John Bevere - How you can shut ... the devils door

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge and express gratitude for the following people who have had an impact on my life:

My parents, John and Kay Bevere, for living a godly life before me.

My darling wife, Lisa, who next to the Lord is the closest one in my life. You have shown me integrity, wisdom, love and faithfulness. I will forever be grateful to the Lord for you.

My four sons, Addison, Austin, Alexander and Arden, who continually remind me of God's goodness. You are each a treasured gift of God to me.

Our board members, for your godly counsel and wisdom.

Our staff, for your faithful support and help. Lisa and I love each of you.

Al Brice, who has pastored and spoken godly wisdom into our family and ministry .

Stephen and Joy Strang , who believed in the messages God has given Lisa and me and published them.

The entire Creation House staff. You guys are great and fun to work with.

My many pastor and personal friends who have encouraged Lisa and me to press on to the high call.

Most of all I am eternally grateful to my Lord Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us with His own blood. You are truly wonderful.

Contents

Introduction

There is a door to our souls, a passage where our enemy can gain access. The presence of this portal goes undetected by many, but it is known widely in the realm of the spirit. This door stands ajar between light and darkness, with a history as ancient as the sons of Adam.

Under the divine law of God, our enemy is restricted to the realm of darkness. As believers, we are delivered from these powers of darkness. But if this door is opened, Satan and his cohorts are granted legal entrance. Their objective: to control areas of our lives. This always results in theft, destruction and a loss of freedom. It can even mean our lives.

Jesus called these doors "gates." His exact words were "the gates of hell" (Matt. 16:18). He also said He had won the keys which locked them tight (Rev. 1:18)! But how can we shut this gate to our lives, let alone lock itespecially if we are unaware of its existence?

As a wise soldier, consider for a moment how your adversary thinks. Suppose you were an evil adversary with unrestricted and undetected access to a building. You come and go at will, slipping in to steal at whim. You enjoy your arrangement, so what do you do to insure your position and access to this building? How do you maintain your advantage? You go to great lengths to make certain the owner never detects your activity, for once your presence is discovered you are locked out.

This is exactly Satan's plan! If he can keep you ignorant, he retains his access. God says:

My people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge (Is. 5:13).

Ignorance comes with a high price. But we don't have to remain ignorant. This book sheds light on this deception, exposing it so you can shut and lock the devil's door permanently.

This is the third book in a series God has led me to write which exposes the traps our enemy lays. The first is The Bait of Satan, which shows how the enemy captures believers by the trap of offense. Though a person may have done nothing to deserve the wrong done to him, he still becomes captive if he does not forgive his offender.

The second book, Breaking Intimidation, shows how the fear of man paralyzes believers, causing the gift of God in their lives to become dormant due to the controlling power of intimidation.

This book, The Devil's Door, exposes the root of all the enemy's avenues of control in a believer's life. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this message. I believe it should be read by all who call on the name of Jesus. I do not say this because I wrote this book but because of the truth of God's Word in it. I am quick to admit that the wisdom this book contains is not my own. As I wrote I was acutely aware of God's hand upon me. At times my heart literally burned as I wrote. I was increasingly aware of the awesomeness of God. Under this revelation my love for Him increased. It is my prayer the same would happen as you read.

This book is not limited to enlightening you by way of instruction. It also imparts a warning. You may not shout and dance as you read some sections, yet their wisdom may spare you later agony. The concepts build on each other, so it is crucial you read this book in the order it was written. The first four chapters lay a solid and important foundation while the latter ones build upon it. You will lose the impact of one without the other.

At this point I would like to join you in prayer before you read:

Father, in the name of Jesus, I acknowledge my dependence on Your Holy Spirit in order to understand Your ways and Word. I ask You to reveal Your heart and will to me as I read. Give me ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart to perceive and understand what the Spirit of God is saying. Let me not only hear but may my life be transformed by the work of Your Spirit. And as I close the final page, may I be able to truly say I will never be the same. I give You all the praise, glory, honor and thanksgiving for what I am about to receive, Amen!

May the grace of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

In the realm of oversight and ignorance, even believers fall prey.

The Devil's Door

Imagine yourself in a neighborhood deluged with violence and crime. Not a day passes without some chilling news of murder, rape or abduction. Your home is being stalked by a dangerous assailant who lurks somewhere in the dark awaiting the moment when he can slip in and take you by surprise. He longs to take you and your loved ones hostage, plunder and destroy your possessions, and maim those you love. Perhaps he'll even kill. You cannot change his mind by begging, pleading or crying. He is a sworn enemy and determined to destroy you.

In light of all this, would you forget to lock your front door? Of course not!

Let's take it further. Would you dream of retiring at night with your front door not only unlocked but left wide open? Absolutely not! The absurdity of it is almost offensive, yet countless people do this very thing. But it is not the door to a home that is left open it is the door to their souls.

I have witnessed this firsthand. I have recognized them sitting in the churches where I've spoken. The location of these churches did not seem to matter. I've seen these unaware and unprepared believers from all walks of life, income and culture. They are both overseas and stateside. They are the educated and the ignorant. But they all have one thing in common: They are victims of a wise and cunning adversary who has placed them under his controlling curse. How? They left open the devil's door!

This book is not about witches and spells. Nor is it about the occult practices of astrology, palm reading or Ouija boards. All these are blatant, overt invitations to the demonic realm. Most believers would never openly dabble in these. No, I speak of something much more subtle. It operates in the realm of oversight and ignorance. In this foggy arena, even believers fall prey.

This is not a new phenomenon or unique to our generation. It is as ancient as the devil himself. It is the iniquity that caused the fall of the Morning Star, Lucifer, and displaced a third of the angels from heaven. It is rebellion, which is disobedience to God's authority.

At this point you may have breathed a sigh of relief, "Whew! This doesn't concern me. I'm not rebellious or disobedient." Not so fast! You'd be surprised. Satan is not a fool. He and his cohorts are very cunning and crafty. Most believers do not dive willfully into disobedience, rather they fall into it by way of deception.

I'm certain you wish to know of this deception and that you desire to protect and safeguard your home, life and family. This book is penned as a warning to protect. It contains truths that expose deception and could save your life.