Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Eph.6:13-18)

Having made his case for the believer’s daily battle against spiritual forces of evil, Paul goes on to enumerate elements of our faith that constitute God’s armor. Remember the word armor in the Greek is panoplia and includes both armor and weapons. The idea that our armor is the “armor of God” implies that our armor and weapons originate with God. They come to us from God’s armory, are designed by God, and empowered by God. They cannot be shaped or empowered by man. They must be divine weapons not weapons of the world (2 Cor. 10:4).

Paul begins with a call to stand firm in the face of the enemy – to give no ground and to refuse to let the devil push us around. I remember Graham Cooke commenting on the propensity of most believers to simply give in at Satan’s first volley rather than turning the tables and coming at him with all we’ve got. James tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us. Jesus himself declared that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church – and we are his church. The people of God should not fear Satan. Satan should fear the people of God. We have armor. We have weapons. We have Jesus who has all authority in heaven and on earth. We have the host – the armies – of heaven to back us up.

Paul, then, tells us to stand immoveable on the day(s) Satan comes against us. We should keep in mind that Satan rarely comes against us with a frontal assault. His first choice is always to draw us out of God’s will in some area of our life so that the natural and spiritual consequences of sin roll over us like a rockslide. If he can seduce us in one area that we begin to withhold from God for a season without repentance, he will gain a foothold in that area which soon becomes a stronghold. The armor of God keeps us aligned with the Father so that no door is left open for the enemy to enter.

He begins with truth. He may be instructing us to always be truth tellers but I believe his emphasis here is in knowing and standing on the truth of Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (Jn.8:32). “Truth” in this context means a reality that stands firm – an unchanging reality. Jesus came to blow away the smoke and mirrors of Satan’s lies and to enlighten our own darkened understanding so that we might know what reality truly us. God told Adam and Eve the truth – you eat, you die. Satan clouded that reality when he declared that they would not die – at least not in the physical sense, at least not right away. Adam and Eve believed the lie and here we are.

God’s truth is a window into eternal realities and absolute right and wrong. Satan’s first line of attack is always to woo us away from that truth just as he did in the Garden. In a sense, everything else hangs on knowing and believing what is true – what is real. When we know God’s truth and stand on it, Satan has no point of entry. When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, he stood on the truth revealed in God’s word and Satan soon gave up the game and left. One of the church’s great challenges today is that by and large, believers no longer know much of the truth. Real Bible study has given way to devotional books and light reading. Those things are not wrong but should not replace serious study and time in the Word.

Most believers today have no chance of defending their faith based on the Word of God. Many believers have attached themselves to favorite preachers and teachers who present one slice of the biblical pie over and over but don’t present the whole counsel of God. As a result, a believer may be well versed in grace but not holiness, self-esteem but not self-sacrifice, or in end-times theology without knowing the teachings of Jesus on faith and character. When we are familiar with only one facet of God’s will it is easy for Satan to lie to us about other parts of his will.

God’s truth is a foundational weapon of spiritual warfare and is essential in these last days. Paul warns us when he says, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron” (1Tim.4:1-2). Everything hangs on God’s truth. He expects us to know the truth ourselves not just to depend on others to know if for us. Our first line of defense is knowing the eternal realities that God’s Spirit has revealed to us. Study to know.

More about God’s armor in my next blog.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Eph.6:10-13)

There is an armor that has its origins with God. Paul instructs each of us to put on that armor – literally to dress ourselves. There is an intentionality in that directive. Each believer must initiate the process and, in order to be fully ready for the battle, must put on the whole “panoplia” which includes not only armor but weapons as well. Paul is clear that without the armor and weapons that God supplies we cannot stand against the assaults of the enemy. Paul’s statements here echo his directives regarding divine weapons in 2 Corinthians 10. We cannot stand against the enemy in our own strength or defeat him in our own wisdom. We must receive and wield what God provides.

Paul continues to emphasize the necessity of standing in God’s strength and putting on God’s armor because our real struggle is not against human adversaries but against those that exist in the spiritual realm. Paul uses the word “wrestle” to describe the struggle. It is a Greek word that specifically describes wrestling in the Greek game, the Olympics. When you think of Olympic wrestling, it is not guys in striped tights flying off the top ropes and whacking each other with folding chairs. Rather, it is a sport involving strategy (schemes), strength, and endurance. One interesting rule dictates action on the mat. Wrestlers are expected to force the action, and they receive passivity warnings from the referee if they don’t. A wrestler deemed passive is then at the mercy of his more active adversary, who is given the option of putting his opponent in the par terre (on the mat) position, which generally makes it easier to score points. Passivity on our part, in the realm of spiritual warfare, also gives the enemy a great advantage.

