6. The Dangers of Soul Power
Soul-power is not, then, what we may imagine it to be. Nee writes:
"We have already seen how Adam was endued with unusual and astonishing abilities when he was created by God. These seemingly miraculous powers fell together with Adam. People who are ignorant tend to think that at his fall Adam lost all of his wonderful powers. But the evidences produced by modern parapsychology indicate that Adam had not lost his original power, only that he had it hidden in his soul. During the past five or six thousand years, there have been quite a few among unbelievers who were able to demonstrate this soul force. Within the last one hundred years, more and more people are capable of manifesting this latent power of the soul. Adam's original ability has not been been lost, it is merely hidden away in his flesh".
Nee goes on to summarize four 'facts' including the danger of this latent soul power inside man.
1. "There is in Adam an almost unlimited power, a near miraculous ability. This we call Soul power. Modern psychic researchers have proved the existence of such ability within man". Such ability was present before the fall and not lost - only it became latent and bound up by the flesh after the fall.
2. Nee goes on to explain that since Eden, Satan's desire, being well aware of this power, is to control it - and this desire continues. (Remember he cannot create anything on his own):
"Satan knew there was such wonder-working strength in man, hence he tempted man to declare his independence from God. The fall in the Edenic garden was none other than man taking independent action, separating himself from God. Upon learning the story of the fall in the garden, we can perceive what the purpose of Satan was. He aimed at gaining the soul of man. And when man fell, his original ability and miraculous strength fell into Satan's hand".
3. "Today Satan desires to release and display the latent power of the soul. As soon as man fell, God imprisoned man's psychic powers in the flesh. His [Adam's] many powers became confined and hidden in the flesh as a latent force - present but inactive. After the fall, all which belongs to the soul came under control and bondage of that which belongs to the flesh. All psychological forces are thus governed by physiological forces. Satan's objective is to liberate man's soul power through the breakdown of the outer shell of his flesh so as to free his soul from its fleshy bonds, thereby manifesting his latent power. This is what Revelations 18:13 means by making merchandise of men's souls. Indeed, man's soul has become one of the many items of the enemy's commodities. The enemy desires especially to have man's psychological abilities as his merchandise."
Satan's intention at the end of the age is to finish what he started out to do in Eden - draw out man's soul force. He was foiled in Eden since after the fall the soul power was bound by the flesh but he has been exerting himself over the centuries to influence men to express the latent power - either from various persons now and then - religious leaders, and in the last hundred years through parapsychology.
"All these are due to but one reason: the enemy is attempting to finish his previously unfinished work. He intends to release all the latent powers of men. This is his singular purpose which he has been cultivating for thousands of years. This is why he trades in the souls of men besides such merchandise as gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, and cattle and horses. As a matter of fact, he has exerted his utmost strength to obtain this special commodity."
4. What advantages are there for Satan to use the latent power?
"He will be able to fulfill his original promise he made to man that 'ye shall be as God.' In their ability to work so many wonders, men will consider themselves as gods, and worship not God but themselves."
Indeed, many New Agers, people like Shirly McLaine, see themselves as god or god-like. The entire system of neo-tech also has a section in its literature called 'God-man.'
"He will confuse God's miracles. He wishes mankind to believe that all miracles in the Bible are but psychological in their origin, thus lowering their value. He wants men to think that they are able to do whatever the Lord Jesus did."
"He will confound the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in man through the human spirit, but now Satan forges in man's soul many phenomena similar to the workings of the Holy Spirit causing a man to experience false repentance, false salvation, false regeneration, false revival, false joy, and other counterfeits of Holy Spirit experiences."
Indeed, one thing that relates to the above I have encountered. Nee mentions details in a later section relating to the power of prayer. In the background section I related a pagan's view of how prayer works: "One involved in healing described prayer in this way: when one person prays for another, they send what looks like a beam of light to that person. When two people pray it is the power of two times two, and so on." What I didn't understand was prayer in this sense is soul power - and if a Christian directs their prayers towards a person, and not God, they are also using this power. A testimony by an ex-Satanist, who at one time could see more spiritual manifestations, described Christians praying quite differently - as a beam of light going directly to heaven. I only use this illustration to show the how a pagan's prayer seems to be effective (through soul power) and that it uses real power. Soul power in prayer outwardly counterfeits a Christian's prayer to the living God. It looks the same, and it is effective, but the source of power is different. Christian prayers, on the other hand, are based on the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within them - and there is a dependence on God to answer such prayers.
"Suppose you have a friend who is over two thousand miles away from you. You pray for him, asking God, as the case may be, to either revive him in the Word or to save him. Instead of directing your prayer towards God, you concentrate on your thought, your expectation, and your wish and send them out to your friend as a force. Your prayer is like a bow which shoots your thought, desire and wish as arrows towards your friends. He will be so oppressed by this force that he will do exactly what you have asked for. You may think your prayer has been answered. But let me tell you, it is not God who answers your prayers, for you have not prayed to Him. It is merely an answer to a prayer which you directed towards your friend."
"And perhaps this is why the Lord's prayer is directed to our Father in heaven AND includes "not my will but your will be done."
"Someone claims his prayer is answered because, says he, 'I have piled prayers on my friend.' Indeed, for you prayed towards him, not towards God. Your prayer is answered, but not by God. Even though you do not know hypnosis, what you have secretly done has fulfilled the law of hypnotism. You have released your psychic force to perform this act.
"Why is this so? Because you have not prayed to the God in heaven; instead your prayers are projected towards, piled upon, and laid seige to, the person for whom you pray. In appearance you are praying, but in actuality you are oppressing that person with your psychic power....
"For this reason, we should not pray a prayer that asks that a person be punished if he does not do what is expected of him. Such a prayer will cause him to suffer, and thus make the one who prayed such a prayer the instigator of his woe. If we pray, we should pray to God and not towards man."
Indeed this explains the pagan's view of 'light beams' heading from the one who prays to the one who recieves - it is soul power. And in the end - it can be dangerous. The Wiccan religion realizes that the power they use can be harmful and hence have created the 'power of three' law, and beliefs such as 'harm none' - possibly to try and keep others from using their soul power maliciously. (Although they attribute this power to the god/goddess, nature, etc.) In this way the Christian who prays to God and in His will has a very real protection against themselves in moments of weakness. Praying in the Spirit leaves things in God's hands so that nothing evil can be perpetrated - even when a Christian is suddenly overcome by angry desires. God is good and will realize they are just angry. He does not grant evil prayers.
However, there is no guarentee or protection of your own vengefulness or wrongly placed anger when you use soul power. The last advantage for Satan to use the latent power is this:
"He will use man as his instrument for his final resistance against God's plan in this last age. The Holy Spirit is God's miracle-working power; but man's soul is Satan's wonder-working power. The last three years and a half (during the great tribulation) will be a period of great wonders performed by man's soul under Satan's direction."
First created on 3 February 2000
Last updated on 3 February 2000
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