoms as these may also be apparent but without any real evidence of mental illness. Sometimes people can have both things going on.
But there are indicators unique to people subject to demonic influences that have no correlation with sufferers of mental illness:
The victim (or “host”) may possess unusual physical strength, may be able to speak spontaneously in languages that they’ve never learned, they may have knowledge of people, things, events that are beyond the scope of physical senses, things that the human mind cannot know intuitively.
Dr. Greg Reid of Youthfire! ministries is a prolific author (the autobiography NOBODYs ANGEL and The WAR of the AGES are just two of more than a dozen books. TTUF has articles on both books) is well acquainted with the demonic and had an encounter with a demonized individual on the street:
He was across the street from a Tarot Card reader who was eyeing him – a perfect stranger – suspiciously. She ran across the street and came nose to nose with Greg (who wasn’t wearing anything that would give him away as a Christian) and started ranting and raving, letting Greg know that she knew him to be a believer in Christ. How did she know that? A person with mental issues would have no way of knowing such a thing! She was a Tarot Card reader; she was open to and no doubt indwelt by demonic spirits!Phenomena surrounding the victim may include: manifestations of apparitions, both seen and heard not just by the victim, but other people present at the time.
There may be unaccountable flashes, and, or orbs of light. Objects may move or levitate of their own accord with no visible influence to account for them. Elements of cold and heat may be apparent (a window frosting over with ice in the middle of summer heat, a shaft of cold or heat in an environment that’s in the opposite condition). There may be an overwhelming sense of a presence near or immediate to the location of the victim where observers feel as though they are being watched. An oppressive, evil, malevolent feeling may be experienced. Strong, foul odors may be in evidence. The victim may have a strong, even violent reaction to the Bible (its presence or the reading of it), the Cross, the mention of the Name of and worship of Jesus.
Victims may be unable to say the Name of Jesus, to pray, to read the Scriptures. Sometimes they are incapable of sight, hearing, speech, movement. They can experience lost time and wake up at a location they don’t remember arriving at (similar to ‘alien’ abduction experiences). Their body may contort in unnatural ways. Facial features, eye color, habits and mannerisms may change.
The great majority of these things cannot obviously be attributed to mental illness. A book that documents modern examples of demon possession/influence is DEMONIC FOES by psychiatrist Dr. Richard Gallagher, MD. While the book is written from a Roman Catholic perspective, the case documents themselves are what I would direct a doubter to.
The collective works of Kurt E. Koch (they’re not as readily available these days as they once were) are also recommended.
REALIZE, THEN RESIST THE DEVIL
An American preacher in Upstate New York during the late 19th century was leading an incredible revival in the entire region and attracted some news reporters who wanted to know his “secret”. He quietly led them down the stairs of his church into the basement and to a door. Silently he cracked it open and revealed a group of people on their knees, praying fervently. Once they had a good look the pastor led them to the other end of the hall.A distinct advantage of the devil is people’s unbelief in him, and that’s generally our society as a whole these days! The only two groups of people who understand that this is a non-corporeal being, thousands of years old, of immense malevolence and considerable intelligence, power and abilities are Luciferians (and some Satanists) and born again Christians.
“That’s the secret gentlemen! Prayer! Around the clock prayer, calling upon GOD to do His work and to bind the influences of Satan!”
One of the reporters smiled condescendingly and asked the pastor, “Do you really believe in a literal devil, sir?”
Without skipping a beat, the pastor looked piercingly into the eyes of that young man and said, “Let me tell you something, you start opposing the devil and you’ll find out just how literal he is!”
This film strongly asks people to reconsider the possibility that this “puppet master” exists and that they are being played. His subtlety as previously mentioned is so devious that he can even play the church if we aren’t careful!
THE NEFARIOUS PLOT BEGINS…
Dr. James Martin is escorted by the prison warden into a chamber where he can conduct his interview with the convict in order to make his evaluation. The two men are left alone and Dr. Martin is about to introduce himself when Edward interjects and gives a full personal profile on him, describing in minute detail things that he couldn’t possibly have known (clairvoyance).