Paul goes on to speak about rulers, authorities and cosmic powers in this spiritual realm we war against. He is speaking about ranks of demons and their roles. Several translations use the word principalities instead of rulers. In the book of Daniel, the prophet prays for an interpretation of a dream God has given him. After twenty-one days of praying and fasting, an angel appears and tells him, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia” (Dan.10:12-13).

The first angel is one of the hosts of heaven (a member of the armies of heaven – See Rev.19:14)). As he attempted to fulfill his mission, he was opposed by a demonic spirit referred to as the Prince of Persia. This high-ranking demonic spirit ruled a spiritual principality over the nation of Persia. We can assume that his mission was to promote Satan’s agenda in that nation and to command lesser demons under his authority. He was powerful enough that he withstood the angel that had been sent by the Lord for twenty-one days. Only when Michael, one of the chief princes (an archangel), was sent to aid him and take up the battle was the first angel able to fulfill his mission.

This section of scripture reveals that both angels and demons have specific territories and people to whom they are assigned. In the book of Revelation, it also appears that angels are assigned to churches (see chapters 2-3). If angels are assigned to churches it is not a stretch to believe that demons have also been assigned. If we have guardian angels then it is also a small stretch to believe that we may also have demonic spirits assigned to harass us and oppress us, at least from time to time. In the spiritual realm there are armies with different ranks of commanders who receive orders from the top. Jesus is the commander of the armies of heaven (Rev. 19) and Satan commands those in the dominion of darkness. There are strategies, campaigns, wars, etc. that take place in the invisible realm and we, as believers, play a significant role in those wars. More about our part in the next blog.

In many churches, demons are relegated to the first century and poorly done Hollywood presentations. If many believers think about them at all, they would imagine them to be in third world countries where idols and temples to false gods abound or where people gather in secret rituals to call up the powers of darkness. In general, they give no thought to demons actively afflicting Christians or operating in high-tech nations where the spiritual realm is only depicted in entertainment forms. But let me assure you that demons are real and very active in America – even in conservative West Texas. And let me assure you that they afflict and oppress many Christians who are unaware of their presence or who may sense their presence but do not know what to do about it.

Today, I’m going to begin a short series on the topic in hope that this may alert some believers to the reality and encourage them to become better equipped in the realm of spiritual warfare. Let me say upfront that I am not encouraging an obsession with the demonic. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus not the enemy and He that is in us is certainly greater than he that is in the world. On the other hand, Paul tells us that we should be aware of Satan’s schemes (2 Cor. 2:11), that our struggles are not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers and authorities and that we should put on the armor of God so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil (Eph.6:11-12). So…let’s begin.

Demonic spirits are a given in scripture. There is no clear explanation of their origins although there are several theories which all seem to be less than satisfying at some point. Like roaches, it’s not as important to know their origins as to know that they are in your house and to know how to deal with them once they have been discovered.

There is not a great deal of discussion in the Old Testament about demons but it is clear that they existed and operated primarily through false religions and idol worship.  

They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat-demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations. (Lev.17:7, ESV)

They sacrificed to demons, which are not God—gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear. (Dt.32:17)

They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. (Ps.106:36-37)

The law clearly prohibited worship to false God’s and connected that worship to demonic spirits. It is not surprising that demons entice men to worship them since that is a quality of Satan as well. There are plenty of people in America who worship false God’s and offer their sacrifices of time, money, and even their families to them. There are also those in America who participate in satanic rituals, voodoo, white magic, black magic, and other occult practices. All of these summon demons and honor those demons to whom they pray. High-tech America is not exempt from idolatry and false religions including Wicca and numerous other organizations. Involvement in the occult – mediums, tarot cards, astrology, etc. – also invites the presence of demonic spirits.

As you transition from the Old Testament to the gospels, you see a much greater awareness of the demonic. Numerous individuals bring family and friends to Jesus and his followers with a clear sense that those people were being tormented by demons. The response was not to convince them that their friends suffered from some form of mental illness but was to simply drive out the demon with the authority of the Lord backing them up. Jesus and his followers were quite convinced of the reality of demons and even declared that deliverance from demons was evidence that the kingdom had come (see Luke 11:20).

Certainly, not everything is demonic. We live in a fallen world with a fallen nature subject to disease, physiological and psychological conditions, and trauma. That would be enough to deal with but a great deal of what torments people today is also demonic – even among believers. More about that in Monday’s blog.

