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Who is “the Thief” in John 10:10?

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“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Jesus informed us that in our day, it is satan who has come to and is behind all stealing, killing, and destroying.

WHAT qualifies as being “demonic” or of the devil? Can anyone answer this question from John 10:10 above?

The Son of God tells us here that Satan’s operation consists of:

Stealing
Killing
Destroying

WHO is behind all stealing, killing, and destroying? Satan! In fact, Jesus calls him here “the thief” in the definite article way. Jesus also calls Satan the murderer and the liar (John 8:44).

It is Satan who kills, who steals and destroys lives in a myriad of ways!

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8

Satan was the first sinner on record (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19, etc.). The devil caused the first sin in the human race and the fall of mankind. Whether we realize it or not, those who rebel, who sin against God, enjoin Satan. The sinner can only be made free from Satan by submitting to God (James 4:7).

“He who has a lifestyle of sin . . The works of the devil were/are destroyed at the cross. He who is dead is freed from sin. Not he who tries hard to keep rules. He who is dead. Yes they are joined to Satan as was the prodigal son who joined himself to that ‘citizen’ in a far country.”

MESSAGE RECEIVED:

“In John 10:10, ‘the thief’ my friend, is not about Satan. It is directed toward the Pharisees. The entire context of John 8-10 has nothing to do with the devil, but with the Pharisees, whom I suppose you could say work in coordination with Satan. You don’t study the Bible you echo what you’ve heard and nothing more. You obviously don’t understand hermeneutics, the rules of interpretation. I am no novice Todd. Perhaps you should learn before attacking me. The only reference in the entire account to the devil is that he is the father of the Pharisees, who become in history, the synagogue of Satan. I am not impressed by your ignorance either. You are irrelevant because of your ignorance and evangelical indoctrination. Enjoy your ignorance in blissful deception.”

REPLY:

False. I didn’t attack you. I simply stated the truth which is contrary to what you stated. You are the only “Christian” I’ve ever heard utter such deception ….. WHO then is “THE thief” Christ refers to in John 10:10???? Who else could it possibly be but Satan? Also, in this discourse to the pharisees which spans John 8-10, Jesus makes it clear that it’s “THE DEVIL” they are given over to and who is speaking through them as they are unrepentant. Nothing could be clearer. Jesus even cites the DEVIL when dealing with Peter “Get thee behind me SATAN”, His own disciple, much less His enemies, the religious frauds of His day (Matthew 16:23).

Jesus makes it clear that Satan the source of all lies when He states – “Ye do the deeds of your father. … Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:41,44

Not interested in your boast of pedigree and won’t glorify it by doing the same…. even a novice knows Jesus is speaking of the devil…. please answer my simple question: WHO is “the thief”??? John 10:10…. you are excluding the very prince of the power of the air who reigns over all rebels and is the “king over all the children of pride.”

Job_41:34 He beholdeth all high things: he (Satan) is a king over all the children of pride.

WHO did Jesus tell us was behind Peter in his rebellion, much less the pharisees?

“But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, SATAN: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” Matthew 16:23

You have refused to answer my simple question so obviously you have something to hide … WHO WHO WHO is “THE thief” in John 10:10 if it’s not Satan???

While there are many thieves among men, here Jesus speaks of the definite article “thief” who is none other than Satan himself whose mission is stealing, killing, and destroying. In John 10:10 it seems clear that Jesus is contrasting His beautiful shepherding to Satan’ horrid domination of our lives. Jesus comes to give life and life more abundantly while Satan only seeks to devour his prey with stealing, killing, and destroying (John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8).

The words of Christ recorded in John 10:10 is a plain contrast to the reign of Christ vs the reign of Satan in an individuals life.

WHO stole, killed, and destroyed mankind’s perfect relationship with God? WHO was the “serpent” in the Garden controlled by? Satan. This is as basic a Bible truth as exists in Holy Scripture.

WHO is our ultimate struggle with? Is it with flesh and blood (mere men) or with Satan?

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of THE DEVIL. 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.” Ephesians 6:11-12

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:11

It seems obvious through the preponderance of Holy Scripture that like the Pharisees Jesus addresses in John 8-10, all men who do not love the LORD’s truth are given over to “Satan.” Watch this…

“AFTER the working of WHOOOOO”???

“Even him, whose coming is AFTER THE WORKING OF SATANNNN with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

By reason of redemptive withdrawal, God removes His holy hand of protection from all rebels and they are sent by Him “strong delusion” where Satan is allowed to reign over their lives to bring stealing, killing, and destruction.