“Do you want to have a seat right there and have a little chat with me?” said Edward with a seemingly non-threatening, easy going demeanor. Within minutes he confesses that he “made [Dr. Fischer] do it” that is, commit suicide for the specific purpose of brining James Martin into the picture – again, a crafty ability to manipulate circumstances for the benefit of the demon is displayed.
Edward asks if he can call him “James” and the doctor says he prefers being called Dr. Martin (preserving the nature of their relationship). Edward, after declaring that he is in fact a demon, Nefariamus, says he doesn’t mind so long as the doctor respects his own honorifics, “Lord High Prince”. The doctor declines the proposition and Nefariamus proceeds to calling him “Jimmy” or “James” from then on.
He states that “Names are important. They have power. They let everyone know who we are.”
Biblically speaking, names are important in the sense that they reveal the character or nature of the person so called. This is nowhere more applicable than with the name of Jesus – or Y’shua in Hebrew, itself a contraction of Yehovah Shua or “Our GOD is Salvation”.
Declaring the Name of Jesus Christ from the lips of a believer carries exceptional weight in the spiritual domain; doing so calls upon the authority of Christ. One day everyone, angels and humans alike will bow before the name, the authority of Jesus and confess Him as the incontestable LORD over all!
PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11NEFARIAMUS’ BALEFUL BRAGGING
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This master manipulator tells James Martin (who is supposed to evaluate Edward on his psychological condition after having committed eight murders (eleven in total, but three hadn’t been discovered)) that he will before leaving the prison that day commit three murders himself! We'll address these in Part Two.
Nefariamus states that he is “ecstatic” over the fact that he has murdered so many.
We are familiar with the saying, “GOD loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Conversely, Satan hates you and has a terrible plan for your life. We know how much GOD loves us (JOHN 3:16) but do we truly appreciate the depths of Satan’s hatred for humanity? How his mission is to ultimately ‘murder’ us all by deceiving us, leading us away from Eternal Life in Christ and ensuring our place in the eternity of hellfire?
The LORD said that Satan was “a murderer from the beginning” (JOHN 8:44). We often think of Cain as being the first recorded murder (of his brother Abel) in the Bible. But in reality, Satan spiritually murdered Adam and Eve when he convinced them to simply deny GOD’s will (and therefore by sin, cut off from the only source of Life! ISA 59:2)!
We’ll also address this in more detail in Part Two but suffice it to say that we human beings have the opportunity to receive from GOD a greater glory and place of honor than Lucifer ever had (in his pre-fallen, holy state as the most powerful, intelligent, beautiful being GOD created; EZEK 28:12-15). That’s something that a creature of such potent pride simply cannot tolerate!
POWER AND POSSESSION IS 1,2,3,4,5,6/6th of SPIRITUAL SATANIC LAW
Nefariamus explained to Dr. Martin how demonic possession works:
“You can’t just possess someone! We need a series of yeses. We offer up a series of temptation, gradually increasing in terms of duration and intensity. Degree of moral inequity. At the age of 5, the theft of a toy car. At eight a grandmother’s gift of a Ouija board, this gives immediate access to decision making.
“Enough yeses and few enough no’s gives increasing rights over the victim’s physical and mental processes. Control over the host’s body comes by degrees: extreme temptation, obsession, infestation, possession, subjugation.”
And does unbelief in the spiritual provide any sort of protection from demonic influences?
Nefarious states:
“You think that your atheism will protect you? ‘I don’t believe in angels or demons, heaven or hell, so you can’t hurt me?’ Hell is full of pathetic trash who believe exactly like you do.”
The LORD said that Satan was “a murderer from the beginning” (JOHN 8:44). We often think of Cain as being the first recorded murder (of his brother Abel) in the Bible. But in reality, Satan spiritually murdered Adam and Eve when he convinced them to simply deny GOD’s will (and therefore by sin, cut off from the only source of Life! ISA 59:2)!