In the ninth chapter of Mark, Jesus had just descended from the Mount of Transfiguration where he had taken Peter, James and John while the other disciples stayed behind. While on the mountain, Jesus had met with Moses and Elijah and during that meeting his clothing became as white as snow and as bright as lightening. The three apostles witnessed this miraculous meeting and then returned with him to the crowds below. When they returned they met a man whose young son had been tormented by a demonic spirit for years. The father explained that before Jesus had arrived he had asked the disciples and apostles who had stayed behind to cast out the demon but they could not.

After a brief dialogue with the father, Jesus gave a brief command to the spirit and the spirit left the boy. Mark then reports, “And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting ( Mark 9:28-29, KJV).

At first reading, we might assume that the father or the boy should have fasted and prayed before asking for deliverance or that the apostles, after encountering the spirit, should have prayed and fasted and then gone after the demon again. However, Jesus did not instruct the father to pray and fast for a season nor did he pray and fast for 24 hours himself before confronting the unclean spirit again. He simply cast out the demon. What we have left is that Jesus was instructing them that there are levels of demonic power and authority that sometimes require more than the ordinary level of spiritual authority that most believers carry. The text also implies that to walk in that level of authority, a believer should dedicate regular times to prayer and fasting as part of his lifestyle.

As we scan the gospels, we often see Jesus separating himself from the crowds and his disciples for nights of prayer and, we can assume, fasting as he prayed. We don’t see the disciples doing that until after Pentecost when the church often met for prayer and fasting. Since Jesus had incorporated extended times with the Father into his lifestyle, he simply walked with more authority than the band who followed him. When he encountered a spirit with greater authority than usual, the authority he walked in was sufficient for the moment and the unclean spirit was banished with a simple command.

There are two significant principles in this account. The first is that we must prepare in advance for spiritual battles. Too many believers wait until the battle is upon them before they start praying, fasting, making their declarations, and trying to summon sufficient faith. Any athlete knows that you must prepare for the game ahead of time with study, strength training, and drills. You can’t begin to get ready after the game starts or you will find yourself hopelessly behind in a hurry. Any soldier knows you don’t wait until you are being fired upon to clean and load your weapon. You always prepare for the battle ahead of time. The same is true in spiritual warfare. Get ready now for what is coming later by getting the word in your heart, praying and fasting as part of your lifestyle, and learning how to use divine weapons before you need them.

Secondly, it appears that spiritual authority increases as we pray and fast. If we want a greater anointing there is a price to be paid and that price should be paid on a somewhat regular basis. The increase comes because we are spending more focused time with the Father and because our relationship with the Father, the Son and the Spirit is deepening.

As I look around us in this season of cultural decay and rejection of biblical values, I believe we must prepare for spiritual warfare as we contend for our families, our marriages, our communities, and our nation. We must encourage one another to prepare before the battle, to increase our authority as followers of Jesus, and to learn how to use divine weapons in skirmishes with the enemy before the all out assaults begin. Otherwise we will be overwhelmed.

But the good news is still the same – He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. Jesus is certainly sufficient be we are commanded to join him in the battle as we put on the armor of God and wield the weapons of heaven. If you are not prepared or are not in the process of preparing, let me encourage you to get started because the battles are increasing all around us. The hope of our nation is in a church that arises prepared for war against spiritual principalities and powers. We need every soldier in the battle and we need him or her today.

For many years I have felt that a popular “end-times theology” undermines the mission of the church and contradicts a great deal of scripture. I also believe that it can seep into our own personal view of life and undermine our own victorious mindset as well. This particular theology was popularized in the 70’s and really launched into the psyche of the church by Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late Great Planet Earth. This view depicts the last days as a dismal day for the church and believers everywhere. It promotes a view of a one world order, the anti-Christ, and the downward spiral of all nations and cultures into an abyss that can only be redeemed by the coming of the Lord and the rapture of the saints who have become powerless in the face of all that evil.

The damaging part of this theology in my mind is the inevitability of the outcomes and the powerlessness of the church to stand against it. The power of evil is so overwhelming that the only thing to do is to bunker in and pray for the Lord’s quick return. Too often that is also translated into the lives of individual believers so that they “check out” and give in to the world system rather than working to redeem it and establish a glowing and victorious bride for the Lord to retrieve. That theology can and has instilled a sense of futility and hopelessness in the hearts of many believers.

