Seeing [And Defeating] Satan's Playbook For The Kingdom of Darkness

I know I've said it before, but I feel like it's déja vu all over again. Satan just uses the same old playbook over and over, because it works! Let me explain ... Since I began writing this blog in 2011, I have discerned the schemes and tactics of Satan and his kingdom of darkness, and while the players might look and sound different, the goals have always been the same ... to create a world of tighter top-down government control and more authoritarian leadership [under his evil guidance], with limited innovation amidst growing citizen pushback.

To be sure, there have been ebbs and flows -- in both the control and the pushback -- but Satan's overall plan has always been the same: his kingdom of darkness [which has ruled much of the world since Adam and Eve got kicked out of the Garden] seeks to defeat the restored dominion of earth [which Jesus handed back to man]. Since Genesis 1:26-28, we were given a mandate by our Creator to rule earth like Heaven is ruled. In other words, our Lord came to defeat the kingdom of darkness and re-establish the Kingdom of God. Jesus's plan has always been for His followers to continue His work in His power and authority, which He transferred to us. 

From 2011 to now, if you have spiritual eyes to see, and spiritual ears to hear, you should have seen the writing on the wall. Without a doubt, we are seeing food shortages, and the drums of war are getting louder. We have experienced a global plague [with warnings that it will erupt again]. Famine is a very real threat [and not just to third-world countries] -- meat is being rationed in our country [and we're now offered a variety called "impossible"]. And who can explain all the processing plants that have been destroyed, and dairy cows, along with millions of pigs and chickens being slaughtered? And the wars and rumors of war are no longer simply whispered among "those in the know", but openly forecast. Where have I  heard that before? Oh, yeah, they are the beginnings of birth pangs that Jesus talks about in Matthew 24. These world events pretty much resemble the four horsemen of the apocalypse in Revelation 6, too -- the red horse symbolizing war and bloodshed; the black horse is famine; and the pale horse is pestilence and death. 

But, I'm not writing to say that we should get ready for the Tribulation, or that the End of the World is here. To be honest, I'm not interested in predicting when that time will come -- no one knows except our Father, not even Jesus, Himself. So, I'm more focused on being alert to what the Enemy's agenda and playbook are, so that I can endure to the end [whenever it is] and be an Overcomer. And that means I want to help others be able to see what is happening in the world from a non-political standpoint. We must be able to see in the spirit, and see what is going on behind the dirty veil that the devil is so good at presenting to the general population.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that it feels like déja vu. I say that because beginning in 2014, I was writing about the undermining of our nation's Constitution, our republic, and our basic civil rights; that we were seriously eroding the truth that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." 

I remember having to memorize this paragraph from the Declaration of Independence in my elementary school Social Studies classes, but now I see that "new Government" as being the Kingdom of God, with the faithful acting as the Ekklesia [governing body of Believers acting as representatives of the Heavenly government of the Father]. But there is a spiritual force that doesn't want to see that happen. 

Back in 2014, I made mention of a political activist and theorist named Saul Alinsky. He wrote a book in 1971 titled Rules for Radicals in which he subscribed to 12 rules about how to successfully run a movement for change. That little book has greatly influenced our social and political climate for the last 50 years. And I find it most notable that Alinsky penned this for the dedication of his book: "Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical ... the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom -- Lucifer".

There you have it .... the reference to the kingdom of darkness versus the Kingdom of God. And the rules which Alinsky promoted certainly mimic Satan's agenda and methodology. To begin with, there is rule #3, which states "Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of your Enemy. Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety, and uncertainty". The way in which the so-called "experts" have disseminated [dis]information in our recent history has resulted in the loss of freedoms that we have taken for granted. This falls right in line with Satan as the Father of Lies whose modus operandi is Deception and false accusations. 

Another rule of the social and political radicals, as well as the first radical, Lucifer, is "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself". If you are spiritually discerning, you will see how that has played out in our recent history. Millions survived without following the "prescribed protocol". And tragically, it's also true that millions died. So please understand that I am not making light of that number. Any death is significant, but you can see how this strategy parallels Satan's strategy of getting us to worry about things that haven't even happened yet, or that are far less devastating than he has given us to imagine. Satan's goal is to demoralize Christians into a state of passivity, resulting in his kingdom continuing to dominate the earth.

Rule #12 of Rules for Radicals is "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it". That's pretty much what Satan did to Job, isn't it? He cut off Job's support network, and isolated him from sympathy. He attempted to get Job to turn against the very One who believed in him and had blessed him, and would be there to restore him. And that rule has been effectively used in polarizing our citizens and neighbors against each other. "White privilege", "Equity", "Diversity" and "Institutional Racism" have become terms used to pick Satan's targets in his radical playbook. See how easy it is to freeze attention on a target, and use language to personalize it, and polarize it? 

