This blessed paradise-like condition did not seem to go over well with the enemy. As with Job he was permitted to bring about a terrible destruction. But God will now as then restore twofold (Job 42: 10-11; Jas. 5: 7-11). If we take examples from the Scripture, Satan was always terribly against those who carried God's Word. It happened just like the Word says, “... smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered...” (Zech. 13: 7) and also, “For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” (Lk. 23: 31). The prophets and servants of God had to go through various trials and persecutions (Heb. 11: 32-40). From Abel right down to Zechariah they had to endure the wrath of the enemy (Mt. 23: 34-39). Satan, the prince of this world of darkness, cannot stand the divine influence of the Word, and the enemy is a murderer from the beginning, a liar and a destroyer. Since Cain his seed has tried to murder the Seed of God and attempted to destroy It. He begins with the married couples, continues with the families, right on to the Church and to all of God's work. Even the whole creation is groaning and suffering since the fall (Rom. 8: 19-22), so God finally will have to make all things new (Rev. 21: 5). 

If the enemy cannot murder physically, he will do it by assassination of character, through spreading lies, and he appears very subtly as the accuser of the brethren. The adversary always attacks with -It is written-, but twists the Word, as he did at the temptation with our LORD (Mt. 4: 1-11). He uses Scripture, but always puts his own interpretation to it. Any utterance inspired by him can be like a deadly injection. The poison of the serpent is in deceitful tongues he misuses and their throat is an open sepulchre, as is written in Rom. 3: 13-18. James also describes the tongue as an unruly evil which no one can tame, inspired by the fire of hell, carrying deadly poison (chapter 3: 1-12). The enemy does everything with the intention to destroy the credibility of the one carrying the divine Word and to establish enmity. It is the same every time: Those who look up to a man, the enemy will confuse, they will be offended and later turn the matter around for their excuse. When Jesus went on His way through Gethsemane to Calvary, He said, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night...” (Mt. 26: 31). Of course, those who have received a personal relationship with their Lord and Saviour because of the ministry ordained by God, will see through the situation and find their way back, even after the attack. They know that it is Satan who destroys and do not go along with his destructive work.

What happened in paradise can repeat itself with men of God. Satan influenced Eve and she beguiled her Adam, to whom the LORD GOD had spoken personally. The enemy always knows how to do it. He starts with what God has said, twists and turns it into the exact opposite by using his own arguments. Therefore God rebuked Adam, “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife...” (Gen. 3: 17). If someone is not married, take Joseph for example, to him a woman might speak - it could even be Mrs. Potiphar with her reputation and influence – “Lie with me”, then pull his garment from him to make up the whole story against him. As she was holding the proof in her hands, her lie was well believed (Gen. 39). All the rest fit right into the whole situation.

It has been from the very beginning that God permitted things to happen in the natural life of His servants, which we cannot comprehend. Moses took a Cushite woman, and his sister, the prophetess Miriam, thought to be right, complained about it and was smitten with leprosy. The LORD GOD demanded her and Aaron to come unto the tabernacle of the congregation, so they could hear the truth from Him (Num. 12). In Dt. 34: 10 we are told, “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face”. Samson, an answer to prayer, a promised son, dedicated from his mother's womb, went to Gaza to the Philistines and visited a harlot. And that after the Spirit of the LORD had begun to move in him (Jud. 13-16)! Even David did something that we can never comprehend. He committed adultery, taking the wife of Uriah, and even had her husband killed and became a murderer (2 Sam. 11). It displeased the LORD. But we still read the Psalms and Jesus Christ is called the Son of David. He was not asked to step down, not forbidden to sing or to preach. The LORD only gives a short declaration about those, to whom the Word came, “... Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men...” (Ps. 82: 6-7) and also, “If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken...”(Jn. 10: 35). Servants of God are not under the jurisdiction of the Church, but only responsible toward God and judged by Him. Therefore we have the serious admonition, “Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be held up; for God is able to make him stand.” (Rom. 14: 4). They are human beings like the rest. The divine part in them is God's Word as the supernatural substance, whereby we also partake in the divine nature (2 Pet. 1: 3-4). They are earthen vessels with divine contents (2 Cor. 4: 7).

Every time a true servant of God appeared on the scene, the spirits were discerned and separated. The people have to make their decision whether to receive or to reject that ministry. “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other, the savour of life unto life.” (2 Cor. 2: 15-16). Even of our LORD is written that He would be a sanctuary for some and for others a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence (Isa 8: 14-15). The Apostle Peter writes about the elect and precious cornerstone, and those who put their trust in Him shall not be ashamed. But he also mentions the builders who have rejected that stone, taking offence in their disobedience (1 Pet. 2: 1-8). For some He is set for the fall and for others He is appointed to rise and be a sign of dispute (Lk. 2: 34). The sanctimonious scribes and Pharisees disputed our LORD at every occasion, even insinuating in view of His birth, “We are not born of fornication...” (Jn. 8: 41). They should have known that the Redeemer was not to be born by a woman, but by a virgin, as it is written (Isa 7: 14; Lk. 1: 27). The concern is always God's Word. For as certain as there is life in the originally inspired Word, spiritual death and deception are in every wrong inspiration.