There is also a dynamic that sociologists and psychologists call a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Simply stated, it means that we often act in ways that confirm the beliefs we already hold about ourselves or others. For instance, if a child experiences the loss of a parent, he or she may come to believe that they will eventually lose anyone that they come to love or depend on. In response to that belief, this child may grow into an adult who never fully commits to a relationship or who never fully engages emotionally with anyone because they believe that person will eventually leave them or that they will lose them to some tragedy. Because they never commit to a relationship or connect emotionally, their relationships keep ending and those who attempted to connect with them move on. When those relationships end, the individual is all the more convinced that their beliefs are true and inevitable.

When Christians believe that poverty, evil, tyranny, persecution, unbelief, and the demise of Christianity on the earth are inevitable they withdraw from the battle. When they withdraw, evil wins and they believe all the more that the end is near and there is no use trying to save America much less the world. With this mindset, believers who are supposed to be more than conquerors withdraw from the cultural battles, stay out of politics, retreat from championing social justice, and even fail to vote because they think it won’t matter. Believers with this view cease to be salt and light in the world and simply forfeit the battle to the enemy.

Kris Vallotton adds an interesting insight into this same dynamic in his book, How Heaven Invades Earth, (p.204). “But what happened to destiny when our prophetic people were taught that there wasn’t supposed to be a future because the end of the world was near? They stopped prophesying into the future. And what took place in the absence of the Holy Spirit’s prophetic intonation is absolutely frightening; a visionary vortex, or vacuum was suddenly created that sucked every kind of dark, foretelling spirit into it. This has resulted in the worst psychic resurgence since the days of Daniel. We have Wiccans, New Age people, fortune tellers, astrologers, and psychics all sharing their insights in the highest offices of the land.” That used to be the role of God’s prophets but we left the playing field.

When God’s people leave the playing field the enemy regains his swagger. We are promised that if we resist the devil he will flee from us but this particular theology teaches that there is no point in our resistance. There is another centuries-old theology that declares a triumphant church on the earth that welcomes back the groom rather than a church that has scurried off the field because she was helpless against the one Christ has already defeated. Those who know that they are more than conquerors do not surrender to a bully or a tyrant but stand and fight knowing that they will win because their champion is Jesus Christ who has all authority in heaven and on earth. They don’t give in to injustice, false religion, abortion, violence, deceit, divorce, or any other works of the devil. They don’t give in on a personal level nor do they abandon the culture in which God has commanded them to be salt and light. All the gifts, the power, and the authority Christ has delegated to his church are not just for the church to be exercised behind high walls. They have also been given to redeem the culture and finally the world. We have been letting the devil push us around too long. It’s time to push back.

Jonathan Edwards was one of the leading American thinkers, theologians, and pastors in the 1700’s. He once said, “When the church is revived, so it the devil.” His point, of course, was that then God begins to move in powerful ways on the earth, the enemy doesn’t just role over but doubles has efforts to oppose the work of God – in a nation, a community, a church, or an individual’s life.

When a believer who has been casual about his or her relationship with Jesus begins to get “seriously serious” about Jesus, it is not uncommon for “all hell” to break loose in his or her life. We typically expect God to smooth the road for us when we truly start pressing into our relationships with him and truly start serving him, so when everything starts blowing up we may begin to believe we were better off as a casual follower of Christ. Of course, that is exactly what satan is hoping for.

The problem is that, in most cases, believers have not been taught about spiritual realities or trained in spiritual warfare. We should all know that we will endure seasons of battle with the enemy throughout our lives because that is the nature of war and we are in a war. Instead of “throwing in the towel,” mature believers simply dig in and begin to exercise the divine weapons God has given them (2 Cor. 1:4-6). They also know that the battle will be theirs in time if they simply remain in Christ, persist in faith, and battle the enemy with prayer and the authority of heaven. Paul reminded the church in Rome of the same truth when he said, “Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom.16:19-20).

If you have gotten serious about your faith lately and things have started to blow apart around you, don’t be surprised. And don’t be surprised if God allows that to go on for a while. If you are going to live a committed Christian life you will need to get into shape spiritually. If you have been sitting in the stands for a while and then decide you want to get in the game, the coach is going to put you through some hard workouts to build muscle and stamina in your spiritual life so that you can walk off the filed a winner. Paul often compared the believer’s life to an athletic contest. Athletes have to train and training is hard…even painful. Not only do you have to get in shape but you also have to develop skills and learn strategies. It is no different in the spiritual realm.

When you decide that you want in the game and that you want to be an impact player in the kingdom of God, the devil will show up. When he does, things will get crazy but God has not abandoned you. Rather, he is using that difficult season to train you. Let me tell you from experience, that you do not want to learn how to fight those battles through trial and error nor do you want to go it alone. You will need others to fight along side you and spiritual mentors to teach you how to wield divine weapons.