These are just a few of Alinsky's rules for instituting social change, and it's not hard to see them at work in our current situation, and see them as similar to Satan's tactics. But let's not forget another diabolical tactic known as the Hegelian Dialect. In short, here's how it works .... Step number one looks like this: Our Enemy knows that, instinctively, people won't go for restricted freedoms, so they cause a problem [that didn't naturally occur] which is step number two, which causes panic and conflict. Then they come up with step number three: a solution to solve the manufactured problem, which turns out to be their original goal [i.e., restricted freedoms]. The people will embrace it because they just want the panic and conflict to go away. 

So, as Kingdom-minded citizens, who are Heaven's representatives on earth, it is absolutely necessary that we see how Satan is working in the world ... a man-made virus being unleashed on the world, causing death, panic, destroyed economies, and loss of jobs. In the Spirit, we can see that Satan desires men to doubt God in the midst of this chaos; sending spirits of fear and abandonment to invade our peace and confidence, which causes us to seek solutions in our own power instead of pressing into the power of God in us to help us endure. Satan wants us to trust ourselves, or human leaders, more than we trust our Father and Savior. It's all about perpetuating Satan's kingdom of darkness and stopping the advance of God's Kingdom on the earth.

But, we must cling to the truth that we exist in Christ, who is a safe realm that we can step into and be protected during this storm. And we need to walk in our identity in the Kingdom. Our authentic citizenship is in Heaven, seated next to Christ, the King of all Creation -- we are temporary [and secondarily] citizens of this world. We must not get distracted from anything that Satan aligns with in order to divert us from our purpose in this life. We have a destiny that surpasses whatever we may experience during our short lifetime in this realm called earth. 

We must understand that we were made for eternity, but we have a job to do while we're here in our temporary home. So, Satan and his minions can develop all the rules and radical ideas they can imagine. But they will never defeat God's sovereign plan for His people or this planet. He will rule and reign as King, and Satan's radicals will pay the price for their rebellion, unless they choose to be redeemed. So, don't get discouraged! It may seem like more dark days are ahead of us, and we wonder when this nightmare will end. But this is our opportunity to persevere for the Kingdom of God; spreading the Good News that the Light of Heaven has brought a promise of our deliverance into the realm of the Kingdom of God. Let us be about our Father's business until our Lord returns! Let's execute God's playbook and frustrate the Enemy's strategies and tactics!

2 Corinthians 2:11  .... that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

 

Ekklesia: We Are the Government of The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth

If ever there was a time to understand Jesus's mandate to become His Ekklesia and storm the gates of Hades, it's now. The Enemy has ridden unleashed across our land, destroying, corrupting, and devastating the Christian foundation and fabric of our nation. I have written about understanding the concept of Ekklesia and what it meant to Jesus, and its importance in taking back territory in the spiritual realm. Jesus promised to give His Ekklesia the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, which would grant them the authority to both forbid and declare according to the lawful standards of His Father's Kingdom -- all with the purpose of seeing His Father's will "be done on earth as it is in Heaven".

I want to further expound on this topic by delving into the hermeneutics [interpretations of words] of Matthew 16:17-19, the source of today's post. And I want to make the argument that we must look at it in a First Century context, not a 21st Century one. As I have previously explained, all of our English translations of the Bible quote Jesus as saying, "On this rock I will build my church". Even the Aramaic translation uses the word "church", although it gives a detailed notation that the Greek word for "church" is "ekklesia"; even noting that it means "a legislative assembly".

So, can we agree that Jesus was never casual about the words He used? In fact, Jesus, Himself, tells us in John 12:49, "For I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father who sent me has Himself given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak". We know the Father was intentional in having Jesus use the word Ekklesia, and not the word Church. There was a purpose to the Ekklesia and it was "to govern; to legislate; to rule". And the people to whom Jesus spoke would have understood that concept.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 4:4 that we are to live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Since Jesus only spoke what the Father told Him, we must take seriously His use of the word "Ekklesia". You see, there is power in this word to identify our role and purpose in the earth. Words have specific meanings, and sadly the English language is not as specific as others. As Christians, we cannot afford to be casual with our understanding of Jesus's words. He did not say He would be the bedrock foundation upon which He would build His "church". The word "Church" comes from the Greek word kyriake, or kyriakon, meaning "gathering place, assembly dedicated to the Lord". Jesus was very deliberate in using the word Ekklesia, because He knew what its specific meaning was: ek, meaning "out of", and klesis, meaning "a calling".

 I like what author Dean Briggs says in his book, Ekklesia Rising:The Authority of Christ in Communities of Contending Prayer: "[Jesus] could have told Peter He would build His family, His bride, the Temple, an army or a kingdom.... or He could have used the word synagogue, which they would have clearly understood as the meeting place where they gathered in regards to their religion". But He wasn't talking about religion. He was talking about government! So He used a word [Ekklesia} that they clearly understood in terms of both the Hebrew and Greek significance. 