In the past fifty years, since 1949 when I had my full salvation experience with the LORD, I experienced both: the growth in divine love and the destruction in devilish hatred. At Pentecost 1953 1 witnessed an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as several hundreds were baptised with the Holy Ghost at the same time. Suddenly from the midst of the congregation glorious heavenly singing in other languages broke forth, which spread over the entire congregation and became louder and all were filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking and singing in pleasant harmony in other tongues in a heavenly atmosphere. In the Krefeld church we experienced for many years God's blessings by the use of spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. But then we had to experience how destructive the misuse of that same gift is. It can be meant well, even meant to assist and help God, but the experience teaches the following lesson: Everything that comes from God will be for our uplifting and be a blessing. Where the own will of those who use a gift comes in, false inspiration, destruction and curse follows. “By their fruits you shall know them.” Gifts and those who use them can be pretended and deceitful, but the fruit always testifies about the life of that tree. No one can pick figs from a thornbush. Everything in the natural and spiritual creation brings forth after its own kind.

When the person using the gift, believing her own revelations and expectations saw that they were false, then did her utmost to destroy the ministry she had fully supported from the very beginning. Only to God we owe our gratitude, because He held His protecting hand over His Church. It happened as the LORD had said to Peter,

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not...” (Lk. 22: 31-32).

We may not even ask why our dear LORD and Saviour consents to the request of the enemy to sift the believers. But while the wheat is sifted, the wind of false doctrines only takes away the chaff and the wheat remains. The same LORD Who was betrayed and crucified rose victoriously, and with Him did we. It would be much easier for us, if there would be no need to fight with the forces of the enemy (Eph. 6: 10-20), which have already been conquered (Col. 2: 13-15). But only trials prove who we are. Without battle there is no victory; and without victory there is no crown. In the same chapter our LORD experienced the betrayal by the one who ate and drank with Him at the same table (Mt. 26). Like a transgressor He was captured and then only said, “...but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Lk. 22: 47-53). No further explanation. In Mt. 26: 54 He gave the answer, “But how, then, shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” Brother Branham preached that the Word of the hour would be crucified. This could not happen theoretically, it had to be in the one who carries the Word Itself. Therefore the betrayal happened and, behold, it was night (Jn. 13: 21-30). Also the last part in the plan of Salvation happens as it did right from the very beginning.

There also can be cases as the following story, related in one of the sermons at the beginning of this year by Rev. Harry Hampel, whom I first met in 1958 at the convention in Dallas, Texas, USA. There was a spiritually gifted lady in a church in New Mexico, USA, singing in the choir, who fell in love with the preacher. He did not give in, in fact he rejected her. She was so hurt by it, got furious because of being spurned, went to the elders of the church and told them that she had lived in sin with the pastor. They all believed her, the pastor was dismissed and the church shattered. The pastor did not stop preaching, he started his work anew and slowly a church was established. After more than 20 years, in 1999 the same sister was dying with cancer. Her conscience bothered her and she called the elders, confessed to them that she had spread the lie about the pastor because of being jilted. Now she asked them to pray for her, because she could not die in this state of despair. But she did not even think to call that pastor and to ask his forgiveness. She died in agony and, as far as could be observed, without peace with God.

At the judgment seat of Christ only what He Himself said will count, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned., (Mt. 12: 37). This we should remember always and tame our tongues. Not what others say about us, but what we say about others will be our own judgment. But who will repair the damage done to the souls who believed such a lie, which was spread about the pastor, and had taken offence? In Heb. 10 we are told, that if someone sins wilfully, that means purposely, intentionally, there is no forgiveness. And in Heb. 6 it says, even if we did partake of the Holy Spirit, all the experiences we had do not count any more and no religious arguments will help.

It is sad but true, the enemy always finds people, even believers and those who have received gifts, whom he can inspire and twist the Word in their heads and mouths, keeping them in his own traditions. God does never destroy His Own Church. HE only destroys the works of the enemy. Christ builds His Church! But sometimes the roles are reversed and the devil is mistaken for God. God certainly is not self-destructive. Paul writes about the workers in the Kingdom of God, that they serve the LORD “... by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report, as deceivers, and yet true...” (2 Cor. 6: 1-10).

The supernatural influence of the prophets, apostles and servants of God, that Satan wants to destroy, is not of themselves. It is always God, Who through special callings and ministries has exercised His influence. Paul, who was in chains even though he had done nothing wrong, said, “...but the word of God is not bound.” (2 Tim. 2: 9). We can testify to the same today. The authority is not of a man, but of God, through the Word he proclaims.