Time To Get Serious About Spiritual Warfare!

The topic of this post may seem repetitive... I have often sounded the trumpet about our need to recognize that Spiritual Warfare is real, and it is the Christian's duty and responsibility. And it's time to blow the shofar again! It is my earnest desire that we join forces as God's Ekklesia on earth and be ready to battle in the spirit, preparing the way for Jesus's return. I believe He is mounted and ready to ride, but until He receives that order from His Father, we must stand steadfast and unwavering in our spiritual armor, ready to defend the Faith and the earth as we await His arrival.

It's been over 8 years since I began writing about the importance of Christians engaging in Spiritual Warfare, and while many are more aware of what it is today, not enough are actively engaged in practicing it. How do I know? It's as simple as taking a look at the state of the world. All one has to do is look at a sampling of news headlines over the last few days and weeks ... Luciferian Transhumanism vs God's Creation; NY Governor Claims God Is On the Side of Abortion; Violent Crime Surges Across US After Police Retreat; 12,000 Fentanyl Pills Disguised As Candy Seized at LAX; Every Nation May Soon Be Overwhelmed as Energy Crisis Brings Death and Destruction This Winter; Ex-Satanist Warns of Halloween's 'One-Night Stand' With the Devil... I could go on and on; the number of violent attacks against individuals on our streets and in our cities is truly frightening. One cannot tune in to the TV without seeing another innocent victim of pure Evil.

So, what is the answer to this Evil? Very simply, it is that mankind is in a spiritual war with God's Enemy. But the understanding of this concept precludes that one comprehends and accepts that not only does God exist, but that Satan is real; and that he employs a multitude of devices and forces, in his position as "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is important that 1) we recognize it is our duty to fight against this Enemy; 2) the four important areas of Satan's influence; and 3) we have a power stronger than his.  

Part of Satan's influence is that both the Unsaved and Christian could be presented with his power and influence through old movies like The Exorcist, Amityville Horror, and The Shining. But, it's been nearly 50 years since those movies shocked the sensibilities of "normal" people, and now one can hardly find a TV show or movie that doesn't exploit death and evil! And evil monsters like Jeffrey Dahmer and other serial killers are celebrated, as their lives are glamorized onscreen.  The number of popular musical artists who claim to be "possessed" by demons is nothing new (Lady Gaga and Katy Perry come to mind). Yet most of today's Christians are not engaged in battling against this evil because it's become so commonplace and/or they've never been taught that they are to be engaged in such a battle, nor know how to go about it.  "Onward, Christian Soldier" is nearly a lost conviction.  (Please don't think I am confusing Spiritual Warfare with the Crusades. Those were human military campaigns, sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church, for a variety of religious, economic, and political reasons -- and I don't have a problem calling into question the part that Satan played in their execution).

But most of the Body of Christ doesn't want anything to do with Spiritual Warfare. They are fearful of the Enemy [if they are even willing to consider that he is real] and simply pray for Jesus to protect them. But I remember the day I understood the concept that, as Christians, we have a job to do as part of this End Times generation. We have been given authority over Satan; we were created to rule over the enemy -- not the other way around. So, that sounds like pretty good "church-y" theology, right? And you might be thinking, what does this have to do with the headlines of the day, or the lyrics to some popular song? Well, they are all representative of who we are battling, according to our go-to Scripture on Spiritual Warfare, Ephesians 6:12:  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

It is imperative that you understand the true meanings of these four forces of Satan.  The Greek meaning of the word for PRINCIPALITIES describes things in a series, such as leaders, rulers, and judges; it signifies rank and organization.  This informs us that the Satanic kingdom is highly organized, and Satan is at the head of this kingdom; and there is a rank of ruling spirits under him that are subject to him and assigned over areas such as nations and cities.  (When you consider some of the decisions of the world's rulers and look at their actions, it is not hard to imagine that they are "under the influence".)

Remember the reason the angel was delayed with bringing God's message to Daniel?  It was because he was engaged in battle with "the prince of the kingdom of Persia".  We must grasp the reality that Satan, as the Enemy of God, can have a powerful effect on the leaders of nations, states and cities.  It is necessary that we realize that our spiritual warfare not only includes our individual lives, but communities, our nation, and the world!  This is not just some Biblical folklore, folks!  Kings, and Presidents, and Shahs, and Imams can all be leading at the behest of Satanic Principalities. And they derive their POWER from their spiritual leader, Satan. That's the second force that we battle.

The Greek meaning of the word, Power, implies "authority", and tells us that the demons Satan has placed over various areas and territories have been given the power and authority to carry out whatever orders they've been assigned... Satan's orders that result in deception, control, and destruction. 