From the Greek perspective, it was a governmental assembly having authority in determining the affairs of their cities and territories, depending on their citizenship. All qualified persons were summoned together for a purpose and expected to participate. From the Hebrew perspective, Jesus's use of that word Ekklesia would have told the hearers that they were a summoned people, assembling together to receive God's heavenly kingdom government on the earth, and to act upon it. I also love how Ed Silvoso, author of Ekklesia: Rediscovering God's Instrument For Global Transformation, explains Jesus's use of Ekklesia: "[The objective of Jesus's use of this word] was the transformation of people and society, rather than acting as a transfer station for saved souls bound for heaven".

Jesus intends for us to be part of an Ekklesia; agents of His kingdom government to transform earth back to the model of the Garden of Eden, where God's Laws reigned supreme, and man knew nothing of Death. The Jews that Jesus spoke to would have recognized Ekklesia from their history: "the ekklesia in the wilderness", led by Moses, the Law-giver. It was an Ekklesia that first assembled around Mount Sinai to receive the Law of God; and from thenceforth, they formed a covenantal identity with YHWH.

But, now here comes Jesus speaking of an Ekklesia that He will build; one that identifies with Him as the Son of YHWH, and a body that receives their commission to carry His rulership into all the earth as part of a covenantal community. When He spoke of a Kingdom, they understood that term -- throughout their history they had been governed by Israelite kings, and were now subjected to the rulership of the kingdom of Rome. But here is Jesus, talking about a greater kingdom that is taking over the earth, and a governing assembly of His followers that will transform cities, nations, and the world! 

But let's go a step further and look at the next sentence after He declares He will build His Ekklesia. Jesus says that the gates of Hades will not be able to overpower it! Once again, the people would have understood the "legislative" connotation of that word "gates". Courts of justice were held at the city gates in the ancient world. Prophets also stood in the gates and delivered their divine messages. Gates were also symbols of the strength or vulnerability of a city. Whoever controlled the gates of a fortress, city, or stronghold ruled that territory.

Jesus never stopped preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom during His ministry. He continually encouraged the people to change their way of thinking [Repent!] because the Kingdom of God had arrived -- there is a new kingdom come; with a new way of ruling; and He intends on establishing a legislative body of those called [believing in Him] to defeat the gates [ruling power] of the one who has ruled with the power of Death. Furthermore, He is giving us the key of authority to open or close [loose or bind] God's heavenly principles on the earth, thereby offering Jesus as the gate [or doorway] into the Kingdom of God. Jesus perfectly models for us God's design to establish His people in His place under His rule. 

Make no mistake, only Jesus has the authority to allow or disallow someone to enter the Kingdom of God. But we have the authority -- and yes, the responsibility -- to point everyone to Jesus! I believe that the world needs [and in truth, is looking for] an authentic Ekklesia, not a church. Today, we can see that Lawlessness is spreading like wildfire. And we desperately need the government of the Prince of Peace to be established, bringing order out of disorder, and His light into the darkness of this world. And Jesus has called us to be the ruling agents of this transformation. If we are honest with ourselves, what we have established in our Churches has not done what Jesus intended. The earth does not look like heaven. In fact, the "gates" [ruling power] of Satan are fighting back whenever and wherever the Ekklesia makes strides to transform any territory.

And it's an escalating battle as, for instance, we watch the evolution of AI threaten to affect every aspect of our lives. Then there are all the whistleblowers who are exposing the corruption in the highest levels of our constitutional government, as well as the disclosure of the degree of sex trafficking that exploits our children. And who can deny that our banking system and military are under attack, which threatens to erode the underpinning of our national security? The Church has been unable [or unwilling] to stop the disintegration because it was never going to fulfill the purpose of the Ekklesia... to govern; to legislate; to rule.

One thing is for certain .... the Kingdom of God is going to be attacked by the kingdom of Satan. He knows that we are meant to grow in our identity as the Ekklesia, rather than simply being the church. We must continue to spread Jesus's Gospel of the Kingdom, bringing peace, joy, salvation, righteousness, justice, grace and all of God's attributes through our authority as citizens of heaven. But we must also deliberately battle in the spirit to establish ourselves in our gates as the ruling body on earth, and we must not relinquish our authority or role in any arena of society or the nation. As Jesus reminded Peter, we must be setting our minds on the things of God, not on the things of man.  Jesus IS coming to fully establish His Kingdom! Until that glorious day, we must stand firm, ruling and transforming the earth according to the Father's will. The question is, when Jesus returns, will He find you and I acting as a member of a church ... or the tip of the spear, contending for the rulership of Christ in our territory? It is not only time, but essential and crucial, that we take our Ekklesial identity and assignment seriously!

Joel 2:15-16     Blow a trumpet in Zion [warning of impending judgment], dedicate a fast [as a day of restraint and humility], call a solemn ekklesia. Gather the people, sanctify the ekklesia, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of His room and the bride out of her bridal chamber. [No one is excused from the ekklesia.]