“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
–2 Timothy 2:3
The Bible declares believers are SOLDIERS IN A BATTLE: a spiritual battle.
Over the past several years, various discussions, emails, lectures, comments and other communications concerning the topic of spiritual warfare have taken place.
Here are a few observations concerning this most important (particularly in the times in which we live) of end times topics.
1- Spiritual warfare is such an important topic, it’s no wonder the enemy has attempted to corrupt what God’s Word says about spiritual warfare.
The reader who depends upon popular books, websites, commentaries, DVDs, “deliverance ministries” and other man-made resources for his information will be rewarded with misinformation. And, the more recent the information, the more likely the information is to be completely contrary to the Bible.
One can tell how important spiritual warfare is in the end times by the sheer amount of deception surrounding the topic.
2- Demons (evil spirits) ARE NOT fallen angels.
NOWHERE in the Bible does it say that demons are fallen angels.
NOWHERE.
Yet, this is one modern fable which the apostate world and the apostate churches have pushed relentlessly. Practically ALL who teach on this subject in the end times speak as if with one voice.
We can know that demons are not fallen angels by Scripture. Fallen angels are chained until the day of judgment.
“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
–Jude 1:6
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;”
–2 Peter 2:4
A very few fallen angels are released from their bonds a little earlier as detailed in Revelation 9:14).
Demons on the other hand, are roaming about the earth and causing mankind untold misery.
Demons and evil spirits are NOT fallen angels. Anyone who says differently has NO backing in Scripture, though the more cleverly deceptive do their best to obfuscate.
3- Many appear to equate “spiritual warfare” with casting out demons. While this IS a particular (and important) aspect of spiritual warfare, it is not the whole of the subject.
4- Catholics have their exorcism rituals; Protestants have their deliverance ministries; witches have their ceremonies; kaballah has its talismans, amulets and rituals; pagans have their shamans; false religions have their idols: All are methods used for trying to control demons (evil spirits). All are anti-biblical.
All are either ineffective, kabuki, depend on the demon itself OR all three.
ALL are deceptions and depend on the deceived person attempting to manipulate the demonic by following what the demon itself has told them or someone else (which they’ve read).
PART ONE: Where do evil spirits come from?
PART TWO: Weapons of Our Warfare: END TIMES SURVIVAL
PART THREE: END TIMES SURVIVAL: We Fight Spiritual Battles, Not Physical Ones
PART FOUR: EXORCISM: 10 Observations on Casting Out Demons
PART FIVE: Spiritual Warfare: 10 Observations on Demons and Spiritual Warfare
PART SIX: SPIRITUAL WARFARE: The Explosive Power of the Prayers of the Believer
5- Much of what the so-called discernment ministries offer is not only nonsense: it is anti-biblical nonsense.
For example, deliverance ministries advise on how to obtain information from demons.
What does the Bible say?
Jesus only questioned a demon ONE TIME. This is the only time the Bible records any questioning of demons. And remember, this was Jesus.
“And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.”
–Luke 8:30
EVERY other time, Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out (with nothing else recorded that He said); OR, he commanded the spirit to be quiet; to “hold thy peace.”
“And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.”
–Mark 1:23-25
“And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.”
Luke 4:35
“And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.”
–Mark 1:34
6- TWO very important aspects of spiritual warfare are rarely, if ever, mentioned. Prayer is part of the “whole armor of God.” Separating from the entanglements of this life is an important part of the Christian’s everyday walk with God. Though one may have separated, the world will NEVER quit trying to re-entangle the Christian in its millions of lusts and deceptions.
A) Prayer
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
–Ephesians 6:18
B) Separating from the entanglements of this life
“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
–2 Timothy 2:4
7- Modern man’s interaction with demons/evil spirits in everyday life is many orders of magnitude more than the average reader might believe, particularly in the United States of America.
One is not even supposed to SPEAK the names of demons (pagan gods). This is extremely hard to avoid in the USA.
“make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.”
–Exodus 23:13
“Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.”
–Proverbs 16:4
“That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:”
–Joshua 23:7
Yet, oddly enough, most American products are named after (or contain) the names of pagan gods (demons/devils).
Demons USA: Demons in Everyday Life
8 – Spiritual warfare is not something that is “on-again, off-again.”
One cannot be in the world and be a spiritual warrior.
“Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”
–1 Corinthians 10:21
IF one is a spiritual warrior for God, one is not a part of this present, wicked world. NO worldly person; no man who takes pleasure in the things of this world is a warrior for God.
“And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?”
–2 Corinthians 6:15
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
–1 John 2:15
One can attempt to be a spiritual warrior and be entangled by this world. But then, one would be like the seven sons of Skeva.
“Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
“And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
–Acts 19:13-16
Spiritual warfare is part of the all-consuming task of daily walking with God.
9- One deliverance ministry featured a novel reading of Matthew 7:5.
As they put it:
Jesus speaking – Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam [demon] out of thine own eye [self-deliverance]; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote [demon] out of thy brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:5 is NOT about deliverance. Matthew 7:5 is about judging.
10- The deliverance ministry field is full of “experiences.” This is not to say that the Lord doesn’t teach the believer through experience, BUT experience will never go against God’s Word, either directly or subtly.
After a while, the “experiences” of men become the “traditions of men.”
“For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
–Mark 7:8-9,13
Beware of those who offer their experiences as valuable information on par with the Word of God.
There are a number of other observations which could be made. There are a number of notes remaining on the subject.
This will the topic of a future article.
The effective spiritual warrior is preparing for battle before the actions waxes hot.
Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation
Tender Mercies of the Lord: Will Not Always Be Available
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
—John 20:31
THE GOSPEL
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16
RELATED ARTICLES
- Separating from the World: END TIMES SURVIVAL
- Do You Know if You are Going to Heaven? Be Sure!
- Demons USA: Demons in Everyday Life
- EXORCISM: 10 Observations on Casting Out Demons
- OBSERVATIONS: Archives
- The Normalizing of Illegitimate Supernatural Power in the End Times
- 35 Most Important ETPR Articles
by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier
images:
1- ETPR/vectorolie, FreeDigitalPhotos.net/ETPR
2- David Castillo Dominici, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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