BUT, as we take our positions for battle, we need to understand that we have even greater authority; the authority of the Name of Jesus. Our authority lies in the power of That Name, and demonic entities are forced to yield to the authority of the Name of Jesus. Both my husband and I can personally testify to the power that the utterance of that Name has against a demonic force. Sadly, the Church has this same power and authority, (through the Name), that was given to it initially, by Jesus, Himself; yet, for various reasons, they either have lost the knowledge that it is at their disposal, or simply choose to disbelief it.  

Here is what every Christian needs to know ... We don't have to pray and wait for God to come to our rescue! Through our Salvation and our baptism in the Holy Spirit, God has provided us with the necessary weapons to engage in spiritual warfare and actually become a formidable and mighty Church; a force of our own to be reckoned with! Yet, here we sit, bemoaning the terrible state of our lives and the world! We can no longer afford to be ignorant of the forces coming against us, nor of the power we have to defeat them!

The third force in our spiritual battle is the RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD.  When Adam fell through sin, Satan usurped his dominion over the world, but he is nonetheless a defeated foe of our Lord.  The Devil is really just a trespasser in this world, and he has no legal rights over us Christians. Our debt has been paid by the Blood of Christ, and we belong to Him. 

So, if he's doomed to defeat, why does Satan still seek to rule this world, and why has he gained such success through his "rulers"? It is simple: the Church has not recognized or risen up in the power and authority given it. It's time that we use our spiritual weapons and strength, and take the offensive to the Enemy! But the Church and Believers have to recognize that this battle cannot be won politically or socially ... we cannot change things by getting out the vote, or accepting new social paradigms. Yes, it's important to vote, and we should strive to grow and improve our social standards, but I see the picture so much bigger than those surface issues. God is bigger than politics and social convention! And if we don't start seeing Satan's agenda and strategies in these areas, then we will continue to find ourselves battling and losing ground.

Finally, the fourth force that we battle is SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. Obviously, the key here, is "wickedness".  In the Greek, that word means "depravity; malice; plots".  That can encompass all kinds of spiritual battles against pornography, the occult, "Black masses", or even a babysitter, teacher, or parent who has allowed a spirit of sexual addiction to rule their impulses. The point is that we have very real spiritual enemies.  They are the enemies of both God and man.  And while we Christians have the promise of victory in heaven, we still can be afflicted and tormented here on earth. The key to our victory in this realm is to use our authority as it has been given us. 

All the mayhem and chaos we see in the world is not going to go away. I see so much more division and evil than when I first began writing on this topic. We can no longer compromise with the Enemy. Our very existence relies on us getting in the fight! The disorder and turmoil is a result of the battle between spiritual forces in the heavenly realms and those upon this earth. We have so much more coming against us now ... demonic forces that want to indoctrinate our children in godless ways; forces that want to integrate our God-given DNA with machines; forces that are destroying our food supply and corrupting our medical system. These are desperate times, and we MUST understand that we have been given the authority (through the power of Jesus's Blood) to bind the inferior power of the Devil, and to set free those he has made captive. Yes, in the end we have Victory in Christ! But there are a lot of people who are going to be sacrificed if we don't step into our own power and authority. We can no longer hesitate. We need to be exercising that authority NOW! 

#spiritualwarfare #christiansbattleinthespirit  #spiritualbattles #godvssatan

2 Corinthians 10:3-4    "For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons.  For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,"  
     

 

 

 

 

 

Understanding The "Hosts" of God

 

I wanted to take a slight detour today to shine a light on a subject that needs some clarification. Unless you're one who delights [as I do] in studying the etymology of the Bible, then what I'm writing about today may have escaped you. I love researching the origin of words in the Bible and the historical understanding of them. As happens quite often, I have found that our 21st Century Greek mindset can sometimes assign a broad definition to a word, when in fact, taken in context, the word can render a completely different awareness of the nature of God. So forgive me if I take you on what is a typical journey for me. 

I started my research while preparing for a Bible study lesson with my mother-in-law. We are in the Book of Matthew, and what I think is probably one of the most fascinating and difficult parables is the Parable of the Wedding [or Marriage] Feast. Jesus begins by saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

It is not too difficult to discern that "the king" in the parable is God, the Father, who is giving a wedding feast for His "son" (Jesus), and sends His "servants" (the prophets) to call "those who were invited" (the Jews) to the feast. But when they refused the invitation and then mistreated and killed His prophets, God became angry, and the Bible says "He sent His troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city". 

