The spirit of Leviathan

The slaying of leviathan
By Gustave Doré 1865/Wikipedia/Public Domain

By Don Nicely

Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? 2Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook? 3Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you? 4Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever? 5Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will leash him for your maidens? 6Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants? 7Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? 8Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle—Never do it again! (Job 41:1-8 (NKJV))

Has someone ever twisted the truth into a lie about you? Maybe someone saw something that you were doing and misread your intentions.

Has a talebearer ever distorted what you said or did? Have you ever been told something which you allowed the enemy to twist your mind until it was no longer the truth when you retold it?

All these examples of twisting the truth are the work of the spirit of confusion. Confusion is the spirit that sets itself against God’s purpose in our lives.

Job experienced the work of this spirit in the test that Satan brought against him. Now before we examine how to deal with this spirit, we must understand that Leviathan as he is called is a very formidable foe. Look at what God told Job in chapter 41:9:

9 Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? (Job 41:9 NKJV)

He warned Job not to try to tackle him by himself. That would be like trying to put a leash on a crocodile. Nobody in their right mind would try to do that by themselves, and neither should you try to take on this spirit of confusion by yourself. The strength of our best day is nothing to match the strength of Satan’s worst day.

Now don’t fret because we know from the scriptures that his days are numbered.

In that day, the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He wills lay the reptile that is in the sea. (Isaiah 27:1 NKJV)

Leviathan’s main tactic in our life is twisting up our life. He is a liar, and he wants to confuse members of the body of Christ enough so that they won’t enjoy God’s purpose for their life.

Resisting the spirit of confusion

Before we get into learning how to resist this spirit, I want you to understand that overcoming anything that the devil throws at you can’t be done by memorizing a series of steps or formulas.

Neither can you randomly throw some bible verses at him from a Bible promise book.

Our religious practices and rituals do not intimidate the devil in the least. He knows that most people who practice religion don’t even know the God behind the religion.

God used the Leviathan to describe this spirit because I believe this spirit is very strong.

Apparently Leviathan was some kind of prehistoric sea creature that lived in their day. Whether he was actually real or not is to be discovered, but everyone understood what God was talking about. Don’t take him on in the flesh or he’ll destroy you.

All of our offensive attacks against the devil must be in the power of Jesus Christ and his shed blood on the cross. When we confess the blood of Jesus and come in the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus, we will overcome him.

Paul tried to explain this warfare to the Ephesians’ church.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV)

Then again to the Corinthian church:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV)

The two weapons of our warfare that we must use against Leviathan are the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

You see, Satan is always trying to stir up confusion in our daily life. He uses the doors of pride and rejection to cause some to enter into his realm of foolishness.

So if you didn’t know 1 Corinthians 14:33, you may think that God was causing all this to happen to you:

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:33 NKJV)

When in the shadows, it was really Leviathan. When the twisted serpent is operating in someone’s life, they think that they are the only one who is right. They think that they are the only one that understands the big picture.

Everyone else is wrong when in reality they don’t even know what the big picture is. All these misconceptions are indications that pride has entered and blocked their ability in godly wisdom or counsel from someone else.

Many people who are deluded by this serpent see themselves as indispensable to the organization. They see their great contribution as above everyone else’s. You see, Leviathan is setting them up for a fall through the pride. They may even see themselves as unappreciated by their leaders.

The second door is opened when we see ourselves as more spiritual than anyone else. If we aren’t careful, rejection will entrap us in its clutches. You see, the spirit of confusion deceives people into thinking that because of their superior spirituality, nobody likes them. This confusion leads to rejection.

The real reason for their loneliness; is because of their harsh attitude and vocal response to people, it is what is driving people away. If we are to resist Leviathan, we truly must take captive our thoughts to God’s word.

We must resist the thoughts that we are too smart or too stupid, or too ugly or too pretty, too fat or too skinny, too short or too tall. But instead, we must accept the fact that we are not some accident, but that God made each of us for his purposes, and we are all made just right.

Whatever, you do, don’t try to reason with the spirit of confusion. He’ll only twist things up and confuses you even more. Instead, if confusion comes about something in our life, we should recognize him at work and resist him by submitting our lives to God’s purpose that we already know. If we will only study God’s word and learn his truth in the situation, then our path will be clear.

Releasing the spirit of purpose

David was a man that suffered many confusing times in his life, but when those times occurred, he knew to draw closer to the Lord and his way would be made clear.

Through your precepts I get understand; Therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalms 119:104-105 NKJV)

Peter was another man who was frequently confused about the workings of the Lord. Yet he overcame Leviathan and wrote these encouraging words for others to follow.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as through some strange thing happened to you; 13but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. (1 Peter 4:12-14 NKJV)

So until God finally puts the sword to Leviathan, we must continue to resist the spirit of confusion. He will always be at work to confuse you about your position in God’s family. He is always trying to dream up new ways to confuse us. God’s word is very clear in our method of resistance.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your minds, you double-minded. (James 4:7-8 NKJV)

In closing, I want to say one last thing about confusion.

Confusion has caused much pain in the lives of many people. In fact, some people seem to be surrounded by confusion and for these people, arguments seem to follow them everywhere they go. Most likely it is because Leviathan is at work behind the scenes, so instead of writing them off, we need to pray for them.

Be still and wait on “God is what can clear up the confusion. Only speak when God gives you words to say, and this way much confusion will clear from your life.