This is a different take on evil spirits from God, because I don't believe this is exactly the same thing.
In the OT we have verses like....
Exod 4:21; The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Exod 7:3; "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exod 14:4; "Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." And they did so.
Now I don't believe randomly did this, or just goes around hardening peoples hearts. I believe God wants everyone to be saved. ( 2 Pet 3:9; 1 Tim 2:3-4; )
I also notice Pharaoh hardened his own heart several times before God hardened it. Exod 7:13; Exod 7:14; Exod 7:22; Exod 8:15; Exod 8:32;
Isaiah asks God why He hardens our hearts.
Isa 63:17; Why, O LORD, do You cause us to stray from Your ways And harden our heart from fearing You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
In the NT we have verses like...
Rom 1:21; For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:24; Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
Rom 1:26; For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,
Rom 1:28; And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
There may be a fine line between God hardening someone heart and just "giving them over" to a depraved mind. In any case, it seems God is done with them for a while.
You sometimes hear, God never gives up on us. You can always come back to God until your last breath. I have actually seen a death bed salvation prayer, so I know it can happen just a few minutes before you die.
But for others, maybe God just gets tired of fighting with them and closes that window.
2 Thes 2:11; For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
It seems that if you keep rejecting God, He will eventually just give you over to what you want.
Rom 11:8; just as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."
Mark 4:12; so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN."
The end of that verse "otherwise they might return and be forgiven" is certainly a stumbling block for some people.
Luke says almost the same thing in Acts
Acts 28:25; And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers,
Acts 28:26; saying, 'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, "YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
Acts 28:27; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM."'
...otherwise, they might see, and hear, and understand, and return (to God) and He would heal them.
First of all none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Any of us could die 10 minutes after reading this. But even if we don't die today, it seems God can harden some peoples hearts and make it so "they can not see, and can not hear, and cannot understand".
It seems He gives some a strong spirit of delusion, and others a spirit of stupor. Is it possible, that even if we don't die soon... God won't let us come back to Him?
In the OT we have verses like....
Exod 4:21; The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Exod 7:3; "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exod 14:4; "Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." And they did so.
Now I don't believe randomly did this, or just goes around hardening peoples hearts. I believe God wants everyone to be saved. ( 2 Pet 3:9; 1 Tim 2:3-4; )
I also notice Pharaoh hardened his own heart several times before God hardened it. Exod 7:13; Exod 7:14; Exod 7:22; Exod 8:15; Exod 8:32;
Isaiah asks God why He hardens our hearts.
Isa 63:17; Why, O LORD, do You cause us to stray from Your ways And harden our heart from fearing You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
In the NT we have verses like...
Rom 1:21; For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:24; Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
Rom 1:26; For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,
Rom 1:28; And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
There may be a fine line between God hardening someone heart and just "giving them over" to a depraved mind. In any case, it seems God is done with them for a while.
You sometimes hear, God never gives up on us. You can always come back to God until your last breath. I have actually seen a death bed salvation prayer, so I know it can happen just a few minutes before you die.
But for others, maybe God just gets tired of fighting with them and closes that window.
2 Thes 2:11; For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
It seems that if you keep rejecting God, He will eventually just give you over to what you want.
Rom 11:8; just as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."
Mark 4:12; so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN."
The end of that verse "otherwise they might return and be forgiven" is certainly a stumbling block for some people.
Luke says almost the same thing in Acts
Acts 28:25; And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers,
Acts 28:26; saying, 'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, "YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
Acts 28:27; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM."'
...otherwise, they might see, and hear, and understand, and return (to God) and He would heal them.
First of all none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Any of us could die 10 minutes after reading this. But even if we don't die today, it seems God can harden some peoples hearts and make it so "they can not see, and can not hear, and cannot understand".
It seems He gives some a strong spirit of delusion, and others a spirit of stupor. Is it possible, that even if we don't die soon... God won't let us come back to Him?