Remember that great verse from James where he tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us (Ja.4:7)? Sometimes we will have to resist for a season, not just a moment. But as you resist you grow stronger and wiser. You also gain more authority in the spiritual realm as you engage in the battle. At some point, the enemy will know that he is beaten and he will flee.

God is moving in amazing ways alI across the planet. At the same time, the persecutions of Christians is at an historic high. When the church is revived so is the devil. I also believe that God is preparing a great offensive in America because the enemy has been stirred. Even in the Bible Belt” of West Texas demonic activity is noticeably increasing – so much so that even those who don’t believe in the demonic are asking questions. Children and teens are manifesting demons in ways we haven’t seen before, people are sensing evil in their homes and asking believers to come and pray for their houses, the marriages and health of church leaders are under extreme attack, and so forth.

God’s people need to learn how to fight in the spiritual realm. We need to learn how to put  on spiritual armor and wield spiritual weapons.  If you have not been trained, find someone to train you. God has left it to us to drive back the enemy and this season of warfare is not going away for a while. Read books, get involved with credible ministries in your area that know how to pray, heal, and minister deliverance. Get in the word more than ever and build up your faith. Learn to fast and ask God for the spiritual gifts needed in this season. We do not need to fear but we do need to fight. Its time for every believer to get in the game! Be blessed and victorious in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Don’t be afraid!” How many times was that phrase spoken to believers throughout the Bible? Is it just an absence of faith that God is rebuking or is there something more sinister about fear than just not fully trusting in God? I have often thought that people who tried to minister deliverance with some fear about failure or about the demon were setting themselves up for something more than disappointment. We have always heard the expression that wild animals or big snarling dogs can sense your fear and be emboldened to attack. I believe it is the same in the spiritual realm. I like the way Bill Johnson explains the ramifications of fear.

Fear is faith in the devil…The devil is called Beelzebub, which means lord of the flies. He and his hosts are attracted to decay….Issues such as bitterness, jealousy, and hatred qualify as the decay of the heart that invites the devil to come and give influence – yes, even to Christians. Remember Paul’s admonition to the church of Ephesus, “Neither give place to the devil.” Fear is also the decay of the heart. It attracts the demonic in the same way as bitterness and hatred. (Bill Johnson, When Heaven Invades Earth, p.50).

Fear in the spiritual atmosphere is like drops of blood in the ocean. Some predator will pick up it’s sent and seek its source. So when we are encouraged not to be afraid it is not just the absence of trust in God but it is a substance in the spiritual realm that emboldens the enemy to come against you. Our fear comes either from the uncertainty that God is actually greater than Satan or it comes from the uncertainty that God will protect us from the enemy. Scripture is full of promises that God is, in fact, much greater than the devil and that he will come to our aid if we are under attack. To not believe God’s word is to come into agreement with the enemy and that agreement gives him a place in our life.

Someone might say, “Well, doesn’t wisdom teach us to be afraid of grizzly bears because they are much bigger and stronger than us and in the same way shouldn’t we have a healthy fear of demons because the spiritual realm is greater than the natural realm?” The answer is that we should be wise but not afraid and I can be within three feet of a grizzly bear without fear. I can be totally fearless if strong walls protect me or if I am positioned inside an M1 Abrams Tank which is currently the army’s largest battle tank. It is highly armored, weighs 64 tons, and has great speed not to mention tremendous firepower. Surrounded by that kind of power and protection a grizzly bear, even though he is only three feet away, is no threat. In that moment, however, I could be a great threat to the bear.

Scripture says that we are in Christ and, therefore, are surrounded by Christ. We are told that the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him. If we fear the enemy is it because we are unaware or unconvinced of our position. Should we be cautious not to make ourselves vulnerable to the enemy? Of course, we are not to be presumptuous. We are only vulnerable to the enemy, however, if we have failed to wear our armor or if we have opened a hatch and invited the enemy inside with us. We can correct those mistakes and lay fear aside if it has crept in with the enemy.

We are told to fix our eyes on Jesus and often we should meditate on Jesus not just as the Good Shepherd who lays his life down for the sheep but rather as the Commander of the Armies of Heaven riding out on a white horse with his garments dripping with the blood of his enemies – which are also your enemies. Jesus is not always the meek and gentle King he is also the fierce King who will destroy his enemies with the sword of his mouth and crush the devil under his feet. Don’t be afraid. There is no need and it attracts flies.