Spiritual Warfare | On the Truth Can Make us Free | Neither Give Place to the Devil | Resist the Devil and He will Flee from You

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Articles

The Only Way Up is Down [podcast]

Chapter 8 from the book Raised Up (narration)

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

The Down and Up Principle of God’s Kingdom

“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root DOWNWARD, and bear fruit UPWARD.” Isaiah 37:31

The Scriptures follow a pattern of death and resurrection, a downward death and upward life. See if you can observe such a truth in the following verses:

“The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth UP all those that be bowed DOWN.” Psalms 145:14

Do you possess the blessed desire to be raised up by the Almighty? According to His divine wisdom given us in His precious Precepts, in order to be “raised up” we must first be “bowed down.” The LORD will not raise up any person who is still alive in his own power – He only raises up “those that be bowed down” in sincere humility before His majesty (Ps. 145:14; Jn. 12:23-25; Rom. 8:11).

“Those that be bowed down” will “take root downward” and be raised up in blessed fruitfulness (Isa. 37:31).

In order to “bear fruit upward,” one must first be planted in the house (kingdom) of the LORD and “take root downward” in the rich soil of His truth. The resurrection life of Jesus and ample fruitfulness will be the result.

Going deeper in God necessitates going down deeper into death and burial with Christ! Read Romans 6. There are no shortcuts (Galatians 5:24). Christ’s kingdom is a cross economy – one of utter humility and death to self that He might reign (John 12:23-25; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.).

“And whosoever shall exalt himself (upward) shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

“He must INCREASE, but I must DECREASE.” John 3:30

“And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat FALL INTO THE GROUND (downward) and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (upward). He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life (downward) in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (upward).” John 12:23-25

“Humble yourselves (downward heart posture) in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10

The life of Christ will raise a man upward and this is after that man bows down his life or humbles himself under the mighty hand of God – first at initial salvation then in the consecrated life that brings God glory. Blessed resurrection life is the upward result of the life planted downward and this is the place from which ministry springs. Look at what the apostle Paul wrote in this regard:

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:10-12

Jesus declared to us that He came to make captives free from sin and Satan – “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:31-32, 36).There is chain-shattering, freeing power (liberty) in the redeeming blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Ghost (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:36; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12-14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 12:11). The divine promise is that when one bows down before the LORD, every yoke shall be broken by Him who is above all (Isa. 58). No stronghold or bond of Satan has power when Christ’s blood is applied in sincere repentance and by the power of the Holy Ghost! The saint who is raised up after being bowed down, will glorify God in rich fruitfulness being “changed into the same image (Christ’s) from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

It is the divine Person of the Holy Ghost who raised up the LORD who was bowed down before His Father in death in order to purchase His Church with His own sinless blood (Acts 20:28). In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit with His resurrection power who raises up those who be bowed down before His throne of grace.

“And he (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God… And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.” Luke 13:10-13, 16-17

There can be no resurrection until there is first a death. A seed is dead or dormant then is planted and then germinates and brings forth bud, then a stalk and ultimately fruit – but first it must be buried downward in order to bear life-giving fruit upward. The life buried with Christ will be lifted up by divine power and bear much fruit to God’s glory (Jn. 15:8).

“But if the Spirit of him that raised UP Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised UP Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive upward) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11

Our LORD had to first die and be buried “downward” in order to be raised “upward” by the Father in resurrection life to raise up and justify all those who would call upon Him in repentance (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 10:13). In order for fruit to be borne “upward,” the disciple must first be planted “downward” in “the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Isa. 37:31; Phil. 3:10).

“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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Romans 6:3-5

“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12

He created man with a choice (Josh. 24:15). In the end there will be “the resurrection of life” and also “the resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:28-29). Each of us will be in one of these resurrections – either everlasting life or eternal death (conscience separation from God in hell). The entrance into Heaven or termination into hell will hinge upon whom we served – God or self (Rom. 6:16).

Real promotion comes only from the Giver and Sustainer of all life – from the north (Heaven).

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalms 75:6-7

That person who freely chooses to believe God, taking Christ at His Word, bowing under His infinite Majestic glory, will be raised up both now and forever and eternally glorified with the Alpha and Omega (Phil. 2:5-11; 2 Thess. 2:13-14).

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” Psalms 92:12-14

PRAYER: Please draw me deeper into You LORD Jesus. Father in Heaven, You sent Your only begotten Son to die for me in order that I might be raised up in new life in this brief life and eternally. I love You Jesus and ask You to lead me to that crucified life that you lived when here on earth and as You gave Your life blood on the cross to save Your people. Please quicken me by Your Holy Spirit and fill me afresh O LORD, that this life You gave might be fully one with You and fruitful and pleasing to Thee. Lord, I am watching and praying in light of Your soon return. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

If you truly desire to know more about how to really know the LORD, go here okay: Born Again: What is It?

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PEACE with GOD

Feedback:

“Awesome message. Thank you for sharing it. I would like to encourage everyone to read this and to look at the scriptures in their own Bibles! Wonderful message.” Linda C.