7 What Makes Demons Fall

You know when you’re aching about something, and you’ve got nuthin’ to sustain you? yeah… I know… The craziest thing is when GOD ANSWERS you in those places…

That’s what happened to me the other day.

I was praying about the ache in my deep heart and was asking the Lord for.. something, anything…

Instead of heart-warming pictures of a shepherd and sheep, or a raging storm that was calmed by a word…or even John 3:16… no…

I got a picture of Dagon…the chief Philistine god…

Sigh… another hunt for meaning…

The Back Story (1 Sam. 4 & 5)

The Israelites had given into corruption. Their religious leader, Eli, was allowing his sons, Hopni and Phinehas, to do unthinkable things in the Temple of the Most High God. They took the best meat (that belonged to God) and committed adultery with the women who served at the temple. Sure, Eli, told his boys to “stop it”, but that’s all that happened. The sacrilege continued.

As it happened, the Israelites went to battle the Philistines in war. Day one was over and the Israeli army had already lost 4000 troops. There was more battle than troops left so they needed some help.

They remembered the story of Rahab and how the Ark of the Covenant stopped the Jordan River and how the Ark was brought to march around Jericho, with a full victory. “If we just have the Ark, we can repeat the victory”, they reasoned. Interestingly enough, the Philistines agreed with them, and when they heard the cheering of the Israeli army and saw the Ark, they were terrified. They believed that God was now going to change the tide of the war. They were doomed.

Although the Philistines agreed, God did not. He was not about to be someone’s good luck charm! He wanted to be their GOD! He allowed the battle to go badly. Both Eli’s sons died, however, it was when Eli found out that the Ark got captured, that he fell over and broke his neck and died. (he was very heavy) When Phinehas’ wife heard about the Ark, her husband, her father-in-law and her brother in law’s death, she went into premature labor and died as well. (The baby boy lived and was named Ichabod, meaning “the glory has departed”)

The Philistines brought the Ark to Dagon, their chief god, as a trophy.

Once again. God was not only not interested in being someone’s good luck charm, he also wasn’t interested in being someone’s trophy.

After finishing the temple rituals for Dagon, the priests left. The sight they saw when they got in for work the next morning was unsettling to them to say the least. Dagon was face down in front of the Ark.

They must have dusted Dagon off and murmured something with a little embarrassment and set things back to normal. God had a point to make.

To make matters abundantly clear, God flattened Dagon again the next day as well, this time, however, his hands and his head were broken off.

Not only that, but those who were in the city where the Ark was kept, were getting tumors, rats were destroying their city and the people were thrown into confusion. Ashdod citizens didn’t want it anymore, so they gifted it to the city of Gath. It was hardly a gift, because the same thing happened, tumor outbreaks, rats and chaos. They didn’t want it, so they packaged it up and sent it on to Ekron. Same thing.

Now, instead of pledging allegiance to the rightful God, they got rid of Him. They sent a guilt offering of 5 golden tumors and 5 golden rats and put the Ark on a cart. These cows left their calves and pulled like a team that had always worked together. (talk to ANY cattle farmer and they’ll tell you how impossible that is). The rulers of the 5 Philistine cities watched the cows and cart go the rightful way and were convinced that this indeed, was the hand of a powerful God.

Thoughts

God is neither a good luck charm or a trophy. He is a Person who is sovereign over all. In your trial, cry out to the Person that is your fortress, the one who can set captives free. “² I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.” Isaiah 45:2

He is more than capable of fighting for Himself. Here, he had no weapons, and no humans to do his bidding. He allowed Himself to be confined to a golden box. Yet he brought a nation to its knees, just by his presence. We can trust on the One who has that kind of power! “Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” Ps. 20:7

Dagon’s hands and head were broken off. . Maybe you are under attack, maybe the enemy has chained you or the people you love up. You have the power, through Jesus Christ, to break off the strategies of the enemy and chains off the captives. Back to Isaiah 45:2 (two paragraphs above).

Take a moment, get out your journal – document your conversation with God. Ask His about the chains and any strategy he as about how He wants to break them off. Pray it through with him.

God is truly the light in the darkness. He allowed Himself to be brought into the most unholy of places (Dagon’s temple) as a trophy, – the heart of Philistine’s worship . Even in the enemy’s camp, the Lord claimed ownership of it all! He will be honored and worshiped throughout the earth, even in the temple of His enemy, by the enemy.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2:9-11

Take a moment and worship God for his amazingness. He deserves our praise and thankfulness. He is more than willing to be what you need.