OF RAPISTS AND THEIR VICTIMS

James 1:12 – 15 

“Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.
 
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one.
 
14 But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).
 
15 Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.”
 
Dear people of God, I urge you to read the above lines of Scripture once again to help you understand the import of today’s message because of ignorance, misgivings and misconceptions some have about rape.
 
Rape is a heinous crime someone commits against another person or persons just to obtain immoral sexual gratification.
 
A rapist could be a male or female because whilst the focus of rape has been more on men against women, I know of at least 2 cases where women have raped young children and this continues to happen daily in today’s world.
 
The psychological trauma of rape on the victim often shows itself either immediately or later in life in the manner the victim relates to the opposite gender and even his or her legally married spouse.
 
There are also many instances where the victims of sexual abuse as children grow up themselves to become abusers of other innocent children.
 
Unfortunately, few people understand the reason why this is so. The reason is because there is a spiritual connection.
 
According to medical doctor and Christian Rebecca Brown in her book “He came to set Captives Free” talking about how the devil and demons operate in this world, there is a spiritual doorway that opens in a rape victim’s life through which demons LEGALLY enter the person from the rapists.
 
It is this demonic infestation and influence that is responsible for the kind of behaviour innocent rape victims display either immediately or later in life.
 
This is why God clearly forbids sexual activity of any kind between two unmarried persons as stated in 1 Corinthians 6:15-18 for the reason that a spiritual doorway opens and gives the devil a LEGAL RIGHT to enter and afflict the fornicators or adulterers as the case may be.
 
Whether it is rape, incest, homosexuality, lesbianism, etc, demons are freely given access into both persons and do cause spiritual, emotional and psychological affliction.
 
This also explains why victims of rape sometimes experience terrible nightmares and other spiritual and physical calamities in their life because the devil has a hold of them.
 
Anyone whether male or female who has been a victim of sexual abuse of any kind must after becoming a Christian in life through repentance from sin and accepting the Lord Jesus as Messiah pray to God that the blood of Jesus Christ should close the doorway opened to the devil as a result of sexual abuse in the past.
 
This should be a clear lesson and warning to men and women, boys and girls who chase each other seeking and obtaining sexual gratification to desist from such behaviour, repent sincerely, ask God for forgiveness and pray the prayer I have advised earlier.
 
At this juncture, I want to address another very important and serious angle as it concerns rape.
 
There are some ignorant people, especially the womenfolk who state that there is no correlation whatsoever between women’s indecent dressing and rape by the menfolk.
 
What these promoters of indecent dressing fail to understand is that there is a remarkable difference in the physiological make up of a man and woman.
 
While a woman’s response to sexual stimuli is gradual, a man’s is instant and he wants to urgently satisfy that urge and immediately he does, his body returns to normal.
 
Go back again to today’s lead Bible text above and see how a person becomes tempted and falls into sin.
 
In today’s world, we are daily assaulted by indecent dressing by women on the streets, on television, internet and almost everywhere you turn including advertising showing indecently clad women for items that are unrelated to sex.
 
What about women who take their bath and dress up in full view of their 3 -5 year old sons? Are they not infusing the little minds of these boys with images of immorality that they would practise later on in life?
 
What do you say about women who dress their daughters skimpily to revealing the little child’s thighs and upper bodies on the streets for all to see?
 
While the women folk may or may not respond to the visual stimuli of cleavage exposure, the menfolk would definitely respond and this is why they stare at immorally dressed women.
 
From the stare, a desire arises, an urge to satisfy that desire builds up, the devil takes over and makes suggestions to them and once they accept, they must carry out that evil desire through rape.
 
Does it justify their action? The answer is an obvious NO!
 
But something immoral triggered it through indecently clad women whether in real life, on TV, internet, etc.
 
A saved man with the Spirit of God operating in him who subjects his flesh to his human spirit would look away from this temptation of indecently revealing flesh to something that does not defile him.
 
A saved man with the Spirit of God in him who allows his flesh to control him would succumb to this temptation first in his mind and then by action once the mind is defiled.
 
This is why the Lord Jesus Christ says in Matthew 5:28, “But I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
 
An unsaved man without the Spirit of God but with the spirit called the “rulers of the darkness of this world” (Ephesian 6:12) operating in him would succumb to the temptation, commit rape and sin against God.
 
Let us therefore understand that all rapists like all wrongdoers are sinners that would face God’s wrath and judgement unless they sincerely repent, and come to know Jesus Christ and live in obedience to Christ’s commands.
 
The womenfolk should stop dressing indecently and dressing their young daughters indecently in the name of fashion because they are allowing the devil to use them to defile others and they would surely come under God’s judgement.
 
Promoters of indecent dressing who claim that there is no correlation whatsoever between indecent dressing and rape are wrong, are supporting evil and sin against God and they share in the punishment of those who engage in indecent dressing.
 
Unless they repent sincerely, ask God for forgiveness and stop promoting indecent dressing, they would be judged by God.
 
Rapists succumb to evil desire and act on the temptation to sin that the devil places in their minds so it is not God Who tempts people but the devil.
 
Finally, the way to prevent becoming a rape victim is for you FIRST to have a genuine relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to obey His commandments in the Holy Bible.
 
Once you have done this to become a Christian and a child of God (John 1:12), you qualify for the rights of the children of God.
 
One such right is total victory in Christ and authority in the Name of Jesus Christ over ALL powers of the devil.
 
You must daily exercise this authority over the devil and his agents when you wake up, before you go out and before you go to bed at night and then as Jesus has said, nothing shall by any means hurt you – Luke 10:19.
 
This exercise of your authority in the Name of Jesus Christ over the devil and his agents drives the foul spirit operating in rapists and other violent criminals to subjection and they cannot come near you or attack you.
 
However, always remember that as Jesus Christ has said, your focus should be not just on exercising your authority over the devil in the Name of Jesus Christ but on getting into heaven.
 
This authority over the devil would not be beneficial to you if you are living in sin because sin gives the devil a legal right to afflict you and you can be sure he would.
 
You must therefore ensure that you are living in strict and righteous obedience to all of God’s commands in the Holy Bible and also teach same to your young children and how to exercise their rights in Christ over the devil.
 
Can you now see how and why Christianity is God’s only acceptable way of life? There are many benefits you would NEVER know or experience but which is ALWAYS open and available to you once you surrender your life to the Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.
 
May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus’ Most Righteous Name, Amen.
 
Gabriel Ama.