This document discusses how reading and meditating on the Bible protects Christians from darkness and demons. It notes that the earth in Genesis 1 was initially formless and empty, in darkness, but the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. Similarly, when a person's heart is empty of God's word, darkness can enter. But filling one's heart with the Bible draws the Spirit of God and dispels darkness. Backsliding from regularly reading the Bible can allow demons to regain a foothold. Christians must guard their hearts by continuing to take in God's word.

1. BEWARE
OF
EMPTINESS
Genesis 1:1-4

2. THE POINT
WE ALL KNOW AS CHRISTIANS THAT WE SHOULD READ THE
BIBLE, STUDY AND MEDITATE ON IT. DO WE REALLY KNOW
WHY? SOME OF US DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO
READ. SOME DO THAT BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS
THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW GOD. VERY FEW UNDERSTAND THE
BLESSINGS RELATED TO THE BIBLE. TODAY WE WANT TO SHARE
WITH YOU A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION RELATED TO THE BIBLE
THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW OF. THE BIBLE IS THE FIRST
WEAPON AGAINST THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS. THE BIBLE
KEEPS US IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF LIGHT AND LIFE AND
PROVIDES SUCH A PROTECTION FOR THE CHILD OF GOD THAT
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO NEGLECT IT.

3. GENESIS 1:1-4
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over
the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering
over the waters.
3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light
from the darkness.

4. THE TWO STATES OF THE EARTH
A state determined by shapelessness and
emptiness
A state determined by water
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the
surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the
waters.

5. THE TWO STATES OF THE EARTH
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over
the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering
over the waters.
The deep The waters

6. THE TWO STATES OF THE EARTH
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over
the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering
over the waters.
DARKNESS
The waters
WITHOUT
SHAPE &
EMPTY
SPIRIT OF
GOD

7. DEFINITION
FORMELESS : Without shape, without definition.
EMPTY: with nothing inside, void.
DARKNESS
WITHOUT SHAPE &
EMPTY

8. DEFINITION
WATER : THE WORD OF GOD
The waters
SPIRIT OF GOD

9. DEFINITION
FORMELESSNESS & EMPTINESS draw DARKNESS.
DARKNESS signifies the reign of Satan
DARKNESS
WITHOUT SHAPE &
EMPTY

10. DEFINITION
THE WATERS, (THE WORD OF GOD) DRAWS THE SPIRIT OF GOD
The waters
SPIRIT OF GOD

11. THE SPIRIT FOLLOWS THE WORD
THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND UPON THAT MAN,
THE SPIRIT CAME DOWN AND REMAINED
John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth”.
John 1:33 “I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me
to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come
down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”

12. MAN AS THE EARTH
JUST AS THE EARTH WAS FORMLESS AND EMPTY, MAN
CAN BE FORMLESS AND EMPTY.
A MAN IS FORMLESS WHEN HE HAS NO PRINCIPLES, HE
CANNOT BE DEFINED. HE GOES ACCORDING TO THE
FLOW. HE HAS NO PURPOSE, NO GOAL.
A MAN IS EMPTY WHEN THERE IS NO WORD OF GOD
IN HIM.

13. RUBEN: A SHAPELESS MAN
RUBEN HAD NO PRINCIPLES
GENESIS 49
Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you
what will happen to you in days to come.
2 "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.
3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power.
4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto
your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

14. JOSEPH: A MAN WITH PRINCIPLES
JOSEPH HAD PRINCIPLES.
HE HAD VALUES.
THERE WERE THINGS HE WAS NOT
READY TO DO.
GENESIS 39

15. BEWARE OF DARKNESS
A MAN WITH NO PRINCIPLES
IS AN EMPTY MAN.
SUCH A MAN IS A PREY TO
DARKNESS, DEMONS.

16. BEWARE OF DARKNESS
DEMONS LIKE DRY AND EMPTY PLACES
Matthew 12:43
43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places
seeking rest and does not find it.
44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the
house unoccupied (empty), swept clean and put in order.
45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself,
and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse
than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

17. BEWARE OF DARKNESS
DEMONS POSSESS A MAN’S LIFE TO PLUNGE
HIM INTO THE WORKS OF DARKNESS.
Matthew 12:43-45
43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking
rest and does not find it.
44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the
house unoccupied (empty), swept clean and put in order.
45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and
they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the
first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

18. BEWARE OF DARKNESS
THE WORKS OF DARKNESS ARE SINS
Ephesians 5
5 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant
offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of
impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.
4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but
rather thanksgiving.
5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an
idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath
comes on those who are disobedient.
7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

19. BEWARE OF DARKNESS
DEMONS ISOLATE PEOPLE FOR THEIR DESTRUCTION
LUKE 8
26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from
Galilee.
27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from
the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but
had lived in the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his
voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you,
don't torture me!"
29 For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times
it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under
guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary
places.

20. RESISTING DARKNESS
FILLING MY HEART WITH THE WORD OF GOD
JOHN 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made
that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not
understood it.

21. RESISTING DARKNESS
FILLING MY HEART WITH THE WORD OF GOD TO
DISPEL DARKNESS OUT OF MY HEART.
WHEN DARKNESS LEAVES YOUR HEART, DEMONS
LOOSE THEIR HOLD IN YOUR HEART.
II CORINTHIANS 4
6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light
shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Christ.

22. RESISTING DARKNESS
A CHILD OF GOD IS A CHILD OF LIGHT. HE IS A
CHILD OF THE WORD. HE MUST FEED ON THE
WORD TO KEEP THAT LIGHT SHINING IN HIS
HEART.
EPHESIANS 5:8
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light”

23. DELIVRANCE AT SALVATION
YOU ARE SAVED FROM THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS
WHEN YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD
AND SAVIOR
Colossians 1
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the
inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought
us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT)
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

24. BEWARE OF BACKSLIDING
THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS BRINGS DELIVRANCE
FROM THE CORRUPTION OF THE WORLD, THE GRIP
OF DEMONS.
2 PETER 2:20
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by
knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are
again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse
off at the end than they were at the beginning.”

25. THE FACT
THIS IS WHY BELIEVERS WHO DO NOT FEED ON THE
WORD CAN BE WORSE THAN UNBELIEVERS
2 PETER 2:20
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by
knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are
again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse
off at the end than they were at the beginning.”

26. KEEP YOUR HEART
THIS IS WHY BELIEVERS WHO DO NOT FEED ON THE WORD
CAN BE WORSE THAN UNBELIEVERS
PROVERBS 4:23
“ Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring
of life.”
PSALMS 119:105
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”

27. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
FEED YOUR HEART WITH THE WORD OF GOD. THE SPIRIT OF GOD
WILL FILL YOUR LIFE AND CAUSE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT TO
GROW IN YOUR LIFE.
GALATIANS 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

28. BE BLESSED