We’ll also address this in more detail in Part Two but suffice it to say that we human beings have the opportunity to receive from GOD a greater glory and place of honor than Lucifer ever had (in his pre-fallen, holy state as the most powerful, intelligent, beautiful being GOD created; EZEK 28:12-15). That’s something that a creature of such potent pride simply cannot tolerate!
POWER AND POSSESSION IS 1,2,3,4,5,6/6th of SPIRITUAL SATANIC LAW
Nefariamus explained to Dr. Martin how demonic possession works:
“You can’t just possess someone! We need a series of yeses. We offer up a series of temptation, gradually increasing in terms of duration and intensity. Degree of moral inequity. At the age of 5, the theft of a toy car. At eight a grandmother’s gift of a Ouija board, this gives immediate access to decision making.
“Enough yeses and few enough no’s gives increasing rights over the victim’s physical and mental processes. Control over the host’s body comes by degrees: extreme temptation, obsession, infestation, possession, subjugation.”
And does unbelief in the spiritual provide any sort of protection from demonic influences?
Nefarious states:
“You think that your atheism will protect you? ‘I don’t believe in angels or demons, heaven or hell, so you can’t hurt me?’ Hell is full of pathetic trash who believe exactly like you do.”
Along that same line of thinking, if no one believed in Soviet Communist Russian troops, that would be a distinct advantage for Mother Russia. Thinking of this sort would lend credence to subjective relativism: that the world will conform to our beliefs or in refuting them.
Dr. Martin asks Edward if he understands that he holds his life in his hands; that he has the power to determine if Edward is sane or not, and thus whether if he lives or dies.
Nefarious responds with:
“What I understand, James, is that you would have no power over me whatsoever unless it hadn’t already been given to you from below”.
An obvious inverse of what the LORD Jesus Christ said to Pilate:
JOHN 19:10-11aFor everything holy there is an evil counterpart, hence the essence of temptation.
10 Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?" 11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above…
Since Satan is the god (sovereign ruler) of this world (2 COR 4:4) he has authority and can dispense privileges, powers, properties at his prerogative to whoever he pleases on the condition that they do his will (LUKE 4:6).
However, this is something that GOD permitted.
However, this is something that GOD permitted.
He allowed Satan to enter into the Garden of Eden to begin with and essentially steal the rule of this planet from Adam – GOD’s chosen sovereign whom Satan perceived as his rival.
GOD is sovereign over all though: both heaven and earth, over all things seen and unseen. But the direct management of the earth came under Satan’s power when Adam fell. It was when the Last Adam came (1 COR 15:45-47) and bore the penalty of sin for the entire human race (including the First Adam’s sin) that ownership was transferred to Him. Hence after His completed work on the Cross and His subsequent resurrection He boldly and truthfully declared:
DEMONS LOVE LIBERAL THEOLOGY
When Dr. Martin picked up his radio and asked the prison guards if there was a chaplain in the place that was when Nefariamus got nervous. And with the arrival of the chaplain, the demon rises up and retreats as far as Edward’s body (that’s chained to the table during the interview) will allow.
“Nobody wants you here, priest! Come to torture me before the appointed time!?”
Here we see that while demons are extremely knowledgeable about our world and the people that dwell in it, they are not omniscient. Nefariamus wasn’t aware of the priest’s liberal theology where demons are a thing of the past. That human understanding has evolved beyond such beliefs. That films and television which depict demons and possession based on Scripture was meant to be largely taken as metaphorical. It was only then, when Nefariamus understood he had nothing to fear from this “poser” that he relaxed, sat down and said, “I’m glad you came. I’m glad that we are all getting along.”
GOD is sovereign over all though: both heaven and earth, over all things seen and unseen. But the direct management of the earth came under Satan’s power when Adam fell. It was when the Last Adam came (1 COR 15:45-47) and bore the penalty of sin for the entire human race (including the First Adam’s sin) that ownership was transferred to Him. Hence after His completed work on the Cross and His subsequent resurrection He boldly and truthfully declared:
MATTHEW 28:18It’s because of this delegated authority granted to us, Christ’s church, that gives Satan pause whenever he is confronted by a saint who understands the truth in spiritual warfare:
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
LUKE 10:17-20The greater work is not subjecting demonic spirits under us saints; the greater work is our redemption through Christ that then results in our names written in heaven.