Now, I know that is a difficult passage to accept ... God sends His "troops" to murder and burn the city of the Jews, which must rightfully be interpreted as Jerusalem. Can this be true? Does God send "troops" against His own people? We know that the parable goes on to tell us that God then sends more prophets to invite guests who had not been previously invited, which would be the Gentiles [and includes us]. But I want to concentrate on that image of an angry God who sent His "troops" against His own. Is it just a story, or is it found in history? And does God have an army other than the Heavenly Host of angels that we are familiar with?

First of all, I looked at various versions of this parable and found that the word "troops" is used here in the English Standard Version (ESV); "soldiers" is used in the Amplified Version (AMP); and "armies" is used in the King James Version (KJV). So, obviously this is a military image Jesus is painting for us, and He doesn't hide the fact that the Father was angry. And we can't ignore that this picture is being presented in the New Testament, where the usual interpretation of God's army is the "Heavenly Host"; an army of angels. Now, can we also agree that this angelic army [or "host"] does the Father's bidding and is organized for war? But our typical comprehension is that God's host goes to war against Satan and his army. So, again, is this parable of God bringing an army against His own people borne out in history? 

Well, in 721 BC, God used the Assyrians to destroy the northern kingdom of Israel and took all the tribes into captivity, except for the southern kingdom of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. In 586 BC, God used Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem and take Judah into captivity in Babylon. They are in captivity for 70 years in Babylon until King Cyrus lets them return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. And after the Jews reject Jesus as their Messiah and He is crucified, God sends the Roman troops to Jerusalem, once again destroying and burning the Temple in 70 AD.

 

The parable represents a disobedient and rebellious people who time and again turn their backs on God, and it results in a severe reprimand. God is obviously using nations as His disciplinarian "army". Is this a theme found only in the Old Testament and do we find any evidence that God can [and still will] choose this form of disciplining His sons and daughters? We can certainly find several such warnings in the Old Testament before God sent His Son to deliver us. In Deuteronomy 28:47-48, God shares what the curses for disobedience can look like: Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things [He has given you], therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you. 

 

In Jeremiah 30:8, we find God promising restoration from His discipline: And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. Yet, in verse 11, He still makes it clear that disobedience comes with a price: For I am with you to save you, declares the Lord; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

I don't know about you, but both those passages read as if they could have been spoken over our nation. And here's where it gets really interesting ... Joel, Chapter 2, is well-known as "The Day of the Lord", and it tells of a mighty army who charges and scales walls. They do not swerve from their paths; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. I have heard modern-day Christians described as this "Joel 2 Army", and that they represent a return to the Lord, walking out the lifestyle portrayed in Joel 2:12–17 of fasting and praying. But I believe that is a misunderstanding of the overall context of the entire chapter. I believe this Chapter again portrays the nature of God to destroy [in His sovereignty].

 

Joel 2:11 tells us that He will come with His heavenly army to once and for all destroy the nations loyal to Satan's evil agenda: The Lord utters His voice before His army, for His camp is exceedingly great; He who executes His word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it? And then, in verse 25, He makes a promise to the children of Zion, while letting them know He was the source of their discipline:  "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, My great army, which I sent among you."

 

So, we have plenty of examples of God using nations as His disciplinary troops against a rebellious member of His family. And lest you think all that discipline is only reserved for the Old Testament or the end of the Great Tribulation, let's take a look at another familiar passage, but from the perspective of the Father's discipline. In Roman's 13:1-4, Paul reminds us that God is still able to send "rulers" and "authorities" to avenge His demand for obedience and righteousness. And, as history shows us, these authorities don't necessarily represent Godliness. They might be set over us to discipline us for our rebellious ways. [That should make every one of us get on our knees and pray!] Here is Paul's warning:  Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

 

We would do well to remind ourselves that God is Immutable; unchanging over time, or unable to change. He is the same God [with the same nature] as presented in the parable of the Wedding Feast; in Deuteronomy; in Jeremiah, and in Joel. Mind you, this is not His full nature, but one that has been "shoved out of sight", if you will, in what the Church likes to call this "Age of Grace". If we are going to see Him in His fullness, then we need to see all that He is ... a God who is jealous of those He has called and is not afraid to discipline them when necessary; and a God who will soon settle scores -- inflicting His wrath on the Evil in the world by telling His Son to "mount up" with all of His Heavenly army and deliver His Justice. As we come ever nearer to our national election, who will God assign to rule over us? Are we deserving of a righteous ruler? Will God's servant be for our good, or to avenge God for our rebelliousness? Will He restore us, or send us into destruction and captivity? Pray like you've never prayed before and join me in crying, "Come, Lord Jesus, Come!"

 

Revelation 3:19    As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.