Pod Prep: 3-22-19
How To Be Victorious In Spiritual Warfare
BELIEVERS ARE IN A SERIOUS STRUGGLE AGAINST SATAN AND DEMONS - PART ONE
The Devil is not yet locked away in the bottomless pit or jail; therefore believers are still in a spiritual life and death struggle against spiritual forces in high places. We need to avail ourselves of all the tools necessary to overcome evil influences and remain faithful. GOD IS STRONG and He wants us to be strong as well. Paul describes how we can be victorious in this struggle. Paul is also telling believers to take this battle seriously. It is his final piece of advice.
Ephesians 6:10-11 NKJV 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Christians are compared by the Apostle Paul to soldiers in warfare. A soldiers needs the best equipment and weapons possible to win. This is more than a spiritual sounding metaphor. We plan on digesting and developing each of these protective devices and weapons in a series to strengthen all believers. Protective Armour for a soldier is better than a thin shirt. We need to be fully committed to win the struggle. Letting Jesus grow inside of us is our goal.
2 Timothy 2:3-4 NKJV 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier.
One must not let worldly desires and popularity distract from our duty to Jesus Christ. Further we must gain tools to offset the wiles of the devil. None of us understands the tactics of the Devil as did Paul, but he gave us the famous 'Armour of God'. It is to our benefit to fully understand this protective system. Always remember that God is stronger than Satan. Satan wants to lure us away from God and this Armour will keep us safe. There is a real Devil and he has this world deceived. Mankind does not want to believe in the supernatural, neither God nor Satan, just evolution. How else can one explain so much evil in the world?
BELIEVERS MUST BE AWARE OF THE DANGER OF THE 'WHISPERING ENCHANTER'
What did Eve see in the Garden of Eden? It was not as pictured a snake coiled around an apple tree. The Hebrew word translated as snake nachash could also mean whispering enchanter. Eve saw an archangel Lucifer, which means light bringer. He probably appeared impressive and smart and unlike other animals in the garden, could talk. One of the powerful cherubim angels close to God's throne rebelled. Satan saw mankind in the Garden of Eden and jealously decided to destroy us. His goal is to also deceive man into also rebelling against God. Eve had no prior experience so she probably was not at all surprised. These powerful angels have a human face. It is not a surprise that Satan deceived Adam and Eve. Before we can be born into the family of God, we also must withstand the wiles of the Devil. But unlike Adam and Eve we have God's spiritual help.
Ezekiel 10:14-15 NKJV 14 Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. 15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar.
Satan is no myth. He was one of the three top angels Lucifer , Michael and Gabriel. He led a failed rebellion against God. It led to Satan's removal from the heavenly host.
Luke 10:18 NKJV 18 And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Satan is jealous of mankind made in the IMAGE OF GOD. He recognized God's plan to elevate mankind in the Kingdom and Family of God. The Devil resents mans potential and is determined to try and persuade us to abandon God's plan for our lives. He is very persuasive and heavily influences our society.
1 Corinthians 6:3-4 NKJV 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?
Our society believes the adversary is ugly and goat like with scary horns of evil. However Satan is clever enough to appear in this world as enlightened and good. A good looking smooth tongued con man is the most dangerous. Such are the spiritual evil forces of this world.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 NKJV 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
The history of mankind is full of the use of religion and government for deceptive purposes. High ranking evil forces have their fingers inside much of the sufferings of mankind.
Ephesians 6:12 NKJV 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Our spiritual warfare is not against people, but influences that we cannot see, the spiritual world is in a dimension that we cannot normally detect with our senses.
THE SPIRIT WORLD DOMINATES THE POWERFUL GOVERNMENTS OF THIS WORLD
The prophet Daniel was praying for Israel while in captivity, and we learn, almost as an aside to that story, something profound about the control of our world by the spirit world. The angel dispatched from God to deliver this important prophesy to Daniel is delayed with an unbelievable story.
Daniel 10:11-13 NKJV 11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. 12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
Daniel had been fasting for three weeks for the answer and his prayer was heard the first day and an angel dispatched with the answer. However the angel was delayed by a powerful spiritual force from reaching Daniel. The spirit being who really ruled the Persian Empire was saying to the good angel ' this is my turf stay out'. We see as an aside in this story that high ranked dark, spiritual forces control many worldly nations. We learn one more item as well.
Daniel 10:20 NKJV 20 Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come.
The succession of empires is also controlled by spirit forces in high places. The Greek Empire would follow the Persians in ruler ship of these same territories. When Paul tells believers that we wrestle not with men “ but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age” this has been true of all ages and is still true in our age. Tyre was the ancient mercantile master of the world and its king was not just a man but a spirit being that was the real power behind the man.
Ezekiel 28:1-16 NKJV 1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 2 "Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because your heart is lifted up,... 5 By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches, And your heart is lifted up because of your riches)," ... 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; ... 14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you... Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.
The same revelations is given to us regarding the real power behind the king of Babylon.
Isaiah 14:4-14 NKJV 4 that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, ... 12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'
It seems clear that we can extrapolate from these examples that all major nations and or portions of the globe, are influenced by various demons with differing personalities. One can sometimes sense spiritual differences when traveling from various parts of the world to other parts. One thing these demons have in common is to try to weaken the nations. They want to lead all of us into varying types of decadence and away from the true God.
PAUL'S ADVICE ON HOW TO REMAIN STRONG AND WIN
When Jesus said “Forgive them for they know not what they are doing “ He realized that it was the evil spiritual influences that were most guilty at his execution. Stephen the first deacon in his dramatic martyrdom stated :
Acts 7:60 NKJV 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen recognized that the people on their own would not have been so cruel. It is the hardened evil influence of demons in high places that is to blame. Part Two will be an in depth coverage of the tools needed to overcome evil forces. Remember God is greater than any other force in the universe.
