Following the positive scene at the end of chapter four, Luke presents the negative scene in 5:1-11. The negative scene involves a couple, Ananias and Sapphira: “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property, and put aside for himself some of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it; and having brought a certain part, he laid it at the feet of the apostles” (vv. 1-2). Ananias and Sapphira had an evil plan to deceive, to lie to, the indwelling Spirit. “But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and put aside for yourself some of the proceeds of the land?” (v. 3). Ananias lied apparently to the apostles but actually to the Holy Spirit, who is God (v. 4), because the Spirit and the apostles were one.
As we read these verses, we see that two persons were making their residence in this couple. First, the Spirit was no doubt dwelling in them. Because they were saved, the Holy Spirit had taken up His residence within them. Second, Satan was dwelling in them, for he had filled their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, two residents— the Holy Spirit and Satan—were dwelling in Ananias and Sapphira.
We need to realize that, as believers, we also have these two residents within us. However, some teachers of the Bible do not believe that Satan remains in the believers; neither do these teachers believe that saints can be possessed by demons. Because Jessie Penn-Lewis spoke about cases of demon possession of believers in her book War on the Saints, some went so far as to call her a “witch.” Although some may deny that believers can be possessed by demons, it is a fact that certain genuine believers have been demon possessed. Here in chapter five of Acts is perhaps the first case of believers possessed by or deceived by Satan. Peter asked Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart?” This indicates that Satan was not merely outside them but was in their hearts deceiving them and seducing them.
How could Satan have such ground within them? Satan had this ground because of their ambition. I have learned over the years that believers can be ambitious to have a name, position, title, and rank. This ambition can be found even among those in the church life. Both in the Orient and in the West I have seen those in the church who were ambitious concerning rank, position, title, and name. Even the young people may be ambitious to be leaders.
Recently in Taipei the Lord moved among us in such a way that we established more than four hundred small groups in the church. When we established similar groups in the past, we appointed a leader in every group and also assistants. However, we found out that those appointments became a factor of corruption. Therefore, this time we told the church that there would not be any designated leaders in the small groups. Rather, every one in every group could take the lead.
The ground in Ananias and Sapphira that was the basis for Satan’s deception of them was their desire to have a name. They wanted to have the reputation for having sold everything for the church. Because of their ambition, they formed a plan. They sold a piece of property, kept some of the proceeds for themselves, and then brought a certain part and laid it at the feet of the apostles.
As we have pointed out, Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit. Do you think that the Spirit to whom they lied was the Spirit in the heavens, the Spirit outside them? Do you think they lied merely to an objective Spirit? Ananias and Sapphira lied to the very Spirit who was within them. If the Holy Spirit had not been within them, why would Peter have said that they lied to the Holy Spirit? Both Satan and the Holy Spirit resided in Ananias and Sapphira at the same time.
Today there is a trend among Bible teachers to deny the fact that Satan, the Devil, dwells in man’s flesh. But consider Peter’s experience in Matthew 16. Peter recognized that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Lord said to him, “You are blessed, Simon Bar-jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens” (v. 17). Later in the same chapter we see that Peter, the one who received a revelation from the Father, was also occupied by Satan. When Peter took the Lord and began to rebuke Him, “He turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan” (v. 23). Here we see that Satan was within Peter, not merely outside of him.