17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 18 And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
DEMONS LOVE LIBERAL THEOLOGY
When Dr. Martin picked up his radio and asked the prison guards if there was a chaplain in the place that was when Nefariamus got nervous. And with the arrival of the chaplain, the demon rises up and retreats as far as Edward’s body (that’s chained to the table during the interview) will allow.
“Nobody wants you here, priest! Come to torture me before the appointed time!?”
Here we see that while demons are extremely knowledgeable about our world and the people that dwell in it, they are not omniscient. Nefariamus wasn’t aware of the priest’s liberal theology where demons are a thing of the past. That human understanding has evolved beyond such beliefs. That films and television which depict demons and possession based on Scripture was meant to be largely taken as metaphorical. It was only then, when Nefariamus understood he had nothing to fear from this “poser” that he relaxed, sat down and said, “I’m glad you came. I’m glad that we are all getting along.”
And so, as we biblical literalists are aware, demons and liberal theology are a happy couple. Liberal theology says pretty much the same thing that Satan said in the Garden of Eden, “Yea, hath God said…?”
Liberal theology questions the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, the innate sin nature of humanity, the blood atonement, the resurrection, the infallible, inspired Word of GOD. Essentially all truth that’s revealed to us through the Holy Scripture.
A couple quotes from such liberal pastors and theologians:
- The Blood Atonement: “‘That Jesus suffered as a substitute for us’ because of our sins ‘is a pre-civilized barbarity’.” ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick, pastor of Riverside Church, NYC. He also said:It’s no wonder that the denominations are for the most part, spiritually dead. And that the evangelical church is gasping in its death throes because the same liberal theology that’s inundated the denominations (with few exceptions) has invaded virtually every facet of evangelical Christianity. This is why our society is the way it is:
“‘Too many theories of the atonement assume that by one single high priestly act of self-sacrifice Christ saved the world. These legalistic theories of the atonement are in my judgment a theological disgrace’.”
“‘The Church's fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be re-imagined in Christian faith. Why? Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it.” ~ Alan Jones, Episcopalian priest; who also said:
“‘The other thread of just criticism addresses the suggestion implicit in the cross that Jesus' sacrifice was to appease an angry God. Penal substitution [the cross] was the name of this vile doctrine’.”
- Scripture as the absolute Truth and Word of God, and Scripture in their totality being inspired by God.
“I let go of the notion that the Bible is a divine product. I learned that it is a human cultural product. As such it contained [people’s] understandings and affirmations, not statements coming directly or somewhat directly from God . . . I realized that whatever ‘divine revelation’ and the ‘inspiration of the Bible’ meant (if they meant anything), that they did not mean that the Bible [has] divine authority.”
“Our words aren't absolutes. Only God is absolute, and God has no intention of sharing this absoluteness with anything, especially words that people have come with to talk about Him. Let's make a group decision to drop once and for all the ‘Bible-as-Owner's-Manual’ metaphor. It's terrible. It really is. This is part of the problem with continually insisting that one of the absolutes of the Christian faith must be a belief that 'scripture alone' is our guide. It sounds nice, but it isn't true. . . When people say that all we need is the Bible, it is simply not true.” ~ Rob Bell
The enemy snuck into our camp and stole away our armaments: the Word of GOD by enforcing liberal views of the Scripture in seminaries and Bible colleges, and with it, discernment and spiritual fortitude are waning; nearly nonexistent!
The church is in a spiritually deplorable condition, unable to ward off and protect from the corruptive influences of evil that’s being promulgated by the kingdom of darkness into our world in increasing degrees!
MATTHEW 5:13-14Rather than sugar coat the message of the Gospel, we need to get back to being salty saints, whose words in citing (and living!) Scriptural truth will sting the conscience of our nation.
13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
We will stop Part One here and pick up with Part Two very soon, as we continue to examine the content of this film and find biblical observations that shed greater light on these subjects mentioned in the film Nefarious.
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